SPOKANE — Over the past few years, there isn’t a city in the northern part of the state that has brought home as many state championships as that of Post Falls.

Two state titles in boys basketball (2010 and 2016), another in girls basketball in (2013) and back-to-back state wrestling titles in 2015 and 2016 for the high school wrestling team, it’s safe to say that Post Falls has became Title Town in North Idaho.

FOUR PLAYERS that had a huge part in that 2015 boys basketball championship — Jake Blakney, Dalton Thompson, Zach Hillman and Max McCullough — joined forces this weekend at the 26th annual Spokane Hoopfest 3-on-3 basketball tournament to see if they couldn’t bring another title home.

“We just have some of the best team chemistry you’re going to find in this area,” said Thompson, who recently completed his freshman year playing at Walla Walla Community College. “No matter who is scoring, we’re either going to win the game or going to put up a good fight. We’ve been playing together for so long that even though Jake and I haven’t been with them all year, we still keep in touch. We’ll go down to the park when I’m home from Walla Walla and play when we can.”

Walla Walla finished 11-18, 5-9 in Northwest Athletic Conference play last season.

“We finished one game out of the playoffs last year, but I got a lot of playing time and learned a lot,” said Thompson, who plans to play one more season at Walla Walla, then might consider playing football again. “Whatever happens, happens.”

Montana Tech has expressed interest in him playing quarterback. Thompson was the starting QB at Post Falls as a senior.

McCullough, a four-year point guard on the varsity team, signed with NAIA Eastern Oregon in La Grande in May.

“I really liked the coach a lot,” McCullough said. “I’ve got a really good relationship with him after going in and talking with him for a few weeks. When I went and visited, I really enjoyed what they had to offer.”

McCullough will share the floor with fellow Post Falls graduate Michael Hillman, who will be a fifth-year senior for the 2015-16 season.

“Just seeing him coming through Post Falls and being good friends with his brothers, it really helped having him there,” McCullough said. “I talked to him about the school, and he said he enjoyed it. It definitely influenced the decision and helped knowing that I had someone that had been through what I’ve been through (playing at Post Falls).”

McCullough also visited the University of Great Falls, Whitworth, Big Bend and North Idaho College.

“I really wanted to go to Whitworth — and they were in my final two — but I was sold on Eastern Oregon,” said McCullough, who was receiving Division I interest after his junior year when the Trojans won the state 5A title in 2015. “I had some (D-I) interest early, but that was all. But I’m really happy with my decision.”

Zach Hillman will play safety for the Whitworth football team in the fall.

“With the physicality of Hoopfest, I like it,” Hillman said. “It’s very fun to play with this group for one last run before Max and I go off to college.”

Hillman will be football only at Whitworth.

“I didn’t really think I was going to play football until my junior season,” said Hillman, who will reunite with former Post Falls wide receiver Mike McKeown at Whitworth. “I love the coaches and the players and just love the team atmosphere. The coaches are great guys and really love what they stand for. That’s the kind of coaches I look for. Mike kind of told me what the team does and I really like it and love the campus and really think it will be a good fit.”

This group, which started the weekend 2-0, also won a title when they formed a Hoopfest team two years ago.

“We had to get back to our roots,” McCullough said. “We had to bring it back one more time. Might as well incorporate this and maybe get up to that elite division and eventually get to Center Court one year.”

Blakney was a post on the Trojans’ 2015 championship team.

“It’s awesome, all of them (his three Hoopfest teammates) had the chance to play this year,” said Blakney, who focused on school this year as a freshman at NIC. “I haven’t really gotten the chance to play with them this year outside of open gyms and that kind of stuff.”

Blakney has been working at Timberline Adventures, a zip-lining business located on Sherman Avenue in Coeur d’Alene.

“I’ve just been working and waiting to see what happens,” Blakney said. “I’ve been thinking about going somewhere next year and playing again, but not sure where I’ll do that. I want to go play with my friends, maybe at Mt. Hood (a community college in Gresham, Ore.) where Luke Anderson (another Post Falls grad) is, or maybe Walla Walla. Dalton was telling me there might be a spot for a big guy like me, but we’ll see.”

As far as winning a Hoopfest title this weekend, Blakney said the plan was to keep it simple.

“Playing defense, staying hydrated and hitting shots,” Blakney said. “Just playing like we did in our first game and moving the ball around.”

