Different look for league, coaches
You might say this will be a season of adjustment for area girls basketball teams.
Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Libby, Polson and Whitefish will deal with a new conference name - Northwestern A - and alignment.
The new configuration consists of those five teams plus Ronan. Last year they were part of the 10 team Western A.
Eureka players, on the other hand, are working with a new coach - John Hammond - as the Lions try to defend their district title.
And Flathead coach Dennis Latimer, entering his ninth season, will try and blend youth with experience for a successful go in Western AA play.
All in all, it promises to be another challenging and exciting season on the hard court.
Class AA
Flathead
Latimer welcomes back one of the top scorers in Class AA in Holli Hashley. The 5-foot-10 junior post averaged 14.5 points per game.
She also averaged nine rebounds.
"We need more than just her this year," said Latimer.
"We need other kids to step up offensively and defensively."
Two other returning veterans are Amanda Lidstrom, 5-9 senior post, and Lindsay Bennett, 5-9 senior forward.
Two letter winners back and expected to be key contributors are Alena Ori, 5-11 senior forward, and Kristina Ylinen, 6-2 junior post.
"We have some decent size, but we won't be overpowering by any means," said Latimer.
Four newcomers expected to help out are sophomore guards Christina Zorn, 5-3, Chaeney Latimer, 5-5,
Lindsay Ingram, 5-8, and Sara Newgard, 5-8.
"We're going to be inexperienced, especially at the guard position," said coach Latimer.
"It will be a learning and growing experience as the season goes on."
Latimer said leadership, defense and rebounding should be team strengths.
"I think this will be possibly a better free throw shooting team (than last year)," said the coach.
"Possibly, our perimeter shooting will be better."
Lidstrom's can shoot the three while Bennett is a good mid-range shooter and solid rebounder.
Flathead last year finished with a 5-16 record. Prior to that, the Bravettes won back-to-back state championships and finished third. The team's record during that three-year run was 58-18.
"I'm very optimistic about this year," said coach Latimer.
Class A
Bigfork
Nate Hammond, beginning his fourth season with the Valkyries, returns two all-conference honorable mention players in Hannah Hilley, 5-9 senior post, and Nikki Thompson, 5-5 senior point guard.
Callie Gunderson, 5-5 senior guard, is the other returning starter.
"We have a lot of experience at the guard position this year," said Hammond. "I expect us to be pretty solid there."
Letter winners Beth Bermel, 5-9 senior post/forward, Whitney Wilson, 5-9 junior forward, Trisha Smith, 5-5 junior guard, and Breana Brendsel, 5-9 junior post, will see plenty of action.
Carly Hilley, a 5-6 sophomore guard, will also get her fair share of court time and may push for a starting spot.
Mary Hall, 5-7 junior guard, is nursing an ankle injury and will miss the season opener.
Bigfork last year finished with a 9-12 record.
Hammond said the Valkyries have some shooters in Thompson, Gunderson and Carly Hilley and good team speed. Defense should also be a strength.
"We're a lot more balanced offensively (this year)," he said.
"Whether that translates into more points, we'll have to see."
Regarding the conference …
"I think our league will be real balanced," he said.
"There isn't a dominant team; there isn't a bottom team either. I don't know what will happen. It will be a fun year."
Columbia Falls
Injuries and transfers have already made for a challenging preseason for Kris Salonen, entering her fourth year as head coach of the Wildkats.
"It raises the stress level a little bit when you're small on numbers," said Salonen.
Sisters Katie Nolan, a senior, and Mary, a sophomore, have moved back to Wisconsin while Beth Karper, 5-9 sophomore guard, is nursing a foot injury and will miss the first week of the season.
Kate Marcille, 5-7 junior forward, is still contending with a tender ankle injured during volleyball season.
The team's key player - Bekah Stoltz, 5-11 senior forward, is expected to have a banner campaign.
She averaged 15 points and five rebounds a year ago en route to first team all-conference and all-state honors.
"She's really strong," said Salonen of Stoltz.
"Played a lot of basketball in the off-season. She's lifted (weights) hard this fall."
Stoltz was hobbled for two months this summer with a high ankle sprain.
"We had an edge with Bekah and Katie," said Salonen.
"Not having Katie, it changes things a little bit."
Salonen expects Kim Pearce, 5-7 senior guard, to be a key player.
"She's coming off a great soccer season, winning a state championship," said the coach.
"She's in phenomenal shape. She has a good opportunity to do some great things for our team this year."
Lindsay Johnson, 5-8 senior guard/forward, Danielle Herman, 5-8 senior forward, Jenna Toole, 5-8 senior forward, and Callie Spencer, 5-7 sophomore guard, saw enough playing time last winter to earn a letter.
A couple more names to watch out for are Jessica Boyer, 5-5 sophomore guard, Jessica Davis, 5-7 junior forward, Beth Karper, 5-9 sophomore guard, and Kate Marcille, 5-7 junior forward.
Karper will miss the first week of the season with a foot injury while Marcille has a tender ankle.
Columbia Falls posted a 16-9 record in 2002-2003 and lost out in Saturday morning play at state.
"Team attitude and chemistry," said Salonen of team strengths.
Regarding the conference …
"Everybody is so close," said Salonen. "Every game will come down to the wire."
Libby
Nicole Rowan and Sarah Becker are both two-year starters for coach Jim May and Loggers.
Rowan, 5-8 senior wing, averaged 11 points and six assists last year.
"She's in great shape," said May. "We'll get a lot of miles out of her."
May says Rowan is a great passer and a strong defensive player.
"Probably the strongest girl I've ever coached," he said.
