Powder Valley High School senior Paige Marlia is the 2023-24 student body president, the vice president for the FFA program and runs for the joint Baker/Powder Valley cross-country team.

NORTH POWDER — Powder Valley High School has a lot of accomplishments to be proud of.

The sports programs recently saw the volleyball team win the league title, a feat that only adds to an already past list of accomplishments both on and off the court. As different classes graduate and depart, a question arises on how the Badgers can continue to have such great success year after year.

“We are family,” sophomore Sky Nesser said. “Even away from school, we go together and hang out in La Grande and do things as a group.”

Nesser, like many of the student-athletes attending Powder Valley, is involved in a number of activities. In addition to volleyball, Nesser is the business manager for the Associated Student Body. She also held a number of officer positions in middle school.

“I am always doing something,” she said. “Everyone at Powder Valley is involved in not one, but numerous activities.”

According to Nesser, the students at the school are involved from a very young age. Pep rallies for high school events include attendance from the elementary school.

“I just love seeing their faces when they show up,” she said. “I used to be one of those kids and remember I could not wait until I reached high school. It was always so exciting to go to the high school rallies when I was young.”

Looking ahead to life after playing as a Badger, Nesser is eyeing volleyball, her first love, as a key to furthering her education. Playing beyond the high school season in the club season, Nesser recently returned from a tournament in Las Vegas, and the University of Nevada Las Vegas left an impression on her.

“I want to go to college somewhere warm,” she said. “My interests lie in being a dental assistant or possibly sports medicine. I will always remember my high school years as a Badger that has made such an impact on my life and how I approach things.”

Kellee Dixon, a sophomore and Nesser’s teammate on the volleyball team, said much the same about the relationship among students at Powder Valley.

“We have a great support system from the entire community,” she said. “Community members, without children attending the school, are still here all the time supporting the teams and school.”

Dixon has spent her entire life around the same group, growing up together through elementary and now remaining together in high school.

“We really have no cliques,” she said. “Even with different interests, we are all just kind of one group. North Powder is truly the small-town culture.”

One secret to success among the sports teams is the idea of starting early with the basics, according to Dixon. The Badgers rolled through the 1A Old Oregon League in 2023, amassing a perfect 10-0 record in the Old Oregon League, the district tournament title and feature a 28-4 record heading into a OSAA Class 1A state tournament contest against Crosshill Christian on Friday, Nov. 3. The Badgers are the No. 2 seed in the 1A state tournament.

“This whole volleyball team that is playing now started really young together,” she said. “We all started with (head coach) Marji (Lind) in YMCA, then club and now the same group is in high school ball. We built fundamentals at a very early age and have just become better every year.”

Dixon said the efforts and success translate to other activities at Powder Valley.

“There are so many people in this town that are willing to give their time and efforts to make sports and other activities successful,” she said.

When the season comes to an end, hopefully with a state title, Dixon will make the transition to basketball and, in spring, to softball in a cooperative with Baker High School.

“In basketball, we return everyone from last year’s team so the expectation is high for the season,” Dixon said. “Just like volleyball, basketball is a family.”

Dixon’s future includes interests in sports medicine or teaching, and possibly one day, taking a hand at scheduling games as an athletic director.

“I really like the program at Boise State for sports medicine,” she said.

The third member of the trio spends her fall not on the volleyball court but running golf courses and mud pits for cross-country. Paige Marlia is the current student body president for Powder Valley High School, the vice president for the FFA program and runs in the joint Baker/Powder Valley squad.

“Powder Valley is just so anti-drama,” she said. “Everything around here is just based on a positive mindset ,and for everyone, there are always so many activities. We constantly have team dinners, bowling nights, and chances for everyone to get together away from games and meets.”

Marlia has always attended Powder Valley schools but lives in Baker City. Her mother is a teacher in the district.

“From a very early age, we were taught about Badger Pride and I remember being so excited when the elementary school was invited to assemblies at the high school,” she said. “High school life is so different here than other schools I see.”

Marlia will also participate in the spring track and field season, but unlike Nesser, is eyeing a colder climate after high school.

“My plans are currently to attend Montana State and obtain a degree in agricultural education,” Marlia said.