Season preview: Bulldogs eager for a new beginning, cultural change

SANDPOINT – It’s no secret how difficult last season was for the boys’ Sandpoint basketball team, especially the players.

After five games, Wade Engelson resigned as head coach and Mike Roos took over the rest of the way on an interim basis.

It was a tumultuous situation for everyone involved, and in the midst of all the chaos, the Bulldogs had to fight the best of Northern Idaho night and night. It wasn’t easy by any means, but the players stuck with it and stayed resilient despite endless adversity.

It’s a fresh start with Brian Childs, a new face running the program, and the team is embarking on a fresh start.

Senior Ethan Butler said Childs did a great job in his early months at the helm of bringing the team together and it’s evident how much he cares about the players’ success not only on the pitch but also off.

Fellow Senior Jacob Eldridge shared a similar opinion about the energy and vision Childs brought to the program.

“It’s more alive,” he said. “Everyone likes coming to training and there is a more positive and friendly atmosphere.”

For years, Bulldog fans have wondered, “Is this the season that Sandpoint Boys spins basketball?” But that doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, investment, and support from the entire community, and Junior Rusty Lee believes the elements will be used to create a successful program for years to come.

Given the number of lost seasons the Bulldogs have seen over the past decade and the constant upheaval within the program, Butler realizes the team has built a bad reputation that may have turned athletes off the program over the years. But he said things are different now and the culture is changing.

“I think this year will open a lot of people’s eyes,” he said.

Childs was named the new head coach in early April. For several months he juggled the transition from his previous job at Heritage High School in Vancouver, Washington, while also taking on a Sandpoint program desperate for guidance and new direction.

Childs and his family were fully settled in their new digs in late June, which somewhat limited the off-season the Bulldogs had as a team. In addition, most of the team’s players were preparing for an autumn sports season.

Over the summer, Childs said he hasn’t had nearly as much time with his entire team as he would have liked, and the team is aware that this will cause significant growing pains in the early stages of the season.

“That’s part of where we are now,” he said. “Instead of just reviewing things and refining what we wanted to do, everything was mostly brand new. We just need time to get together and play the way we want to play. “

The Bulldogs got into a jamboree with Post Falls and Lake City on November 23, and Childs was really encouraged by what he’d seen in that preseason action, but he still didn’t have his full roster.

A run to the state championship game of the Sandpoint soccer team kept key figures from last year’s boys’ team such as Parker Pettit, Arie VanDenBerg and Max Frank as well as the university newbies Eli Allshouse, Layne Dunkel and Lasse Kuhn from playing the field until the soccer season ended when school ended entered Thanksgiving break.

In addition, VanDenBerg, Frank and Pettit are all recovering from the injuries they sustained from the rust.

That Monday, Childs said he was confident Team VanDenBerg would get back in time for their season-opening Border Clash with West Valley and East Valley, while the status of Frank and Pettit is something in the air. Childs said he wasn’t sure when Frank could be back, but he’s optimistic it could be sooner rather than later. Regarding Pettit, Childs said it was unclear whether the Bulldogs will even have him this winter.

“It’s a challenge right now because we’ve been working for a few weeks now and we don’t know exactly what the rosters are going to be,” said Childs. “We’ll know more about where exactly we stand after this weekend.”

The Bulldogs play West Valley tonight, East Valley Saturday, Coeur d’Alene Tuesday and Kellogg Thursday. That’s four games in a week to open the season for a team that has many question marks, including how they will replace all-league selection Colin Roos, who is not playing basketball this season.

But as mentioned earlier, this team is no stranger to hardship, so don’t be afraid to face it face-to-face. Childs sees all of the question marks as an opportunity for some younger players to perform and take on much bigger roles.

“We’re trying to emphasize who we are right now because … no one is going to feel sorry for us, so it’s up to the guys for us to get together,” he said.

Butler, Eldridge, and Lee are part of five returnees currently on the college team, a group that includes Junior Randy Lane. Second-team soccer player Evan Dickinson is also new to the college team. The junior was handicapped by a dislocated shoulder during his JV season on the basketball team last year.

