Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Timberline
2. Mountain View
3. Boise
4. Borah
5. Eagle
6. Rocky Mountain
7. Meridian
8. Skyview
9. Owyhee
10. Centennial
11. Capital
12. Kuna
Players to Watch
Naya Ojukwu, Mountain View
Audrey Taylor, Timberline
Sophie Glancey, Timberline
Ashley Banks, Boise
Ella Nelson, Boise
Jayden McNeal, Borah
Sydnie Rodriguez, Borah
Taylor Bonning, Meridian
Lauren Sanor, Meridian
Aspen Carter, Eagle
Marli Reed, Rocky Mountain
Samantha Packwood, Kuna
Cadance Mann, Kuna
Emma Atchley, Owyhee
Hayley Hatzenbeller, Owyhee
Brea Cahoon, Skyview
Avery Peterson, Skyview
Written by: Wayne Dzubak
Not surprisingly as we head into the 2021-22 5A SIC Girls High School basketball season the likes of Mountain View, Timberline, Boise and Eagle are all being touted as contenders for a State Crown in February 2022 with Borah being thrown in by many as a dark horse.
Mountain View has played in the last three state championship games, losing in 2019 but beating Timberline 55-49 in 2020 and last year topping Thunder Ridge 62-55. Can the Lady Mavericks make it a three peat?
Mountain View was 20-2 a year ago but three peats are hard to come by never mind making a fourth straight title game! The key player from the state champion Mountain View team a year ago is Naya Ojukwu. Ojukwu is the reigning Gatorade player of the year and will be back in 2021-22. Ojukwu is a tough matchup for everyone and could help carry Mountain View into another state title game.
While Ojukwu returns, Mountain View did lose four-year starting point guard Trinity Slocum, along with three-point specialist D’Nia Williams and rebounding machine Millie Brunner. Head coach Connie Skogrand is counting on a pair of freshmen in Presley Binder and Jada Ojukwu to help fill the void. Although the graduation losses were significant, Skogrand says, “Our defense should be improved this year. We have faster, quicker players this year.”
The Lady Wolves of Timberline went 9-1 in league play last year, 12-4 overall, averaging 55 points per game but were paired against Mountain View in the opening round of the state tournament, losing to the Lady Mavs 65-52.
The T-Wolves return a pair of first team All SIC players in Audrey Taylor and Sophie Glancey, plus they have Lauren McCall who was tabbed SIC Honorable Mention. Andy Jones, heading into his fourth season as Timberline’s head coach feels with his team from a year ago mostly intact for 2021-22, they can definitely make a run for a state championship.
The Boise Brave went 11-5 last season and won the consolation crown in the 2021 State Tournament. After losing 56-50 to Coeur d’Alene in the first round of the state tournament the Brave stopped Timberline 52-41 for the consolation championship. Head coach Kim Brydges heads into her 17th season leading Boise and despite losing Allison Ross, the SIC defensive player of the year, to graduation, she is pretty optimistic about 2021-22 in part because of the Boise offense.” Offensively, our players did a great job of sharing the ball and it was commonplace for our high scorer to change every game. I see this continuing again this season due to us having many different scoring threats” says Brydges.
Among the Boise seniors are Ashley Banks and Ella Nelson who both earned All SIC Honorable mention. Throw sophomore Avery Howell into the mix, a second team All SIC selection and you can see why Coach Brydges is pretty excited for tip-off!
The Borah Lions were 7-5 last year, 7-3 in league and second year head coach George Rodriguez is pretty excited because he returns his entire team including Jayden McNeal, who was named first team All SIC in 2020-21. In all Borah has six seniors returning and that’s why many SIC coaches are warning don’t sleep on the Lions.
Coach Rodriguez says, “The Lions will look to take advantage of our depth and play hard every night and we are excited to hit the ground running this season.” Along with a full stable of seniors Borah also has sophomore Sydnie Rodriguez who was tabbed All Conference Honorable mention as a freshman.
