Poky High celebrates winter state champs with single assembly

POCATELLO — As part of her comments during a championship assembly at Pocatello High School Tuesday morning, girls’ basketball coach Sunny Evans ensured Poky High students that their basketball team represented them well all season.

They were gracious in both victory and defeat, the coach said, though the victories came more often than defeats, especially late in the season. The Thunder won their last seven games of the season, and 10 of their last 11, culminating in a fourth consecutive district championship and second consecutive state championship.

The 2025 and 2026 state titles are the first two in the program’s history and are part of four straight seasons in which Pocatello brought a trophy home from the state tournament.

Senior Abby Lusk has figured heavily into that run of dominance, and told EastIdahoSports.com that she hopes the legacy she and fellow seniors Oakley Hirschi and Kailee Jo Finlayson leave behind is one of excellence, and the willingness to do whatever was necessary to win.

Lusk was named the IdahoSports.com All-Tournament MVP, joined by First-Team All-Tournament selection sophomore Madysen Torngren.

Also honored

The assembly wasn’t just for the girls’ basketball state championship, though. The Poky High faculty, administration and student body also honored state wrestling champion Apisai Tabakece, the Pocatello speech and debate team and a pair of coaches.

Tabakece, a sophomore, entered the state tournament as the 98-pound division’s No. 3 seed and brought home the championship, placing for the second time in as many attempts at the tournament.

His coach, Pocatello wrestling head coach JB Plato, was also honored, alongside Evans, as the two were named District 5 coaches of the year.

The Poky High speech and debate team displayed its championship banner during the ceremony.