Seven Bulldog seniors get farewell on the wake of 2B champioship run

A unique boys basketball celebration which hasn’t been marked in Colfax since 1979 was observed Monday with seven seniors seated at the head table and the state B championship globe on its own table off to the side. The seven seniors wore special matching state championship T-shirts.

Below the trophy was a “have no regrets” motto, first announced by one of the seniors before the start of the season.

“It’s not over,” Coach Reece Jenkin, who took over as Colfax coach when this year’s seniors were freshmen, commented. “We will always have the memory of the 2012 team.”

Colfax, which has spent most of its playoff years in the A division, won its first championship in the relatively new 2B division where it has competed in the tough Bi-County league.

They took their first 2B title after placing in the state race for the two previous tournaments. They won it all this year with a 3-0 title run in the new final-eight format at the Spokane Arena.

En route they tripped Northwest Christian in the district title game and won again when the two league foes collided on championship night.

Coach Jenkin noted another one of the early team goals was to beat Northwest Christian, the defending champs. That was something they knew they had to do to get the title.

Jenkin noted he enjoyed competing in the tough Bi-County League. The level of competition prepares teams for the playoff part of the season. The tough part, he added, was getting past the Bi-County trials and making it to the state show.

Colfax’s record for the title season finished at 22-5. Jenkin noted all of the five loses came when the Bulldogs had gaps in the lineup due to injuries or illness. Two of the defeats were losses to NWC and one to Reardan, all in the league race. The other two defeats were at the SunDome during the holidays.

Jenkin credited his players with getting the focus right at the end of the season when they made the run to the title through the long district playoffs, the regional eliminations and the state games against LaConner, Toutle Lake and the Crusaders in the arena.

Senior players honored at the head table Monday night were Corey Maltone, Rick Scholz, Tyler Stevenson, Jay Hart, Kyle Johnson and Justin Berarducci. Statistician Brady Cornelius, also recognized as a key cog in the campaign, was also at the senior table.

Kyle Johnson and Berarducci were co-winners of the inspirational award.

Junior Brandon Gfeller was voted most valuable player. He also won the honor as a freshman and as a sophomore.

Brady Ellis, a junior who started the season in a post-op mode, received the most improved award. Hart received the Bulldog award.

Also earning varsity recognition were Skylar Simonson, Bryce Kramlich, and Cole Klaveano, all juniors; and Kasey Johnson, freshman.

Coach Jenkin said the championship season seemed to end too fast, but added the title run will always bring a special memory.

“It’s something they will remember for the rest of their lives,” he noted.

The coach added he was already looking forward to next year and another run at the trophy.

“What you need is a bunch of guys who truly believe in each other,” he added.

Jayvee Coach Jeremy Bogle and C-squad Coach Randy Daniels presented jayvee awards to the players on their teams which had to merge forces because of low numbers during the season.

Daniels noted the core of the C squad teams included Dylan Heiser, Dylan Griffin, Josh Brown, Hunter Weitze, Daniel Tates and Austin Getz.

Also collecting jayvee awards were Dylan Hall, Cody Gronning, Garrett Burke, Brent Becker, Mark Webber and Andrew Becker.

Kasey Johnson and Bryce Kramlich, swing players on the varsity, were also recognized along with Cole Klaveano who earned the 12th-man seat en route to state.

Cheerleader advisor Rhonda Pittman said the title season would mark her last at the head of the crew. Regan Lowe, a four-year member of the squad, and Abby Muir are the seniors. Also on the squad were Jacee Thompson, Taylor Lange, Paige Mackleit, Rachel Napier and Lindsey Webber.