The last time the Lakeland High boys basketball team started off a season 7-0 was ...

... quite a while ago.

If ever.

Thumbing through our cabinets of dog-eared schedule folders, which date back to the early 1990s, the Hawks have had just seven winning seasons over that span of nearly three decades.

And I couldn’t find another start as good as what Lakeland has going this season.

The Hawks started 5-0 in 2017-18 and 6-0 in 2014-15, both under Dave Stockwell, who is in his ninth season as head coach.

The 2000-01 Lakeland boys started 5-0, and the 1999-2000 Hawks started 4-0, both under Trent Derrick, who coached for 15 seasons before moving up to athletic director and now is principal at Lakeland High.

His successor as head coach? Stockwell.

LAKELAND RETURNED five players from last year’s 9-12 team that reached the 4A Region 1 championship round before falling to Moscow.

Senior guard Ben Zubaly started last year, and junior post Noah Haaland moved into the starting lineup late last season.

“This is a pretty good bunch,” Stockwell said. “We have good size. They’re doing what we want, and they’re executing very well.

“I’m not surprised (by the 7-0 start), but it’s a great deal.”

Juniors Carson Seay, a guard, and forward Ammon Munyer, start this year after coming off the bench last year. The fifth starter is sophomore Abe Munyer, up from the junior varsity last year.

“We were really young last year, and we’re still young,” said Stockwell, who had just two seniors on last year’s roster. This year, the Hawks have five seniors, three juniors and four sophomores. “Ammon is stronger, and Noah Haaland has grown. Our guard play with Ben and Carson is good, and we’re getting good help off the bench.”

HOW DID those other four Lakeland teams that started strong end up?

The 2017-18 squad finished 13-9, losing to Moscow in the regional final.

The 2014-15 club ended up 16-8 and went to state for the first time since 2004.

The 1999-2000 team advanced to the state 3A tournament, the second of four straight trips by the Hawks. The 2000 team finished 15-9, and the 2001 team was 17-6 and finished third at state — Lakeland’s last trophy from state.

In the three-team 4A Inland Empire League, where just one team (most years) qualifies for state, Lakeland hopes to battle Moscow, the three-time defending regional champion, for that berth, as well as an improving Sandpoint squad.

League play for Lakeland starts Jan. 17 at Sandpoint in the Battle for the Paddle spirit competition.

The Hawks already own one win over a 5A IEL school — Coeur d’Alene, in the season opener.

After the holidays, Lakeland plays four more games against 5A IEL teams — two vs. Lake City, one more vs. Coeur d’Alene and one against Lewiston.

Stockwell said those games will provide a good measuring stick for the Hawks as they enter the postseason.

“When we start playing some 5A schools, hopefully we’ve matured enough where we can play against bigger schools,” Stockwell said.

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