Locals win at Hoopfest 2016

The coulee loves basketball, and produces winners at Hoopfest 2016 in Spokane.

Garrett Strocsher, a 2002 Lake Roosevelt High School graduate, finished first in the men's elite bracket at the big contest that hosted about 7,000 teams last weekend. Strocher's teammates from the Spokane Club probably had something to do with it too. They are Matt Brunell, Curtis Carlson and Brian Rabas.

And in the much younger Youth Male division, the "NWA Elite" team took their bracket championship. Chase Marchand, Brandon Pino and Kainalu Vargas made it to the top of bracket 118.

At the older end of the spectrum, Larry Jordan, Francis Nason, Tony Stanger and Mike Tulee were the consolation winners in their bracket.

They came in just behind "Indians and One," a team starring Cantjump Dennis, Cantshoot Marchand, Cantrun Rosenbaum, and Cantdribble Womer.

But they both lost to a bunch of "Whitworth Old Guys."