Players to Watch:
Carter Rupp, Coeur d’Alene
Caden Symons, Coeur d’Alene
Kai Wheeler, Coeur d’Alene
Cason Miller, Lake City
Reese Strawn, Lake City
Josh Watson, Lake City
Tyras Blake, Post Falls
Connor Carver, Post Falls
Trenton McLean, Post Falls
Written by: Brandon Baney
While the Class 6A Inland Empire League is short on teams, it’s long on talent. All four teams finished with winning records a season ago, which makes the competition fierce for the 1.5 state tournament bids that are available.
The league loses a member in 2024-25, as Lewiston has dropped down to the Class 5A level. But make no mistake, the race between Coeur d’Alene, Lake City and Post Falls will be even more amplified this season.
The Vikings won the IEL crown a year ago, finishing a perfect 9-0 in league play. A 21-5 finish overall was derailed slightly when Coeur d’Alene lost an all-time heartbreaker to Timberline in the state semifinals, 60-58 in overtime. Emotionally spent, the Vikings fell to Madison the following morning in the third place game.
Needless to say, this year’s team is motivated. “We return three starters and three all-league players from a team that was one shot away from playing in the state championship last season,” says fifth-year head coach Jon Adams. “Our x-factor this year will be our leadership and sacrifice. (Things like) making the extra passes, buying into our roles, and a commitment to perimeter defense, which has become our hallmark at Coeur d’Alene High.”
Those three returning starters are all excellent in their own way. Senior shooting guard Carter Rupp and senior power forward Kai Wheeler can both fill up the stat sheet, and junior Caden Symons will try and replicate the success enjoyed by Logan Orchard a season ago. The now-graduated Orchard led the Vikings in assists, steals and blocks, and was second in total points and rebounds. “Caden Symons will be asked to take on a much bigger role this year,” says Adams. “That includes being our primary ball-handler, our play-caller and increasing his leadership role.”
Other key members of this year’s team include senior forwards Maxwell Riley and Tucker Booth, and 6-foot-10 sophomore center Evan Robertson. “Our ability to score at all three levels is excellent,” says Adams. “Carter Rupp is one of the best three-point shooters in Idaho, Caden Symons is a 6-foot-4 point guard who can shoot and penetrate to the basket, and Kai Wheeler and Evan Robertson give us a formidable one-two punch in the post.”
Lake City also qualified for state last year, by virtue of a 69-63 win over Centennial in a state play-in game. Their reward? A first round matchup with Coeur d’Alene. The Vikings won 60-49, but Lake City rebounded from the opening round defeat by winning their next two games and taking home the consolation trophy.
James Anderson enters his second year at the helm for Lake City, and he has a bevy of talented returnees. Senior guard Reese Strawn and junior guard Josh Watson were All-League players last season. Senior guard Cason Miller and sophomore guard Jordan Carlson also gained valuable experience a year ago.
You’ll notice there aren’t any posts among that group of returnees. So how about this year’s newcomers? Anderson points to a pair of junior guards in Jackson Bowman and Paxton Winey as players to watch, but again, no posts are to be found. Needless to say, it’s going to be a work in progress.
“We have to improve on scoring points in the paint,” says Anderson. “But our conceptual offense allows for lots of freedom. We just have to create advantages and convert. Jordan Carlson and Josh Watson in particular should be able to punish size mismatches.”
Meanwhile, at Post Falls High School, head coach Mike McLean embarks on his 18th and final season on the Trojans’ sidelines. McLean has announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the season, and he has three starters returning from last year’s 15-9 squad: senior guard Trenton McLean, senior wing Tyras Blake and junior wing Connor Carver. Gone are two-year starting point guard Neil McCarthy and 2-year starting center Alex Shields.
Senor Cobe Cameron will take the reins at point guard, while junior Jaxon Lynse will provide depth in the backcourt as well. Overall, coach McLean says, “Our team is as deep as it has been since 2021. We play with the intensity needed to win games in the extremely competitive 6A IEL.”
Replacing Shields’ production in the paint will be more difficult. “Rebounding is the x-factor to our season,” says McLean. “If we can win the rebounding battle…..”
It’s easy to dream on Post Falls’ potential, if that rebounding develops. “We have versatility on offense,” says McLean. “We can score in a variety of ways, both post and perimeter. We can also really defend and put pressure on the opposing team, especially at the guard position.”
Despite losing Lewiston, the three-team IEL will once again receive 1.5 bids to state. Don’t bet against north Idaho sending two teams to state once again in 2024-25.