PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brookeslee Colvin, Coeur d’Alene
Teagan Colvin, Coeur d’Alene
Maddie Mitchell, Coeur d’Alene
Avery Waddington, Lake City
Sophie Zufelt, Lake City
Reese DeGroot, Lewiston
Addy McKarcher, Lewiston
Brooklynn Brennan, Post Falls
Kinlee McLean, Post Falls
Written by: Brandon Baney
The Inland Empire League was rough-and-tumble in 2022-23, with three teams (Coeur d’Alene, Lake City and Post Falls) finishing a combined 61-14.
In the end, coach Nicole Symons’ Vikings earned the last laugh, not just over its’ district foes, but over the entire state. After a narrow 51-50 win in overtime against Boise High in the semifinals, Coeur d’Alene ran Rocky Mountain out of the Idaho Center in the championship with a 65-27 dismantling.
It was the first career championship for Symons as a head coach, but it also was merely the latest in what’s been a historically strong program. Last March’s title was the tenth in school history, and there’s more than a chance that number eleven is on the way this season.
Reigning Class 5A and IEL Player of the Year, senior point guard Teagan Colvin, is back to spearhead the Vikings’ attack. Fresh off of signing with Division 1 UNLV, Colvin is ready to improve upon a junior campaign that saw the 5-foot-7 dynamo average 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals per game.
A year ago, opponents found out the hard way that Coeur d’Alene was more than a one-woman show. Double-double machine Madi Symons was a great inside-out threat, and has moved on to Division 1 Wyoming. Sharpshooting guards Kendall Omlin and Libby Awberry also graduated, leaving significant minutes up for grabs in 2023-24.
Colvin will be joined in the backcourt by senior Maddie Mitchell, a returning starter, and freshman Brookeslee Colvin, Teagan’s younger sister. “Brookeslee comes in as a highly recruited player with multiple Division 1 offers,” Symons says. “She has an incredible ability to score but is one of the best defenders and passers I have seen. She has amazing body control, strength, and speed.”
A litany of D1 schools have already shown interest in Brookeslee, including BYU, Harvard, Iowa, Marquette, Michigan, Sacramento State, Washington State and Wisconsin.
As for Coeur d’Alene’s inside game, junior Kelsey Carroll will see an expanded role this year. “Kelsey brings us rebounding and the ability to score inside, as well as defend inside,” says Symons. That last point is the most important: for as much offensive talent Coeur d’Alene possesses, coach Symons prides herself on bringing a suffocating defense year in and year out. “This team loves to defend, and all players can guard multiple spots,” Symons says.
Perhaps the most shocking development a year ago was the fact that Coeur d’Alene was the only team from the IEL to qualify for state. Second-place Lake City went 19-6, but fell to Eagle in a state tournament play-in game. Then, head coach James Anderson switched over to coach the Lake City boys, so the Timberwolves hired David Pratt, who had been the girls’ coach at Mount Spokane High in Washington for the past eight years.
Coach Pratt has a good core to build around, including All-IEL guards Avery Waddingon and Sophia Zufelt. Kamryn Pickford is another capable shooter, so if Lake City can find an inside presence, the Timberwolves could roll into conference play. “Lake City will be tough because of their ability to score from the perimeter,” says Symons.
Post Falls also went 19-6 a year ago, and fell to Lake City in the third place game at districts. Brian Hall returns to the bench for his second season in charge of the Trojans, and will have to figure out a way to replace post Capri Sims. Sims averaged 20 points per game in her senior season, and left with over 1,000 career points, as well. She’s now playing at Division 2 Central Washington.
Like everyone else in the IEL this year, Post Falls will be led by their guards. Senior Brooklyn Brennan recently signed with Division 2 Montana State-Billings, and she’s joined by senior Kinlee McLean, junior Mackenzee Mitley and sophomore Kailey Walton in the Trojans’ backcourt. “Last season, we tried to rely on inside play from Capri Sims as our focus,” says Hall. “This year, we have multiple guards to choose from that all have the green light to shoot.”
Senior Letti Asper is expected to anchor Post Falls’ inside game this year, and will be joined down low by senior Kayden Allen and freshman Brooklynn Reese.
“The senior class in the IEL has some incredible players. Lake City will be very tough, as will Coeur d’Alene,” Hall admits. “But if our seniors step up, they will be hard to slow down.”
Someone had to finish fourth in the IEL last year, and Lewiston drew the short straw. The Bengals went 6-16 in a very tough league, and in a bit of a twist, Lewiston returns the most experience down low of any team in the conference. Junior center Addy McKarcher and junior forward Reese DeGroot will lead the Bengals, as Julie Fisher begins her first season as Lewiston’s varsity coach. “Our post play and our rebounding are the strengths of our team this year,” says Fisher.
On the flip side of the coin, though, are questions at point guard. Lewiston is the only team in the IEL that lost their floor general this offseason, as Zoie Kessinger will be tough to replace. Junior Skye Van Trease has stood out early in that regard.
“We will play man defense with full-court pressure,” says Fisher. “Playing inside-out, improving defensively, and pushing tempo will make us a fun team to watch.”