Changes with the IML, Kellogg and Priest River moving down

BONNERS FERRY — Kellogg and Priest River will be leaving the Intermountain League for the 2022-23 school year and will be moving down to 2A, leaving Bonners Ferry and Timberlake to fight it out in most sports.

The Idaho High School Activities Association approved the petition for Kellogg High School and Priest River High School to move down to the 2A Classification beginning 2022/2023 school year. Schools with an enrollment between 320-639 students are designated as 3A under the IHSAA.

Kellogg school administration followed their own lead from previous cycles and petitioned the IHSAA to remain in 3A instead of dropping despite declining enrollment numbers. Kellogg's enrollment as of December 2021 at 320 students has failed the 2A/3A cutoff, as it has in past years the Shoshone News Press reported.

The Bonner County Daily Bee reported that Priest River Lamanna High School will also be dropping to 2A for the next two-year classification cycle (2022-23 and 2023-24). Three years ago, the IHSAA approved the PRLHS petition to remain in 3A for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years with 2A enrollment numbers. PRLHS did not petition to stay in the league for many reasons, mainly due to their number of enrolled students.

Priest River’s enrollment was at 261 on June 1, 2020, and 245 on June 1, 2021, of this year. In November 2021, PRLHS had at 300 students, so numbers have started to come up and Athletic Director Mike Condie is optimistic that by the next classification cycle the Spartans could be right back in 3A.

Only Bonners Ferry, Timberlake and Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy will remain in the IML.

For many of the sports such as football, basketball, baseball, softball and wrestling the IML will only have Bonners Ferry and Timberlake competing. In track, soccer, volleyball and cross county, CDA Charter will be the third team in the league.

IHSSA and IML Athletic Directors are still figuring out how the IML champion will be decided for different sports.

Nathan Williams, BFHS Athletic Director and head boys basketball coach said that for basketball the Badgers will play even more non-league games and have a shorter regular season where the Badgers just play the Tigers.

For other sports, such as wrestling, track or cross country, league champion could be decided through a dual or meet competition.

“This will potentially create more non-league games for all sports and possibly increase the travel for our student athletes,” Williams said.

Principals and ADs of District I, have an annual meeting at the end of summer where they meet and discuss how athletics will be organized and league changes. More updates will be provided as information comes.