Trinity Lutheran secured its first state championship in boys basketball with an 88-84 win over Regis on March 7 in the final of the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 2A tournament at the Pendleton Convention Center.
The victory marks a significant milestone for Trinity Lutheran, which had previously reached the state finals in 2019 but fell short. The win is especially meaningful for the team and its seniors, as it represents their first-ever state title.
Coach Kyle Gilbert said, “We came out ready and prepared. They played really well. We knew we would have to weather a storm somewhere down the road. I had a sense of peace. We don’t always know the plan of the Lord. If we give our all, we can live with it.” Senior Chace Nichols added, “It means so much to be the first to win one, and in my senior year. It’s a blessing from God.”
Trinity Lutheran started strong, leading 30-14 after the first quarter thanks to three three-pointers from Chimi Gilbert. Regis responded by narrowing the gap throughout the game and even took a late lead in the fourth quarter. Regis coach Jason Koehnke said, “The entertainment value was there. It was worth the price of admission. They are a really, really deep team. They had a couple of key players foul out and they had kids come and do a good job.”
Despite falling behind early, Koehnke said he never doubted his team’s resilience: “I knew we had faith,” he said. “They never give up. It was a mountain to climb, but we came back and took the lead. We didn’t quite pull this one out.” Eli Silbernagel led Regis with 42 points and was named unanimously to the all-tournament first team.
Nichols finished with 26 points for Trinity Lutheran while Quentin Romney contributed 23 points and Austin Imhoff recorded 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Looking ahead, both teams demonstrated determination and skill throughout the tournament, setting high expectations for future seasons.
