Players to Watch:
Abbie Frei, Grangeville
Mattie Thacker, Grangeville
Emily Coe, Kellogg
Grace Bearden, Orofino
Lily Freitas, Priest River
Stacie Mitchell, St Maries
Written by: Keller Sherman
The Central Idaho League will have a couple new faces in the 2022-23 season. Priest River and Kellogg join the league after dropping down from the 3A classification. Until proven otherwise, Grangeville has established itself as the team to beat in this league as the Bulldogs are currently on an active run of four straight conference titles and are seeking a fifth straight this season. Can the league newcomers step up and provide Grangeville some competition? Orofino and St Maries would also like to have a say in the conference race as well. This should be a conference race with plenty of excitement abound.
The Bulldogs have not lost in conference play since 2018 when St Maries won the conference crown. After a 3rd place finish at state last season, the next step is clear; winning their first state title since 2011. That would be coach Michelle Barger’s first in her eight year tenure in Grangeville. There is plenty of returning talent to spark a run. Mattie Thacker, Adalei LeFebvre, Madalyn Green, and Abbie Frei return while freshmen Caryss Barger and Addisyn Vanderwall come in and all will have big shoes to fill in a roster that is absent six seniors that all will be missed dearly by Barger. These include the conference player of the year and a first team all-state player in Camden Barger, and an all-conference and second team all-state honoree in Bailey Vanderwall. Two additional players that were named to the all-conference team last season are also gone in Cameran Green and Macy Smith and while she did not earn honors at the conference or state levels, the absence of Bella Dame will also be felt strongly by the team as well.
Grangeville might be young, but this is an offense that can excel at fast breaking. However, the Bulldogs struggle with three point shooting and passing and that’s an area Barger’s team will focus on improving this season. Expect the defense to utilize quick, aggressive guarding that will work to disrupt opposing offenses. Even with strong defense, Grangeville has not performed as Barger would like to see in rebounding. That along with freshmen being able to handle the expectations of playing at the varsity level will be crucial for the Bulldogs to go far this season. By developing the young talent this year, a path will be set for the future. Of course the focus is on this year as building chemistry will allow this team to exceed expectations.
There was a significant gap last season between Grangeville and the second place team in the Central Idaho League. Orofono was that second place team posting a 10-12 record. None of the meetings with Grangeville were competitive with the closest game being a 37-point decision in the district tournament. However, the Maniacs did score a 52-32 win over Clarkston, Washington. All-conference honoree Grace Bearden returns for Orofino, who bring in a new head coach in Allison Brant-Chatfield.
St Maries has also made a head coaching change. Dakota Wickard comes in hoping to turn the Lumberjacks around from a disappointing 1-14 campaign last season. That lone win did come against new conference colleague Priest River however. Stacie Mitchell was named to the all-league team last season and returns hoping to take the St Maries program to better days and with changes in the coaching staff, the Lumberjacks will look to bring back the excitement for a program that last went to the state tournament in 2018.
Grangeville’s biggest challenger in a Central Idaho League they have dominated for the most part in recent years may come from league newcomer Kellogg. The Bulldogs’ coach is well aware of what the Wildcats are capable of. Barger saw the height and athletic ability of some of Kellogg’s players on full display in volleyball and knows there are other players like that around the Wildcats’ roster. Kellogg represented the 3A Intermountain League at state last season and will look to get back there again in their new conference. The Wildcats lost last year’s Intermountain League player of the year and second team all-state honoree Hailey Cheney and all-conference selection Grace Nearing. Emily Coe is the only returning all-conference player from last season, but there is still talent in the Silver Valley that can put names on the all-conference team at the end of the season.
Priest River will hope that dropping down a classification can bring some positive signs for a program that has fallen on hard times in recent seasons. The Spartans have not posted more than five wins in a single season since 2016-17, the last time they went to the state tournament. While dropping down a classification may seem like a step down in competition, the likes of Grangeville and Kellogg, the latter of which dropped down to 2A with Priest River, does not make life much easier. This season will tell a lot about whether the Spartans are a middle line between Grangeville/Kellogg and Orofino/St Maries or if they are in that lower tier of the league with the Maniacs and Lumberjacks.
With two new faces in the Central Idaho League this season, an exciting race should be on the horizon. Kellogg and Priest River will look to make some noise in their new conference home while Grangeville will look to fend off the challenges that the teams they are not as familiar with will bring to the table.