Meridian has a new head coach as Jason Nichols takes over. He inherits a Meridian team that posted a 13-6 record last year and qualified for the state tournament where they lost in the first round to Thunder Ridge 66-55. Nichols takes over the girls program after four years coaching the Meridian freshman/sophomores boys. The Warriors will have five seniors on the roster including Taylor Bonning and Lauren Sanor.
Eagle is another 5A SIC team with a new head coach this year. Jeremy Munroe takes over the Mustang girls program after a stint at Jerome. The Mustangs were 5-8 in last year’s shortened season, the final year for four Eagle seniors which will make things that much more difficult for Coach Munroe as he works to build the Eagle program. Fortunately he has Aspen Carter returning, as the senior was named second team All-SIC last year. Plus, Munroe has some talent from last year’s Eagle JV team to fall back on as Coach Munroe told idahosports.com, “Molly Johnson and Jenna Gilberg will be a huge addition to our team. Both made a large impact on the JV team last year.” Eagle is hoping to earn a state tournament berth as they did in 2020, when they made it to the semi-finals and lost to eventual state champion Mountain View.
Rocky Mountain head coach B.J. Humphreys is in his third season and he and the Lady Griz will be without CeCe LeGaspi all season because of injury. LeGaspi is just a sophomore who as a freshman was named second team All SIC. Coach Humphreys will have to turn to senior Marli Reed to lead this year’s squad. 2021-22 could be an uphill climb as Rocky Mountain, looking for its first ever girls state basketball title, is picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the SIC.
At Kuna, Katie Holmes takes over as head coach with a complete new staff, few returning seniors and a fresh outlook for 2021-22. Kuna was 8-10 overall last year, 3-5 in league play and actually finished ahead of teams like Rocky Mountain, Eagle, Centennial and Capital. Coach Holmes will have seniors Samantha Packwood at point guard and Cadance Mann at shooting guard, as they hope to flip the script on a winning season and move up the 5A SIC rankings.
Obviously one of the biggest questions this season is Owyhee. The newest SIC member will be playing its first season ever under head coach Jordan Ax. Coach Ax comes to Owyhee after four years coaching at Vallivue.
Ax says to watch out for Emma Atchley, a junior guard who will have a significant role for Owyhee. “Emma has great basketball instinct on the defensive end and can snipe from anywhere on the court”, says Ax. Offensively Ax mentions freshman Josie Davis who he says has a great feel for the game; “Josie plays with a high motor and will bring a lot of energy to our program.”
Coach Ax predicts Halle Hanchett, just a sophomore, will be at the top of 5A SIC rebounding leaderboard and mentions Owyhee’s only senior, Hayley Hatzenbeller, and her ability to stretch the floor with her shooting ability and the leadership to guide the program. Coach Ax even told us about the team’s enforcer, junior Bailey Brooks; “ Brooks is our enforcer. If there’s a 50/50 within range, chances are good she will end up with the basketball in her hands” says Ax.
Skyview hopes to make big strides in 2021-22. The Hawks had a convenience store 7-11 type of season last year, 5-5 in league play. The Lady Hawks are coached by Kacy Bonds, entering his second season, and return eight seniors including Brea Cahoon and Avery Peterson, both named all 5A SIC Honorable Mention last year. Skyview will add to their roster the 5A Gatorade softball player of the year in Delany Keith who has decided to join the Hawks basketball family.
Centennial and Capital meantime are faced with some big challenges. Centennial is coming off a 1-15 campaign in 2020-21 in which they averaged just 39 points per game while giving up 60 a contest while Capital was winless in eleven games last season.
There you have it, the 5A SIC in a nutshell from Mountain View going for a three peat to Owyhee taking the floor for the first time ever. And then there’s Borah and Boise, don’t sleep on those two is the word from those in the know. Of course Timberline also stands ready to strike and take the SIC mantle from The Mavericks.
2021-22, the season is here!