Basketball Whip-Around: Hillcrest, Marsh Valley, Rockland win to round out girls’ state field; boys’ districts get rolling
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EASTERN IDAHO — The Hillcrest Knights and Marsh Valley Eagles each won their state play-in games Saturday, while the Rockland Bulldogs won the 1A District 5-6 second-place game. With their wins, all three locked up berths in the state tournament.
At Thunder Ridge High School, the Ririe Bulldogs knocked off the Firth Cougars to win the 3A D6 tournament championship. Firth still gets a state bid, however, but will enter the tournament as the district’s second bid and a lower seed.
With the four Saturday results, all 15 state spots available to eastern Idaho have been determined.
Meanwhile, the boys’ 1A D5-6 district tournament is in full swing, with first-round games played at Rockland, Mackay, Taylor’s Crossing and Watersprings high schools.
Here is a roundup of what happened this weekend:
Marsh Valley vs. McCall-Donnelly, girls, @ Twin Falls
The Eagles beat the Vandals, 52-48, to claim the 4A state tournament 4A play-in berth. Marsh Valley was led by senior Tayzlee Belnap, with 17 points. Belnap, who scored her 1,000th career varsity point in December, has been the driving force for the Eagle offense all season.
With their victory Saturday, Marsh Valley improved to 12-0 on the season against 4A opponents other than the D5 champion Bear Lake Bears. They were winless in four matchups with the Bears this season, and could see Bear Lake at state.
Marsh Valley enters the tournament as the No. 4-ranked 4A squad in the state, according to MaxPreps — which is used for tournament seeding.
Leadore vs. Rockland, girls, @ Ririe
The Bulldogs, the state’s 2025 1A champs, earned their spot in the upcoming tournament with a 31-21 victory over Leadore in the 1A D5-6 second-place game.
Rockland heads to Nampa as the classification’s No. 5-ranked team. They have won three straight games since losing to Leadore in the second round of the district tournament.
Hillcrest vs. Mountain Home, girls, @ American Falls
Led by 24 points from junior Kaia Kesler, who has been the team’s “motor” all season, according to head coach Ryan Taylor, and 10 from freshman Elyn Weatherly, who spent the entire season with the JV team, the Knights knocked out the Tigers, 56-44.
Hillcrest will enter the tournament ranked 7th in the state.
Ririe vs. Firth, girls, @ Thunder Ridge
After going 0-2 against the Cougars during the regular season, the Bulldogs went 2-1 in head-to-head matchups at the district tournament. With their 59-51 win Saturday, Ririe claimed the 3A D6 tournament championship.
Ririe, ranked fourth in the state, will go into the state tournament as the district champs, while No. 2-ranked Firth enters with the district’s second bid.
American Falls @ Snake River, boys
The Panthers (12-8, 6-0) locked up a conference championship and home-court advantage during the district tournament with a 58-42 victory over the Beavers (16-5, 4-2) on Friday.
Snake River will host Bear Lake (3-18, 0-6) Monday in the first round of the district tourney.
Marsh Valley (13-8, 2-4) will be at American Falls, also on Monday, rounding out the tourney.
Boys’ 1A D5-6 tournament
The district’s No. 1-seeded Rockland Bulldogs (20-2, 10-0) grabbed a dominant home victory over 8-seed Sho-Ban (9-8, 4-6), 60-24, to open the tournament on Friday. Rockland advances to host No. 4 Mackay (18-4, 7-3) in round two.
Junior Xavier Parrish once again led the way for Rockland, with a game-high 23 points. Senior Isaac Held recorded another double-double, with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Miners earned their spot in that game with a 68-41 home win over No. 5 Grace Lutheran (12-6, 5-5).
On the other side of the bracket, No. 3 Taylor’s Crossing (12-7, 7-3) beat No. 6 Leadore (12-9, 5-5), 74-55, to earn a second-round showdown with No. Watersprings (20-2, 9-1), who are coming off a 77-23 victory over No. 7 Challis (10-12, 4-6).
With two state bids up for grabs, the first-round losers remain alive but have spent their extra life and will now have to run the table with four consecutive wins to snatch that second spot.
All other boys’ district tournaments are set to begin in the coming days.
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