Players to Watch:

Carsn Perkes, Carey
Conner Simpson, Carey
Ethan Roland, Castleford
Emmett Martin, Glenns Ferry
Salvador Camarillo, Hansen
Jack DeJong, Lighthouse Christian
Hayato Yamada, Lighthouse Christian
Chandler Jones, Murtaugh
Bryce Sanford, Murtaugh
Isaac Cranney, Oakley
Porter Pickett, Oakley
Tate Whitaker, Raft River
Kole Spencer, Raft River
Kobyn Benzeval, Shoshone
Kyle Christensen, Valley

Written by: Katie Knight

With four new teams in the Snake River Conference, it can be anyone's guess who will come out on top. Four of the teams also made it to the 2022 state tournament (Valley 2A, Lighthouse Christian and Oakley 1A DI, Carey 1A DII). Safe to say the Snake River Conference is loaded with talented teams.

New to the conference are the Panthers of Carey. They bring a competitive program with and experienced coach at the helm, Dick Simpson. Carey is a program with a winning history and multiple state tournament appearances. Carsn Perkes is a great athlete who looks to lead the Panthers as they make their make in the 1A DI level.

Rejoining the SRC will be Valley and head coach Brian Hardy. The Vikings are bringing back senior Kyle Christensen, who was one of two juniors on the All-Conference team in the 2A Canyon Conference in 2022. Coach Hardy has a young squad and room for growth. “But the ceiling on our underclassmen is very high. They will have to adjust to bigger roles at the varsity level,” says Hardy. With Christensen able to defend any position, Coach Hard likes his team’s ability to be flexible on defense. The Vikings are excited to play together and “prove themselves in a new conference,” says Hardy.

Lighthouse Christian comes into the season ready to compete. The Lions have strong leadership from first team All-Conference player, Hayato Yamada, who can light up the stat sheet. Joining Yamada are fellow All-Conference players and juniors, Sam Rogers and Jack DeJong. With a deep roster and multiple scoring threats, teams might have a hard time stopping the Lions.

Oakley will be a big time threat in the SRC. The Hornets just finished their football season as the 2022 State Champions and according to Head Coach Kody Beck this squad is “a lot more athletic than last year.” Becks team is returning five key players: seniors Porter Pickett, William Pregetszer, Keshawn Crocker and juniors Issac Cranney and Bridger Duncan. Coach Beck also has Bry Severe back after a broken leg kept him sidelined last season.

Oakley also has size, speed, and more experience in addition to a deep roster. Coach Beck says he has a a team that can “cover the court in a couple different ways defensively and use 10-12 athletes.” The big question for the Hornets is if the team “can put the orange thing in the orange thing,” says Beck.

One team looking to surprise the newcomers in the conference will be Raft River. Head coach Jeff Davenport enters his third year at the helm for the Trojans and is “excited to see the growth our players show from an up and down season last year.” Returning with Coach Davenport are key seniors Tate Whitaker, Kole Spencer, Kuy Heaton, Treg Whitaker and Benny Smith. Coach Davenport also expects junior guard Tanner Tracy to fill a role left by his older brother Seth. “Tanner can score a lot of points in spurts and is a very good defender,” says Davenport.

When the Trojans are healthy, they can be a fast team and Davenport wants to use the speed to “pressure the ball and create turnovers for transition offense opportunities.” The Trojans will need the “athleticism and joy of the game the juniors bring,” says Davenport. “Playing with confidence will be huge in a very deep and competitive conference this season,” says Davenport.

The Wolves of Castleford hope to rise from the middle of the pack and push the top teams of the conference. Head Coach AW Wells has a quick team that will look to Ethan Roland to be a leader and scoring threat.

Hansen will be a young team with only three returning players. Senior Salvador Camarillo was All-Conference Honorable Mention in the ’21-22 season, will be joined by fellow senior Afton Miller. The Huskies were 8-12 last season and Head Coach Jesus Guerrero is “most excited to see how the younger guys step up and develop into their roles.”

Glenns Ferry has finished in last place in the conference the past two seasons. This season with the Pilots having a new head coach and young players ready to make their mark, the team is looking to move up the ranks. New Head Coach Jared Lemieux is excited to bring a “new brand” into Glenns Ferry and still has respect for all that Nate Jones did for Glenns Ferry in his 18 year career.

“Hard-nosed, gritty defense, combined with speedy offense guys, could be the recipe,” says Lemieux. Helping lead a young team will be seniors Emmett Martin and Adrian Gutierrez. Coach Lemieux has five sophomores who will contribute minutes and bring speed and quickness. “The X-factor will be how the youth of our team reacts to playing big time minutes on the varsity level,” says Lemieux.

Shoshone and Murtaugh will round out the 10 team Snake River Conference. Shoshone brings back junior Kobyn Benzeval who was All-Conference 2nd team last season and will miss Bryson Kerner who graduated in 2022. Murtaugh could be a surprise team to the conference. The Red Devils will be led by senior and All-Conference selection Bryce Sanford.