Eagles Facing New Strategy, New Coaching

WEST VALLEY

West Valley’s basketball teams will have a new look, both by design and necessity.

The state-placing Eagle boys are without the inside strength of last year, necessitating a different offensive strategy.

“I think we’re pretty good on the perimeter,” said coach Jamie Nilles. “We’re going to be tough to guard on the outside.”

The veteran girls team will be redesigned because of new coach Shelli Totton.

“The kids have responded well to a different coach with a different system,” said Totton. “I want to play a run-and-gun game for sure and a little more intense defense. I love defense.”

Totton debuted Tuesday when the girls got a jump on the Border League season in Lewiston.

West Valley’s girls and boys teams host Medical Lake Friday night in the first of their non-league games.

Guards will have to play big

With a lot of last year’s inside presence gone, West Valley’s returning guards must be versatile.

Several, including Lance Pecht and even 6-foot Kyle Gazaway will be called upon to help defend in the post.

Pecht, at nearly 6-foot-4, is the tallest Eagle and a college basketball prospect.

He’s a deadly outside shooter, who led Eagle scoring at 16.4 points per game, including 21.0 per contest during the state tournament with 13 3-point baskets.

“He’s doing a lot more stuff over the rim,” said Nilles. “There will be games when teams won’t be able to stop him.”

Those games when opponents do, and Pecht doesn’t lead scoring, said Nilles, should mean that he leads the team in assists.

Newcomer Gazaway will join veterans Luke Gordon and point guard Craig McIntyre out front.

“All can do a lot of things,” said Nilles. “All are capable of bringing the ball up the floor, so obviously we’re going to keep it uptempo and try to push it at people.”

Other returnees from last year’s team, which placed sixth in the State 3A tournament, are Jordan Allen and B.J. Harris.

Building depth is Nilles’s main worry.

“What it all comes down to,” he said, “if we’re shooting well we’re tough to stop. I think we’ll be fun to watch.”

New coach, veteran players

Six returnees bring plenty of experience to West Valley’s basketball party.

“Most of them are veterans who know what’s going on,” said Totton.

Among them are fourth-year varsity athletes Shannon Groh, Chelsey Thomas and Amanda Holstrom.

Becky Nowaski, Shannon Erdahl and Tayler Knapp are third-year players.

Junior Mary McLachlan saw late-season action.

Six newcomers, including freshman Kayla Mainer, provide depth.

West Valley’s hope of improving on last year’s break-even season and perhaps duplicating what a young group of players did before them, win state as seniors, depends on how well they adapt to Totton’s influence.

“The transition has actually been really good,” said Totton of her addition to the mix. “The kids have responded well.”

Holstrom is the leading returning scorer with Thomas not far behind. Groh, said Totton, will be key.

“She can play underneath, she can play on the perimeter, too,” said Totton. “She’ll be huge for us, so hopefully she’ll stay out of foul trouble.”