Cardinals and Grizzlies Find Success At State

Every boys basketball team in the state starts their season with the same goal in mind, qualify for state and get some extra games in the Treasure Valley the first weekend of March. The Cardinals and Grizzlies were lucky enough to be numbered among the small group of teams that accomplished this goal. To qualify for the tournament each team first had to make it through their district tournaments which each of them did by beating the number one team in their respective conferences. 

Qualifying for state is a great accomplishment, but after the dust from districts has settled a new journey begins. Sure each team was able to celebrate one accomplishment and all that came with it. The pep assemblies and town send offs are fun and exciting but as that decorated bus rolls into the Boise Valley the teams realize that they are on a business trip and not just a vacation from school. The Cardinals and Grizzlies went into the tournament perhaps being overlooked. Each team had spent little if any time near the top of the rankings in their classification. Perhaps they used that fact as some motivation going into the tournament. Caribou County locals that have followed the teams knew what each of them were capable of and how underrated each team was. As dozens of 3C license plates crossed the Idaho desert the excitement and anticipation grew for the fans of each team. Would the hours of practice and the years of support and work put in by the players and their families pay off?

The local fan base certainly hoped so. As Thursday rolled around the two teams made their way to their state locations. Soda Springs played at Capital High School while the Grizzlies were at Vallivue High School. The two teams were about to write their state stories and just how did those stories end? We break it all down in this week’s edition.