Game boasts strong Coeur d'Alene flavor
MARK NELKE | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 12 years, 8 months AGO
Mark Nelke covers high school and North Idaho College sports, University of Idaho football and other local/regional sports as a writer, photographer, paginator and editor at the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has been at The Press since 1998 and sports editor since 2002. Before that, Mark was the one-man sports staff for 16 years at the Bonner County Daily Bee in Sandpoint. Earlier, he was sports editor for student newspapers at Spokane Falls Community College and Eastern Washington University. Mark enjoys the NCAA men's basketball tournament and wiener dogs — and not necessarily in that order. | May 30, 2012 9:15 PM
Unlike some years, the Region roster for the 19th annual Jack Blair Memorial girls high school all-star basketball classic has a largely Idaho flavor.
Of the 12 players on the Region roster, nine are from Idaho - and five of those are from Coeur d'Alene High.
This year's game is scheduled to tip off Monday at 7:30 p.m. at University High in Spokane Valley. The game pits the Metro team (Greater Spokane League players) vs. the Region (North Idaho players, and players elsewhere in eastern Washington).
Coeur d'Alene High is represented by seniors Erin Legel and Kyeli Parker, juniors Caelyn Orlandi and Kendalyn Brainard, and sophomore Sydney Williams.
Also on the Region squad from Idaho are juniors Brooke Litalien and Danielle Failor of Post Falls, and senior Chelsea Waters and junior Karlee Wilson from Lewiston.
Also on the Region team is Jamie Weisner of Clarkston, a 5-foot-10 guard/forward who has signed with Oregon State.
"She's the best player on the west coast," said Ron Adams, director of the all-star game and director of the Spokane Stars girls AAU basketball program. "She is real special. She can play multiple positions, she's a scoring machine. She has no weakness at the offensive end, and she has that competitive greatness."
Weisner scored 28 points in last year's game, won by the Metro 97-79 at Lake City High.
The Region team won in 2009 for its first victory in the series. The Metro won 103-81 two years ago, and has dominated the series despite the improved talent on the Region team in recent years.
"They (the Region) have a real shot because they're athletic, and have really solid players all the way through," Adams said. "The GSL is real solid. The Region has more talent, but the GSL plays better defense. The GSL is probably the best league in three or four states."
Legel has signed with the University of Great Falls, Waters with Gonzaga. The Region has just four seniors in the game.
Metro players planning to play in college are Lindsay Stockton of Gonzaga Prep (Montana State), Katie Estey of Central Valley (Carroll), Brooke Gallaway of Central Valley (Santa Clara), Aleisha Hathaway of Shadle Park (Western Washington) and Nakia Arquette of Lewis and Clark (Utah).
First-team all-GSL players from the Metro are Gallaway, Hathaway, Arquette, Kayleigh Valley and Hallie Gennett of University, and Jade Redmon of Mead.
Gennett, a junior, said she is not returning to University for her senior season. She declined to go into specifics. She is playing with Post Falls High's summer league team this summer, and would like to play on the Post Falls High squad next season if possible, but details of a transfer are still being worked out, the family said.
"This game will have probably the best talent ever," Adams said. "I figure there should as many as 18 Division I signees from this group when it's all said and done."
REGION - Karlee Wilson, jr., Lewiston; Caelyn Orlandi, jr., Coeur d'Alene; Chelsea Waters, sr., Lewiston; Brooke Litalien, jr., Post Falls; Erin Legel, sr., Coeur d'Alene; Kyeli Parker, sr., Coeur d'Alene; Jamie Weisner, sr., Clarkston; Kendalyn Brainard, jr., Coeur d'Alene; Chandler Smith, so., Brewster; Kelsey Moos, jr., Reardan; Danielle Failor, jr., Post Falls; Sydney Williams, so., Coeur d'Alene. Coach: Dale Poffenroth, Coeur d'Alene.
METRO - Brittney Johnson, so., Ferris; Kayleigh Valley, jr., University; Hallie Gennett, jr., University; Lindsay Stockton, sr., Gonzaga Prep; Hailey Markham-Patti, sr., North Central; Katie Estey, sr., Central Valley; Madison Hovren, fr., Central Valley; Jade Redmon, jr., Mead; Brooke Gallaway, sr., Central Valley; Brooke Reilly, jr., Mt. Spokane; Aleisha Hathaway, sr., Shadle Park; Nakia Arquette, sr., Lewis and Clark. Coach: Freddie Rehkow, Central Valley.
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“The whole process has been completely amazing,” said Nathan Williams, now in his fourth season as the Badgers boys basketball coach. “And the parents … it’s an hour and a half to Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, when we’d play an AAU game, and an hour and a half back, and there were so many times there was 6, 8 inches of snow. And we’ve got a game at 8 a.m. They’d always schedule us at 8 a.m., coming from Bonners. So we’re waking up at 5 … it was crazy. But the commitment from the parents and the kids has been amazing.”