Players to Watch:
Lilly Mallory, Declo
Brynn Sillcock, Declo
Ainsley Clark, Wendell
Written by: Keller Sherman
After a brief two year stint at the 2A classification, the Valley Vikings returned to the 1A Division 1 Snake River Conference returning the Canyon Conference to a two-team league with Declo and Wendell. The Hornets are the reigning league champions and will look to defend their title. Wendell will look to knock off Declo and capture the conference title for themselves.
Declo returns two all-conference players in Lilly Mallory and Brynn Sillcock, but two such players are gone in Macie Larsen and Kadence Spencer. Last season, they went two and out at state losing a first round game to Grangeville and losing an elimination game to Ririe. Can the Hornets get back to state and have a better showing than they did last year? Wendell will have something to say about that.
Wendell had two all conference honorees last season. One is coming back, the other graduated. Ainsley Clark returns for the Trojans and will look to be Wendell’s star player in a role fulfilled by Ana Scott last season. The Trojans’ main goal this season is clear; win their first conference title and make it to the state tournament for the first time since 2016.
Declo and Wendell will meet in the regular season on December 19th in Wendell and January 17th in Declo. The two will then play in a best of three district tournament to determine which of them will go to state. Will Declo continue its dominance of Wendell in recent years? Or will the Trojans find a way to knock off the Hornets and end a seven year state tournament drought?