Team Preview:
Written by: Will Hoenike
For the 2A St. Maries Lumberjacks, it can be as simple asW building on past successes.
Those successes could be basketball-related, where the team won three of its final four games last season before being knocked out by eventual state-semifinalist Grangeville. Or those successes can be related to other sports.
The Lumberjacks are coming off a state playoff appearance in football – including a road win over New Plymouth in the postseason – where a number of the key contributors have put away the football cleats and broken out the basketball sneakers.
Head coach Bryan Chase returns four seniors from last season’s 10-13 (3-3 CIL) team but a number of his players were also key parts of the successful football season in St. Maries. Chase returns All-Central Idaho League performer Logan Feasline to lead the way along with fellow seniors Jacob Greer, Matthew Smith and AJ Bectketl.
Feasline’s versatility is easy to see. He was All-CIL in hoops as a junior and also won the 3A state championship in shot put. Then, as part of the aforementioned football team, he helped account for four touchdowns in the team’s playoff win over New Plymouth.
Chase Truscott also returns to the varsity squad after seeing time as a sophomore. Chase welcomes five new faces to his team: Dakota Wilson, Jake Seiler, Keifer Gibson, Bryant Asbury and Drake Lounsbury.
In the four-team CIL, St. Maries’ results were about as symmetrical as you can ask last season. The ‘Jacks swept Coeur d’Alene Charter, split with Orofino and were swept by Grangeville. The ‘Jacks will have a chance to avenge that sweep when it welcomes Grangeville in to St. Maries on January 17.
Coach Chase indicated improved rebounding and field goal percentage will help his team work toward a goal of reaching the 2A state tournament in March. The last time St. Maries reached the state tournament was 2012 when, as a 3A squad, the team lost its first two games. St. Maries’ last win in the state tournament came in 2011 – a first-round triumph over Sugar Salem front District VI before being defeated by eventual state runner-up Weiser in the semifinals.
St. Maries has one state championship trophy in its case (1960). There is a core of battle-tested players on the team. If the squad can pick up some early momentum, it could challenge to keep playing basketball deep into February and perhaps into early March.
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