In KT's return, WRHS routs Hawks 52-21
The race is officially on for the Great Basin Conference championship in girls' basketball. That's because last year's GBC "Player of the Year," Wood River's Kaitana Martinez, is back on the attack.
Wolverine senior point guard Martinez, who averaged 17.0 ppg in leading the Hailey girls to the State 4A tournament runner-up trophy last February, made her first competitive game return from July knee surgery during Friday's home league game against Canyon Ridge of Twin Falls.
A sign held by a student in the Wood River rooting section said it all: "Guess who's back?"
Speeding up the Wolverine offense with lightning quick passes up the floor and decisive feeds to wide-open teammates, Martinez's presence helped Wood River to an early 7-0 lead, and 14-2 after one quarter.
The outcome was a 52-21 victory over Canyon Ridge that snapped a three-game Wolverine losing skid. The biggest Hailey lead was 33 points early in the fourth period. It was the biggest point total all season for Wood River, averaging only 36.2 ppg before Friday's game.
Martinez played about 13 minutes of the 32-minute game and shared the team's scoring leadership with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. She drilled two 3-pointers, the first coming on a pass from senior teammate Cheyenne Swanson with 1:52 left in the first period.
It was her 60th double digit scoring game for Wood River in 79 career games. Martinez breezed over the 900-point mark in career scoring, at 906.
Swanson (15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block) enjoyed one of her best outings, moving quickly to the boards and benefiting from the juiced-up Wood River attack.
Indeed, the Wolverines could have scored 60 points or more, if not for many missed shots on good opportunities close to the basket. Contributors included Rory Cole (6 points, 8 rebounds) and Hannah Belloli (6 points, 3 steals).
Others chipping into the strong team effort were Haylee Thompson (5 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocked shots), Haillie Taylor (3 points, 1 block), Ciceley Peavey (5 rebounds, 3 assists), Lucy Paisley (2 steals) Lily Richards (2 points).
Wood River (6-8, 3-4 league) got some help in its quest to successfully defend its GBC championship when frontrunners Jerome and Twin Falls both lost games Friday night.
Burley (7-8, 3-4) won 69-61 in overtime at Jerome (12-3, 5-2), while Minico (11-5, 5-2) captured a huge road win 47-43 over Twin Falls (10-6, 5-2).
The Wolverines had three league games remaining, starting Tuesday night at Burley and continuing Thursday, Jan. 19 at home against Minico. Wood River visits Jerome Tuesday, Jan. 24, then has its Senior Night with Buhl Jan. 26.
Carey boys win in league
The Carey School boys' varsity basketball team stretched its winning streak to three games and earned its first Northside Conference victory of the season Thursday with a 63-38 victory over the Community School at the Fish Tank.
Carey (5-6, 3-2 road) shot 43% from the field and 9-for-23 (39%) from 3-point range with nine Panthers scoring points. Coach Dick Simpson's Panthers started the second half of their season by committing only seven turnovers and amassing a hefty 17 assists for the game.
Six of the nine Carey 3-pointers came in the first half when the visitors built a 36-14 lead. Panther leaders were Chance Chavez (15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists), Baley Barg (13 points, 6 boards, 5 assists), Jordan Dilworth (10 points) and Dillon Cenarrusa (9 points, 7 rebounds).
For coach Erik Olson's Cutthroats, Henry Rickbeil scored 15 points and Will Brokaw added 13 including three 3-pointers. Other for the home team were Taylor Adler 4, Doug DuFur 4 and Colton Sholtis 2.
Carey hosted Castleford Tuesday and entertains Camas County of Fairfield Friday.
The Cutthroats (4-6) moved on to play Twin Falls Christian Academy last Friday night in Twin Falls. It was an exciting game, the Warriors winning 65-61 in overtime. Brokaw (22.0 ppg) lit up the gym with 31 points, Rickbeil had 13, Adler 8, DuFur 5 and Sholtis 4.
Olson's squad tried to snap its five-game losing skid Tuesday night at home against Bliss. The Cutthroats travel to Castleford Thursday, Jan. 19.