New signing Lucas Johansen is another addition, along with Childs’ youngest son Parker Childs, who was a freshman on the Lake City JV team last season. Childs’ eldest son, Conner Childs, is also an assistant coach on this year’s team.

Kids feel like the Bulldogs have a lot of interchangeable parts and a lot of athleticism this season, but they lack size.

Butler is the only center the Bulldogs have on college, so the team plans to do whatever it takes to keep him on the pitch this winter.

“We have to save Ethan from bad trouble,” said Lee.

Butler rolled his ankle and missed a handful of games midway through last season, but he’s doing perfectly fine this year and ready for a bigger role and an opportunity to show off his skills.

“I think I took my first three years for granted,” he said, “and basketball was just like that and now that it’s my last.” [year], I am fully committed and really try to do everything I can to help the team. “

With the new offense that Childs installed, Butler has been working on his middle-distance game, even adding a threat to fold and hit a couple of 3-pointers to his arsenal. Eldridge recently said that Butler punched a buzzing 3-pointer right in the face during a scrimmage.

“I’ve worked enough on it and I think my shot is finally getting a little more consistent,” said Butler.

Lee and Eldridge are two players Childs saw spending a lot of time at the gym during the off-season. Eldridge said he attended three week-long camps over the summer and was on the site almost every day. Eldridge even worked with former Sandpoint star Kobe Banks, a 2020 SHS graduate who helped him improve his skills and basketball IQ.

With last year’s top scorer Colin Roos gone, Eldridge knows he needs to improve his game and fill the basket as best he can. He said he is more comfortable this season due to the freedom from Childs’ offensive and the encouragement he has received from the new manager. He won’t be afraid to let it fly this winter, he said.

Eldridge plans to go strong this season and hopes to get some colleges’ attention.

With Pettit sidelined, Childs may attempt to cast the point guard role through a committee, but he also sees Lee taking on many of those duties.

“He was fantastic at the Jamboree … and I think he’s ready to take on a little more responsibility,” said Childs.

Lee spruced up his game over the summer, Childs said, looking like he’s ready for a breakout season. Lee, who finished second over the 300 meter hurdles and third over the 110 meter hurdles at the 4A State Track meeting this spring, really showed off his shooting and aggressiveness when attacking the basket during the offseason improved. He even added dunking to his repertoire.

“I’ve always stood up for things that are important to me,” said Lee of his commitment.

Last season the Bulldogs went 4-16 and ended the season with a streak of 10 games. Sandpoint ended the 4A Inland Empire League game for the fifth straight straight game without a win, but that group is determined to end that streak this winter.

“That will happen this year,” said Butler of a league win. “I’ll make it.”

Childs said it will take the Bulldogs a few games to upset each other, but he knows this team will give it their all every night regardless of the results.

“They do everything we ask of them, so that part was really encouraging,” he said.

Building a program from scratch is nothing new to Childs, who grew up in Muncie, Indiana. As head coach of Coeur d’Alene Charter, Childs led the Panthers in 2007 to a 92-65 record and a third place finish at the 1A state tournament. He then took over the reins at Eastbrook High in Marion, Indiana. He set a 54-80 record there in six seasons and helped make a name for a struggling team again.

Childs did the same at Heritage before moving into his current turf. Childs said he believes the “Will” is here to revive the basketball program for Sandpoint Boys. It all starts with reaching out to kids when they are young and developing that love and dedication to play, he said.

Childs also believes the program can build on some of the successes SHS had in other sports, such as soccer and football, and instill a belief that something similar is possible on the basketball court.

“I think it takes continuity in the program, a certain consistency and the commitment that the good programs have,” he said.

Childs said he will rely heavily on his seniors this season to lay the foundation for the future of the program and set the standard for the next group.

Just like last year, the Bulldogs have to navigate a rugged 5A / 4A Inland Empire League that includes arguably one of the best teams in the Pacific Northwest in Lake City.

Children can’t wait to see what this group accomplishes.

“I want to get the most out of what you have and I want to make sure you have a good experience,” he said. “I think if we do that we have a chance to be successful.”

Sandpoint opens the season today at 8 p.m. at Border Clash in the West Valley in Spokane. They play East Valley at the Border Clash on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. The Bulldogs’ home start is scheduled for next Thursday against Kellogg.