Lapwai posts first undefeated season in 33 years in rout of Kamiah in Idaho 1A DI title game

NAMPA - Family and community members were talking to Zachary Eastman earlier in the week about getting their state championship t-shirts ordered.

The Lapwai High School boys basketball coach wanted to play the games first.

Well that’s now the next thing on his to-do list as the Wildcats completed the first perfect season in 33 years after a 88-46 rout of district rival Kamiah Saturday during the Idaho Class 1A Division I championship at the Ford Idaho Center.

“We take a lot of pride in that,” said senior Kross Taylor, who totaled 20 points. “People tell us we’re one of the best teams to come out of Lapwai. We take that to the heart.”

Kase Wynott, Titus Yearout and Taylor combined for 71 points for the Wildcats (27-0), who followed in the footsteps of the 1989 team, which won three consecutive titles from 1987-89 and racked up an 82-game winning streak. This version has back-to-back championships and a active winning streak of 36 - the longest in the state.

“A lot of them are parents, uncles, cousins, so they’re in the crowd here right now,” said Lapwai head coach Zachary Eastman about members of the ‘89 team. “I know in the back of their head, they don’t want us to break it. But they would be the first guys to be there to congratulate us if we did.”

It might go further than that.

There is a case to be made that this year’s squad is the best of all-time.

It averaged nearly 83 points per game - the next closest was 4A’s Hillcrest at 66.6 ppg.

Scored 100 points four times.

Had an average margin of victory of almost 37 with all but two wins coming by double digits - both of which were during the first five games of the year.

And beat 5A teams Coeur d’Alene (lost in state play-in game) and Lewiston (beat 5A’s No. 1 Lake City).

Regardless, title No. 12 (1956, 84, 87-89, 2000, 02, 06, 2017-18, 2021-22) broke a tie with Idaho Falls and Moscow to move into second place on the state’s all-time state championship list. It now trails only Borah’s 13.

Lapwai could also be ranked the No. 1 overall team in the state in MaxPrep’s final rankings. It entered second behind Lake City, which was upset on the opening day of state.

“We’re the best team in the state,” Eastman said. “I’ve been saying that for three years now. I’m not saying we’re the best every night, but you put us against anyone in the state of Idaho, we’ll be ready to play.”

It may not be too long before Lapwai passes Borah either.

Wynott, who is just a sophomore, dropped 30 points and 7 rebounds. He was 13-of-17 (76%) from the field. His only misses were from 3-point range. The 6-foot-5 Wynott already has interest from Division I schools, including Washington State. Junior starter Terrell Ellenwood-Jones will be back as well as a slew of others, including Ahlius Yearout - Titus’ younger brother.

“We’re going to be back here next year too,” Taylor said. “And the year after as well.

“We got kids coming up that are freshman. We’re going to be back here for the next few years at least.”

As for the game itself, the Kubs (20-7) scored the first bucket of the game and led 4-3 a minute in. But the result was the same as the previous three times they played them. It was over by half. Lapwai went on a 13-0 run in the second quarter and went into the locker room up 21. The lead only grew from there.

It was a fitting sendoff to a special senior class that finished 89-13. The group was highlighted by Titus Yearout, the program’s first DI signee straight out of high school. He will play at the University of Idaho next season. Yearout is also the school’s all-time leading scorer, going over 2,000 career points this weekend.

"I don’t know if it’s hit home yet, but it’s crazy,” said Yearout, who racked up 21 points and seven rebounds in the final game of his storied high school career. “I won’t be able to put on the Lapwai jersey again. It’s kind of emotional.

“I wouldn’t want to play with anyone else. These last four years have been amazing.”

The rest include Taylor, Lydell Mitchell, Chris Brown, Simon Henry, AJ Ellenwood and Michael “B.B.” Bisbee, who tragically died at 8 following an accidental shooting. His No. 32 jersey has been draped at the end of the bench for the last four seasons.

“He would be the hypest guy out there,” Yearout said. “I know he’s looking down from heaven and he’s just smiling down on all of us.”

Freshman David Kludt led Kamiah with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Junior Everett Skinnered also reached double figures with 10 points for the Kubs, who were making their first finals appearance since 2013.

PHOTO GALLERY

(All photos by Loren Orr)