One of the best boys' basketball games played at Hailey's Wood River High School last winter occurred between a state tournament team, Blackfoot, and a young Wood River squad that won only two of its 22 games. Blackfoot escaped 54-50—Wood River's second double overtime loss of the season.
"We were in so many ball games," said Wood River coach Fred Trenkle. "We had to play close to the bone just to stay close. But we played good basketball in the last eight games and were right there with Jerome and Minico in the tournament."
Trenkle recalled the difficult 2004-05 season last week while he and assistant coach Jim Boatwright were preparing the 2005-06 Wolverine varsity for the upcoming 20-game regular season that begins tonight, Wednesday with a home game against 4A Blackfoot Broncos.
Opening tip-off is 7:30 p.m. preceded by junior varsity at 6 p.m.
It is the first of three consecutive home games in six days—3A Filer coming on Friday and 4A Pocatello next Tuesday. Those three games will give Trenkle and Wood River fans a better idea of the promising new Wolverine edition with its five seniors, five juniors and two sophomores.
But it won't be until February's Great Basin Conference West tournament that Trenkle really knows what is possible.
He said about the pre-season training, "We've already got a lot of stuff in. We'll spend a whole year refining it. We'll find out what works and go from there."
Trenkle (113-92), in his third year of his second stint at Wood River, is convinced the Wolverines are better than the 2-20 squad that ended last season with nine straight losses, averaged 41.0 points per game and led at halftime only four times.
"I think we'll be able to score," he said.
Trenkle added, "We have a lot better players in all positions—better size, better depth and better experience, even though we lost three starters. We can do a lot more things defensively. We can man people, use a bigger zone and we'll be a better rebounding team. Everything equates to winning more games this season.
"It's a pretty tough group, ready to win some games. We can put a taller team on the floor and we have a little better schedule this year."
Gone from the schedule are 4A Great Basin Conference king Century of Pocatello plus three Idaho Falls teams, 4A Hillcrest and Bonneville and 5A Skyline. Wood River won only one of eight games against those teams last winter. Instead, Wood River gained 4A Pocatello plus smaller population 3A Middleton and Kimberly and 2A Challis.
There is no secret to basketball success for Trenkle teams during his 32 years of coaching at the high school, college and junior college levels. His teams try to hammer the ball inside and out-work their opponents.
Even last season, Wood River (60% at the line) took nearly 70 more free throws than its opponents and made 44 more charities. In Wood River's last two seasons, the Wolverines (57%) have taken 799 free throws to 643 for their foes.
"We've just got to make our lay-ins and free throws. We should be a better free throw shooting team," said Trenkle.
He added, "Our meat is with our big men. We like to distribute the ball but we have to be intelligent and realize who's buttering the bread. If we start to see zone after zone, we'll just find out whether we can shoot from the outside or not."
Wood River's post players are 6-4 junior Corbin Miniard (4.1 ppg) and 6-5 sophomore Erik Jacobson.
Trenkle said, "Corbin has always had a nice touch, but he's quicker and more mobile. Having Erik on the floor will make Corbin a better player. We'll try to push the ball up and try to sprint Erik right to the rim right off the bat."
Floor general is 5-8 senior Morgan Uhrig (6.5 ppg). Trenkle said, "Morgan has the mentality of running the team. He's got to be the cement that keeps us together. He's steady, gets the ball to the big people and gets us into our offense. And he's capable of scoring."
Other seniors are 6-2 Cooper McCroskey, 6-1 Jesse Stark, 6-3 Casey Lane and 5-11 Kyle Lubeck. None of them were scoring factors on last year's squad headed up by Brady Femling (12.1 ppg), Reno Christino (7.4 ppg) and Dylan Fullmer (3.5).
The other juniors are 6-2 forward Cory Rutkowski, point guards Danny Sibrian and David Sibrian, and forward Travis Beckman. Sophomore Ross Parsons will swing between the varsity and JV.
Of the supporting cast, Trenkle said, "Kyle (Lubeck) is a lot more mobile and he's always been tough. He and Casey (Lane) have worked on their outside shots. Cory (Rutkowski) and Travis (Beckman) will battle you, and Jesse (Stark) plays big. Both the Sibrians have excellent ability."
Defensively, Trenkle expects the Wolverines to do more pressing and trapping. "The kids like to do that," he said.
Toughness is always a question mark. Trenkle added, "I've been beating up on these guys something fierce. If they get tough, we'll be pretty good. If they get three quick fouls and go out, we'll struggle."
About the competition, Trenkle said he has watched Blackfoot and the Broncos match up pretty well sizewise with Wood River. They have a first-year coach this season.
"Jerome has really good perimeter people back, and Challis has its best team in years." The first Great Basin Conference West game is Dec. 17 at Rupert against the Minico Spartans. Burley is the defending conference champ.
Wood River got its feet wet Saturday during a three-school jamboree in Hailey. The Wolverines lost to defending State 4A champ Skyview of Nampa 34-17, then 5A Twin Falls beat Skyview 44-33 and 4A Wood River fell 31-15 to Twin Falls.
John Radford returns as junior varsity coach and Craig Eastop has the freshman team once again.
Wood River boys' basketball coach Fred Trenkle senses something isn't quite right during Saturday night's jamboree at the Hailey gym. That's assistant coach Jim Boatwright at the left, senior Kyle Lubeck at right, and Trenkle's wife Juanita in the stands. Express photo by Willy Cook
Much of Wood River's success this winter will depend on the play of its big men, including 6-5 sophomore Erik Jacobson, shooting here against Twin Falls Saturday. Kyle Lubeck (right) takes a look at the shot. Express photo by David N. Seelig
Cory Rutkowski, Wood River junior forward, drives into the defense of Twin Falls' Brady Jardine during Saturday's season-opening jamboree on the Hailey hardwoods. Express photo by David N. Seelig
