Players to Watch:
Sam Lindsley, Grangeville
Carter Mundt, Grangeville
Kolby Luna, Kellogg
Riply Luna, Kellogg
Nick Drobish, Orofino
Joel Scott, Orofino
Luke Butler, Priest River
Jace Yount, Priest River
Jared Badgett, St. Maries
Greyson Sands, St. Maries
Written by: Keller Sherman
The Central Idaho League is home to one of the state's best 2A programs in recent years. Bryan Chase has done wonders for the Lumberjacks program leading them to the state tournament every season he has been in charge. While St Maries only has one state title to show for three trips to the state championship game in the past four years, the Lumberjacks are always right in the thick of things to cut down the nets. There is no reason why that shouldn’t be the case yet again this year, but with two new additions to the Central Idaho League this season, St Maries will have their work cut out for them. Chase believes that of those two new additions, Kellogg will be the biggest threat in the Lumberjacks’ quest for an unprecedented ninth straight conference title.
St Maries had three players named to six spots on the all-conference teams while two of those received honors at the state level as well. Reigning Conference player of the year and first team all-state selection Tristan Gentry-Nelson as well as all-conference honoree Coleman Ross were on the Lumberjacks’ state championship winning team as juniors in 2020-21, but they have now graduated and their absence will be felt by the team. The good news is that a player that received state and conference honors last season is returning in Greyson Sands. In addition to him, Jarod Badgett, Tace Wicks, Tyler Renner, and Tristun Hill are also back for St Maries. With key additions Dillon Holder, Wyatt Holmes, and Seth Swallows entering the fray, the Lumberjacks are in great position to reload and be the class of their conference yet again.
Versatility is a major strength for St Maries. The Lumberjacks are capable of changing up the game plan at any given moment to keep opponents guessing on what they will do next. Whether it’s speedy guards trapping and defending or using height, Chase’s team will look to mix it up on offense. On defense, a mixture of full court pressure and half court traps can be expected. Building trust and sharing the ball will be key elements to the team’s success this year. Even with multiple departed seniors, Chase expects the leadership demonstrated by this year’s senior class to be just as strong as ever. With only one starter returning in Sands, he will have a lot of key roles this season. With talent littering the Lumberjacks’ roster, expect the starting lineup to change from game to game.
Kellogg is the first of the two newcomers to the conference this season. After an undefeated 6-0 mark in conference play, the Wildcats appeared destined for a state tournament berth. However, Bonners Ferry pulled the upset sending Kellogg to a state play-in game in order to qualify for the state tournament. Fruitland gave the Wildcats a sour farewell to the 3A ranks with a dominant 56-36 win. With reigning Intermountain League Player of the Year Kolby Luna and all-conference selection Riply Luna returning, Kellogg will look to unseat St Maries and get back to the state tournament seeking a state title at a new classification.
The other newcomer, Priest River, will hope to surprise in its new league. The Spartans won a state title in 2011, when head coach Jaden Barrett was in his junior year as a player. Now as he enters his second season as a head coach, he looks to lead his team to the promiseland in that role. Five key players are back for Priest River. Jace Yount, Luke Butler, Zach Engelson, Teigan Marinello, and Tyler Engelson make up a strong returning core for the Spartans. Two all-league players are gone in Blake Barrett who showed great rebounding and defensive skill and Trentyn Kreager, one of the team’s best scorers. In addition, point guard Travis Matthews will also be a major loss for the Spartans. Barrett has retooled his roster and gotten players ready to go over the summer to fill in the holes left behind by players lost from last season.
On offense, Priest River thrives in being able to shoot the ball well and in demonstrating their speed. It is a guard heavy roster that utilizes 3-4 players in that position. Barrett believes the offense is a massive improvement from where it was last year and is excited to see his new players prove they are ready to step into big roles this season. The defense will also emphasize the fast paced play that will be seen on the offense. Barrett plans to use the guards just as much, if not more on that side of the ball. The Spartans will be lacking in height this season, but Barrett believes that they will make up for this in toughness and putting forth double the effort they did last season. Showing this effort on the court will be a critical factor in Priest River’s success this season. If the Spartans can put it all together, they will be a tough out for anyone they play. Barrett believes this could be one of the best Priest River teams he has ever coached and is excited to see his players go out and play their best ball night in and night out.
Orofino finished 9-8 last season, but that included a disappointing 0-4 mark in Central Idaho League play. The Maniacs return a core group of seniors in Joel Scott, Nick Drobish, and Easton Schneider. Scott was an all conference honoree last season and will look to be the key player for Orofino yet again. These three seniors will replace three seniors that graduated. Reid Thomas and Slade Sweddon provided great defensive presence with second year head coach Rocky Barlow praising them for rebounding and athleticism respectively. Nick Graham showed great inside presence and was also a great rebounder for the Maniacs. The offense excels at speed and athleticism utilizing fast breaks and motion, but the shooting percentage is not where Barlow wants to see it.
Grangeville struggled mightily last season going 3-15 with all three wins coming against conference rival Orofino twice in the regular season and once in the district tournament. Sam Lindsley, Carter Mundt, and Cody Klement are the only players bringing back varsity experience to a team that lost three key seniors as Caleb Frei, Miles Lefebvre, and Jared Lindsley graduated. The team will be young and head coach Cooper Wright is excited to see how his players develop over the course of the season. Their development into key pieces on both ends of the floor will be the deciding factor on whether the Bulldogs can be more competitive this season.
St Maries might finally have some competition as a capable Kellogg team gives them some company at the top of a league the Lumberjacks have dominated for the past nine seasons. These two will meet on January 12th in Kellogg and February 14th in St Maries. These games will only have implications on district tournament seeding; however, the Wildcats and Lumberjacks will more than likely meet again in the district tournament for all the marbles. Priest River will look to contend with that expected top two while Orofino and Grangeville will look to play spoiler and pull off a major upset because there is a reason the games are played after all.