Archer boys bring home first Ambrose basketball state championship

It’s been a long time coming. Head Coach Ken Hosier had decided after 11 years to hang up his coaching hat and move into a more expanded role as the school’s science program director. Bringing home a state title his final season would be icing on the cake to a decade of program building. Coach Hosier has gone from practicing on a carpeted (yes, carpeted!) gym in Garden City and making dozens of calls to other Christian schools to organize games for his players, to a shiny new gym in Meridian and moving up to Idaho’s 1A Division I designation this year.

The chances were looking good as the Archers remained undefeated in their conference going into the district tourney. After winning district, all eyes turned to the state tournament, where predictions of an Ambrose/Lapwai matchup for the championship came to fruition. Archer fans turned out in force for the final game, where pre-tournament fears and rumors about Lapwai’s undeniable skill as a team turned to reality. Lapwai dominated the first three quarters of the game, though our boys managed to never let their lead get out of reach. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Archers showed their true character and their ability to come together to get a job done. Coming out with guns blazing and making some crucial shots, the Archers pulled ahead and kept the Wildcats at bay until the buzzer.

We are all thankful to Coach Hosier for the years of hard work and sacrifice he and his family have made, not to train good basketball players, but to train good men. The state trophy is just icing.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!