Clark Fork hasn't had much luck against Priest River recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Clark Fork Wampus Cats will face off against the Priest River Spartans at 7:00 p.m.
Clark Fork is headed into Thursday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their sixth straight game dating back to last season on Tuesday. They took a hard 60-43 fall against Wallace. The Wampus Cats were down 55-25 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
| 01/07/25 vs Wallace | 13 |
| 12/12/24 vs Varsity Opponent | 11 |
| 12/05/24 @ Genesis Prep Academy | 13 |
| 12/03/24 vs Coeur du Christ Academy | 11 |
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Owen Howard, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 13 boards. Howard is crushing it when it comes to rebounds: he's pulled down at least 11 every time he's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Mateo Cruz, who posted 13 points.
While Priest River didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 55-53 victory over Timberlake on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Spartans have posted since January 6, 2024.
Priest River's win came from a few key players Clark Fork will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Palmer Coleman, who almost dropped a double-double on 11 points and nine boards. Another player making a difference was Brock Kreager, who had ten points and three steals.
Priest River was working as a unit and finished the game with 18 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Clark Fork's defeat dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Priest River, their victory bumped their record up to 7-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Clark Fork has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.5 boards per game. However, it's not like Priest River struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Clark Fork came up short against Priest River in their previous matchup back in December of 2022, falling 55-46. Can Clark Fork avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
