New Plymouth boys wrestling standout Kyle Rice voted the WaFd Bank Idaho High School Athlete of the Week

Congratulations to New Plymouth boys wrestling standout Kyle Rice for being voted SBLive’s WaFd Bank Idaho High School Athlete of the Week for Feb. 21-27!

The senior pinned his way to the 2A 138-pound title, joining his older brother Joe as the first set of siblings ever to be four-time state champions. He leaves with a 166-7 mark.

Rice ran away with this week's honor, receiving 86.06% of the total vote. 

We are currently accepting WaFd Bank Player of the Week nominations. If you would like to nominate an athlete, please email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com or message us on Twitter or Instagram at @sbliveid.

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Here are the other athletes who were nominated for the week of Feb. 21-27:

Titus Bailey, Owyhee Boys Basketball: Bailey drained five 3-pointers in a row to finish with game-high 18 points in a 71-49 win over Eagle in the Class 5A District III title game.

Will Casebolt, Logos Boys Basketball: Casebolt tallied 31 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with three seconds left in a 66-65 win over Lakeside in the Class 1A Division I state play-in game.

Tanner Frothinger, Eagle Boys Wrestling: Frothinger scored an 8-1 decision over Kuna’s Zanlen White in the Class 5A 126-pound final for his third consecutive state title. He can become the program’s second four-time state champion next season.

Gunner Giulio, Coeur d’Alene Boys Wrestling: Giulio made program history by becoming the first four-time state champion with a 9-5 win over Meridian’s Isaiah Twait in the Class 5A 170-pound final.

Aidan Go, Caldwell Boys Wrestling: Go hit an escape and a takedown on Columbia’s Simon Graeber in the final 48 seconds for an 8-6 win in the Class 4A 126-pound final for his first state championship. Go is blind in his left after a BB gun accident in the seventh grade.

Isiah Harvell, Century Boys Basketball: Harvell racked up 25 points, but it wasn’t quite enough in a heartbreaking 44-42 loss to Pocatello in the Class 4A District V championship game.

Blake Hawthorne, Bishop Kelly Boys Basketball: Hawthorne led the Knights in overcoming a 10-point fourth quarter deficit by scoring eight straight points in regulation and seven in overtime for a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds in a 51-44 win against Vallivue in the Class 4A District III championship game.

Marissa Jimenez, Caldwell Girls Wrestling: Jimenez posted her second straight undefeated season with a 6-1 decision over Post Falls’ Abigale Piper in the 138-pound final. If you include the unofficial girls state tournament, it was her third consecutive championship in a row.

Cooper Kesler, Hillcrest Boys Basketball: Kesler tallied 23 points to lead the Knights to their 21st consecutive win in a 65-40 win over Blackfoot in the Class 4A District VI championship game

Derek Matthews, Declo Boys Wrestling: Matthews etched his name into the record books by tech falling every opponent en route to the Class 2A 182-pound championship to become the first person in school history ever to win four consecutive titles.

Christopher Martino, Bishop Kelly Boys Wrestling: Martino picked up a 17-6 major decision over Nampa’s Nikko Gonzales in the Class 4A 132-pound final to become the first four-time state champion in program history. He ended his high school career 156-7.

Tyler Medaris, Middleton Boys Basketball: Medaris eclipsed 1,000 career points in a 55-48 overtime win over Blackfoot in the 4A state play-in game to help get the defending state champions back to state after suffering an upset in their district semifinals.

Ryan Payne, Pocatello Boys Basketball: Payne had 13 points, including drilling a late 3-pointer that ended up being the difference to help the Thunder qualify for state for the first time since 2009 in a 44-42 win over Century in the Class 4A District V championship game.

Alyssa Randle, Coeur d’Alene Girls Wrestling: Randle will forever be known as the first individual girls state champion in school history after pinning Payette’s Jordan Barrett in 2:45 in the 126-pound final. It was her third championship overall, counting the unofficial ones she won in 2020 and 21.

Nico Rodriguez, Columbia Boys Wrestling: Rodriguez claimed his third state title in row after a pin of Century’s Jackson Geslin just three minutes and 36 seconds into their Class 4A heavyweight final. Rodriguez won his previous two championships at 220 pounds.

Liv Wieber, Eagle Girls Wrestling: Wieber was the only girl on the wrestling team three years ago. On Feb. 26, she topped Minico’s Frankie Graham 3-0 in the 132-pound final to lead the Mustangs to the inaugural team state championship.

Barrett Wilson, Madison Boys Basketball: Wilson notched 23 points to anchor the Bobcats in a 68-63 overtime win over Rigby in the Class 5A District V-VI championship game.