Becker averaged seven points a game last year.
"The most consistent shooter on the team," said May.
"We look for her scoring average to go up."
May says Becker has also worked hard on her defensive skills.
"I'd like to see her cause more problems when the other team has the ball," he said.
Erin Bothman, 5-7 senior wing, leads a group of seven returning letter winners. Bothman was the team's sixth man last year.
"She gave us some good minutes," said May.
The other six are Rose Young, 5-9 senior post, Hollis May, 5-6 senior guard, Sara Hodel, 5-8 senior wing, Teri Rebo, 5-11 junior post, Sam Schultz, 5-6 junior guard, and Kristen Brossman, 6-0 junior post.
"I've been coaching these kids for a long time," said May.
"We speak the same language as far as basketball goes. Maybe we can do some things off the cuff this year."
May says the Loggers will be quick, and he hopes to take advantage of that.
"I think we'll be in there," said May of the conference mix.
"(Teams) will have to play pretty well to beat us. Hopefully our defense will carry us through."
Regarding the conference, May says Columbia Falls and Ronan are the two teams to watch out for. And don't forget Whitefish.
"They (Whitefish Bulldogs) have a good coach (Dean McFadden)," he said.
Polson
Coach Bruce Thomas can sympathize a little bit with Columbia Falls' Salonen. Like the Wildkats, he has injury issues and lost a player to switching schools.
As a result …
"We're pretty green around the gills," said Thomas.
"Not quite what I was expecting. If we have any more injuries and foul trouble, we could struggle until we get some experience going."
The Pirates lost Whitney Brown, who has transferred to Two Eagle River High School.
Aliah Erakey developed a blood clot during volleyball season and is currently out for the season.
Jen Orchard, a 5-5 junior guard, is out with a dislocated knee cap. She missed the final game of the divisional tournament last year with an injury and rehabbed all summer.
The good news is the Pirates return some talented performers in Strohm Fouty, 5-3 senior guard, Kari Mowbray, 5-8 senior post, and Jenni Nesladek, 5-6 senior guard.
Fouty, honorable mention all-conference last year, averaged nine points and six steals per contest. This will be her third season as a starter.
Fouty and Mowbray are both good ball handlers.
Kara Huyser, 6-1 junior post, saw a little action during the tournament and can expect more playing time this time around.
"We are quick, but we are short," said Thomas.
"Hard workers, but I don't know where we are going yet."
Whitefish
It's been an incredible two years for the Bulldogs.
Second and third place finishes at the state tournament and a 43-5 record overall.
But three key players who helped Whitefish dominate during that stretch are gone - Brandi Buckless to Montana State University, Johanna Closson to the University of Montana and Carrie Biolo to Dawson Community College.
"We graduated 49.6 points a game," said coach Dean McFadden. "We averaged 69.6."
But don't panic. All is not lost.
Tessa Kalfell, 5-8 senior guard, returns along with Tracy Schwada, 5-11 junior post.
Kalfell will be a three-year starter and was a second team all-state selection a year ago.
She averaged 10 points a game and five assists.
"She's been on the varsity for four years," said McFadden.
"We look to her for a lot of leadership."
Schwada did not miss a start last season. She was the team's second leading rebounder, averaging nine boards a game.
Returning letter winners are: Katie Cain, 5-9 senior post, Kyla Salisbury, 5-8 senior wing, Ally Withey, 5-8 senior wing, Erin Greiner, 5-9 junior wing, Tayler Bertelsen, 5-6 junior wing, J.J. Wran, 5-6 junior wing, and Cassady Gray, 5-7 senior wing.
A couple more players to look out for are Ashley Ferda, 5-3 freshman guard, Kirsten Blackburn, 5-3 sophomore guard, Tiffeny Hensley, 6-2 junior post, and Catelyn O'Leary, 5-9 sophomore wing.
Hensley is a transfer from Louisiana.
This marks McFadden's fifth season as head coach.
"This is the hardest working group of girls that I've ever coached," he said.
"The winning attitude is definitely there. How well we capitalize on everything will be a matter of time."
McFadden says effort, cohesiveness and tradition are team strengths.
Whitefish opens the season with four road games, two against AA competition.
"We're gonna be baptized right away," said McFadden.
"Then we'll see how the tables will turn after that."
Whitefish has advanced to the divisional final the last four years, winning it three times.
Class B
Eureka
John Hammond is no stranger to Eureka athletes.
He's been an assistant coach in boys and girls basketball. He's also the athletic director.
The Lions have five girls back with starting experience. They are Amber Stacy, 5-9 senior forward/post, Tish Hall, 5-4 senior guard, Chelsea Workman, 5-7 junior guard, Ali Zauner, 5-7 junior forward, and Steph Sanders, 5-4 senior guard.
Stacy earned all-state honors last year. Hall and Workman were second team all-conference and Zauner honorable mention.
Emmy Bentley, 5-2 junior guard, Amy Roberts, 5-10 sophomore forward/post, Jessica Merek, 5-9 junior post, and Sarah Flanary, 6-1 junior post, will also challenge for court time.
Bentley and Hall will give the Lions good quickness. Roberts, according to Hammond, is so fundamentally sound she can also play the guard position.
"We have some kids who can shoot the ball," he said.
"We want to play an up tempo (game). Push it at you, get in your face defensively. Use our quickness to our advantage."
Hammond said everyone will have the "green light" to shoot from 15 feet on in "whenever they get a good look at the basket."
A lack of size and lack of numbers, only 22 players for three teams, are two key weaknesses.
"I'm really pleased with the effort the kids have given me in practice," he said. "They're making it enjoyable."