WHEN FORMER Post Falls high standout Connor Hill graduated from the University of Idaho in 2015 as the school’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, he left that competitive basketball behind, for at least a couple weekends a year.

“To be honest, I’ve just been missing basketball a lot,” said Hill of his time away from the court. “I just miss playing. But I’m working for my dad (Kirk) right now helping him build some apartments and just graduated from school. I’m just working for pops.”

Hill is sharing the court with his cousin, Westin Hill and Xavier Bazile to form team “Idaho” in the Elite Division. They beat Small Town Kids in the opening round and then lost to Boiler Room to fall into the consolation round, then won two more games in the afternoon to advance to a consolation game today at 11 a.m.

“Hoopfest is one of the greatest weekends on the planet,” Connor Hill said. “Usually we just get a couple of guys together that we used to play with. It’s always a good time.”

Hill joked about forming a Post Falls elite team with former state title-winning teammates Shawn Reid and Marcus Colbert, among others, in the future.

“To be honest, we’ve thought about it,” said Hill, who helped the Trojans to a state title in 2010. “But Marcus just signed a pro contract to play overseas, so I’m very proud of him for that. He’s not trying to come out and get hurt in Hoopfest. Maybe one of these years we can throw a team together.”

Asked to compare playing at the Division I level to playing against the best-of-the-best in the elite division, Hill said it was a tough decision.

“It was better to play 5-on-5 at the college level and getting to face that elite talent,” Hill said. “At Hoopfest, it’s about getting together with your friends and old teammates and just having fun.”

As far as a professional basketball career?

“I’ve had some offers for sure, but I’ve turned them down,” Hill said. “I just decided not to pursue them. I had to go back and finish my business degree. I’d made it that far and I knew that I had to go back and finish it. Who knows what will happen, but I’m happy with where I’m at right now.”

IT HAD been a few years since former Post Falls standout Brooke Litalien played in a Hoopfest game — eight years in fact.

On Saturday, she joined with Rachel Robinson, Brittney Burke and fellow Post Falls alum Whitney Gonzales to form Breakfast Club.

Litalien, who has started at guard in each of the past two seasons at NAIA Lewis-Clark State, has qualified for the national tournament in all three years at the school.

“I’ve improved every year since I’ve been there,” Litalien said. “The coaching staff is amazing. Coach (Brian) Orr definitely knows the game of basketball and I’ve learned a lot about from him. I’m looking forward to my senior year and having another great year. A lot of people don’t get that chance to go to nationals, and it’s a really neat experience and something that I’ve learned a lot from.”

Next year, Litalien will be reunited with post Sam Runkle, who along with Litalien and Gonzales helped the Trojans win the state 5A title in 2013.

“I’m really excited to get her,” Litalien said of Runkle. “She’s a strong player. Athletic and does a lot of great things.”

Breakfast Club went 2-1 on Saturday and will play again today at 8:30 a.m.

FOR LAKE City assistant girls basketball coach Kris Gravelle, Hoopfest weekend is more about reuniting with teammates and relatives.

“Mainly, I get family that comes into town for this every year,” said Gravelle, a former Bonners Ferry High star. “And then I play with a bunch of buddies of mine that I play in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls men’s leagues with. Everybody’s local.”

With temperatures in the mid-50s for Gravelle’s opening game, compared to the 80s in last year’s tournament, he added that he didn’t mind the scorching temperatures of 2015.

“It does make it a little easier to play,” Gravelle said. “But I prefer the heat. There’s not as much wind and it doesn’t affect me as much. I just think it’s going to be a lot better for everybody. Last year, all of the hotels had air conditioning and you could go sit in the hallways and cool off in between games. Hopefully this year, we don’t have to worry about it.”

His team, Quick Release Ball went 2-0 on Saturday to advance to today’s championship round.

Gravelle, a former NIC men’s assistant coach, added that he didn’t see a problem with some of his high school players competing in the tournament, though injury risks are increased during the weekend.

“I wouldn’t care if they played,” Gravelle said. “Someone like (Lake City head girls basketball coach) Bryan (Kelly), might, but they’re also in the middle of their AAU season, and those coaches would rather they not play, fearing those injuries more than anything. We always want them to go play, wherever that might be. We want them to be playing somewhere. I think a lot of the local girls that are going on to college, or playing that high level AAU, it could really hurt their recruiting, and that’s why they kind of shy away from this.”