Players to Watch:
Canon Foster, Aberdeen
Luke Shackelford, Aberdeen
Emmett Gibby, Declo
Gavin Rasmussen, Declo
Zach Richardson, Malad
Justin Toone, Malad
Kyen Kirby, Soda Springs
Cooper Thompson, Soda Springs
Jonathan Swainston, Wendell
Jordon Swainston, Wendell
Ivan Campbell, West Side
Crew Sage, West Side
Written by: Brandon Baney
Last year’s iteration of the Class 2A South East Idaho Conference saw Bear Lake win the conference crown with a 6-2 mark against league foes. West Side and Soda Springs finished tied for second at 5-3, with the Pirates ultimately besting Bear Lake in the district championship game and advancing to state.
So is West Side the favorite in the newly re-branded Class 3A South East Idaho Conference? Well, it’s complicated. It’s true that Bear Lake has departed, moving up a level to the Class 4A ranks. But at the same time, District 4 squads Declo and Wendell have joined forces with the remainder of District 5 to fill out a six-team SEIC this season. The Hornets (15-9 last season) and Trojans (12-9) will present stiff challenges this season. Declo and West Side finished tied atop our preseason coaches poll, with Wendell predicted to finish third.
Declo is a team where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, as unselfish play defines the Hornets. “This is a talented and motivated group of guys,” says coach Jacoby Fox. “They will work hard on defense and boost our offensive attack through unselfish play and their overall basketball IQ.”
The Declo attack will be keyed by senior forwards Emmett Gibby and Joey Garrard. Senior post Dodge Edgar and senior guard Gavin Rasmussen are also key leaders. The fifth starting spot is up for grabs, as a number of juniors (Carter Robertson, Landen Silcock, Zane Snedaker, Parker Heward and Kyle Bott) will all compete for playing time.
“We have a bunch of guys that are tough defenders who take a lot of pride in winning their one on one matchups and rebounding,” Fox concludes.
Joining Declo in this new conference is Wendell. The Trojans boast a pair of talented twins in junior guards Jonathan and Jordon Swainston. The twins are joined by fellow juniors Jett Jasper and Jarrett Borges to form a strong nucleus. Veteran coach AJ Kelsey constantly gets the most out of his teams, and the Trojans have been identified as a dangerous team in the conference this year by several coaches, including Fox.
“With both of us joining a new conference and Wendell not having played many of these teams in the past, I think their quickness, balanced scoring and pace of play will surprise teams,” Fox says.
As West Side coach Tyler Brown enters his 21st season as Pirates’ head coach, he’ll have to figure out how to replace talented playmakers like Eli Brown, Parker Moser, Redick Graves, Garrett Robinson and Lincoln Henderson. That quintet knew his system well, and their departures will be felt.
“We have senior post Ivan Campbell and senior guard Crew Sage returning,” says coach Brown. “Hopefully, a few others will step up for us and play well.”
Brown serves as an assistant coach for West Side’s football team, which just won its fifth state championship in the past six seasons in November. He’s hoping that winning mentality translates to the hardwood. “After football, we should be a physical team that can defend and rebound,” says Brown. “If not, we won’t win many games with the schedule we have.”
Soda Springs may boast the best overall scorer in the conference in 5-foot-10 junior guard Cooper Thompson, but how well the Cardinals’ complimentary pieces step up will determine their fate this season. Guards Chase Jacobsen (senior) and Gavin Hansen (junior) will join Thompson in the backcourt, while 6-foot-4 senior Kyen Kirby and 6-foot-3 junior Konner McWilliams will anchor the paint for second-year coach Tom Feuschel.
Malad has just six players listed on its varsity roster, but they all have length and the ability to disrupt the opposition. 6-foot senior Zach Richardson is a returning All-Conference performer, while 6-foot-2 senior Brady Showell is a three-sport athletes that’s used to winning. Sophomores Easton Green and Brayzen Gibbs will log significant minutes in the backcourt, as will 6-foot junior Carter Carey. The most important piece for Malad, though, may be 6-foot-5 junior Justin Toone. Not many teams can match that size, which could be an advantage for the Dragons.
Aberdeen is breaking in a new head varsity coach in Darren Hall, but he’s no stranger to the game. Hall served as a middle school coach for 16 years in Aberdeen before serving as an assistant at the high school last season.
The Tigers were paced by their guards last year, and will have to replace Griffin Knittel, Gage Driscoll and Wesley Nelson. “They all had multiple years of playing at the varsity level,” says Hall. “They were good scorers and ball-handlers.”
Fortunately, seniors Canon Foster, Luke Shackelford and Mitchell Elliott were all varsity contributors last year, and all three are expected to slide into starting guard positions. “We have good ball handlers and scorers,” says Hall. “Our players are fast, which helps our motion offense and our quick, aggressive, man-to-man defense.”
If senior posts Esteban Serna and Jaiden Nelson can provide some rebounding, the ceiling is high for Aberdeen. “I’m excited to see if we can combine our inherent athleticism with basketball fundamentals,” says Hall. “We have ten seniors, many that have been playing together since elementary school.”