Ridley’s Christmas Tournament Rundown

<p>Prior to the Christmas break, 8 teams all relocated to Middleton, ID to participate in the first annual Ridley’s Christmas Tournament. A lot of high level basketball was played over the weekend with a couple of players that recently climbed in the rankings proving themselves worthy of a high ranking. As the weekend progressed, the true competitors rose to the top as the pretenders were exposed (see the Madison Bobcats vs. Centennial Patriots state game from 2017 for reference) and a few players were able to emerge as true leaders on their teams. Continue reading for a look at some of the games from the first annual Ridley’s Christmas tournament as well as some stand out players.</p> <p><strong>Middleton vs. Lake City:</strong> Though there were many games played in this tournament, the clash between Middleton and Lake City proved to be a nail-biter between two great programs. The Vikings were able to hold on for a one point win in the final seconds, although Lake City had plenty of opportunities to secure the win. [player_tooltip player_id="921074" first="Tyler" last="Medaris"] showed why he is one of the top players in the state overall with his display of scoring and getting to the rim with ease. Lake City was led by [player_tooltip player_id="923086" first="Kolton" last="Mitchell"] who had a great tournament overall and scored well across all of their games.</p> <p><strong>Madison vs. Lake City: </strong>The Bobcats from Madison put a beating on Lake City as the Timberwolves were playing their fourth game in four days and ran out of gas for the final game, especially knowing it would not result in a championship either way. Madison ended their tournament on a high note and were led by [player_tooltip player_id="919694" first="Taden" last="King"], again putting on a shooting display and showing why he deserves to continue moving up in the rankings. Lake City was led by [player_tooltip player_id="923086" first="Kolton" last="Mitchell"] again and will look to regroup heading into the spring.</p> <p><strong>Middleton vs. Post Falls:</strong> The championship game of the Ridley’s Christmas Tournament would have been well-worth the price of admission had fans been allowed to attend. In a matchup of top tier programs from the 4A and 5A classifications, the Trojans from Post Falls were able to sneak away with a three point victory after a hard-fought battle by both programs. For Middleton, [player_tooltip player_id="921074" first="Tyler" last="Medaris"] led the way by contributing a solid scoring performance and attempting to grind out a victory. Post Falls was led by [player_tooltip player_id="919666" first="Alex" last="Horning"] who was tasked with guarding [player_tooltip player_id="921074" first="Tyler" last="Medaris"] for the entirety of the game, and he also finished with 14 points of his own and knocked down crucial free throws to seal the win for the Trojans.</p>