Players to Watch:
Austin Adair, American Falls
Dax Brower, American Falls
Kaden Andersen, Bear Lake
Kasen Warner, Bear Lake
Eli Hadley, Marsh Valley
Justis Whitworth, Marsh Valley
Marcus Coombs, Snake River
Dawson Jackman, Snake River
Written by: Brandon Baney
Robert Coombs has had a lot of good teams filled with good players over the years. More than 500 career victories and five state championships don’t just happen by accident. But this year’s team, his 32nd at Snake River High School, may be his best yet.
The discussion starts with his talented son, 6-foot-6 senior Marcus Coombs. The youngest of four boys, Marcus has over 1,000 career points and is a talented playmaker that can take it to the hole with ease or light it up from beyond the arc.
6-foot-1 senior Beau Driscoll also returns from last year’s 23-3 team that finished third at the state tournament. Coombs and Driscoll are joined in the starting lineup by a pair of transfers from nearby Blackfoot High School: 5-foot-10 guard Dawson Jackman and 6-foot-6 forward Spencer Anderson. Jackman was an All-Conference performer for the Broncos a season ago.
Finally, there’s the tantalizing potential of 6-foot-9 sophomore center Bridjer Howard. Howard got his feet wet at the varsity level as a freshman last season, and his continued development makes a dangerous Snake River team downright lethal.
While Snake River has been identified as the clear favorite, the hierarchy beyond that is wide open. Marsh Valley also qualified for state last season, and finished 16-12 overall, falling to Snake River in the third place game. Eagles coach Chris Ball will turn to senior guards Eli Hadley and Justis Whitworth to lead this year’s squad. Juniors Tate Whitworth and Jaxson Smith are also projected to start, while senior Kaden Hansen will serve as the de-facto post on a team that is short on height overall.
American Falls went 12-11 a season ago, but 0-4 in league play. In fact, six of the Beavers’ 11 losses came to either Snake River or Marsh Valley. Head coach Jason Brower is hoping to solve that riddle this year with a trio of three-year varsity starters: guards Dax Brower (senior) and Zak Grigg (junior), and forward Austin Adair (senior).
“Dax, Austin and Zak have lots of experience and can score the ball,” says Brower. “Each can shoot and attack the rim. We are also adding junior Sawyer Bolgen to the mix. He’ll also help us this year.”
The Beavers have guards in spades this season, but will have to figure out how to score inside. Departed senior Josh Nebeker was the source of American Falls’ post play a year ago, and it’s now up to varsity newcomers Ty Smith and Colten Oliver. “Ty is one of the best rebounders I have ever coached, and Colten was injured last year, but is a great passer and is unselfish,” says Brower. “But we need to score in the paint more, either by attacking the rim or posting our players up.”
Most of those players were contributors to American Falls’ football team this year. The Beavers won their first playoff game since 1995 this year, and Brower is optimistic that “having the success we had in football will give us much-needed confidence to win down the stretch.”
Ultimately, Brower is banking on his team’s hustle and grit. “The x-factor for this team will be its work ethic,” he explains. “We fell like we will out-work any team we play. Working hard is contagious with this group. We are willing to do the hard things like play defense, get on the floor for loose balls, and communicate. This will help build our identity.”
A conference newcomer this year is Bear Lake. The Bears are making the jump up from Class 3A play after finishing 12-13 a season ago. “We are guard-strong with great speed ability to run our motion offense,” says head coach Trevor Ward. “We will also pressure the ball and play scrappy defense.”
Junior point guard Kaden Andersen and senior center Kasen Warner are the only varsity players returning from a season ago. But junior Austin Tafoya and sophomores Broxton Birch and Jack Hulme bring potential to Bear Lake.