The NLC is home to Alaska’s elite girls hoops programs

WASILLA — In past years in certain sports, Valley coaches have said their teams can’t properly prepare for the state tournament without playing the best squads from the biggest community in the state — Anchorage.

This year, in prep girls basketball, teams in the Northern Lights Conference will have no issue with finding top competition. And they don’t even have to leave their own region. It’s the teams outside the region that are eager to play the teams in the NLC.

“Five of the top 7 teams in the state are in our league,” Colony head coach Jeff Bowker said of the NLC, which includes Colony, Palmer, Kodiak, Kenai, Soldotna and the two-time defending state champion Wasilla Warriors. “In girls basketball, specifically there, are no better teams than Region III teams.”

Heading into a long weekend of basketball last week, Wasilla and Soldotna, the 2012 NLC runner-up, were seen as the two elite teams in the region and the state. Soldotna — playing host to Colony, Palmer and Wasilla — suffered three straight losses to its region foes. The Stars entered the weekend with a perfect 7-0 mark.

“That did not surprise me at all,” Bowker said of the Valley teams’ ability to beat SoHi.

Palmer head coach Paul Reid was not surprised either.

“I’ve known all along our conference is just loaded from top to bottom,” Reid said. “I’ve felt with my team, on any given night, if the pieces fall together, anybody can come out on top.”

The NLC sent four teams to the state tournament last year — Wasilla, Soldotna, Colony and Palmer. Wasilla and Soldotna played in the NLC title game and earned automatic bids. The Knights and Moose earned the two at-large bids based on the Alaska Schools Activities Association’s formula for picking the final two teams in the state tournament, the winning percentage index.

Local coaches say four NLC teams could easily advance again this year. But this year, a state tourney-caliber team could also be left on the sidelines in late March.

“In our league, Wasilla’s kind of set themselves apart. Kodiak, Palmer, us and SoHi are all real similar. It’s going to be an unbelievable year,” Bowker said. “Five of the top seven teams in the state are in our league. It’s a shame, when you start looking toward state, a team in the top seven is going to end up staying home.”

Wasilla remains undefeated as the Warriors head into a showdown with Colony tonight at 6 p.m. at Wasilla High. Five seniors in the starting lineup — Jenna Ford, Alysha Devine, Kyla Dinkel, Savannah Burke and Alexis Imoe — lead the Warriors on to the court. Imoe earned second-team all-state honors last season. Devine was a third-team selection.

Imoe is the four-year starter for the Warriors, captaining the team on the court. Devine and Dinkel have been consistent scorers, and Dinkel and Burke have controlled play in the paint.

Dinkel was named most valuable player of the Doc Larson’s Roundball Classic earlier this year.

“She’s scoring on offense, getting lots of rebounds,” Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax said about Dinkel recently. “The big key to Dinkel is she can step out and hit the three-pointer and go inside.”

Ford, a newcomer to the starting lineup, has added another dimension of speed to the squad.

“Jenna is just an energizer bunny, running all over the place,” Hebert-Truax said.

Overall, the longtime Wasilla head coach said energy has been key.

“They’re getting after it offensively and defensively,” Hebert-Truax said. “They’re in pretty good shape and condition, ready to go after it.”

Hebert-Truax also noted key reserves Amanda Hutchins and Machia Toews.

“Amanda and Machia coming off the bench, they’re figuring out there roles,” Hebert-Truax said. “When we come in we don’t lose much.”

Colony, which finished third in the NLC last year, is led by all-state senior Mary Klapperich, who recently committed to Division I Southern Utah University.

“She’s as physically tough as an athlete I’ve ever coached, and arguably one of the best defensive players, boy or girl,” Bowker said of the 6-foot-1 Klapperich.

Colony graduated its top player in the paint, Saige Stefanski, and lost first-team all-conference point guard Jerica Nelson, who moved with her family back to Kodiak. But the Knights return a young nucleus of talent that saw ample time on the court last year.

Leading that group is Faith Farris, who was in the starting lineup throughout her freshman year. Izzy Tweed is another younger player who saw significant minutes as an underclassman last year.

Bowker said Jennifer Solano is stepping up to help fill the void left by Stefanski. After a year away from the program, senior Audrey Michaelson has worked her way into the starting lineup.

Wasilla and Colony are led by first-team all-state caliber talent, and the same goes for Palmer. Leading the Moose into the season is senior Taylor Blake, who scored her 1,000th career varsity point earlier this season.

Blake has been on a tear so far this season, averaging 24.5 points and 3.5 assists per game.

“Taylor, she’s so athletic,” Reid said. “I kind of feel as her skills continue to develop, her athleticism just keeps pushing her to get better.”

Blake can score from just about anywhere on the court, but Reid said it could be her jump shot the sets Blake apart from other standouts.

“Her ability to stop on a dime to shoot a jump shot, you don’t see a lot of high school girls doing that,” Reid said. “You don’t see a lot of girls shoot a true jump shot like she does.”

Reid said the key for Palmer is to blend its veterans like Blake and senior Caitlin Scott with its younger talent. Reid said he’s excited about the contributions from players such as Kourtney Straight and Kalei DePriest, but they are still growing into their roles as varsity players.

Reid praised both for their work, particularly on defense, during the win over Soldotna, and said each will continue to develop as they see more time on the varsity court.

A big addition to the Moose is 6-3 freshman Leya DePriest, who logged a double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds against Soldotna.

“She completely controlled the paint,” Reid said of DePriest, noting he is not sure if he’s ever had a player finish with 17 rebounds in a varsity girls game.

Reid said he hopes the addition of Leya DePriest will help the Moose matchup better against teams like Wasilla and Colony, who both sport athletic 6-footers.

The local squads have entered a key stretch of the 2012-13 season. Each team is already 2-0 in NLC play. Wasilla hosts Colony tonight at 6 p.m. and Colony hosts Kodiak Friday and Saturday.

On Jan. 25 and 26, the Warriors will host the Moose and Soldotna on back-to-back nights. Colony hosts Soldotna on Jan. 25.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and find him by searching Valley Sports Huddle on Facebook.