Chelan and Lake Roosevelt to lead Caribou boys

By Sean Campbell (posted 11.15.09)

Until proven otherwise the Chelan Goats are the cream of the Caribou Trial League crop.  With "Virginia Cavalier-to-be" Joe Harris back along with senior Mat Engstrom and junior Aaron McQuaid, the Goats look to be in great shape at a shot for the State "1A" Boys Basketball title.  All three Chelan players were on last year's All-League team.  Harris was named as the league's "Player of the Year", while Engstrom was selected to the 1st team and McQuaid made Honorable Mention.

The Lake Roosevelt Raiders with six seniors and 6-6 sophomore Ty Egbert look to be Chelan's greatest challenge for the top spot.  Ty and his brother Cade Egbert both made the all-league squad last season for LR.  Last year's Raider team made a surprise return to the state tournament after it looked like a rebuilding year.  The Egberts will get plenty of help from seniors Tanner Loe, Nate Pachosa, Jake Fury, and Scott Roscoe. This year Lake Roosevelt has a legitimate shot at getting back to the Yakima SunDome.

If the Omak Pioneers can stay healthy, look for them to make plenty of noise this year. The Pioneers also have plenty of experience returning with seven seniors. Two of those seniors are Jordan George (HM all-league) and Isaac Bessette (HM all-league). Sophomore Joe LaGrou could very well have a big impact on this team come tournament time.

The Brewster Bears welcome back Eli Driessen and Stockton Taylor from last year's fourth-place state team. Both made all-league honors  as well. The Bears also welcome new head coach Dwight Pflugrath from Ritzville. Pflugrath has always been an honorable man who will be nothing but a plus to the program.

The Cashmere Bulldogs had some unrealistic expectations from both parents and community members which resulted in a coaching change that made little to no sense.  Unless their is a crop of incoming, highly-talented freshman and/or transfers, look for things to remain the same.  Pedro Farias (2nd team all-league) will be one of the seven returning seniors for new coach Keith Boyd.  The Bulldogs will have to get production from Wes Worthan and Dustin Grams on both ends of the court if the Bulldogs are to be successful this year.  Expectations are very high at Cashmere making it very clear that Boyd needs to produce this year.

The Cascade Kodiaks are probably the league's biggest mystery.  Just when you think you have them figured out, they go and start pulling all sorts of surprises. Most of those surprises seem to happen during the post-season.  Taylor Isadore and Jeffrey Foote are back for coach Paul Fraker.  Sophomore Mitchell Darlington was a pleasant surprise for the Kodiaks at district tournament time last year at Omak.

There is no doubt that the Okanogan Bulldogs always put forth a great effort on the basketball court, but sometimes just working hard isn't enough. The Bulldogs will have to create their own luck this year in order to get to the next level. That will require discipline and poise during league games.  They proved last year they can win the non-league games going 6-0. Juniors Jason Vander Weide and Ryan Price will have to play and produce like seniors for Okanogan.  Joe Townsend did a yeoman's job for the Bulldogs last season as he will be a force to reckon with in the future.

The Tonasket Tigers are simply enduring a youth phase in the program.  Junior Corbin Moser will lead this young Tiger squad as it will get better as the season progresses.  Wade Detillan and Terrell Cross are the teams returning seniors.  Looking past this team could prove to be unwise.

2009-10 CTL Facts & Figures