Prep girls hoops picks up this week

A couple area schools have already played their season openers in girls basketball, but the bulk of area teams get started this week.

Lakeland and Timberlake open tonight at 7 in Spirit Lake.

On Thursday, Post Falls opens at Timberlake, and Lakeside is home vs. Kendrick.

On Friday, Kootenai tips off at home against Troy.

Coeur d’Alene’s opener is Saturday at home vs. Timberlake.

Genesis Prep’s opener is Thursday, Nov. 29, at Clark Fork.

Lake City (1-0) and St. Maries (0-1) opened last weekend.

Here are brief looks at all area girls basketball teams. They will be profiled further in The Press’ winter sports special section, scheduled for insertion in the Nov. 29 newspaper.

- Coeur d’Alene: The Vikings have nearly everyone back from last year’s 6-16 squad that included four freshmen and five juniors.

Back are senior guards Halle Kane and Emily Minerath, as well as sophomore guards Jaelyn Brainard-Adams, Jaden Chavez, Tori Younker and Emma Whiteman. Kane is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last season.

Senior center Kelly Horning, who didn’t play basketball last season and has signed to play volleyball at Montana, is back out for basketball this season.

Senior forward Rey Louden, an all-5A Inland Empire League selection last year, opted not to turn out this season.

“This is the year I’m really looking forward to,” said Scott Stockwell, in his third season as Vikings coach. “I’ve got a real young group that are basketball players — you can’t keep them out of the gym. I’m excited to have Kelly back; she’s a load down there (in the post). This year’s going to be a lot better; I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do.”

- Lake City: The Timberwolves return four senior starters from last year’s 14-10 squad — forward Bridget Rieken, point guard Chloe Teets, and guards Klaire Mitchell and Dejah Wilson.

Rieken, a returning all-5A IEL player, has verbally committed to play soccer at Washington State. Teets has committed to play soccer at the College of Idaho.

Also back is sophomore post Brooklyn Rewers, junior guard Aubrey Avery and senior post Sara Muehlhausen, who has verbally committed to Lewis-Clark State.

“You can see the difference in a team that is loaded with seniors — they play with a different urgency than other teams,” second-year Lake City coach James Anderson said.

- Post Falls: Only three players return from last year’s 24-2 state 5A title team — senior guards Jenna Gardiner and Bailey Gleaves, and junior post Sandy Faulkner. Gardiner is a returning starter, and Gleaves saw minutes off the bench last year.

Junior twins Tyler and Jacksen McCliment-Call transferred to University High in Spokane Valley. Tyler McCliment-Call was an all-league player for the Trojans last year.

University plays at Post Falls on Nov. 26.

Allert, in his eighth season, will have to lean heavily on newcomers, including sophomore guard Dylan Lovett.

“This is just a great group of kids,” Allert said. “They are the reason I came back to coach. It’s awesome being around them. They’re going to work hard, and we’re going to get better along the way.”

- Lakeland: The Hawks return plenty of experience from last year’s 4-16 squad.

That group includes seniors Lauren Cooper (guard), Taylor Elpers (wing/post), Izzy Kirk (guard/wing) and Alaina Pruitt (guard/forward).

Also back is junior guard Mel Loutzenhiser.

Katy Ryan, a 6-3 1/2 sophomore post, came up to the varsity near the end of last season, and saw action in the 4A Region 1 tournament.

“We need all the girls to be on the same page,” said Steve Seymour, in his 24th season as Hawks coach. “We have some kids that have won a majority of their ‘C’ squad games and their JV games. I think we’re maybe a little more skilled than in previous years, and looking like a little more competitive than in previous years.”

- Timberlake: The Tigers return three players who saw loads of action on last year’s 21-4 squad that placed third at the state 3A tournament — senior McKeeley Tonkin (guard/point guard) and sophomores Taryn Soumas (guard/point guard) and Brooke Jessen (forward).

All are returning all-Intermountain League players.

Also back with varsity experience is senior forward Karissa Willis.

Senior guard Peyton Kronenberg suffered a torn ACL this summer, and coach Matt Miller says a best-case scenario has her back playing in January.

“I think we have really good balance in scoring — inside and outside,” said Miller, in his 14th season as Tigers coach. “We’ve been pretty much a perimeter team the last 6-7 years; we haven’t scored a lot on the inside.”

- St. Maries: John Cordell, the school principal who has also been a girls assistant coach off and on the past few seasons, is in his first season as the Lumberjacks’ head coach.

St. Maries lost six seniors from last year’s 16-8 squad that lost in the consolation title game of the state 2A tournament. But the Lumberjacks boast a pair of returning starters in senior post Kaci Haeg, last year’s MVP of the Central Idaho League, and senior point guard Madison Cordell, the coach’s daughter and also an all-league selection.

Also back is senior post Alena Davenport, who was a starter until a torn ACL sidelined her in the fifth game last season.

“This group knows each other,” John Cordell said. “Four or five of them have played together for a long time.”

- Genesis Prep: The Jaguars return nearly everyone from last year’s 15-10 squad that rolled through the North Star League and 1A Division I District 1 tournaments, and lost a heartbreaker to Butte County in the state title game.

Start with the co-MVPs of the North Star League last year in center Bella Murekatete, who has verballed to Washington State, and point guard Rachel Schroeder, who is also attracting recruiting interest.

Add in senior guard Trinity Morrow, a four-year starter, along with senior wing/post Emily Martinez, senior guard Serena Greiner and junior guard Yungi Kim.

“The strength of this team is going to be their actual basketball knowledge,” said Brandon Haas, in his second season as Jaguar girls coach. “Last year the girls had a new coaching style; now they’ve had a year to get used to it.”

- Kootenai: The Warriors return two starters from last year’s 4-13 squad, both juniors — post Jacey Grange and wing Amanda Wine.

Doug Napierala, in his third season in his second stint as Kootenai girls coach, said his team will include five freshmen — including guard Tayva Maitland and wings Abby Tiller and Sarah Thaut.

“We just have to all understand, we’re going to do a lot of learning this year, and take our lumps,” Napierala said. “But two or three years down the road, if they stick with it ... “

- Lakeside: The Knights return nearly everyone from last year’s 10-12 squad that lost to Genesis Prep in the district title game to miss out on a state berth.

Senior guards Tommia Pakootas and Tara Allen, and senior point guard Alyssa SiJohn are all returning all-North Star League selections. senior post Suzzana Pakootas and sophomore post Kamryn Hendrickx also saw ample playing time last year.

And five other players are back with varsity experience.

“I’ve had a couple of teams where I’ve had the core of the varsity back, and we’d been able to pick up where we left off last year,” said Chris Dohrman, in his fifth season as Lakeside girls coach.