Players to Watch
Hailey Astle, Dietrich
Abby Hendricks, Dietrich
Sage Hubert, Dietrich
Samantha Osborne, Hagerman
Kasey Hendren, Richfield
Shelby Jones, Richfield
Madalyn Long, Richfield
Written by: Katie Knight
Richfield and Dietrich are 13 miles apart and are always battling to dominate the Sawtooth Conference. Both programs know how to build a successful team and win at the state tournament, each earning multiple state championships. Dietrich will make a strong run this season, led by Offensive Player of the Year Hailey Astle and 1st team All-Conference selection Saige Hubert. The Blue Devils will look to play Richfield for the only bid to the state tournament for the four-team conference.
Richfield is ready for the ’22-23 season and is putting in the work with a challenging non-conference schedule. Coach Buck Hendren’s squad lost some key players but is returning starter Kasey Hendren who earned 1st team All-Conference and 2nd Team All-State honors last year as a sophomore. Another junior, Shelby Jones, earned All-Conference Honorable mention and the Idahosports.com 6th Man Award last season. Both juniors will be joined by several sophomores and freshmen who are ready to help at the varsity level.
Strong post play from Madalyn Long and Jones will add balance to Kasey Hendren’s ability to create shots for herself and teammates. Coach Hendren’s defensive philosophy will be” pressure, pressure, pressure. Make other offenses uncomfortable all the time.” The Tigers only gave up 26.4ppg last season and look to do it again this year. Richfield is ready to “improve every practice and every game and give ourselves the opportunity compete for a conference title and a trip to state,” says Coach Hendren.
Hagerman is a program with relatively unknown talent. Two years ago there wasn’t even a girls basketball program and this season they had over 20 girls turn out to play. The Pirates have a new coach, Nick Gonzales, who has 22 years of coaching experience. Coach Gonzales wants his team to be fast and dominate the post play. Brooklyn DeVries will use her strength to lead an inexperienced squad and pressure teams in the paint. Defensively, the Pirates are expected to work hard and use their “quickness and tenacity,” says Gonzales. He wants his players to “fall in love with the process and let the outcome come later.”
The Mushers of Camas County will be looking to fill a huge hole left by Ashly Botz. This season the Mushers will need to find a scoring threat and be aggressive on the defensive end in order to compete with the top teams in the Sawtooth Conference.