Inland Empire League

In predicted order of finish:

Lake City Timberwolves

1995-96 record: 5-3 IEL, Region I champ, 14-9 overall

Coach: Dave Stockwell

Years coaching, record: 2, 14-9

Top returners: Lindsay Herbert, 5-10, junior, guard; Katie Hatrock, 5-6, senior, point guard; Alison Asher, 6-4, jr., post; Heather Stetson, 6-0, jr., p; Laura Dodge, 6-0, sophomore, wing.

Newcomers: Marni Hayes, 5-9, soph., w; Julie Rohlf, 5-5, jr., g; Kelly McCabe, 5-10, jr., p.

Bonus shot: With her shoes on, Asher actually stands 6-5. She’s believed to be the tallest player in the state. She blocked 104 shots last year and has nearly 200 in career.

Coach’s comment: “We’re going to be pressing a lot more this year. Last year it was just situational. We’re going back to our old style. It’s going to be 32 minutes of hardball. We’ve changed offenses so we’re going to look a lot different.”

Outlook: LC returns its top scoring threats. What the T-Wolves lost to graduation were key role players who were critical to the team’s chemistry. Stockwell figures several players will fill those spots. This team could be a flashback to some of former coach Dave Fealko’s best teams, which were state title contenders. T-Wolves will be pushed by Lewiston. LC opens Friday at home against Boise.

Lewiston Bengals

1995-96 record: 4-4, 10-10

Coach: Pat Zink

Years coaching, record: 4, 39-26

Top returners: Laura Bloom 6-3, sr., p; Sara McEachern, 6-0, sr., p; Brooke Cushman, 5-11, sr., p; Alison Roberts, 5-4, sr., pg; Brianna Martin, 5-8, sr., g; Debi Cain, 5-5, sr., g; Erin Benson, 5-7, sr., forward.

Newcomers: Lorien Albright, 5-8, sr., f; Becky Roberts, 5-3. jr., pg.

Bonus shot: The Bengals’ strength will be post players. Zink believes he can play as many as four at post, and there will be times when Bloom, McEachern and Cushman are on the floor at same time.

Coach’s comment: “Last year we got a little too excited about our potential and forgot to take care of some business. This year we’re not going to get too excited and too eager about anything. We’ve got two months to prepare for the season (league) that really matters.”

Outlook: The Bengals can challenge LC for the league and regional titles. They should finish no worse than second and will have an opportunity to earn a state berth in a cross-district playoff. The seniors have been heralded for three years. It’s time for them to reach their potential. Lewiston opens Nov. 21 against Moscow.

Post Falls Trojans

1995-96 record: 3-5, 13-11

Coach: Chris Johnson

Years coaching, record: 3, 21-26

Top returners: Jessica Waltz, 5-10, sr., p/w; Janelle Ruen, 5-11, soph., w; Lyndsy Klaudt, 5-7, sr., pg; Jennifer Glaser, 5-11, sr., p; Jennifer Swanstrom, 5-6, jr., g.

Newcomers: Katelynn Brown, 5-7, soph., g; Megan Billetz, 5-6, soph., g.

Bonus shot: The Umthun era is over. Post Falls has had an Umthun on varsity the past seven years. And it will be difficult for the Trojans to replace Heidi, who’s at Boise State University after averaging 23.3 points per game last year.

Coach’s comment: “With Heidi gone it’s going to be a real challenge for all the kids to step up and become a part of the scoring. We don’t expect to replace Heidi. We’re really intelligent and athletic, but we’re not very experienced and don’t have very much height.”

Outlook: Johnson expects his players to be ragged early as they learn to play together. He likens his team to the Trojans volleyball squad that struggled most of the season before emerging as a threat late in the year. The Trojans should be more middle of the road in basketball, but won’t have enough fire power to knock off the big two. Trojans open Tuesday at home against Lakeland.

Coeur d’Alene Vikings

1995-96 record: 0-7, 4-16

Coach: Sheila Sharp

Years coaching, record: 5, 3rd at CdA, 22-61

Top returners: Amber Orr, 5-4, sr., pg; Kellie Stern, 5-10, soph., f/p; Andrea Wilkey, 5-10, sr., f/p; Carrie Cultra, 5-7, sr., g; Stacy Chambers, 5-5, sr., g.

Newcomers: Katelyn Tatum, 5-10, jr, f/c; Jen Bradbury, 5-6, soph., g; Shaylia Davis, 6-0, freshman, f/c; Patti Stranger, 5-2, frosh., pg; Cassandra Vig, 5-1, frosh., g.

Bonus shot: This team, Sharp’s third at her alma mater, may take on more of her playing personality: intense, bulldog-like tenacity.

Coach’s comment: “This is probably the best group of attitudes I’ve had to work with. They’re going to do some things on defense that we haven’t done in the last couple of years. We’re going to get a lot of our points off of defense.”

Outlook: It’s easy to read between the lines here. The Viks don’t have a player that will light up opponents for 15 to 20 points per game. Several players must share in the offensive load. This should be Sharp’s best team, but the Viks aren’t ready to return to their golden years before the school split. CdA could finish as high as third. CdA opens Friday at home against Borah.

Sandpoint Bulldogs

1995-96 record: 7-0 league champ, 20-4, state runner-up

Coach: Duane Ward

Years coaching, record: 11, 2nd as girls coach, 104-127

Top returners: Natalie Ward, 5-8, jr., f; Amy Iverson, 5-7, sr., g.

Newcomers: Jodi McKitrick, 5-5, sr., g; Tarrah Allmaras, 5-5, soph., pg; Bobbi Jo Jensen, 5-8, jr., f; Natasha Cargill, 5-8, jr., p/f; Mary Jo Gill, 5-10, sr., p; Kaitlin Glines, 5-9, soph., f/p.

Bonus shot: Six of the seven top Bulldogs graduated, led by the state’s top player, Alli Nieman. One starter returns in Ward.

Coach’s comment: “It’s going to be just as difficult replacing the kids who played around Alli as it will be replacing (Nieman). We lost some tough kids who played defense and scrapped for the ball and got better as the year wore on. The thing we face is so many of our kids are new to varsity.”

Outlook: Remember the pre-Nieman years? The Bulldogs could slip from league champion to last place, but it won’t be as dismal as it was five years ago. This team will learn to play hard for Ward, who stresses all-out hustle and intelligent play. Bulldogs open Friday at Lakeland.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: PLAYERS TO WATCH 1. Lindsay Herbert, 5-foot-10, junior, guard, Lake City 2. Sara McEachern, 6-0, senior, post, Lewiston 3. Janelle Ruen, 5-11, sophomore, wing, Post Falls 4. Laura Bloom, 6-3, senior, post, Lewiston 5. Katie Hatrock, 5-6, senior, point guard, Lake City 6. Alison Asher, 6-4, junior, post, Lake City 7. Kellie Stern, 5-10, sophomore, forward/center, Coeur d’Alene 8. Natalie Ward, 5-8, junior, forward, Sandpoint