Colfax girls start hoops as defending champs

Colfax girls will start the new hoop season with a lot of the firepower back from last year’s championship team. The Bulldogs graduated two key players from last year’s squad, but the rest of the crew is back on the boards. Most head for the hoops after being part of another run at the 2B title on the volleyball squad.

The Bulldogs start the season as the defending 2B state champions after topping undefeated Toutle Lake 45-38 in the state title game at the Spokane Arena. Their charge to the championship game started last year with a 50-49 win over Northwest Christian in the district title game and then a 44-38 win over the LRS Broncos to get the top ticket to state. Colfax advanced to the final hoop show after missing the championships for the previous three years.

Grads gone from the state lineup are Nicole Sheer and Bailey Mackleit, both experienced players who had a big part in last year’s run. Sheer, an inside power player at 5-11, won the NE league’s most valuable player award at the end of the season. Mackleit, a speed player who really picked up steam last year in the playoffs, left a gap in the Bulldogs’ outside game.

Coach Corey Baerlocher, starting his 13th season with the Bulldogs, said the Bulldogs plan to up the tempo a notch this season to offset some of the inside-outside scoring threat generated by last year’s two departed seniors.

Back this year as seniors are Amara Huber, Andra Hamilton and Kori Goodwin. Goodwin returns after putting in a full season at the point last year and figures to be a key part of the offense this year.

Back as juniors on the club will be Olivia Mellor, Katelyn Scholz, Scout Cai, Sidney Sheer and Kylie Gronning, and back as a sophomore will be Taylor Garcia.

Carmen Gfeller, the 6-1 freshman who came up with a strong hitting game during the volleyball season, will be on the varsity roster. Baerlocher hopes Gfeller can sustain some of the Bulldogs’ inside threat which was generated by Nicole Sheer.

The other new face on the varsity squad will be Ashtyn Aune who was also part of the fall’s volleyball campaign.

Total turnout for the Colfax teams this year was 26 players, the second highest turnout in Baerlocher’s 13 years at the helm.

Colfax last year generated a 26-4 overall record with an 11-3 mark in the league. Baerlocher said the returning veterans enjoyed last year’s run to the state title and aim to take another shot at it this year.

Addition of three new teams to the NE league this year and the north/south split in the league schedule adds a measure of unknowns for the league campaign.

“I think we’re fortunate to be in the division with St. George’s and Lind/Ritzville/Sprague,” Baerlocher commented. The two south side foes figure to be among the toughest schools in the league and the Colfax coach welcome the competition.

Tekoa/Rosalia, the new league neighbors, could emerge as one of the league powers when the players from each school hit their pace as a single unit, Baerlocher noted.

On the north side, Northwest Christian, the foe in the campaign to the district title last year, figures to have another shot at playoff finals. Baerlocher also sees Davenport as one of the top clubs on the north side.

Colfax girls will have a new look on the bench with Emily Shaw Dawson and Joel Warwick as assistant coaches. Dawson is a 2010 Bulldog grad who played for Baerlocher. The new assistant coaches replace Travis Cocking and Melanie Pudelkewicz. Tom Fowler will be back as an assistant.