PLAYERS TO WATCH

Lauren Kelly, Gem State
Hope Miller, Greenleaf Friends
Kaya Brown, Idaho City
Aspen Davis, Liberty Charter
Jennabelle Reece, Liberty Charter
Allison Grandeen, Notus
Ashten Moore, Rimrock
Assese Sangha, Riverstone
Abby Scott, Wilder
Kaelle Steele, Victory Charter
Raelynn Nickel, Vision Charter

Written by: Brandon Baney

If the 1AD1 Western Idaho Conference could be summed up with one emoji, it would be the one that features a person shrugging their shoulders.

When you take an eleven team mega-conference, combine that with significant roster turnover year-over-year, and add in a handful of new coaches, it makes predicting how the league will shake out incredibly difficult.

The one constant in the always-changing WIC is the team that was picked by league coaches to finish at the top of the standings: Liberty Charter has finished first or second in each of the last four seasons, so naturally, that’s where most coaches started their assessment of the league in 2023-24.

Brad McCain is entering his tenth season as the Patriots’ head coach, and welcomes back starting guard Aspen Davis (senior) and starting forward Jennabelle Reece (junior). “Jennabelle Reece has some of the best footwork I have seen in a player,” says McCain. “And Aspen Davis has the ability to get hot from outside on any given night.”

Those two will be joined in the starting five by senior Lydia Bailey and sophomore Kyla Stimpson down low, along with slashing sophomore Sophie Criddle, who can chip in from the inside or the outside. “We plan to play a fast-paced run and gun style of ball this season,” says McCain.

Those five will be joined by a promising group of varsity newcomers. “We have a large handful of incoming freshmen who have a lot of basketball experience in school and club play,” says McCain. “Their combined basketball IQ is very high.”

So choosing Liberty Charter to earn one of the two state tournament bids available from the league is the easy part of this exercise. Joining their WIC running-mate will be more difficult.

Rimrock and Notus have consistently been the strongest programs besides Liberty Charter over the past four years. Veteran coach Kyla Jewett always has the Raiders playing competitive basketball, and she has put together a tough schedule this year that includes 1AD1 runner-up Oakley and 1AD2 power Richfield in non-conference action.

As for Notus, the Pirates have stability back on their sidelines in the form of longtime coach Brad Huter. Huter departed Notus last season to coach Class 5A Middleton, but after one season away, Huter has returned to the Pirates. Paige Emly and Allison Grandeen are outstanding athletes, and will help Huter adjust to live back in the 1AD1 ranks.

Last season, neither Rimrock nor Notus qualified for state, though. The second bid from the WIC went to Greenleaf Friends, but tragedy struck just before the state tournament began. Husband and wife coaching duo Jim and Loma Bittick were driving to Columbia High School to coach the Grizzlies in the district tournament championship game, when another driver ran a stop sign and collided with the Bitticks’ pickup truck.

Both Jim and Loma were ejected from the vehicle and taken to the hospital with injuries. Loma ultimately succumbed to her injuries and passed away, casting a pall over the entire Greenleaf community. The district championship game was canceled, with Greenleaf Friends offering to forfeit the contest to Liberty Charter. Instead, the Patriots declined and stated that both schools would be co-champions. It was an incredibly moving display of class, sportsmanship, and genuine care for a rival program.

Lost in the all of the tragedy is the fact that Greenleaf Friends was incredibly young last year, relying on a mix of freshmen and sophomores in key situations. With those athletes returning, the Grizzlies should not be counted out. “Greenleaf may have another big year after the tragic ending of their season last year,” says coach McCain of Liberty Charter. “There is a lot of fire and energy on that team.”

Wilder finished 12-11 a year ago but said goodbye to five talented seniors (Alondra Padilla, Alexis Scott, Kimberly Arias, Joella Scott and Marissa Puga). If coach Juan Arias can bring along a few young sophomores to join established senior Mia Luna, the Wildcats could finish in the top four again this season.

Victory Charter will once again be led by coach Mandy Frank. Frank was also named the Vipers’ new Athletic Director in the offseason. The Vipers were 9-9 a year ago, and played well against the league’s best teams. Do-everything post Kimberly Zink graduated, but six of Victory Charter’s eight varsity players a year ago were underclassmen.

At Idaho City, assistant coach Tim Brown slides into the head coaching chair, replacing Tara Watson. The Wildcats lost leading scorer Ruth Heffington and top post Ruby Olvera to graduation, but senior forward Kaya Brown earned All-WIC honors a year ago, and is flanked by seniors Selena Exon and Aubrey Pecora. “We’ve got several girls that can shoot, but we need others to step up this year,” says Brown.

Riverstone International School also welcomes in a first-year head coach, as Tyler Ashley has replaced Steve Bowen. The Otters are always one of the biggest mysteries to start the year, as new players enter the lineup and old players depart. History suggests that Riverstone may start slowly, but by the time February rolls around, no one will want to face them.

Gem State Adventist Academy went 3-13 a year ago, while fielding an extremely young team that featured just one senior (Sienna Mellish). Five-foot-ten inch senior Lauren Kelley brings good size down low, something that not every team in the WIC can claim.

Vision Charter has already had two interesting games to start their season. Coach Billy Lamitina’s team defeated North Star Charter by a single point, 28-27, before falling to Compass Charter in overtime, 35-33. Both of those teams are currently Class 2A schools, but next year, they’ll be dropping down and joining the WIC, ballooning the conference to a staggering 13 teams.

After unsuccessfully trying to field a varsity team over the past few seasons, it appears that Centennial Baptist has enough players this year, a positive development not just for the Mustangs, but for the entire league.