Hillcrest gets surprise contribution, claims state berth — first since 2019 — with win over Mountain Home

AMERICAN FALLS — For the first time in seven years, the Hillcrest Knights are state-bound.

Hillcrest was led by the usual suspects, including a game-high 24 points from junior point guard Kaia Kesler. But the Knights got a massive contribution from Elyn Weatherly, a freshman who had played only a handful of varsity minutes all season before Saturday’s 56-44 play-in game victory over the Mountain Home Tigers at American Falls High School.

Head coach Ryan Taylor said after the game that Weatherly is a player who would normally have split minutes between JV and varsity, because she is a guard adept at scoring and rebounding. But, he explained, because there were only a limited number of JV players, she did not see varsity minutes until the district tournament. And even then, Weatherly was on the court for a few minutes against Skyline last Thursday, then against Blackfoot on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, her maiden voyage on varsity came in the district tournament,” Taylor said after the game. “I’ve been gradually increasing her minutes — (today) the scoring was a plus. I put her in because she’s a really good rebounding guard, and I wanted her to go get some offensive rebounds. But her shot-making was just icing on top.”

After 10 huge points, to go with three rebounds and a steal in less than 10 minutes on the floor Saturday, Kesler said after the game that the freshman should expect some minutes at state.

While speaking with EastIdahoSports.com together after the game, Weatherly said she is excited to be going with the team to next week’s state tournament.

“I’m really, really excited. I mean, I might not get in but I’m here to cheer on my team and that’s what matters,” she said.

Kesler scoffed: “Heck yeah you’re going to play. Heck yeah.”

Mountain Home jumped out to an immediate 2-0 lead when junior Lexi Longhurst hit a free-throw line pull-up jumper on the game’s opening possession.

But the Tigers left Hillcrest sharpshooter Camryn Taylor open from deep on the ensuing possession, and Taylor connected on the 3. After a stop, and a Taylor rebound on the other end, the Knights came back on offense and created another open look for Taylor. Again, she cashed in from beyond the arc for a 6-2 lead.

With that, Hillcrest was off and running and never trailed in the game.

After a hot start, scoring eight points in the first half, Taylor did not score again, finishing with eight points, but adding seven rebounds and a blocked shot.

Hillcrest cruised into halftime, taking a 37-23 lead into the break, helped in large part by a pair of late triples from Weatherly.

“It was super-big for me. I really wanted to earn the respect of this team. I’m super-excited to get pulled up and come play districts, and really proud that I was able to hit those,” Weatherly said of the big shots and outpouring of emotion she showed with the second.

“It was so fun,” Kesler added. “You want nothing more than that. It was awesome.”

But the Knights saw that lead begin to evaporate as Longhurst and senior Juli Donez got their offense going in the third, while Hillcrest couldn’t get anything to fall.

Kesler made a pair of free throws in the third, as did Weatherly. But that was the extent of the Hillcrest scoring in the period, as the game headed into the fourth with the Knights clinging to a 41-34 advantage.

Taylor said that his team was still getting good shots in the third, but was missing “bunnies” that they usually make. He told them to “keep grinding defensively” and let that lead to come offense.

“Sometimes, when you play against the zone, you look really good when shots go in,” he said. “Then sometimes, you look up and say, ‘Are we ever going to score again?'”

Early in the fourth, Weatherly made sure it wouldn’t be a repeat of the third — and she did so with defense, as he coach had instructed.

The freshman stripped Longhurst following a Mountain Home defensive rebound, then went right up against tight defense and finished at the rim through contact. She missed the and-1 free throw, but the layup was Hillcrest’s first field goal of the second half, and removed the lid from the basket.

Kesler followed the Weatherly score with a pair of 3-pointers, pushing the Hillcrest lead back into double-figures.

After exchanging baskets and stops over the following few minutes, Mountain Home was forced to play the foul game and challenge the Knights to make free throws.

But Kesler, who missed a couple, was good on five to keep the Tigers from getting too close.

Kesler said that she tried to calm her nerves while at the line, but admitted that they were present — with a state bid hanging in the balance.

“It’s nerve-wracking, for sure,” she said.

Taylor said that it was fitting that Kesler was the one put at the line for those all-important shots, because, he said, on a team where every player and coach wants so badly to qualify for state, none want it more than Kesler.

“Kaia’s our motor. Kaia makes us go,” he said. “She’s just a ruthless competitor — hates to lose,” he said. “It’s fun to have your best player also be a leader, and the group really responds well to her.”

Kesler added three rebounds and a steal to her 24-point game, while senior McKenzie Gatluak, who was 2-for-2 on free throws down the stretch, chipped in with seven points and eight rebounds.

Mountain Home was led by Longhurst, with 13 points, five rebounds and two steals, and Donez, with 14 points, five rebounds and two steals.

Asked what Hillcrest will need to do to win three more games this season and bring a banner back to Ammon, Taylor said that rest and recuperation are at the top of the list. After a tough loss at Blackfoot on Tuesday, and a double-overtime game Thursday for the right to play an additional game on Saturday, the entire team needs to take a load off. But, he added, they will be ready next Thursday.

“We’ve got some tired legs, some of these girls have played a lot of minutes,” he said. We’re going to take today and enjoy this moment … it’s been a long time coming, so we’re going to enjoy this, then we’ll get back to work.