Winter sports have started at area schools, including wrestling and basketball, with junior high basketball teams already hitting the courts. High school players started practice a couple of weeks ago with games starting the first week of December.

At St. Regis, the varsity boys head coach is Jesse Allan, with assistant coach, Tim Yeager. Girls varsity coach is Brooks Sanford with assistants Sarah Etter and Ryan Antos. Antos is also the junior high coach for both boys’ and girls’ teams. His assistant is Jennifer Pruitt for girls and Dawn Palmer for the boys.

Erik Johnson is the head varsity coach for the boys Clark Fork Mountain Cats, the co-op team for Superior and Alberton. His assistants are John Petersen and Carson Bryant. Head girls varsity coach is Jeff Shultz with Kaylee Crabb and Carey Chamberlain as assistant coaches.

Junior high boys coach is Nate Haflich, with Jeff Mask as assistant. The program is still in the process of hiring an assistant girls coach.

Varsity team rosters were not available, however St. Regis boys basketball coach Allan said, “the boys are working hard and are excited for the opportunity to compete in such a tough district. We are returning all of the starters from a year ago and our emphasis this year is going to be on the defensive end of the court. We have talent and are eager for the chance to prove it this year.”

This season they will be squaring off against Charlo, Arlee, Noxon, Two Eagle, Plains, Hot Springs, and Lincoln.

Coach Sanford said returning starters for St. Regis girls will be First Team All-Conference senior, Madison Hill as point guard, Honorable Mention All-Conference senior, Courtney Cheesman as forward. Also, Junior Anna Sanford, as guard; Sophomore Emma Hill, as forward; and Sophomore Madison Kelly as forward.

Other key players include Kylee Thompson, Freshman as forward; Justice Tate, Junior as center; Krystina Thompson, Junior as guard; and McKenzie Stortz, Sophomore as Center.

“We are returning all five starters this year and adding a little bit of depth. I feel like we have a veteran team even though we are young,” said Brooks. “Our freshmen and sophomores gained a lot of experience during last season and over the summer and with veteran leadership at this point we should be pretty tough.”

Despite the co-op between Superior and Alberton, the boy’s team is still struggling to fill out its roster with eight players for the season. Coach Johnson said they will only have five or six players eligible for the first game.

“We only have two seniors and the rest of the team is young and not a lot of experience,” he said.

This year the Cats will play Lincoln, Seeley-Swan, Victor, Two Eagle, Valley Christian, Darby and Thompson Falls.

The Clark Fork Mountain Cats play their first game at Lincoln on Dec. 2 and at Seeley-Swan on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 2:30 p.m.

On Dec. 9 and 10 there will be a tournament at Pablo for boys and girls for both the Mountain Cats and the Tigers.

In wrestling, Charlie Crabb is the returning coach for Superior with opening matches in Polson on Dec. 3.