YOUTH BASKETBALL: Sandpoint Future teams earn state tournament bids
The Sandpoint Future fourth grade boys basketball team is all smiles after winning the 4th annual MLK Basketball Tournament in Lewiston. Pictured, from left, Emerson Marshall, Greyson Reid, Will Hawn, Garrison Markwardt, Harper Fields, Sam Webb, and Rowin Macdonald. This year's coaches are Ashleigh Mire (head), Mat Macdonald (assistant), and Joe Mire (assistant).
(Courtesy Photo)
The Sandpoint Future third grade boys basketball team is all smiles after winning the 4th annual MLK Basketball Tournament in Lewiston. Pictured, from left, Lincoln Marshall, Nash Oliver, Matthew Wilson, Hudson Haymond, Benji Munson, Liam Corbett, Gus Kuhn, and Wesley Franz. This year's coaches are Dan Franz (assistant) and Scott Marshall (head).
Sandpoint Future 4th Grade
LEWISTON — Recently, the Sandpoint Future fourth grade boys basketball team won four straight games, which included a win over Lakeland in the championship, to win the 4th Annual MLK Basketball Tournament held Jan. 13-14 at Lewiston High.
"The boys are really coming together as a team,” head coach Ashleigh Mire said. “We have become disciplined on the defensive side of the basketball and we have become very dynamic offensively. We have a deep bench, with several scoring threats on the floor. It's a very exciting team to coach and watch develop over the course of the last four months."
Due to their tournament win in Lewiston, the team automatically qualified for the 2024 Washington State Middle School Basketball Championship to be held March 15-17 in Spokane Valley.
Overall, the Sandpoint Future fourth grade boys’ record is 18-5. The team has won two tournaments this year and took first place in the River City Basketball League in Post Falls.
All of the Sandpoint Future basketball teams are in action this weekend as they host the Sandpoint Future Invitational. After one game last night, the fourth grade boys team will be back in action today at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. at Farmin Stidwell Elementary and tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. at Kootenai Elementary.
Before competing at the Washington State Middle School Basketball Championship in March, Sandpoint Future will wrap up their regular season with two more tournaments.
Sandpoint Future 3rd Grade
The Sandpoint Future third grade boys basketball team also won the 4th Annual MLK Battle Basketball tournament in Lewiston; their first tournament win of the season.
"Given that many of these kids have never played organized basketball before, it’s amazing to see what they’ve been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time, head coach Scott Marshall said. “It’s really a testament to their hard work and focus on improving as a team. It’s been an honor to coach such a great group of kids”
Marshall said the tournament was a hard fought battle and great defensive team effort. Sandpoint Future went 4-0 and defeated the Davenport Gorillas in the championship game.
In the Sandpoint Future Invitational this weekend, the third grade boys team will play Saturday at 8:00 a.m., and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at Farmin Stidwell Elementary.
The Sandpoint Future third grade boys basketball team is all smiles after winning the 4th annual MLK Basketball Tournament in Lewiston. Pictured, from left, Lincoln Marshall, Nash Oliver, Matthew Wilson, Hudson Haymond, Benji Munson, Liam Corbett, Gus Kuhn, and Wesley Franz. This year's coaches are Dan Franz (assistant) and Scott Marshall (head).