PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Dominic Guerrero, Glenns Ferry
Peyton Reynolds, Glenns Ferry
Casen Knight, Hagerman
Wyatt Mavencamp, Hagerman
Brennan Ford, Lighthouse Christian
Korbin Hyink, Lighthouse Christian
McCoy Jensen, Murtaugh
Broxton Widmier, Murtaugh
Kohl Beck, Oakley
Jackson Rice, Oakley
Justin Tracy, Raft River
Ren Udy, Raft River
Hadley Hunt, Shoshone
Daniel Rocha, Shoshone
James Duffield, Sun Valley Community School
Marley Shapiro, Sun Valley Community School
Reece Balls, Valley
Devin Christensen, Valley
Written by: Tyson Chapman
2A Boys Snake River Conference basketball will be something to keep an eye on as these teams compete throughout the year. There are plenty of exciting squads to pick from and others that may surprise you as the season goes on. The younger class for this whole conference is strong with many playmakers that are sophomores and juniors emerging or retaining their teams’ heavy lifting. So not only this year, but the next few, will be exciting to witness as these players evolve with their teams.
VALLEY
Valley Vikings head coach Brian Hardy put it best: “Each year is a different experiment. I am excited to see this group step into new roles and expand their abilities as we compete to win a district championship and return to the state tournament.” After losing seven seniors last year to graduation there is lots of room to be filled for the Vikings
Players to watch include: senior forward Reese Balls, junior guard Devin Christensen, and senior guard Jesus Urias.
Senior Guard Diego Damian has been injured for much of his high school career, but he is healthy now and he will provide a big boost. Baylen Standlee and Brandt Jones are two juniors that will contribute to multiple areas on both ends of the floor.
Valley thrives in sharing the rock to create the best shot for their team. The focus will be getting in sync with one another, so great opportunities happen naturally as the season progresses.
Defensively finding ways to make the offense uncomfortable, Hardy wants his players to have a tenacious mindset fighting for position every possession. Hardy says, “The X’ factor is putting the ball in the basket. It is easy to say and identify, but some nights it can be difficult to achieve.”
OAKLEY
The Oakley Hornets are back on the hardwood under head coach Jordan Cranney. The Hornets did lose Dallin Hardy to graduation; he was huge for the Hornets as their top rebounder and scorer last year.
Players to watch include junior guard Kohl Beck and junior forward Traegan Jones.
Coach Cranney is excited to see what this team can do, stating “Seeing what our young players can do excites me. There’s one senior on the team this year, and plenty of chances for young guys to step up.” The ‘X’ factors this season are, “Finding some team chemistry and learning to play together.”
Similarly to Valley, the Hornets will pile wins when playing together, sharing opportunities and being smart with and without the ball. Without the ball, Coach Cranney is pushing for more aggression on defense and causing more turnovers for the opponents. Continuing to be smart on defense will help Oakley immensely throughout the season.
HAGERMAN
The Hagerman Pirates under head coach Katie Knight are excited for the new season. After losing their top scorers, Ky Kendall and Martin Gonzalez, to graduation there will need to be players that step up to take the scoring load.
Players to watch in that regard are senior post Wyatt Mavencamp, sophomore guard Casen Knight, sophomore wing Will Mavencamp, sophomore guard Jace Leavitt, and junior post Adam Nelson.
The size and speed both offensively and defensively will benefit the Pirates, creating transition opportunities, forcing mismatches down low, and sharing the scoring to create more than one or two threats for them. Something else that is detrimental to all teams is foul trouble, and Hagerman wants to limit fouls so their personnel will not be limited.
Overall, the ‘X’ factor will be each player having confidence in their shot and role. Coach Knight wants everyone to have eyes at the rim and know their best shot selections. Their size will be an advantage if they stay out of foul trouble.
GLENNS FERRY
The Glenns Ferry Pilots are looking to make waves this season under new Head Coach Daren Garey.
Players that are going to make that happen for the Pilots are senior guard Peyton Reynolds, senior guard Dominic Guerrero, senior forward Heath Parsons, and sophomore guard Carson Traudt.
Coach Garey stated, “They will be learning a new system so there will be lots to learn and improve on.” Although new to the players there will be small things that can create large success for Glenns Ferry.
