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Conference Preview

Coaches Poll
1. Raft River
2. Valley
3. Oakley
4. Shoshone
5. Glenns Ferry

Snake River Conference Preview

Written by Seiji Wood

Raft River emerges as the slight favorite in the coaches poll heading into the 2020 season. Raft River went 12-13 last year but they return eight players from the 2019 season with three players returning with honors. Senior guard, Kamri Ottley was first team all-conference, junior guard, Kaybree Christensen was second team all-conference and another junior guard, Karlee Christensen, was an honorable mention all-conference.

“We have a lot of varsity experience coming back this season. We haven’t really had that luxury in the past,” said Raft River Head Coach Cody Powers. “We’ve got girls who have played meaningful varsity minutes coming back and that experience and chemistry that they have with each other should help us be very successful.”

Experience is a recipe for success. The conference saw that last year with Shoshone. They had a veteran roster helping them get a record of 24-1 with an eventual state championship to top off the season. Going into this season, Shoshone has taken a step back but they are still ready to compete.

“This team is night and day different from last year. Last year we had five solid seniors and a ton of experience,” said Shoshone Head Coach Tim Chapman. “This year we have one girl with any varsity experience. We are young and need to learn on the run.”

Shoshone may need to learn on the run but a team that’s looking to hit the ground running is Valley. Along with Raft River, Valley is another team returning a handful of players. The team returns five players from last year’s 12-11 season. They also return two of the top players in the conference with junior forward, Makenna Kohtz, and junior point guard, Bailey Stephens, who both received first team all-conference honors last year.

“I’m excited about our team this year. I have a senior and several juniors that have made a big impact on varsity the past two years,” said Valley Head Coach Jamie Kohtz. “Their experience and leadership will be a benefit to our team. I expect our team chemistry to be exceptional. These girls have played together for a very long time. Most of the varsity players spent a ton of time in the gym this summer improving their shooting.”

Rounding out the bottom of the conference with Shoshone is Oakley and Glenns Ferry. Glenns Ferry, which went 9-13 last year, may have a tough road ahead but they still head into the season with a positive attitude and high goals.

“I feel we should have a better season this year. Our goal is to place in the top two of our conference which will not be an easy task,” said Glenns Ferry Head Coach Rick Hance. “But the team feels much more confident in their ability to do so much better than in the past season.”

Last year the conference was dominated by Shoshone. This year, the Snake River Conference may likely be full of parity.

“Our conference is very tough,” Chapman said. “I think any team could beat another team any given night.”