Teen Scores 33 Points Days After Coach Father Dies of Cancer

Eight days after pancreatic cancer took his father's life, Adrik Jenkin stepped onto the basketball court at Spokane Arena with a mission. The Colfax High School senior wasn't just playing for a state championship—he was fulfilling his late father's final wish.

Reece Jenkin, head coach of the Colfax Bulldogs, died just one week before the state tournament. His last words to his children were simple but powerful: "Go be great for me."

On Saturday, Adrik did exactly that. He scored 33 points, sank nine three-pointers, and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the top-seeded Bulldogs to a 69-56 victory over the Adna Pirates, capping an undefeated 27-0 season.

After the final buzzer, Adrik broke away from his celebrating teammates to grab a framed photo of his father. He raised it high above his head before embracing his mother Breanne and sister Allie, both wiping away tears of grief and joy.

"I knew that kid was going to do that for his dad," said acting head coach Ben Aune, Reece's longtime friend and assistant. "That's how I felt Reece today was him going through Adrik."

The championship was a family triumph. On the day their father died, freshman Allie Jenkin scored 41 points in her own playoff game, including her team's first 29 consecutive points. That same night, Adrik tallied 34 points and surpassed 2,000 career points in the boys' state tournament opener.

Both Allie and seventh-grader Ryker Jenkin served as team managers for the boys' championship run, keeping their father's spirit courtside.

The game itself tested the Bulldogs' resolve. Ninth-seeded Adna fought back from a halftime deficit, tying the game 33-33 early in the third quarter. But Adrik responded with back-to-back three-pointers, and teammate Ledger Kelly sparked a devastating 7-0 run in under 20 seconds that sealed Colfax's victory.

Kelly, who finished with 18 points, said the win reflected everything Reece Jenkin taught them. "His legacy is always here and always will be," he said.

Why This Inspires

This story captures something deeper than athletic excellence. It shows how love transforms grief into determination, how a father's final words can fuel extraordinary courage, and how a community rallies around a family in pain.

Adrik could have stepped away from basketball to mourn. Instead, he channeled his heartbreak into honoring his father's memory the only way he knew how—by being great on the court where his dad coached him.

The Bulldogs didn't just win a trophy. They showed thousands watching that we can face our darkest moments and still shine, that loss doesn't have to defeat us, and that keeping promises to those we love can give us superhuman strength.

Somewhere, Reece Jenkin is smiling at his undefeated champions.