Adrik Jenkin leads Colfax to state championship, capping undefeated season in honor of late father | State 2B boys

Throughout this boys basketball season, the words “state championship” were, as far as Ben Aune was concerned, taboo.

The Colfax coach knew it was a possibility, but there were games to be played, one at a time.

Even into the State 2B Tournament this week, Aune was unwilling to talk about what might be until it actually was.

On Saturday, it actually was, as Colfax, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, completed its unbeaten season and claimed a second state championship in the last three years with a 69-56 victory over ninth-seeded Adna in front of a packed crowd at the Arena.

“Obivously this was something we wanted to do, but again, I never talked about winning a state championship with the kids,” Aune said. “Now was it in the back of my head? Of course it was. Was it in theirs? Yes, they talked about it.

“For us to finally go through the grind we went through and to get to this final stage, and watching the (trophy) walk out in our hands, is an incredible, incredible thing.”

When Aune pulled Colfax’s starters with 34.2 seconds left – after Adna called a timeout to do the same – senior Adrik Jenkin worked his way down the bench first. He embraced Aune, then his sister Allie, and then the rest of his teammates.

During pregame introductions, the last Colfax name announced was Reece Jenkin, the team’s head coach who died at age 45 after a battle with cancer on Feb. 27. A framed photo of Jenkin has occupied the first chair on the Colfax bench during the entire tournament.

Adrik Jenkin said he and his father had talked about ending his high school career this way, cutting down the nets and hoisting a state championship trophy just as they did in 2024 and as Reece Jenkin had as Bulldogs coach in 2012.

“We knew we could be pretty tough our senior year. To go out like this was amazing,” Adrik Jenkin said. “We knew it was within reach, but we were focused game by game.”

Comfortable victories were the norm for the Bulldogs (27-0) this year: Their closest were a one-point win over Central Valley on Dec. 6 and a 10-point margin over Northwest Christian on Jan. 30.

This was Adna’s first appearance in the State 2B title game, and to reach it the Pirates (25-5) had to win on Wednesday (over eighth-seed Liberty Bell), Thursday (over No. 2 Northwest Christian) and Friday (over sixth-seeded Reardan).

Adna coach Luke Salme said he let the boys sleep in until 10 a.m. Saturday and that they woke up in the right mindset, ready to give the Bulldogs all they could.

“I did feel like we would be able to score,” Salme said. “The biggest concerns against these guys are rebounding and Adrik. Those two things eventually catch up to you.”

The teams traded the lead six times in the first half, and Adna opened the second half on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 33.

But then Adrik Jenkin answered with back-to-back 3s as part of a 10-0 Colfax run, and the closest Adna would get after that was within five points.

Jenkin made 12 of 27 shots, including 9 of 19 3s, and scored 33 points. The Bulldogs nearly doubled the Pirates in rebounds, 46-24, with Jenkin grabbing a team-high 12.

Juniors Trevin Salme (24 points) and Landen Cline (15) paced Adna in scoring. Salme (6 of 16 3s) also grabbed six rebounds and had five assists.

“We stayed aggressive, and that’s all I could ask for,” Luke Salme said. “But eventually Adrik put on a show, and they got some offensive rebounds. But we fought for 32 minutes, and I thought we would do that, and I’m so proud of the fight that we showed for a bunch of little guys.”

Salme said that his players were aware of the moment and how this had been an emotional year for Colfax. Many fans in the Adna section at the Arena wore purple shirts in support of the Jenkin family.

“I don’t have any negative feelings in my core, which is crazy after just losing the state title,” Salme said. “I am so proud of our kids, and I am so happy for Colfax.”

After the game, Colfax players took turns cutting a strand off the net. Aune took the second-to-last turn, followed by Allie Jenkin, who draped the net over her neck. Adrik Jenkin walked over with the other net around his own.

Aune said when he looked up at the Colfax side of the stands, all he could do initially was cry.

“After the game and when I knew it was over, I looked up and everyone was pumped up. Our community is fantastic,” he said. “Just a fantastic community.”