Positivity, pace propel SHS basketball under Engelson

The Sandpoint Bulldogs share the same logo as nearby college basketball juggernaut Gonzaga, but the Bulldogs that play on Les Rogers Court have a ways to go before they can match the consistency of the juggernaut down I-90.

Yet with longtime Post Falls assistant Wade Engelson at the helm of a junior-heavy roster ­— most of whom, as fate would have it, attended Gonzaga’s high school basketball camp this past summer ­— Sandpoint’s boys basketball team has started its ascension to prominence.

“We have a lot of nice, young men here in Sandpoint and we have some good athletes,” Engelson said. “I come from a very successful program, I know the recipes about winning. We have a core group of guys that have been showing up, working really hard, and when you do that, you’re going to get better. I feel confident that we’re going to get out there and be a very competitive team and a difficult team to play.”

Engelson’s first order of business was changing Sandpoint’s approach.

Last year wasn’t kind for the Bulldogs, who finished with a 4-16 record that included a 14-game losing skid to end the season, five of which were decided by a possession or fewer.

The Bulldogs were more successful when they slowed the game down and played deliberately on offense, relatively speaking.

Yet whatever worked for last year’s team might not work for this year’s team: It all depends on personnel, matchups and, in this case, Engelson’s personal style. He prefers to play up-tempo.

“I’m an aggressive coach,” Engelson said. “All the coaches who know who I am understand that I like to play aggressive. The more you can challenge the other team, Our style of play is going to be as aggressive.”

Mistaking Sandpoint’s basketball practices for track practices is easy to do.

On the eve of their season opener, the Bulldogs had, in Engelson’s words, a “light practice” that consisted of running fast-break drills and full-court sets at game speed. Throw in a smattering of sprints, and watching this team requires having one’s head on a swivel.

Optics aside, the most important part about Engelson’s style of play is the fact that the players have embraced the pace.

“We’re playing faster,” Junior guard Christian Niemela, fresh off a stint as one of Sandpoint’s top wide receivers and defensive backs, said. “We’re quicker getting up the court and I’m definitely looking forward to it. It causes a lot more tension on the other team because they have to go back and play defense, and if they don’t, they’re gonna get chewed out by their coach.”

As Engelson sees it, although the Bulldogs might play faster this season, the climb to relevance might be a steady affair.

Taking over a program that hasn’t won a league game in two seasons is a steep task regardless of the sport; with a young team such as Sandpoint’s, the Bulldogs might have to learn to walk before they learn to run, so to speak.

“We’re slowly but surely building there, and I’m excited,” Engelson said. “I think we’re going to play an exciting, fun game of basketball that the guys like playing, but also is challenging. And we’re trying to challenge the best competition we can.”

Part of this challenge involves forming habits outside of game day, like establishing a consistent core. Engelson wasn’t willing to show his hand when asked about potential starters, but left the door open for any player to contribute.

“Every player on the team is going to play a key role,” Engelson said. “No matter if they’re playing five minutes or 30 minutes, each guy is going to play a key role. We can’t have any guys that don’t play a key role because everyone’s going to get on the court and everyone’s going to be there during key times during the season. How much they play is up to them. We have a whole bunch of guys that are playing well, but [I can’t] identify one or two guys and say ‘hey, this is our guy.’ We have 10 or 11 guys that are going to work hard.”

Judging by last year’s roster, the Bulldogs will have to find players to replace departed seniors T.J. Davis, Damian Dalthorp and Robbie Johnson — the latter of whom anchored the post by putting up double figures in nearly every game.

This year’s roster features six juniors and two seniors, including point guard Bruin Jones, who was one of the key contributors from last season.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that are hungry and want to play,” Bruin Jones, team captain and one of two seniors on the roster said. “Some of our young bucks that are coming up have been playing well, and they’re ready to full the role of the guys that graduated. For the first couple games it might be rough — we’ve got a couple guys that are out and can’t play in the first couple games — so once they’re healthy, we’ll be okay.”

Despite the intra-league losing streak, Jones and the rest of the team feel optimistic about Sandpoint’s chances because of the league’s parity; after all, Sandpoint isn’t the only team that will have to replace key seniors.

And even though it’s easy to write this year off as a rebuilding season, this hasn’t fazed the Bulldogs in practice. Several players cited Engelson has done more than change the X’s and O’s: He’s cultivated a different atmosphere in practice that keeps his team centered.

“From this year to last year, the whole team vibe is a lot more positive,” Jones said. “If someone does something good, then there’s always someone to tell them good job. All around, the vibe of the practice is a lot more positive.”

Niemela echoed the senior point guard’s sentiment, citing a different perspective that the entire team has adopted so far.

“It’s more like ‘what we can do,” instead of ‘what we should have done,’” Niemela said, “We definitely have more positive leadership and [Engelson] is expecting guys to do what they’re supposed to do and I think it’s going to turn into a more positive environment.”

Jones, Niemela and the rest of the Bulldogs have channeled their positivity in practice to focus on one goal this season: earning a state berth.

“I just want to do well as a team and I hope we do the best we can,” Jones said. My main goal is to go to state. I want to be first in our league and finish off strong.”

Sandpoint’s season begins at St. Maries at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs’ home opener is scheduled against St. Maries on Thursday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.