Mark Raebel St. Maries Year: Senior Sport: Basketball Position: Post

As a three-year varsity player who has never qualified for a state tournament, Mark Raebel has the determination of a charging bull to take his last shot at state.

This comes as no surprise to anybody since Raebel has made a hobby out of riding 2,000-pound bulls for the past three years.

“I’ve never really been hurt doing it. I’ve been kicked in the face a couple of times, but that’s about it,” said Raebel. “Most people usually ask me what I’m thinking or why I do it.”

But Raebel keeps his reasoning simple.

“It’s fun.”

At 6-foot-2, Raebel became interested in bullriding after his brother, Tim, moved to Oregon and made a successful career out of traveling the rodeo circuit.

“I’ve been thinking about (career bullriding), but I’m not so sure right now,” said Raebel. “I’m not doing so good this year. I’ve been falling off.”

Raebel, who placed third at the high school rodeo in Lewiston last year, practices bullriding on a barrel tied to ropes in his backyard. But lately, he expends most of his energy on the court.

Raebel led the Lumberjacks (6-4 overall, 2-1 in the Intermountain League) with 18 points and 13 rebounds in a 49-37 overtime victory last Saturday against Kellogg. He scored all 12 of the Lumberjacks’ points in overtime.

“Mark made things pretty emotional in overtime and really got everybody pumped up,” said coach Todd Bitterman. “We hammered the ball inside to him two straight times and he got fouled on both shots.”

Raebel missed one free throw, but was able to convert the second into a three-point play to spur the win.

With the top two teams from the IML going to the state tournament, the Lumberjacks’ biggest obstacles will be league giants Moscow and Kellogg.

The Lumberjacks’ lone league defeat was to Moscow by eight points after the Bears went into the fourth quarter trailing by three. St. Maries will face Lakeland with an advantage Friday after starter Jared Nudge broke his ankle.

Raebel leads his team with 15 points and eight rebounds per game.

But no matter how the season ends for Raebel, good or bad, he’ll survive.

“Mark never gets upset at anything,” said Bitterman. “He’s real focused when he’s on the floor and he always works hard. He has a little size disadvantage for a center, but he makes the most of his quickness. He’s just a tough kid.”

, DataTimes