THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016: Their senior moment

After losing five seniors to graduation on the heels of a fourth-place finish in the state 5A girls basketball tournament, the Lake City Timberwolves will appear a little younger in experience with its underclassmen.

But don’t be fooled with the seniors.

They can play, and will continue to for the foreseeable future.

THE TIMBERWOLVES have two seniors — Nina Carlson and Lauren Rewers — on their 2016-17 roster this season, both starters on last year’s team that finished 21-5 and advanced to state for the first time since 2009.

“Going from five to two seniors this year is going to be different,” Carlson said. “But we’ve stepped up and improved during the offseason. And we’ve got some good underclassmen, and they’ve improved. It’s not the way you’d think a team might look having only two seniors on the roster might be. I think that our younger players bring a lot of energy to the table. They’ve got a good work ethic, and they know how to win.”

“We’re still growing as a team,” Rewers said. “We’ve got a lot of talent that is still growing. They’re willing to work, so the hard work and talent here will take us a long way.”

And that youth, Rewers added, should help keep the program rolling the right direction.

“It will be a good thing,” Rewers said. “Especially for Nina, Keara (Simpson) and I. Our leadership, and moving onto college and letting them see what they have to offer, it will help.”

Earlier this week, Carlson, a 6-foot-2 senior post/guard, signed a letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Idaho.

“Idaho was one of those places that I’ve been to several times,” Carlson said. “I’ve known (assistant coach) Christa (Sanford) and (head coach) Jon (Newlee) forever. On my unofficial visit, I wasn’t expecting to commit or anything. As soon as I was done with my visit, in Jon’s office, I told them, ‘I’m done, this is it.’”

Carlson plays to major in physical education, with a minor in health studies.

“I think it’s a great fit for her,” Lake City coach Bryan Kelly said. “She’s kind of a stretch guard that has the height to play down low. She’s really worked on her ball handling and shooting during the offseason. She enjoyed the campus, the members of the team and with it being so close to home, she’s excited for that.”

Likewise, Rewers, a 6-4 senior forward, signed with the University of Hawaii earlier this week.

“They were the first school to offer me as a junior,” Rewers said. “So when it came down to it, I really saw myself fitting in there. I’m big on Ohana (family, in the Hawaiian culture) and it being a home away from home was really important to me.”

CARLSON INTENDS to study physical education, with a minor in health, while Rewers is undecided as of yet, but is mulling graphic design, nursing or education.

But Carlson’s goal goes a little beyond that.

“I want to coach college basketball someday,” said Carlson, who is the daughter of North Idaho College women’s basketball coaches Chris and Carey Carlson, who coached Nina for eight years on the North Idaho Elite AAU team.

“It’s been great having them as coaches,” Nina said. “I’m definitely blessed to have my parents as coaches and have the chance to be in a program where I’ve had them as coaches for the last eight years. Some of the girls I’ve been playing with for all those years like Allison (Kirby) and Keelie Lawler, it’s been great. Playing for my parents, you hear stories about playing for their parents and absolutely hating it. But I think it’s one of those things that I’ve learned from, especially being coachable. Because if you can take criticism from your parents, it can turn into something worthwhile.”

The Carlsons are in their 13th season as coaches at NIC.

“It’s helped me in numerous ways,” Carlson said. “It’s really helped me to become a more mentally tough player really. Having someone in my ear the entire time, it’s been super beneficial because they always have good things to say. And that’s how I like it.”

REWERS PLAYED AAU basketball with the Northwest Blazers, based out of Spokane.

“We’ve got players from all over Washington, Idaho and Oregon,” Rewers said. “We were in the highest level and finished second at nationals. The level of physicality and the teams we were playing, it was a lot like playing at a college level. It definitely helped to get that experience.”

Carlson also had interest from Gonzaga, Portland State, Eastern Washington, Washington State and The Masters College in Santa Clarita, Calif.

“I just wanted to stay closer to home,” Carlson said. “My parents can come watch, and I’ve got a little brother (Jordan) that means a lot to me, so I’d like to stay close to home.”

For Rewers, who also had offers from South Carolina, Utah Valley, Colorado State and Missouri, it was about finding the best fit for her moving forward.

“I wanted to wait until the end of my junior year to make my decision,” Rewers said. “I wanted to have all my options open, and felt myself fitting in the best in that program at Hawaii.”

“Hawaii has had a lot of success in recent years,” Kelly said. “And they can see her coming in and helping at the post because she’s a good shooter and a great passer. She really felt comfortable there and felt it was a good fit.”

Hawaii finished 21-11 in 2015-16.

South Carolina is ranked third in the NCAA women’s preseason rankings.

“Just the team and coaching staff, I really see myself fitting it at Hawaii,” Rewers said. “I’d rather find myself a big fish in a small pond than a little fish in a big pond.”

Rewers had to wait for her shot at the varsity level, after missing her entire freshman season with a torn left ACL.

“That year was the hardest for me personally,” Rewers said. “Sitting the entire year on the bench and watching games really changes your perspective on the game and just how much you love it. The drive and motivation with my parents and friends has really gotten me to where I’m at now.”

FOR NOW, the only pond they’ll worry about is Lake Coeur d’Alene, as well as trying to defend those 5A Inland Empire League and Region 1 championships.

“We definitely have some unfinished business this year,” Carlson said. “It was disappointing to not come away with a win in the first game last year (a 41-32 loss to eventual 5A runner-up Centennial) — but understandable — because none of us had played in a state tournament game before. The next two games, we showed what we had, and this year, we’re ready to show everyone what we have.”

Lake City opens the season next Thursday at home against Sandpoint.

“Really this year, our goal is to reach our full potential,” Carlson said. “We’ve got the potential to win the state tournament, but that’s something we’ve got to work toward in practice and in games. We can’t take it for granted that we got to state last year. Our league is really tough and we’ve got a big challenge this year. But it’s something that we’re definitely up for.”

“They’ve played a lot of games for me,” Kelly said. “They’re both leaders on and off the court. They’re a big part of what we’re going to do this year for sure. I’m excited for them. It’s a big chance. They’ve put in a lot of work and it’s exciting for them and their families. It’s a big jump, but they’re ready for that.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com.