Basketball Whip-Around: Rockland sweeps Grace Lutheran in boy-girl doubleheader, Highland bests Canyon Ridge

EASTERN IDAHO — Rockland’s defenses, both boys’ and girls’, did a number on the Grace Lutheran Royals as the Bulldogs earned a varsity sweep of their conference foes to start 2026.

While the Royals put together a couple of surges to make things interesting in the boys’ game, the Bulldogs never let up in the girls’ matchup, running with a 56-10 win. The slim slate of games also featured a conference showdown between Highland and the Canyon Ridge Riverhawks, which the visiting Rams won.

Rockland girls romp Grace Lutheran

Despite her team scoring 56 points, just five shy of matching its season-high, head coach Jordan Black said after the game that it was Rockland’s defense that shone brightest in the one-sided victory.

“I always know, our girls are just dawgs on defense,” the coach said. “They have that killer instinct, that killer mentality. I know that if we’re playing solid defense, the offense will follow.”

The dawg-ish Bulldogs (8-5, 2-1) did not allow a single point until a pair of Royal free throws with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. Rockland carried a 29-2 advantage into the break — a lead Grace Lutheran (3-5, 1-2) could never overcome.

Black said she would have been ecstatic to carry a shutout into the locker room at halftime, but was happy with the effort her team put forth in allowing two points in 16 minutes.

Offensively, Rockland got double-digit scoring nights from three players — junior Kinsey McHargue, 13, freshman Mahana Hatch, 12, and senior Harmony Boyer, 10, though Boyer and Hatch saw limited playing time in scoreless second halves.

The Bulldogs, coming off a 1A state championship a season ago, have gone through some struggles this season, relying heavily on young players like Hatch. But this win, one in which the Bulldogs coupled their stifling defense and offensive patience, Black believes, could be just the launching board the team needs with the playoffs just over a month away.

“These are games where, hopefully, we can gain some confidence in the things that we focus on day in and day out,” Black said. “I feel like we executed great tonight.”

Rockland boys best Grace Lutheran

The Bulldogs (7-2, 1-0) got a solid effort from Xavier Parrish and Isaac Held, whom head coach Shae Neal called the team’s “anchors” on both ends of the court, to slow the Royals (6-1, 0-1) for three quarters. And just when Grace Lutheran and star forward Garrett Grayson started to reel Rockland in, Woodrow Lowder erupted for the home team, scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Bulldogs to a 54-38 victory.

RELATED | Rockland knocks off Grace Lutheran in battle of 1A powers

Highland handles Canyon Ridge

Behind what head coach Matt Stucki called a “balanced effort” on the offensive end, the Rams (8-2, 1-0) bounced back from a New Year’s Eve loss to Post Falls at the East Idaho Holiday Shootout with a 63-58 victory over Canyon Ridge (6-5, 0-1) in both teams’ conference opener.

Center Colton Stucki led Highland with 18 points, while Cedric Mitchell and Raphael Njoku contributed 10 apiece. Four other Rams each scored six to round out that “balanced” attack. Marshall Glenn chipped in with seven points in addition to doing a “great job” creating shots for his teammates, according to his coach.

Senior forward Christian Waitley led the Riverhawks with a game-high 22.