Bulldogs exit Northeast show after two rounds

Gazette Editor

The Colfax Bulldogs Saturday night came within two seconds and one shot of upsetting the St. George’s Dragons and taking the district title into the next round of the state playoffs.

The dramatic finish to the District 7 title game at Mead ended a Colfax charge from 14 points back against a Dragons team which remains undefeated in the 2B ranks.

St. George’s, which had dominated Colfax in both league rounds, left the court with a four-point win, 51-47 and the first-place slot when the two clubs head south this week for the sub-regional rounds against SE District 9 foes. Colfax will have the number-two slot out of the NE campaign.

For Colfax, Saturday’s near Dragon stop at Mead followed a 60-55 overtime win against a talented LRS Bronco team in the semi-final round Friday at Mt. Spokane High.

The Bulldogs and Broncos each took a win in the league rounds with LRS booking a big win over Colfax at Ritzville last week. They collided again in the semifinals after taking first-round wins in the district show last Wednesday at Mt. Spokane.

Saturday’s NE title match with St. George’s, the top rated 2B team in the state, saw Brandon Gfeller shed the SG defenders who had put the clamps on him in the two league rounds.

The Colfax senior hit a game-high 19 on title night and finished with a passing attack to team members to put SG up against the wall at Mead.

Colfax stuck with the league winners early in the game and even pegged a lead in the second quarter, but St. George’s, keyed by buckets from Erick Mulheims, began to bank a lead.

The Dragons led 27-23 at the break and stretched it to 42-30 after three quarters. The gap grew to 45-31 when Mulheims laced a threebie early in the last quarter.

The Bulldogs then started their charge which was powered by some scrapbook assists from Gfeller.

Brady Ellis hit the first of two short shots after Gfeller passed to him while charging down the court on breaks. Bryce Kramlich, a defensive sparkplug for the Bulldogs for most of the game, dropped in a trey from the corner and Gfeller picked up a duo shot to get the Bulldogs within seven.

The SG lead shrunk to four points after Gfeller stole the ball and hit another bucket, and the lead melted to two when Skylar Simonson hit off another assist from Gfeller. That put it at 47-49 with 20 seconds left. Colfax had to foul to get the ball and Mulheims hit one of two toss shots. The Bulldogs had one more possession, but Gfeller’s last-chance shot fell short.

Colfax went in the title round fighting off a charge by LRS in the semifinal Friday.

Colfax booked a 46-37 lead after the third quarter of the semi, but the Bulldog offense wilted for just seven points in the last quarter while LRS charged for 16 and a 53-53 tie in regulation time.

Gfeller started the Colfax’s salvage run in OT with three points off a hit and a toss shot. Bronco’s Connor O’Neill answered with a two- pointer, but Colfax banked the semi win on a toss shot pair by Kasey Johnson, a rebound grab by Keith Gfeller on the next Bronco shot attempt and a another toss shot pair by Brandon Gfeller who had a 32-point night. He had 14 in the first half when Colfax erased an early Bronco lead for a 30-23 edge at the break.

Colfax advanced to the semi-round after defeating Reardan 66-45 in the first-round game last Wednesday at Mt. Spokane. Colfax posted a commanding 44-23 lead at the half over the Indians who were led by 13 points from William Alsept.

Colfax 66-Reardan 45: 24/8 20/152/12 10/6: Brandon Gfeller 8 (5-3pt) 1-2 22, Brady Ellis 1 0-0 2, Bryce Kramlich 4 (2-3pt) 0-1 10, Keith Gfeller 0 1-4 1, Garrett Burke 1 (3pt) 0-0 3, Kasey Johnson 3 (3pt) 4-5 11, John Mellor 1 0-0 2, Skylar Simonson 5 5-7 15 Total 24 11-19 66. Reardan: Daniel Peone 2 2-2 6, Clinton Jeney 2 (3pt) 0-0 5, Skylar Peone 2 1-1 5, Grant Warger 0 2-2 2, Mick Brockman 3 2-3 8, William Alsept 6 1-7 13,Total 15 8-16 f-18 45.

Colfax 60-Lind/Ritzville/Sprague 55: 12/16 18/7 16/14 7/16 7/2 (OT): Brandon Gfeller 12 (4-3pt) 4-6 32, Brady Ellis 1 (3pt) 0-0 3, Keith Gfeller 3 (3pt) 0-0 7, Kasey Johnson 3 (3pt) 3-4 10, Skylar Simonson 4 0-2 8.Total: 23 7-12 f-16 63. LRS; Connor O’Neill 7 2-3 16,Dylan Hartz 4 (2-3pt) 1-3 11, Cort Ruzika 1 2-2 4, Coby Starrin 1 0-0 3, Ryan Whitmore 6 4-6 16, Tyler Frederick 11-2 3. Total: 20 10-18 f-10 55.

St. George’s 51-Colfax 47:17/12 10/11 15/7 9/17:

Mark Kenney 2 (both 3pt) 0-0- 6, Cody Peplinski 5, Erik Mulheims 5 (3pt) 1-2 12, Corey Spalding 1 (3pt) 0-0 3, Will Tender 2 (3pt) 2-2 7, Dexter Sienko 6 6-6 18 18. Total: 17 11-20 f-18 51 Colfax: Brandon Gfeller 5 (3-3pt) 6-9 19, 19, Brady Ellis 5 (2-3pt) 2-2 14, 14, Bryce Kramlich 1 (3pt) 0-0 3, 3, Keith Gfeller 0 1-2 1, 1, Kasey Johnson 0 3-4 3, Skylar Simonson 3 1-2 7. Total: 14 13-19 f-20 48.