PLAYERS TO WATCH

Caryss Barger, Grangeville
Madalyn Green, Grangeville
Mattie Thacker, Grangeville
Addisyn Vanderwall, Grangeville
Emily Coe, Kellogg
Macy Jerome, Kellogg
Dani Schillereff, Kellogg
Jaelyn Miller, Orofino
Allyson Barton, Priest River
Tayla Janssen, St. Maries
Sami Sindt, St. Maries

Written by: Christian Weaner

With the additions of Priest River and Kellogg last season, the Central Idaho League (CIL) featured a ton of compelling matchups and a close race for second place, but one thing remained constant: Grangeville is still the team to beat.

The Bulldogs continued their impressive streak last winter, finishing 16-9, winning the CIL for the fifth consecutive time and playing on the third day at state for the third year in a row.

While Grangeville aims to win its sixth league title in as many years this season, that goal is just one checkbox for a team with a ton of talent and seemingly endless potential. After finishing third two years ago and losing in the 2A Consolation Finals by two points last season, the Bulldogs have the postseason experience and skill needed to make another deep run in February.

To that end, Grangeville Head Coach Michelle Barger has four returning contributors that she believes can dominate on any given night.

Sophomores Caryss Barger and Madalyn Green are both as talented as any underclassmen in the 2A ranks. Barger earned second-team all-state honors as a freshman, as she posted an impressive stat line of 10.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.3 steals per game, and Addisyn Vanderwall was a starter for the Bulldogs last year and became an all-league selection.

Forward Mattie Thacker is the lone senior on this year's Bulldogs team, and fellow upperclassman Madalyn Green should play a big role this season as well. Thacker has a "beautiful jump shot" and Green is a 6-foot-1-inch post that can "take over a game on the inside," according to Coach Barger.

Barger also noted that she is excited to see which role players step up into the five through eight spots in the Bulldogs' rotation.

"They are all ready to play and I can’t wait for them to compete in practice every day to earn a spot," Barger said.

Grangeville will challenge itself early and often with a nonconference slate that will prepare them for the state tournament. One date that Barger and the Bulldogs have circled on the calendar is Dec. 21, when Grangeville will play defending 4A champion Sandpoint at the ICCU Arena in Moscow.

"Coach [Will] Love and I met at the Gonzaga camp this summer and he complimented our team on how hard we play," Barger said. "We talked and said let’s play in the season if it works out. What a great opportunity for both of our programs to play in that venue at the University of Idaho!"

After Grangeville, the middle of the CIL features a few intriguing teams looking to prove themselves and have a good showing in 2023-24.

One such squad is St. Maries, which went 9-11 overall last winter and finished fourth in the league standings. The Lumberjacks will be led this season by head coach Gary Krumheuer, who is back at the helm after a one-year hiatus. Last year’s coach, Dakota Wickard, was promoted to the position of St. Maries Athletic Director over the offseason, so Krumheuer has returned to the bench.

Krumheuer will have a trio of seniors — Sami Sindt, Tayla Janssen and Jacklin Linnemeyer — who will all contribute significant minutes this season. Berkli McGreal, a 2022 all-league nominee, and veteran post Stacie Mitchell both graduated, but the Lumberjacks will add juniors Averie Baird, Brenna Elliott and Danika Sloper to the mix as well as freshman post/wing Raevyn Yearout who could see some varsity action.

"Our three seniors are determined to have a good season and are providing solid leadership for the younger players," Krumheuer said. "Other than that, I am excited to be back at the helm and hope to help the girls have a productive and fun season."

Another likely challenger looking to place toward the top of the league standings will be Kellogg. Led by head coach Jana Nearing, the Wildcats went 3-3 in conference play and 10-14 overall last season, placing second in both the regular season CIL standings and district tournament.

The Wildcats narrowly lost to Ambrose in their state play-in game last winter, but with all-league performers Macy Jerome and Dani Schillereff both back for their senior year, Kellogg could be a threat to make a state tournament appearance this season.

Orofino, which finished 7-13 overall (2-4 in CIL) last season and took third place, will look to move forward without 2022-23 CIL MVP Grace Beardin (18 ppg last year), who is now playing at Lewis-Clark State College.

The Maniacs, led by head coach Dave Olive, rebounded from an 0-6 start to the season last year to win seven of their final 14 games.

Finally, Priest River rounds out the five-team CIL field, looking to put together a competitive season in its second year as a 2A school. The Spartans opted to play an independent schedule last winter, participating in the district tournament as the automatic No. 5 seed but not officially competing in the CIL during the regular season.

The Spartans' only wins in 2022-23 came against Newport (WA), although they lost close games to Clark Fork and Genesis Prep and fell in overtime against St. Maries in January. Priest River has a long way to go, but with only one graduating senior gone from last year, the Spartans will bring back a lot of experience this year as they look to make a big step in the CIL standings.