Shooting Woes Earns Cards Second Place
Mar 05, 2025 12:29PM ● By Jody Reeves
Konner McWilliams shown here in a game from earlier in the season was one of the few Cardinals to hit their scoring average in the game.
The Soda Springs boys basketball team finished the district tournament last week. Having knocked off the number one seed Declo Hornets the Cardinals found themselves in the district championship game against the Wendell Trojans. Both teams automatically qualified for state just by making it to the championship game. With both teams knowing that they would be playing in Boise this championship game was for pride and bragging rights. The two teams faced off just once in the regular season. That game took place in Soda Springs and was an instant classic. The game ended with a Cardinals victory from a Preston Ozburn three point shot in the closing moments of the game.
The district title game was held on a neutral court at American Falls High School. The teams opened up the game playing nearly even. Five different Cardinals scored in the opening period and Soda Springs took a two point lead into the second quarter. It was during the second period the shooting woes really hit the Cardinals hard. Soda Springs would only be able to manage two field goals and a pair of foul shots in the quarter. The Trojans on the other hand had a very prolific quarter putting up eighteen points. The Cardinals headed into the halftime break trailing by ten points. In the third quarter of play the Cardinals were able to stop the bleeding but their struggles to score prevented them from making up much ground. By the end of the third quarter the Cardinals still trailed by eight points. Unfortunately for the Cardinals things would not improve in the final period of the game. The Trojans began putting in big shots while the Cardinals still struggled to get out of their shooting slump. In the end the Trojans pulled away from the Cardinals winning the district championship by sixteen points.
The loss in the district championship was disappointing but the Cardinals still have work to do. Putting the loss behind them Soda Springs will look forward to their trip to the State tournament. The Cardinals enter state as the five seed and will play the four seeded Ambrose Archers. Traditionally the four five match up is one of the best games of the opening round and this should be no different. Amborse is a private school in the Boise valley and will have a somewhat homecourt advantage. That being said Soda Springs as we all know is no pushover and the Cardinal faithful travel very well. This game should be an exciting one and could come right down to the wire. It will be a game that you wish you would have made the trip to see so go ahead and take the long weekend off of work and go support the boys. Round one takes place at Capital High School with a tipoff time of 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Cardinals 12 6 12 9 39
Trojans 10 18 10 17 55
K.Kirby 8, C.Hansen 2, C.Jacobsen 2, C.Thompson 7, G.Hansen 2, K.McWilliams 10, P.Ozburn 5, D.Billman 3
