Bulldogs' teamwork makes win even sweeter, special

It's been almost 30 years since the Sandpoint boys basketball team made it into the state tourney.

With a thrilling 71-63 overtime win against regional rival Post Falls, the Bulldogs poured it on in overtime to claim the 4A District 1 title.

It's a dream that has been decades in the making and the Bulldogs and their many fans well deserve the chance to celebrate — especially since it came about through hard work, determination and teamwork.

When the Trojans went on a 10-1 run to erase Sandpoint's 60-52 lead with just over a 90 seconds remaining, the Bulldogs didn't collapse or lose momentum. Instead, they regrouped and pulled together as a team — as they went on a 10-0 run at the start of the OT period to put the game away.

"In my heart, I believed this is our time," said Sandpoint coach Tyler Haynes after the game. "I am so proud of these kids. The took a risk and came out to a program that wasn't very successful and they did everything that was asked of them."

That adds up to teamwork, and plenty of it.

And that is what makes the Bulldogs' win so special — they did it together. It didn't seem to matter who scored, if somebody had a good look at the basket, they got the ball. They played hard and had fun at the same time; they played because they love basketball.

It's great to see the Bulldogs make it into the state tourney — and hopefully this is the start of a successful run at the title.

But what makes this win even more special is because the Bulldogs did it as a team, playing hard and playing together.

Go Bulldogs.

Caroline Lobsinger is the managing editor of the Daily Bee.