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Carey girls tough on road
Senior Micaela Adamson (14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 4 assists) had a fine all-around game leading the Carey School girls' varsity basketball team to a 44-20 Northside Conference road win over the Community School in Sun Valley Thursday.
Coach Lane Durtschi's Panthers (5-4, 2-3 league) ended a three-game losing skid and improved to 4-1 on the road. Carey came up with 19 steals, had 15 assists and out-rebounded the Cutthroats by a 22-13 margin.
Adamson scored 8 points in Carey's 20-point first period and the Panthers led 30-8 at half. Other Panthers were:
Jaide Parke (8 points, 4 assists), Nicole Gomez (6 points, 3 rebounds, 5 steals), Morgan Parke (6 points, 2 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 assists, 2 blocks), Darby Northcott (6 points, 4 boards, 2 steals, 2 assists), Angelica Zarate (2 points, 2 steals) and Charmaine Kirkland (2 points, 2 rebounds).
For the Cutthroats, leaders were Taylor Figge (9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block), Ella Marks (8 points, 7 steals, 1 block), Hannah Dies (2 points, 5 boards, 3 steals) and Maddie Caraluzzi (1 point, 2 rebounds). The home team shot 8-for-13 at the free throw line.
On Friday, coach Erika Connelly said her Cutthroats played well in a 40-25 loss at Twin Falls Christian Academy. The coach said, "We have really been working on passing and it showed this game."
Dies was Connelly's "Player of the Game" with 9 points. "She really turned it on and decided she was going to score and she did," said Connelly. Others were Marks 8 points and Figge with 8 points.
The Cutthroats (0-8) tried for their first win Tuesday night at home against the Bliss Bears.
Filer trims WRHS boys
Playing without top scorer Stone Sutton (sickness), the Wood River High boys' varsity basketball team dropped a 61-39 non-conference road game at Filer (8-4) on Saturday. The Wildcats swept the season series with two 22-point wins.
Scoring for Wood River were Austin Hafer 13 points, Braxton Parish 7, Colton Larkin 6, Jake Vegwert 5, James Petzke 4, Dylan Carey 2 and Ben Williams 2.
Wood River (2-9, 0-4 league) hosted Kimberly (7-3) Tuesday night and goes to Burley (7-4, 2-2) Friday, Jan. 20.
On that same night, Jerome (12-1, 4-0) hosts Twin Falls (11-1, 4-0) for Great Basin Conference leadership. Other teams in the league are Minico (2-9, 1-3) and Canyon Ridge (3-10, 1-3).
Senior Night is next for WRHS wrestlers
Senior Night has arrived early in the season for the Wood River High School wrestling team.
Coach Shawn Huntington's Wolverines will entertain the Canyon Ridge Riverhawks in a Great Basin Conference dual meet today, Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 6 p.m. on the Hailey mat. It will be Senior Night.
And it's been a good season so far for the Wolverines.
They improved their dual meet record to 12-5 by winning three of their five dual meets last Saturday during the Treasure Valley Duals at Skyview High School in Nampa.
Wood River defeated Middleton 51-24, Nampa 54-36 and Caldwell 51-24. The Hailey boys came up a little short in losses to Skyview 39-30 and to Emmett 42-33.
Three Wolverines went undefeated. They were Cooper Bailey at 120 pounds, Tommy Bailey at 145 and Thomas Heiden at 182 pounds.
Others with strong efforts were:
At 106, Kaleb Guisasola went 3-1; at 113, Tim Boyle had a 3-2 record; at 138, Kyle Clark went 4-1; at 152, Zach Brown recorded a 3-2 record; at 170, Storm Anderson was 3-1; at 220, Jeremiah Linderman went 2-1; and at 285, Chris Carnes was 2-1.
Next, Wood River is due to travel to the Tiger-Grizz Invitational tournament Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 20-21 at Skyline High, Idaho Falls.
Carey’s Kylie Castle surrounded by Cutthroat girls, from left, Ella Marks, Taylor Figge and Hannah Dies, during the 44-20 Panther victory at The Fish Tank in Sun Valley Thursday. Courtesy photo by John Peck
