By Dan Angell
dangell@journalnet.com
SODA SPRINGS — As the buzzer to end overtime in Soda Springs’ 60-57 win over West Side, nobody was more relieved than Soda Springs senior forward James Frankos.
With 1:30 left in regulation and Soda Springs (18-3) ahead 47-44, Frankos had a chance to ice the game when he broke free for a lay-up. Instead, he missed, and West Side’s Jordan Beutler drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game.
After the Cardinals missed a shot, the Pirates (16-6) had a chance to win the game.
However, West Side could not convert on its final possession. That gave Frankos a shot at redemption, and he made the most of it.
In the extra period on Monday at Soda Springs High School, he broke free on a lay-up to give the Cardinals a 55-51 edge, then found fellow senior Seth Stoor for another lay-up that put the game out of West Side’s reach. When Dallas Turnbow’s final shot didn’t go down, Soda Springs had won its first 2A Fifth District championship since 1990.
“We knew the pressure was on us, because they had the ball and we had to get the stop,” Frankos said. “Once that was over with, we felt good going into overtime. The pressure was off and we could make our push again.”
Soda Springs coach Greg Bergholm was pleased to see Frankos and Stoor take over the game. Frankos finished with 13 points, while Stoor added nine, all in the second half.
“That’s what you want your senior leaders and captains to do,” Bergholm said. “They did it. In the overtime, we got some good looks early and got ahead of them. We held our composure and made some good baskets.”
West Side coach Tyler Brown and the Pirates were left frustrated.
In the first minute of the overtime, Soda Springs center Kaden Smith, who led the Cardinals with 14 points, missed the back end of a one-and-one. While Turnbow and Beutler waited for the rebound, Frankos jumped between them, grabbed the ball and quickly put it back up to earn a shooting foul.
“They made plays and we didn’t,” Brown said. “That’s the difference right there. Soda’s gotten us three times in a row, and that’s not lucky. Right now, they’re just better than we are.”
Turnbow had 18 points to lead the Pirates, who will face the loser of tonight’s game between Valley and Wendell at 7 p.m. on Thursday night at American Falls in a 2A state play-in game. West Side would have to win twice more to advance to the state tournament.
Soda Springs advanced to its fifth state tournament in the last seven years, but will go as the district champion for the first time in 21 years. The Cardinals will open the tournament at 1:15 p.m. on March 3 at Capital High School in Boise against an undetermined opponent.
The win was extra special for the Cardinals because of what their coach has been through this season. Bergholm’s wife Angela died a month before the season began, and the team dedicated their year to her memory with patches bearing her initials on their jerseys.
“We’ve been working on (being district champions) all year long,” Stoor said. “That was our goal. We did this season for her, and I’m glad we got this district championship.”
Soda Springs 60, West Side 57
West Side 12 11 12 12 10 — 57
Soda Springs 13 13 7 14 13 — 60
West Side (16-6)
Turnbow 8 0-0 18, Austin 3 0-0 7, Beutler 1 5-6 8, T. Smart 3 3-4 9, J. Smart 3 2-4 8, Cook 1 5-6 7, Totals 19 15-20 57
Soda Springs (18-3)
Smith 6 2-4 14, Frankos 4 5-10 13, Stoor 3 1-4 9, Young 4 2-2 10, Spain 3 1-1 7, McMurray 3 1-2 7, Totals 23 12-23 60
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