Potlatch piles up postseason honors in softball

STEPHAN WIEBE, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Moscow, Idaho
·3 min read

Jun. 26—Potlatch and Genesee put a combined 12 players on the All-Idaho Class 1A softball teams, and the Loggers took home coach and player of the year honors when the awards were announced this week.

Potlatch's Dean Butterfield was named coach of the year and pitcher/infielder Rebecca Butterfield was named player of the year in voting by the state's coaches

Potlatch rolled to a 19-2 record en route to the state championship win against fellow Whitepine League foe Genesee in the final. The Loggers ended the season on an 18-game winning streak.

"It feels good. That's neat to have the respect from the other coaches, but the girls work hard," Dean Butterfield said. "I'm very demanding and those girls work hard. They make me look good."

Rebecca Butterfield was injured during the team's run through the district tournament when she was hit by a line drive in the pitcher's circle in a semifinal game against the Bulldogs.

She returned for the state tournament, performing admirably in the circle and at the plate.

"She works so hard for her team and she does it kind of quietly," Dean Butterfield said. "When she got hurt, she wanted to pitch the next game and I asked if she could do it, and she started breaking down and said, 'I don't want to let my team down.'

"That to me is a great player."

Rebecca Butterfield went 16-1 with a 1.92 ERA and 164 strikeouts. In the championship, she hit a go-ahead, three-run double to help get her team the win.

Also making the first team for the Loggers were infielders Emma Chambers (.444 average) and Josie Larson (53 stolen bases), catcher Tayva McKinney (.403 average) and outfielders Haylee McNeal (.368 average) and Jaylee Fry (37 steals).

McNeal was the only freshman to make the first team.

"... She came through and played really well through the year, and improved a lot," Dean Butterfield said.

Pitcher Kendra Meyer and outfielder Brinley Lowe made the first team for Genesee as did Prairie's Tara Schlader. Genesee also put four players on the second team.

In Class 5A, the Lewiston pitcher-catcher duo of Kaitlyn Banks and Taryn Barney were named to the second team.

"I just want to congratulate the girls and the rest of the team for (helping me win) that honor," Dean Butterfield said of his coaching award. "The girls did really good. They deserve it."

CLASS 5A

SECOND TEAM

P — Kaitlyn Banks, Lewiston; C — Taryn Barney, Lewiston.

CLASS 1A

FIRST TEAM

P — Kendra Meyer, Genesee; C — Tayva McKinney, Potlatch; INF — Emma Chambers, Potlatch; Josie Larson, Potlatch; Tara Schlader, Prairie. OF — Haylee McNeal, Potlatch; Brinley Lowe, Genesee; Jaylee Fry, Potlatch.

Player of the year — Rebecca Butterfield, Potlatch (P/INF).

Coach of the year — Dean Butterfield, Potlatch.

SECOND TEAM

INF — Riley Leseman, Genesee; Shelby Hanson, Genesee. OF — Mia Scharnhorst, Genesee; McKenna Miller, Genesee.

Wiebe may be contacted at (208) 848-2260, swiebe@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @StephanSports.