| Waters
receives accolades
Michael Waters, a senior at Summit Academy, has been named the White Pine League 1A-District II Player of the Year. In addition he and his fellow teammate Matthew Schwartz were named to the first team, and both have also been awarded a spot on the All Stars Team along with their coach, Ron Frei. The Summit Boys team fought their way to a state tournament berth after their play-in game with Kootenai. The Patriots won their first state game, and came home with two awards including the 2014 State Academic Champions, and winners of the State Sportsmanship Award. “I am so proud of our players for achieving the academic and sportsmanship trophies,” Summit Academy’s Principal Jim Hickel comments, “These are a reflection of not only their talent but of their character. “ In high school girls basketball action, fellow classmate Rachael Frei also earned her spot on the honorary first team, as voted by the area coaches, and to the All Stars team as well. Seniors Sarah Chmelik and Megan Rehder, and junior Megan Seubert were all awarded second team honors. “If you ask me that is a lot of awards for the smallest high school participating in the IHSAA,” athletic director Shirley Stubbers notes. “It is especially neat that our kids can compete at this level when they practice daily in a non -regulation size gym with concrete floors and wooden back boards.” Waters, a native of Redding, California has been playing ball with the Patriots since 2011. He is the team’s highest scoring player finishing with 402 points this season totaling an average of 17.5 points per game. His career game high was 26 points in a game this year with Logos. He has pulled down an average of 9 rebounds per game, and has tallied an average 4.5 steals in every matchup. When asked what he will miss most about playing high school basketball, he smiled and shook his head, “just the whole thing. We had a great year!” Teammate and fellow senior Matthew Schwartz finished the season strong again totaling 275 points this season, with a career game high of 29 points in the game with Timberline. Of those points scored against the Spartans, two were buried from the three point perimeter. “Matt and I have been playing varsity together since our freshmen year. We know exactly what the other is doing while on the court and we work well together,” Waters notes. Coach Ron Frei has been coaching the Patriots for just 4 years, but Frei is not a newcomer to coaching. His coaching/teaching career started many years ago when he took his first job at Weippe High School in 1964. He works full-time on his Grangeville ranch, but every now and then his coaching talents surface when needed. His daughter, Kim, works as his assistant coach and this year their very young varsity team, including three freshmen, finished with a win/loss record of 16-8. “Coach Frei teaches us more than basketball,” Waters explains. “Instead of being the typical coach and asking us to do something, well, he just motivates us to want to do it!” Coach Frei was selected, from among the area coaches, to coach the All Star South team along with Coach Skip Hall from Grangeville. The Summit Academy girls team also finished their season strong with a 15-4win/loss record due in great part to their senior leaders. Rachael Frei, coached by her Dad, Virgil Frei, and Coach Kevin Rehder has been a consistent and strong player for the Summit Lady Patriots being a threat for scoring, stealing and rebounds as well. In response to being asked about her favorite part of the game Rachael responded, “Of course it is fun to score, but to get a rebound is really fun because no one expects a short person to come down with a rebound.” 
From left are Summit boys coach Ron Frei, David Waters, Rachael Frei, Matthew Schwartz and assistant boys coach Kim Frei at the All-Star games March 12. Photo provided by Summit Academy. |
 |