Sandpoint locals, alumni take home Hoopfest titles

(Photo courtesy of TONY LOCASCIO) Sandpoint High School boys basketball alumni Tony Locascio (‘09), Daniel Locascio (‘15, Bainbridge High School), Spencer Swerin (‘09) and Jeremiah Gagnon (‘14) pose together after going a perfect 5-0 in their adult men’s bracket at Hoopfest on June 29-30. For the Locascio brothers and Gagnon, the 2019 Hoopfest was not only their sixth-straight year playing together, but also their third time winning it together. This year, the trio recruited Swerin, Tony Locascio’s high school teammate. Their Ultra Instinct team went 5-0 — i…

(Photo courtesy of REGAN PLUMB) The Ball Brothers from Sandpoint, which consisted of Tyler Engelson, Miles Landrum, Max Frank and Hunter Garcia, finished second in their eighth grade bracket during Hoopfest. After losing its first game, the team battled battling back through the consolation bracket with a five-game winning streak — including a revenge game against the Vicroy team that bounced them, from the winners bracket — to make the championship game. The team finished 5-2.

(Photo courtesy of KATIE TOMSHA) The Juice co-ed team, consisting of Alyssa Fitzgerald, Nicholas Franks, Kobe Banks and Kaylee Banks, won their co-ed high school bracket at Hoopfest last weekend. After losing in the second round to a Half Chimook team that featured Clearwater Valley standouts Tate Pfefferkorn, Alicia Reuben and Tyler Pressley, plus Lapwai’s Raylin Shippentower, the team stormed through the consolation bracket to set up a rematch with Half Chimook. The team from Sandpoint would sweep their Lewiston-area opponents in the championship, and Kobe Banks won a sportsmanship car…

(Photo courtesy of NATASHA ROOP) The RoopGroup team — consisting of Zeke Roop, Natasha Roop, Bucky Roop and Curtis Roop — poses for a team photo after finishing third in its family co-ed bracket at Hoopfest on June 29-30. The Roop family went 3-2 on the weekend and was a one-point loss away from making the championship game.

(Photo courtesy of LESA NIEMELA) The Sandpoint Freedom team of Travis Petit, Jacob Eldridge, Colton Ackerman and Noah Niemela take a group photo after finishing 2-2 in their Hoopfest bracket on June 30. The rising Sandpoint High School sophomores — who, as a group, earned a sportsmanship card during their four-game stint — went 2-0 on their first day, then fell short in a close game to Pineapple Gang at the start of day two.

| July 4, 2019 1:00 AM

(Photo courtesy of REGAN PLUMB) The Ball Brothers from Sandpoint, which consisted of Tyler Engelson, Miles Landrum, Max Frank and Hunter Garcia, finished second in their eighth grade bracket during Hoopfest. After losing its first game, the team battled battling back through the consolation bracket with a five-game winning streak  including a revenge game against the Vicroy team that bounced them, from the winners bracket  to make the championship game. The team finished 5-2.

(Photo courtesy of KATIE TOMSHA) The Juice co-ed team, consisting of Alyssa Fitzgerald, Nicholas Franks, Kobe Banks and Kaylee Banks, won their co-ed high school bracket at Hoopfest last weekend. After losing in the second round to a Half Chimook team that featured Clearwater Valley standouts Tate Pfefferkorn, Alicia Reuben and Tyler Pressley, plus Lapwais Raylin Shippentower, the team stormed through the consolation bracket to set up a rematch with Half Chimook. The team from Sandpoint would sweep their Lewiston-area opponents in the championship, and Kobe Banks won a sportsmanship card for his conduct during the tournament.

(Photo courtesy of NATASHA ROOP) The RoopGroup team  consisting of Zeke Roop, Natasha Roop, Bucky Roop and Curtis Roop  poses for a team photo after finishing third in its family co-ed bracket at Hoopfest on June 29-30. The Roop family went 3-2 on the weekend and was a one-point loss away from making the championship game.

(Photo courtesy of LESA NIEMELA) The Sandpoint Freedom team of Travis Petit, Jacob Eldridge, Colton Ackerman and Noah Niemela take a group photo after finishing 2-2 in their Hoopfest bracket on June 30. The rising Sandpoint High School sophomores  who, as a group, earned a sportsmanship card during their four-game stint  went 2-0 on their first day, then fell short in a close game to Pineapple Gang at the start of day two.