Notebook: Coeur d’Alene’s Buttrey finally gets her chance
Coeur d’Alene senior basketball player Amanda Buttrey is making the most of her opportunity.
The 5-foot-7 guard found herself caught behind a deep, talented group of guards as a sophomore and junior. She had a varsity uniform and suited up for all of the games. But she spent the majority of the time on the junior varsity.
She even has medals from Coeur d’Alene’s back-to-back 4A state championships.
“It was frustrating at times, but I knew there was a ton of talent in front of me and there was nothing I could do about it,” she said. “I definitely enjoyed being a part of the state titles. But I really do want a state championship for myself.”
Buttrey is averaging 9.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, two steals and two assists per game.
“She’s worked really hard to get where she is,” CdA coach Dale Poffenroth said. “She played behind some good kids the last two years. She’s a kid who could have thought that she would never get her chance. She just kept working hard.”
Buttrey had a scare this fall. She placed second and third among teammates at state on CdA’s cross country team the past two years. But two meets into this season she discovered she had mononucleosis.
She had to sit out the rest of the season. She considered coming back late in the year, but decided against it.
“I wanted to make sure I was healthy for basketball and not have a relapse,” she said.
More baseball commitments
The Spokane Dodgers program has sent 39 players on to college since 2006, and 12 current players have made oral commitments.
Four players have made recent decisions. They are Ferris junior catcher Ryan Krustangel (University of Washington), Coeur d’Alene senior catcher Devon Austin (New Mexico State), Coeur d’Alene junior middle infielder Drew Turbin (Oregon) and Central Valley senior left-handed pitcher Cory Mack (Seattle University).
They join the Dodgers’ Mitch Peterson of West Valley (outfielder), Nate Blackham of Mt. Spokane (OF) and Scott Simon of CV (right-handed pitcher) who gave oral commitments to Washington State.
Krustangel hit .415 for Ferris last year, second best on the team; Austin led CdA in batting (.542) last spring, breaking school records for hits (52) and RBIs (48) and tying the doubles (12) mark; and Turbin hit .317 last year. His brother, J.J., is a freshman at Oregon State.
•Shadle Park senior first baseman Parker Scott has given Nevada an oral commitment.
Parker hit .383 for the Highlanders last year, second on the team.
This ’n’ that
The defending State 4A champion Federal Way boys basketball team, ranked No. 1 last week in the first Associated Press rankings, saw its 29-game winning streak snapped Monday in a 62-58 loss to Jefferson of Portland in the King Holiday Hoopfest in Seattle. Federal Way won its final 17 games last year, including its first state title. … The Central Valley girls basketball team (9-3, 6-1) took over first place in the Greater Spokane League on Tuesday and plays host to Gonzaga Prep (9-4, 5-3) at 7:15 Friday. G-Prep knocked Lewis and Clark (8-5, 6-2) out of first Tuesday 75-71 behind 43 points from Tia Presley. … In GSL boys, Mead (9-4, 7-1), which is tied with G-Prep (12-1, 7-1) for first, plays host to improving Ferris (8-5, 6-2) in the best of the league matchups Friday at 5:30. … In 5A Inland Empire League action Friday, league-leading Coeur d’Alene (11-3, 2-0) entertains preseason favorite Post Falls (11-2, 1-1) at 7:30 just after the CdA girls (16-1, 2-0) take on Post Falls (11-6, 1-2) at 5:45.
•The Missoulian newspaper had an interesting quote from University coach Don Owen in its Sunday paper after the Titans captured their third Rocky Mountain Classic title. “This is another really good team,” Owen said, comparing the Titans to the 2005 team that won a state title. “In ’05, I think we won every tournament that we were in and I had just a wonderful group of kids and this year it’s about the same thing. I’ve got kids that never give me one ounce of trouble. They all go to school, they all do a really good job, they’re all really respectful. In fact, a minute ago I asked them to come out and help and every kid comes out and rolls down the mats and helps Sentinel (the host school) put their mats away. Those are the kinds of kids that I have in my program right now and it’s a credit to their moms and dads and everything else. … They’re the kind of kids that you like to see win championships because they do everything right.” University is the lone out-of-state team to win the Rocky Mountain title in its 33-year history.