Editor's Note: This story is included in The Chronicle's 2022-23 Prep Basketball Preview, which is published in the Thursday edition.
There’s a lot that’s the same in the 1B Columbia Valley girls ranks, and a fair bit new as well.
The old starts with Mossyrock, which once again comes into the season league and district favorites. But like the volleyball team that just wrapped up its fall — and is largely the same group of girls — the Vikings start the winter looking for just a bit more than they managed before. Last winter saw them take the 1B CVL league title and its top seed into the district tournament, but slip up to rivals Naselle in the semifinal. That’s a bit of hardware they’ll be looking to reclaim, along with a better state trophy than the sixth-place one they received at the end of the year.
To do it, it’s the same cast as before. Payton Torrey switches from one hardware game to another as the Vikings’ leading scorer. This time around as a senior, she gets a season to play with family on the court, with her sister Mckenna, an eighth grader, getting her feet under her at the high school level and preparing to pick up the family torch.
Speaking of family, Mossyrock gets one more season to field three Marshalls — Caelyn, Delaney, and Renzy — all of whom have been contributing early this season. Beyond them, Hailey Brooks is back to lead the way in the post as a constant double-double threat.
There will be challengers to Mossyrock’s rule, and more than usual this season. After a season off due to low numbers, Pe Ell is back to fielding a team, and brings in senior Charlie Carper to lead them back into the action. As a junior playing with Winlock on a combined squad last year, Carper earned an all-C2BL honorable mention as the Cardinals’ second-leading scorer. This time around, she’s back in the 1B ranks and lighting things up already as a walking triple-double.
Around her, the Trojans bring 6-foot freshman Peyton Zock and sophomore Brookelynn King, and a small roster that may need a bit to fully hit its stride together but could be dangerous when it does.
Then there’s the more traditional foes in recent years. Naselle, like Mossyrock, returns most of its production from its team last year, and Willapa Valley will also hang around dangerously as well.
Across the district in the 1B Coastal, Oakville returns three starters — Alyssa Forsythe, Vivi Cruz, and Andrea Mendez — from the team that went 7-14 and made it to the district tournament last season.
1B GIrls at a Glance
Mossyrock
Coach: Autumn Moorcroft (sixth)
2021-22 record: 13-7 (6th at state)
Returning starters: Payton Torrey, Caelyn Marshall, Hailey Brooks, Abbie Lovan
Newcomer(s) to watch: McKenna Torrey
Quotable: “They’ve decided that they want to be the team known for getting after it and having that grit, no matter what the score is. Mossyrock wants to be the team that’s not going to quit no matter what.” — Autumn Moorcroft
Pe Ell
Coach: Dave Tuengel (first)
2021-22 record: did not field team
Returning starters: Charlie Carper
Newcomer(s) to watch: Peyton Zock
Quotable: “We know that we’re going to play some teams like Mossyrock and Naselle, quality teams, we want to be them. That’s the goal. With our eighth-graders and freshmen, I like our chances down the line. It’s going to take awhile, but I couldn’t be more proud of how far they’ve come already.” — Dave Tuengel
Oakville
Coach: Kevin Cavanaugh (second)
2021-22 record: 7-14 (districts)
Returning starters: Alyssa Forsythe, Vivi Cruz, Andrea Mendez
Newcomer(s) to watch: Carolann Black
