A series of unfortunate events

On paper, 2022 could be considered a let down for the Priest River boys basketball team.

The Spartans went from first to fourth in the 3A Intermountain League Conference, finishing with an 8-16 record.

It seemed as though Priest River was poised to make another run at the state tournament. It was returning seven seniors and brought in first-year head coach Jaden Barrett, who had the support from the community and the players.

But sometimes, things that can’t be controlled, such as injuries, sickness, game cancellations, and more, can really derail a season.

“It’s not a secret that we had to deal with injuries from key guys this year,” Barrett said. “We just had a series of unfortunate events that we had to deal with.”

Injuries of note included Trentyn Kreager, who suffered from tendonitis in his Achilles along with a random case of appendicitis towards the end of the regular season.

Senior Blake Barrett also suffered from a dislocated shoulder that he’s dealt with the past two seasons.

The Spartans were sitting at 8-5 through its first 13 games but went on a nine-game skid to end their season.

Barrett hopes the players, especially the seniors, can learn from this experience.

“Life doesn’t always go the way you want,” Barrett said. “My main job is to get them ready for the real world. At the end of the day, I think this year was a great learning experience.”

This year was also a learning experience for Barrett as a first year coach.

“You come in and think you know everything,” Barrett said. “There’s a lot to learn and I’m going to be spending a lot of time reevaluating how to handle things.”

Barrett had a hard time coming to grips with Priest River’s loss to Timberlake in the first round of the 3A District I tournament on Feb. 22.

“I spent a lot of time after that game blaming myself,” Barrett said. “It wasn’t healthy, but I just had to look at it from a different perspective. I’ll come back next year and be better; so will the kids.”

With the injuries and the sickness, the younger Spartans got to see more playing time.

Barrett is already thinking about next year and what his starting five is going to look like.

“I’ll have five returners next year and they’re all going to play a pivotal role for us,” Barrett said. “I also have a ton of friends that coach at the jr high level and at the AAU level. I’m excited for the future.”

Another factor that will benefit Priest River in 2023 is dropping down to the 2A classification. Kellogg will also be making the switch.

Kreager, who will graduate this year, joined the 1,000-point club in his final game against Timberlake.

“I couldn’t have asked him to do anymore than he did this season,” Barrett said. “He’s a great leader and an even better basketball player. I’m trying my hardest to get him to play at the next level.”