Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Grangeville
2. Orofino
3. St. Maries
Players to Watch
Camden Barger, Grangeville
Bailey Vanderwall, Grangeville
Berkli McGreal, St. Maries
Taci Watkins, St. Maries
Stacie Mitchell, St. Maries
Grace Beardin, Orofino
Riley Schwartz, Orofino
Written by: Chris Deremer
Despite being one of the smallest leagues in the state, the Central Idaho League will have plenty at stake going into the 2021 2A girl’s basketball season.
After finishing in first place last season, the Grangeville Bulldogs will aim to finish atop the standings once again. Heading into her seventh season as head coach of the Bulldogs, Michelle Barger returns a lot of talent from last season. Leading the way will be two-time Central Idaho League MVP Camden Barger. Entering her senior season with the Bulldogs, Barger hopes to lead Grangeville back to the state playoffs after a loss in the third place game a season ago.
Alongside Barger will be senior Bailey Vanderwall, a two-time all conference player herself. “Bailey is a workhorse for me and will play any position you ask of her and do it well,” coach Barger said. Seniors Talia Brown and Macy Smith will also rise to lead Grangeville this season, with Coach Barger expecting big things from them during their senior season.
For coach Barger, the stakes are personal. After coaching the six seniors on the team since the third grade, Barger hopes to send off these girls on a high note this season. “I started their AAU team in the third grade and would like to finish with a state championship,” Barger said. “I love to compete and just want the girls to have a great senior year and finish strong.”
Up north, the St. Maries Lumberjacks look to regroup after losing all 5 starters to graduation. St. Maries head coach Gary Krumheuer enters his second season coaching the program and will rely on many juniors to step up for his squad this season. Berkli McGreal, Taci Watkins, and Stacie Mitchell all will be key players to keep an eye out for on the Lumberjacks this season.
For coach Krumheuer, he relishes in the opportunity to take down the defending league champions and is excited for their battles once again. “Grangeville has been the best team in the league for the past four or five seasons and will be the favorite again this year,” Krumheuer said. If St. Maries can improve their shooting and find some chemistry amongst their young squad, they very well could find themselves in the hunt for first place in the CIL.
The Orofino Maniacs will continue to build up a culture and program of winning and success. Entering her fourth season as head coach, Tessa Mullinix hopes this is the year the pieces finally start to fall in place for the Maniacs to find success within the Central Idaho League. “As we continue to grow and build our program we are changing our schedule every
year to continue to move in a more competitive direction,” Mullinix said. “We are playing several new teams in hopes with that preparation we will be more competitive with our league opponents, St. Maries and Grangeville.”
Grace Beardin, Riley Schwartz, Mylie Zenner, and Peyton Merry will be the names to watch with Mullinix relying on these four to find the right consistency of play this season. “I hope this is the year of confidence and trust for this group,” coach Mullinix said. “They have come a long way but must keep their heads down and continue to push themselves and one another.”