Declo sinks Pirates in battle of top two 3A squads

DECLO — There’s no love lost between Declo and West Side high schools. They are conference rivals with a healthy hatred for each other — a hate that nearly brought the two football teams to blows before the opening kick of this year’s state football championship game.

And as it has been on gridiron, when the teams met on the hardwood Thursday night, there was more than bragging rights at stake. A Hornet-Pirate showdown also brought together the top two teams in the 3A Division.

Outmuscled on the inside, it took the Pirates nearly six minutes to find the scoreboard. And the hawking Hornet defense made West Side (10-3, 2-1) search for every point it got. Pulling away late, Declo (12-0, 3-0) stayed perfect on the season with a dominant 48-31 victory at home.

Head coach Jacoby Fox called the win “huge,” adding that everyone in orange and black was aware of what the game meant, even if it wasn’t something openly discussed leading up to the game.

“The kids know how much that means,” he said. … “As coaches, we try not to bring that part up, but they know, they’re fully invested, knowing that this does have a little more meaning than any other game.”

Carter Robertson makes a 3-pointer, giving Declo an 11-point lead with 4:58 remaining. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

Declo got major offensive contributions from the trio of Carter Robertson, Emmett Gibby and Joey Garrard.

Of those contributions perhaps no single shot was bigger than a Robertson 3-pointer with 4:58 left in the game. The triple gave Declo a double-digit lead (11) and seemed to empty the Pirates’ sails. West Side head coach Tyler Brown called a timeout following the bucket, but Robertson stole the ensuing possession leading to a Gibby deuce and yet another nail in the coffin of West Side’s hopes.

Robertson finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds, one steal and one block. Gibby racked up a double-double, snagging 12 rebounds to go with one steal, one block and his own 14 points. Garrard, who was Declo’s most active defender, dropped 10 points, grabbing five rebounds and recording two steals.

Fox said that their balanced offense has been integral to the Hornets’ dominance.

“I think, that’s one of the biggest keys to our success, is that we’ve go more balanced scoring,” he said. “Tonight, it happened to be those three. But on any given night, we’ll have a guy off the bench that gets us nine or 10 — tonight, it happened to be three of our main guys.”

And while the offense was splashy, the trio’s effort on defense and in rebounding, leading a team-wide effort, was what proved to be the deciding factor.

West Side, which lacks the size Declo boasts, struggled getting to the basket, and their outside shots were well-contested. And when they missed, there weren’t many second-chance opportunities, with Declo hounding the glass on both ends.

Not only did the Hornets out-rebound their hated rivals, they earned second chance after second chance, scoring double figures in second-chance points.

“That’s our program, that’s our culture. We hang our hat on defending first and rebounding second,” Frost said, adding that emphasize attacking the boards on both sides of the court. “We are relentless in that attack.”

Frost has crunched the numbers, he explained. And while he understands that committing so much to getting offensive rebounds will create transition chances for the opposition, the reward of extra shots is worth far more than that risk.

Unable to get consistent inside looks, West Side had to rely on jumpers. And no one shot better for the Pirates than junior Jaden Fuller, who finished with a team-leading 14 points, to go with eight rebounds and three steals.

Jaden Fuller battles for the rare West Side offensive rebound and putback score. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

With the big win in their pockets, Declo will roll into the final three weeks of the regular season, beginning Saturday at Soda Springs.

Like any other sport, there is concern of an emotional letdown following a big game — what is most commonly referred to as the “trap game.”

The mentality of his team is such that Frost has little concern about that possibility.

“I think it comes down to the makeup of your group,” the coach said. “From what we’ve seen from our guys, and what we have currently here, Declo High School and Hornet Hoops, we’ve got a grounded group of young men who, yeah, they know that was a huge win, but when they take the floor, they’re ready to battle each and every night.”