THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Stars come and go, but the winning tradition remains for these teams

The good ones reload.

Or find a way to stay on top somehow.

In any event, three area high school basketball teams lost a key member (or members) from last year’s team — but are still in the hunt for league and district titles, and state trophies.

ST. MARIES’ boys have been regulars at state for the past nine seasons — bringing home seven trophies, including a state title in 2021, two runner-up finishes and four third-place finishes.

But the Lumberjacks lost six seniors from last year’s third-place team at state, led by star guard Greyson Sands, now at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande.

But, after Tuesday night’s Central Idaho League victory over Kellogg, St. Maries sits in a familiar place — atop the CIL at 4-0 (8-5 overall).

Only three players returned, none of them starters, and just two of them — seniors Wyatt Holmes and Seth Swallows — saw significant time off the bench last year. 

This year’s squad boasts seven sophomores, including Xavier Sloper, who played sparingly on varsity last year, and varsity newcomers Jack Barta and JJ Yearout.

All told, St. Maries has just the two seniors on the varsity this year, along with four juniors and a freshman.

“Our younger kids are starting to play better,” 10th-year St. Maries coach Bryan Chase said. “Our sophomores are coming along, buying into unselfish play, and that’s starting to carry us. And our bench play has been phenomenal.”

TIMBERLAKE’S GIRLS have brought home trophies from 11 of the last 13 state 3A tournaments — including four state championship trophies.

The Tigers were state runners-up last year, and expected to return nearly everyone after graduating one senior.

Thanks to some of the other returning players, such as junior guard Jozee MacArthur, and the improvement of senior post Diana Nelson, Timberlake is expected to make another run at state hardware in a couple of weeks.

The addition of senior post Kursten McKellips, a transfer from Lake City, has helped offset the loss of Miller.

Somewhat.

“We miss her everyday intensity in practice,” her dad, Timberlake girls coach Matt Miller, said of Malia.

LAKESIDE’S BOYS didn’t lose many players from last year’s squad which stunned mighty Lapwai in the state 1A Division I championship game, ending the Wildcats’ 62-game winning streak.

But the Knights lost a key player in Vander Brown, a four-year varsity player and the heart and soul of the Knights his last three seasons. He saw big minutes as a freshman when Lakeside won the 1A Division II title in 2020, then helped the Knights to a third-place finish the following year, when they moved up to Division I.

Brown, a first-team all-Idaho selection last year, is gone, but Lakeside has most of the other important pieces back, including senior point guard Brutis SiJohn and sophomore Tyson Charley. 

Charley was big last year as a freshman, and seniors Liam Hendrickx and Blaze Callahan are back after playing key roles last season.

Lakeside also has Josh Kee, who did not play last year after helping the Knights win a district title in 2022.

Even without Brown this year, Lakeside is 10-2, 3-0 in the Scenic Idaho Conference, and league champs.

“I would say they're compatible for sure (to last year’s team),” Genesis Prep coach Lon Morast said. “They don’t have Brown to create and dish. But Charley is stepping up; he’s an underrated passer. I think they’re deeper than last year.”

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.