Players to Watch:
Hayden Hull, Cascade
Cole Olson, Cascade
Tucker Laine, Council
Wade Vining, Council
Trevor Corn, Garden Valley
Madix Miller, Garden Valley
Luke Lehman, Greenleaf Friends
Colton Urias, Greenleaf Friends
Josh Yeakley, Greenleaf Friends
Trey Bauer, Horseshoe Bend
Colby Swan, Horseshoe Bend
Aaron Markley, Salmon River
Blake Shepherd, Salmon River
Moyne Ingram, Tri-Valley
Written by: Will Hoenike
The Cascade Ramblers and the Garden Valley Wolverines met four times on the basketball floor in 2023-24, with each team coming away with two wins. The two teams split their regular-season matchups … and also split their postseason matchups, with Garden Valley winning a two-overtime classic in the district tournament before Cascade returned the favor by picking up a win in the 1A Division 2 (now 1A) state tournament.
Don’t rule out the possibility of another three or four games between the two communities separated by a little over 40 miles along Highway 55 as the two teams once again figure to be fighting for top honors in the 1A Long Pin Conference.
Garden Valley won 22 games last season under head coach Heather Kelly and returns eight seniors, three of which stand over 6-foot-5 – Rex Fackrell, Trustin Brown, and Connor Ross. That size will give the Wolverines a tremendous balance with the return of guards Trevor Corn, Max Yearsley, and Madix Miller. The team topped 60 points on the scoreboard 17 times last season, including a season-high 78 points in a shootout win at home over rival Horseshoe Bend in February.
A little further north, Cascade won 19 games en route to a third-place trophy at the state tournament and, though they lost last year’s Long Pin MVP (Tyler Thurston) to graduation, head coach Josh Hurley welcomes back All-Long Pin guard Cole Olson to the lineup. He runs the point for the Ramblers with junior Finley Wilkins joining him as a three-point threat from the perimeter. Senior Hayden Hull and sophomore Will Huckaby will play big minutes in the post for Cascade.
“We are looking to improve on consistency, especially in offensive boards and finishing around the rim,” Hurley said. “We want to develop a more balanced offense and avoid relying too much on perimeter shooting.”
On the other side of the hills, another team raises its hand to remind the basketball world to remember them. The Council Lumberjacks return a lot of talent, led by physical All-Conference forward Wade Vining. He’s surrounded by capable guards, including seniors Tucker Laine and Decker McLinn along with junior Garrison Zielinski as the team returns four starters from last season for head coach JC Tucker.
“I am hopeful our chemistry will be a lot better this year. Returning a lot of our core from last year should help,” Tucker said. “We had some guys that have put in a lot of work in the offseason and I am excited to see it pay off for them.”
Four other teams will look to raise their hands as well to have a chance to compete for a berth in the 1A state tournament. The Horseshoe Bend Mustangs won 13 games last season and first-year head coach Terrik Foote has returning experience at point guard (senior Trey Bauer), shooting guard (junior Lukken March), and in the post (senior Colby Swan) but must replace five departed seniors, including first-team All-Long Pin performer Layth Bromgard.
The flip side of the coin is Salmon River. The Savages won just two games last season but return most of its roster from last season. Junior Blake Shepherd returns after being voted second-team All-Long Pin last season by the league’s coaches. He’ll have help in the form of junior forward Aaron Markley and sophomore forward Kingston Pyle. Also joining the squad this year is freshman guard Gage Crump.
Another team whose stock could be rising is Greenleaf Friends Academy. Head coach Eric Christensen’s team had no seniors last year and only three juniors, so virtually the entire roster returns this season. Showcasing growth and improvement, the Grizzlies won their season-opener at home over neighboring rival Wilder, 43-41, led by senior Luke Lehman and junior Colton Urias.
Rounding out the Long Pin is Tri-Valley, another team looking to trend upward for head coach Lee Nichols. The Titans won a respectable seven games last season but must fill the void left by graduated seniors Zane Nichols, a first-team All-Long Pin selection, and Logan Whitener. Versatile senior Moyne Ingram, a three-sport standout, could shoulder more of the load this season.