Seven local basketball seniors set to compete in District 1 All-Star Game

(Photo by KYLE CAJERO) Priest River senior guard Liann Kren drives against Kellogg freshman Darian Hill during a Jan. 19 game.

(Photo by KYLE CAJERO) Clark Fork senior Lily Simko dribbles towards the basket during the Lady Cats’ Jan. 31 win over Wallace.

by Kyle Cajero Sports Editor
| March 6, 2019 12:00 AM

(Photo by KYLE CAJERO) Clark Fork senior Lily Simko dribbles towards the basket during the Lady Cats Jan. 31 win over Wallace.

If you miss Alex Stockton’s putbacks, Robbie Anselmo’s cross-court passes or Lily Simko’s inside-out game, then you’re in luck.

Rosters for the boys and girls basketball District 1 All-Star Game, have been finalized, and there’s ample representation from Clark Fork, Priest River and Sandpoint athletes.

The games, which take place at Mullan High School on March 8, will pit two teams of 12-ish seniors from Bonners Ferry all the way down to Post Falls. With an $100 scholarship and last-second highlight reel clips at stake, both games will be a little more than just glorified scrimmages.

Now that the rosters are set (more or less), here are some initial observations about how the teams stack up.

BOYS

For East, it’s Wallace versus everybody — If East Boys’ head coach Corey Miller wanted to, he could trot out a lineup with four of his Wallace Miners around Lakeland’s lumbering senior Josiah Haaland or CDA star Kale Edwards.

In actuality, this wouldn’t be a bad look. Miller’s guard-centric team played fast and loose during the season, but lacked a true post player of Haaland or Edwards’s caliber. Most of Wallace’s rebounding came from Erick Brackebusch, who at 6’2 is realistically built like a guard.

Miller’s trusty senior shooting guard Zack Welch will be the team’s not-so-secret weapon on offense. The 6’1 guard to lit it up from beyond the arc all season and has notched three 20-plus point games, a pair of 30-pieces and a 52-point (on 14-19 from three point range) performance this season. Welch will probably be the best shooter on the court.

Throw in Lakeland’s defensive stopper Jeret Taylor and a quartet from 3A tournament team Kellogg, and the East looks balanced on both sides of the floor.

Meanwhile, the West’s roster has a plethora of point guards and not a lot of interior depth. This should work into Sandpoint senior Alex Stockton’s favor, who will split minutes with Post Falls’ team captain Gavven Desjarlais and Lake City’s Josh Stellflug.

Surround the bigs with athletic 3A wings Chase Gardom and Seth Bateman, and the West looks like a team with tremendous versatility.

So, let’s talk about those point guards.

The West has not one, not two but five different seniors that played significant minutes at point guard this season. Saying this team will have court vision and steady guard play would be an understatement.

LPOSD brings experienced point guards Bruin Jones and Robbie Anselmo, along with combo guard Keegan Hegel to the table, which should be interesting depending on how their minutes will pan out. Although they might not make plays for their scoring, they will likely dish out some memorable assists.

GIRLS

East will have to lean on defense — Three Lake City girls backed out of the All-Star game at the eleventh hour, putting Jordan Adams’ East team behind the eight ball. Unlike the West, which is 15-women strong, the East will have to fare with just 12 players.

Yet if there’s anything the team will be excellent at, then it’s perimeter defense.

Adams will have not only her Clark Fork two-way star Brooke Stevens at her disposal, but also Lakeland’s ball-hawking senior Lauryn Cooper and Lake City’s single-season steals record-holder Dejah Wilson in the backcourt. Scoring against this team will be no small feat.

This logjam in the back-court could switch Stevens to her natural, two-guard position, giving her an opportunity to show off her 31.1 percent clip from three.

The East will need all the help on defense it can get, as the West’s roster surrounds Coeur d’Alene leading scorer Kelly Horning with a cast of small-school stars. Timberlake’s McKeeley Tonkin highlights rest of the West’s roster, which features six all-league selections from four different leagues.

District 1 Boys Rosters

(Locals in bold)

EAST — CDA: Kale Edwards, Drew Hostetter, Connor King, Gavin Margo. KELLOGG: Brennan Atkins, Tyrel Davis, Raiden Rickets, Justin Waller. LAKELAND: Josiah Haaland, Jaret Taylor. MULLAN: Chandler Holling. WALLACE: Erick Brackebusch, Triston Neubauer, Hunter Stutzke, Zack Welch. COACH: Corey Miller (Wallace).

WEST — BONNERS FERRY: Seth Bateman, Chris Durette, Dylan Hittle. LAKE CITY: Josh Stellflug. LAKESIDE: Sergio Abuan. POST FALLS: Gavven Desjarlais. PRIEST RIVER: Robbie Anselmo, Keegan Hegel. SANDPOINT: Bruin Jones, Alex Stockton. ST. MARIES: Kaden Hammond, Dan Howard, Jackson Pritchard. TIMBERLAKE: Chase Gardom, Sheldon Kistler. COACH: Bryan Chase (St. Maries).

District 1 Girls Rosters

(Locals in bold)

EAST — CLARK FORK: Lily Simko, Brooke Stevens. KELLOGG: Emma Bristow, Kat Rauenhorst Katlin Senteny, Taeya Sheppard. LAKE CITY: Sara Muehlhausen, Dejah Wilson. LAKELAND: Lauryn Cooper, Taylor Elpers. PRIEST RIVER: Liann Kren. WALLACE: Catie Sheppard. COACH: Jordan Adams (Clark Fork)

WEST — BONNERS FERRY: Jerzie Pluid, Maecie Liermann. CDA: Kelly Horning. GENESIS PREP: Trinity Marrow, Emily Martinez, Serena Greiner. LAKESIDE: Suzzanna Pakootas, Tommia Pakootas, Alyssa SiJohn. NORTH IDAHO CHRISTIAN: Savannah Seeley. ST. MARIES: Madison Cordell, Alena Davenport. TIMBERLAKE: Peyton Kronenberg, McKeeley Tonkin, Karissa Willis. COACH: Jerry Bitner (North Idaho Christian).