6A Championship: Westlake vs. Bingham

The state Championship ended up being Round 3 of Westlake vs. Bingham. While both teams had a tough road to the Championship game, Westlake was the #1 Seed, and Bingham the #3 Seed heading into the game. There was a 3-way tie for the Region 2 Championship, and in the first meeting, Bingham had a close game but fell short 74-69, and in Game 2, Bingham fell 72-58.   Thunder Struck   The Thunder struck first, and they struck often. Westlake typically relies on a balanced attack, but with a State Championship on the line, Brody Thompson took over. He was scoring from all over the floor. Inside, he was using his strength and length, and from the outside, he hit two timely buckets. But Thompson was not alone as [player_tooltip player_id='1476918' first='Graydin' last='Anderson'] was huge in this game. He carved his way through the defense, and it was not easy; he earned every single one of his points in this game. Anderson had 22 points and Thompson had 24 as Westlake captured the 6A State Championship.   Top Tier Performers   [player_tooltip player_id='1493311' first='Parker' last='Snedaker'], Bingham   Snedaker connected on a few from beyond the arc in a physical game, and shots were hard to come by. Parker showcased his next-level skill set by finding openings and creating space. Snedaker is going to be a great steal at the next level for a small school.   [player_tooltip player_id='1476918' first='Graydin' last='Anderson'], Westlake   Anderson might have played his best game of the year in terms of clutch play and big shot making at the biggest stage. Anderson was one of the best change-of-pace PG's. He is also strong but will initiate contact when he has to and he can also absorb contact as well.   Brody Thompson, Westlake   Thompson was one of the most impressive players on the floor. He has a slender frame, but he is strong and has that inside-outside game that is just tough to defend. He is going to be an intruiging next level prospect.   [player_tooltip player_id='3462123' first='Luke' last='West'], Bingham   [player_tooltip player_id='3462123' first='Luke' last='West'] left it all on the line in the Championship game. Although he did not score 42 or 32, he earned every bucket he had, as he even had to take a moment and get patched up, and later got stitches after the game. [player_tooltip player_id='3462123' first='Luke' last='West'] is a D1 lead guard, and he is going to be great at the next level.   Young Impact Players   [player_tooltip player_id='1724364' first='Malik' last='Sika'], Westlake   Sika is a low-maintenance player that just does a lot of the dirty work in games as he is a rebounding machine, and not because he is taller than most, but because he is a layer that is going after every rebound. He will be an import player coming back next year.   Carson Edmonds, Bingham   Edmonds is a skilled wing who will only get better in time. He has shooting ability, and he will also be solid as a player getting downhill.   [player_tooltip player_id='2022331' first='Slone' last='Su'a'], Westlake   Su'a is another player who will do anything to impact the game, and that at times is simply to be physical and defend. He will be a key returner for Westlake.   [player_tooltip player_id='2477808' first='Owen' last='Bagley'], Bingham   Bagley had himself a solid tournament run. He was defending 1-5, and he has gotten significantly stronger and has kept it simple most times. Next year he will be a key player that can be a go to, he showcased some excellent defensive play and also on offense.

The state Championship ended up being Round 3 of Westlake vs. Bingham. While both teams had a tough road to the Championship game, Westlake was the #1 Seed, and Bingham the #3 Seed heading into the game. There was a 3-way tie for the Region 2 Championship, and in the first meeting, Bingham had a close game but fell short 74-69, and in Game 2, Bingham fell 72-58.