'The goal is to get stronger as the season goes on'

SANDPOINT — The Clark Fork girls basketball team is hoping eight is enough this season, and we’re not talking about the old Dick Van Patten television show from the late '70s.

With only eight varsity players, the Wampus Cats will depend on a stingy defense as they look to improve on last year’s two wins.

Junior guard Leslie Kiebert has seen plenty of varsity action the past two seasons, and will be counted on to create a lot of the offense early in the season. Head coach Mark Stevens says Kiebert has shown great improvement over the past year.

“She’s really stepped up and been a good leader for us,” says Stevens. “She’s a good defender, a steady 3-point shooter and we’re looking for her to drive to the hoop.”

Junior transfer Sam Gors will run the show at point guard, featuring a good handle and the ability to hit the mid-range jumper. Sophomore Hope Kinney is a strong defender, and likes to press full court. The three guards will be counted on heavily to carry the scoring load, as many of the Wampus Cats have never seen heavy varsity minutes.

“Defensively, we’ll be OK, but it will be a struggle offensively,” admits Stevens. “We’ve got to be tough defensively, hopefully get our offense going off our defense.”

Sophomores Nona Young and Lia Crumpton will team up on the blocks with senior Alicia Heigis. Heigis had some strong games on the boards last year, and showed the ability to block and alter shots defensively. Allison Warner and Emily Garman will also see a lot of minutes, as foul trouble could loom large with a short bench.

Stevens knows it will be a  work in progress, hoping the team follows the trend of last year’s squad and peaks late in the season.

“The goal is to get stronger as the season goes on,” says Stevens, noting it’s difficult when there aren’t enough numbers to scrimmage. “We’ve got to be tough defensively. We’re not tall, and everybody’s got to rebound.”

For the first time, there are now four 1A Division II teams in the North Star League, as Lakeside dropped down. There is still one state berth, and another team only makes the goal tougher.

Kiebert, the team’s leader as a junior, says the biggest strength is communicating really well.

“We’re a lot quicker, we all know what each other is thinking,” describes Kiebert. “I’m excited to see a bunch of new girls. I’m also excited to have Mark, he’s a really good coach that makes everything fun.”

The Wampus Cats (0-1) are at Coeur d’Alene Charter tonight.