Players to Watch:
Thomas Bateman, Bonners Ferry
Brody Rice, Bonners Ferry
Asher Williams, Bonners Ferry
Nate Dykeman, Timberlake
Tyler Engelson, Timberlake
Max Simpson, Timberlake
Written by: Brandon Baney
Bonners Ferry enjoyed a magical season in 2023-24. The Badgers ripped through most of the opposition en route to a 22-3 record and the first state championship in school history. Bonners Ferry’s three setbacks all came to schools significantly larger than them: Class 6A Coeur d’Alene and Lake City, and Spokane’s West Valley High School.
So the natural question in Bonners Ferry this season is: can the Badgers run it back in 2024-25?
All indications point toward an emphatic “yes.” The Badgers only lost one starter to graduation in 6-foot-2 post Trey Bateman. “He did everything for us,” says fifth-year head coach Nathan Williams. “Rebounding, defense, he hit big shots, and made great decisions. He was a great player and an amazing young man.”
Outside of that loss, Bonners Ferry welcomes back everyone else. 6-foot-3 senior Brody Rice serves as the Badgers’ point guard. He’s flanked by 5-foot-10 senior Eli Blackmore, 6-foot-5 senior Thomas Bateman, and 6-foot-6 senior Asher Williams (coach Williams’s son) in the Bonners Ferry lineup.
The fifth starting spot is between last year’s sixth man, 6-foot-5 sophomore Peyton Hinthorn, and 6-foot-7 junior Sulay Abubakari.
“Unselfishness is our biggest strength,” says coach Williams. “All of the guys are pretty well-balanced and can dribble, shoot and pass. We are getting more consistent with toughness on the defensive end and rebounding on both ends. I hope we continue giving up the good for the great and remaining disciplined down the stretch.”
The aforementioned quartet of seniors (Rice, Blackmore, Bateman and Williams) are joined by 6-foot-4 Ivaan Cartwright to form the Badgers’ Class of 2025, a special group that’s been together a long time. “This is my tenth year coaching these seniors and I am just excited to watch them compete and have each of them excel at their given roles on the team,” says Williams. “They have played together at a high level for so long and have worked so hard for this last year of competition.”
Timberlake also resides in the two-team Intermountain League. Against a historically great Badgers team, the Tigers will need to figure out the Bonners Ferry puzzle quickly if they hope to snatch the lone bid to state available from this league.
Coach Mike LaFountaine does return smooth-handling senior point guard Tyler Engelson, an All-League selection last year. Engelson will be joined in the backcourt by senior Nate Dykeman, senior Lucas Vallieres and junior Brant Rush. The key to Timberlake’s success this year could be 6-foot-6 junior Max Simpson at center.
The Badgers and Tigers meet for the first time on January 18th in Timberlake as part of the annual Backwoods Brawl rivalry game. The rematch occurs at the end of the regular season on February 14th before the best-of-three district championship series.