This year was a great one for Silver Valley athletes. 

Across all three seasons, we saw high-level competition and plenty of memorable moments—but a few performances clearly rose above the rest. 

Before we get to the top three, though, it’s worth recognizing a couple of efforts that just missed the cut but still deserve their spotlight. 

During the fall, coach Hollie Yrjana led the Kellogg volleyball team to a remarkable 24-1 record before bowing out in three matches at the 3A State Tournament in American Falls. 

Wallace volleyball also earned its way to state, qualifying for the 2A tournament and finishing 2-1 at Post Falls High School. Both teams proved they belonged on the big stage, even if the final results didn’t go their way. 

3. Kellogg Softball

The Kellogg softball team entered the 2026 season in something of a holding pattern. Head coach Kaitlyn Weske believed her young core was on the verge of a breakthrough, but the conference landscape suggested there would be stiff competition at the top. 

Then came senior transfer Joci Lee. 

With a steady arm in the circle and a dangerous bat in the lineup, Lee kept opposing teams off balance all season and earned league MVP honors. Her presence solidified the group and created space for the next wave of Wildcats—Malena Munoz, Kam McDonald, Addy Kunze, and Bella Schillereff—to continue developing while stepping into larger roles as future leaders of the program. 

The results spoke for themselves. Kellogg finished 16-6 and claimed the program’s first district championship in 16 years. At state, the Wildcats fell short—but not quietly—dropping two of the tournament’s most competitive games in extra innings. 

A breakthrough season in every sense. 

Three cheers for Joci Lee and Kellogg softball! 

2. Wallace Football

Wallace football has been trending upward for the past two seasons, and it’s impossible to tell that story without one name at the center of it: 

Cooper Miller. 

The sophomore quarterback has been nothing short of electric since taking over the Miners’ offense, but in 2025, he took things to another level entirely—one that most players never reach. 

Miller threw for 3,073 yards and 45 touchdowns while completing 63% of his passes. As if that wasn’t enough, he added 1,536 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground, establishing himself as one of the most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks around. 

Those numbers are staggering on their own. When you factor in that he still has two years left to play, they become even more eye-opening. 

As a team, the Miners backed up that production with a deep postseason run. They knocked off Genesee in an overtime playoff thriller before running into a tough Tri-Valley squad in the semifinals. Their efforts ultimately earned them a third-place trophy—further proof that Wallace football is firmly on the rise. 

Three cheers for Cooper Miller and Wallace football! 

1. Colton Storey

Winning a state championship is hard. Most athletes never get there. 

Kellogg junior Colton Storey has now done it twice. 

Storey is the latest standout to emerge from Kellogg’s wrestling pipeline, capturing the 113-pound state title in both 2025 and 2026 and cementing his place as a purple-and-gold legend. 

But his second championship didn’t come easy. 

The 2025–26 season wasn’t the smooth follow-up many might have expected. Early losses and an elbow injury created adversity, but Storey responded the way champions do—by fighting through it. His turnaround began with a victory at the prestigious Tri-State Invitational, a moment that seemed to flip the switch. From there, he elevated his performance to another level entirely. 

Storey went on to win the district title and entered the state tournament as the top seed in his weight class. 

And once he got there, he left no doubt. 

Storey pinned every opponent he faced and needed just over nine total minutes on the mat to capture his second straight championship—a dominant finish to a hard-fought season. 

Three cheers for Colton Storey!