WOMEN'S BASKETBALL OPENS SEASON ON ROAD

BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune

Year two under coach Cody Helenbolt is set to kick off this weekend for the Northwest College women's basketball team, as the Trappers head to Idaho for a pair of difficult games.
Throughout the month of October the women's team has practiced and competed in scrimmages in Colorado, Utah and Montana.
"It's been a weird preseason because there's a lot of things that have been a little bit frustrating with injuries and our travel has been a little bit wild, but the basketball has gone fairly well," Helenbolt said. "So that's been good that we've been able to kind of overcome less than ideal circumstances so far."
One of the biggest challenges thus far for the Trappers has been a number of new faces on the roster, with only three returning players from last year's team.
That includes a starter in Emma Pique, alongside Elise Swan and Taylee Carlson who featured off the bench primarily for the Trappers.
"Having 12 new kids is a challenge just to try to get them in the right spot, get them to understand what they're doing and ultimately be successful," Helenbolt said. "We have a lot of freshmen playing a lot of minutes for us, and the group has looked good together when they've been out there."
Those new freshmen are Faythe Stauffer, Canyon Britt, Madison Kaufman, Addison Hickey, Isabella Williams, Jaila Childress, Ava Post, Fallon Millican, Maddie Mills, Saige Kidd, Itziar Pozas and McKinlee Covolo.
"These guys are all successful athletes. It's more competitive, it's faster, the kids they are going against are better, so there's been some adjustment that's had to take place," Helenbolt said. "But overall, I think we're getting better day by day, and I think this group has tons of potential."
Despite more than 75% of the team being freshmen, Helenbolt and the Trappers will not be taking it lightly to start the season.
The Trappers begin on the road, taking on a pair of top opponents from Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Northwest starts with a game against the College of Southern Idaho at 5:30 p.m. on Friday before taking on North Idaho College at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
"On the road at a perennial powerhouse (CSI) and then playing North Idaho which has also been a really good team," Helenbolt said. "They have a returning All-American on that team (North Idaho). We're gonna have to grow up quickly. But I do know so far we've been able to compete really well with all the teams we've gone against. So I think if we are able to handle the long travel being on the road, all the stuff being our first real college game, we'll be fine."
The Trappers continue on the road for the following couple of weeks with contests in Montana and in Idaho before finally opening their home campaign against preseason NJCAA No. 3 Eastern Arizona College on Nov. 20 before the Coach Collins Heart of a Champion Classic on Nov. 21-22.
Helenbolt said he is happy with the improved size of his team this season, and is hopeful they can find a way to put things together to challenge for a region title later on in the season.
"We're really athletic, we're a lot longer than we were last year," Helenbolt said. "We're much bigger than last year … I like our talent and I like our athleticism, I like our toughness and our size. It's just up to putting the pieces together and how well these guys can kind of mesh and work together."