Coach Garey wants his player to have hunger for success as a foundation and build upon it. The ‘X’ factor for the Pilots is being able to respond to adversity and stay healthy. Also having good defense to create good offense will be another focal point this season for the Glenns Ferry Pilots.
RAFT RIVER
The Raft River Trojans, under head coach Jordan Truman, are ready for the 2025-26 season. There will be a bit of an adjustment for the Trojans as they lost a few players last year, like Will Rex and Chase Boden. Will was their rebounding and energy leader for them last year. He set the tone for the team, and left via graduation. Chase Boden, meanwhile, was lost to a knee injury from football season.
Players to look out for this season include senior guard Ren Udy, senior guard Justin Tracy, senior guard McCoy Spencer, sophomore forward Zane Higley, and junior forward Hudson Heaton.
Raft River is returning a potent scoring load with Ren Udy and the potential of others being threatening shooters. Justin Tracy will be the one serving up the scoring opportunities for his teammates by controlling the pace. Hudson Heaton as Coach Truman stated, “has the potential to be huge for us this year.”
The team as a whole will have to come together and trust one another to put points on the scoreboard. The potential is there; younger and new players will be asked by Coach Truman to take part in becoming a scoring threat.
MURTAUGH
The Murtaugh Red Devils are back in action with new head coach Adam Stanger at the helm. There are plenty of weapons for the Red Devils, although they will miss last year’s graduate Soyer Young, who led the team in scoring, assists and steals last season.
Players to watch this season are senior guard Broxton Widmier, senior guard Julio Gil, and senior forward McCoy Jensen. Other players that will make an impact for the team include junior guard Preston Stanger, junior guard Logan Anderson, and junior forward Gavin Grey.
Murtaugh will look to use their depth and give each other opportunities to step up their game for the benefit of the team. Defensively they want teams to turn over the ball by getting in the way of passing lanes and trapping ball handlers. Coach Stanger says the ‘X’ factor is that everyone must come together and buy into the new program for maximum success.
SHOSHONE
The Shoshone Indians under head coach Garr Ward are looking to improve from last year's 6-16 campaign. There will be an adjustment as the Indians lost their leading scorer Bud Cortez. But there will be players that can step up this season to take on larger roles for the team.
Players to watch are junior guard Emilo Colis, senior guard Daniel Rocha, and junior post Hadley Hunt.
Coach Ward is excited about this group's energy coming in and using that to keep a consistent work ethic, especially on defense. The leaders will be asked to set an example for the team and what could be accomplished.
The effort and execution will be vital for creating success as a team. Executing will open opportunities for growing as a team throughout the season. Lastly, Coach Ward stated the ‘X’ factor this season is “Being consistent each day. Bringing team discipline on and off the floor. Having our team leaders step up in all areas.”
SUN VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Sun Valley Community School and first-year head coach Juan Martinez are ready to prove themselves this year. Coach Martinez is excited about this year's team stating, “I have a spirited roster of guys that are determined to propel this program forward through success. Liam Ammons as a freshman is incredibly exciting with his all-around ability. Marley Shapiro and James Duffield are senior leaders that feel supported by a new staff and freshman reinforcements. And we have a junior class that is chomping at the bit to prove themselves to their teammates and their classmates.”
Players to watch are senior wing James Duffield, senior wing Marley Shapiro, junior wing Billy Griffin, freshman guard Liam Ammons, and freshman wing Calvin Stoddard.
Coach Martinez stated the ‘X’ factor is, “If we can turn teams over and gain some extra possessions or crash the offensive glass effectively, I think we will be a surprising team this winter. Overall better offensive execution and care for the ball (will also be important).”
LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN
The Lighthouse Christian Lions under Matt Harr are ready to turn around their 0-15 season from last year. Of course, there will be growing pains as they lost Kai Demoor and Connor Jones to graduation.
Players to watch are sophomore guard Korbin Hyink, sophomore guard Brennan Ford, sophomore wing Berkely Hills, junior guard Brodi Cowger, and junior wing Jace Blakeslee.
This team is young with no seniors and lots to still learn and build upon. Coach Harr mentioned that players now returning are getting a handle on their role better and fitting into the system better. The team will focus to limit turnover and going to get rebounds more effectively.
Building this team up will be important to gain confidence towards Harr’s ‘X’ factor of putting the ball in the hoop. They will also have this time as a young team to get better connected to showcase more chemistry during games, throughout the season, and the next.