Team Preview
The Spartans lost three key players from last year's 16-9 team that made another trip to the state 3A tournament.
Priest River won its first-round game to reach the semifinals, where it lost to eventual champion Filer. The Spartans finished fifth after losing to Homedale in the third-place game.
They lost post Jill Weimer, wing Karly Douglas, and post Amber Trantum to graduation. Weimer was a three-year all-IML selection, and last year was an all-Idaho pick. Douglas was all-league last year.
But Priest River returns nine players, led by Katlyn Summers, a 6-foot senior post who was the MVP of the Intermountain League last season.
Also back for the Spartans is Lily Luckey, a 5-6 senior wing; Aimee Warren, a 5-5 senior wing; Avery Summers, a 5-7 sophomore wing; Angel Clark, a 5-6 senior point guard; Elisa Williams, a 5-2 senior wing; Alyssa Carey, a 5-7 junior post; Melissa Krampert, a 5-6 sophomore wing; and Rachel Akre, a 5-6 sophomore wing.
"We're a pretty good fundamental team with good quickness and speed," said Gary Stewart, in his ninth season as head coach at Priest River. "We want to play fast and under control with this year's squad."
He said one thing he's excited to see from his team this year is, "Can we get to a level of fast play that others are fearful of?"
Stewart said developing threats from the perimeter is one goal this year offensively.
Defensively, the Spartans play a tough man-to-man defense, and give teams fits with their zone press. Rebounding is a targeted area of improvement this year, he said.
Stewart, who coached Priest River to the 2010 state title, said he's looking forward to their annual holiday tournament, and games against Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls, Wash., and East Valley of Spokane.
He echoed other coaches when he said one change he would make to basketball in Idaho was to "put in a shot clock. Let's keep up with the rest of the nation."
With 20 years total of coaching experience, Stewart said he continues to coach high school basketball because he "enjoys basketball ... the pace ... the strategy ... the practices ... the games ... the lasting memories for a lifetime."
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