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Red Cloud boys earn top seed for 2007 Lakota Nation Invitational:
Lady Crusaders selected as number three seed

posted October 11,2007

RAPID CITY – We still have two regular season football games remaining and the playoffs, the cross country regionals are set for Thursday and Friday with the State cross country meet set for Oct. 20 in Huron and volleyball is on the backstretch with districts set for the end of October followed by regionals and State in November but during the last weekend of September in Rapid City the subject was Lakota Nation Invitational basketball and determining who the top seeds were for the 2007 tourney. The Pine Ridge Lady Thorpes, the defending LNI champs earned the number one seed for the girls and Red Cloud boys who went 19-4 last year, losing only to state championship game teams and who return their top eight players from last year snared the boy’s number one seed.

Coaches, athletic directors and some school administrators met in Rapid City at the Civic Center on Saturday, Sept. 29, to listen to presentations and vote on which teams they felt were deserving of top seeds for this year’s tournament scheduled for Rapid City Dec. 19-22. Before listening to coaches from each school, participants heard from Rapid City Convention and Visitor’s Center on how to get the best deals for your school when it comes time to reserve hotel rooms for the many teams planning to attend the tourney. Jess Mendoza, an administrator and head boys coach from Cheyenne Eagle Butte presented a draft of a proposed dress code for all of the student athletes that participate in the LNI.

Red Cloud turned out to be a consensus number one seed for the boys; their only losses last year came to St. Thomas More and Little Wound, teams who played for the State A championship in March and Chadron, a team who played for the State B championship in Nebraska. The Crusaders entire starting lineup of Christian McGhee, Billy Scott, Lester Gotheridge, Dave Giago and Art Vitalis are returning as well as Mike Twiss, a 6’3” junior and two talented sophomores, Bryer Iron Cloud and Carl Swallow. The boy’s team is coming off a very successful off-season as the boys went to several tournaments in the spring including Gillette Wyo. and Denver, Col then traveled 8,000 miles in June and July playing 51 games with a 45-6 record finishing up in Washington D.C.

White River, participating in their first ever LNI and featuring Louie Krogman who will probably break the all time individual scoring record during the championship semi-finals on Friday night of this year’s tournament, was selected as the number two seed. Todd County who lost to Little Wound last year in the Region 7A championship game, was selected number three, Heart of the Earth(Oh Day Aki) was fourth with standing Rock number five.

The bracket for the boys includes: game one-Red Cloud(1) vs. Crazy Horse(16) at 10am, game two-White River(2) vs. Lower Brule(15) at 11:30am, game three-Todd County(3) vs. Flandreau Indian(14), game four-Hill City(8) vs. Custer(9) at 2:30pm, game five-Heart of the Earth(Oh Day Aki)(4) vs. Takini(13) 4pm, game six-standing Rock(5) vs. Crow Creek(12) 5:30pm, game seven-Little Wound(6) vs. St. Francis(11) 7pm, game eight-Cheyenne Eagle Butte(7) vs. Pine Ridge(10) 8:30pm.

Last year Pine Ridge won each of their LNI games by 30 points or more, they went through the season undefeated, ranked number one in the state until losing to Bennett County in the District 14A finals, they have most of their team back and earned the number one seed. Lacey Weston, Keisha Brewer, Christian and Sophia Janis and Saudia Tasso lead the way. Dusty LeBeau is returning to the coaching ranks and will take over the reins of the Lady Thorpes. He last coached Pine Ridge in 2004 when the Laura Big Crow led Lady Thorpes lost to Sisseton in the State A championship game. Two teams that qualified for the State A tourney came next with Cheyenne Eagle Butte seeded number two; Alyssa Kingfisher has taken over the coaching duties from Arlyn Wohlleber and has Jessica Keckler, Lacy Leaf, Scottie and Marissa Landreaux, Kayla Turning Heart and Leona Benoist returning. Red Cloud is seeded three after they went to State last year with a very young team that included no seniors and only two juniors, they have Ida Clarke and Lisa Bear Robe back along with Marque Lunderman, an outstanding sophomore last year, Desirae Blacksmith, Danielle Locust and Shaina Clifford. The Lady Crusaders have a new coach as well, Jerome LeBeau, a 1995 graduate of Red Cloud who helped to lead his boy’s team to the State A championship in March of 95. St. Francis is number four with Standing Rock at number five.

The bracket for the girls includes: game one-Pine Ridge(1) vs. Crazy(16) 10am, game two-Cheyenne Eagle Butte(2) vs. Heart of the Earth/Oh Day Aki(15) 11:30am, game three-Red cloud(3) vs. Lower Brule(14) 1pm, game four-St. Francis(4) vs. Flandreau Indian(13) 2:30pm, game five-Standing Rock(5) vs. Takini(12) 4pm, game six-Todd County(6) vs. Crow Creek(11) 5:30pm, game seven-Little Wound(7) vs. Hill City(10) 7pm and game eight-Custer(8) vs. White River(9) 8:30pm.