For years, Coeur d’Alene dominated the state 5A girls basketball tournament.

Championships in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2014, runner-up finishes in 2006, ’07, ’11 and ’13 and a buzzer-beater away from the finals in 2012, it was almost a lock that the Vikings were going to be at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa late on championship Saturday.

Then in 2015, a 24-game losing streak in 5A Inland Empire League play started and wasn’t snapped until 2018, when the Vikings beat Lewiston in the league opener.

“We had some girls that, as freshman, had to play varsity,” first-year Coeur d’Alene head coach Nicole Symons said. “Which is a tough task to ask several of them to do. They weren’t very successful, and having a repeat of that year (as sophomores), it was tough.”

Scott Stockwell, who coached Coeur d’Alene for three seasons (2016-19), resigned. He was 39-67 at Coeur d’Alene.

Symons, his assistant the past two years when the Vikings went 6-16 and 7-12, took over the program.

“When I took over the job, we started getting into the weight room and having open gyms,” Symons said. “We talked about it being a fresh start, and what their goals were. Because I don’t think they really believed they could be league champs, co-league champs or even going to state was a possibility. It seemed so far off for them. To me, if you have a goal, you’ve got to state it, you’ve got to speak it out loud, do the steps and put in the work.”

Symons added John Naccarato, a former Viking boys assistant, as an assistant coach this fall.

“We love Nacc,” 5-foot-8 sophomore Skylar Burke said. “He’s really into the fundamentals of things, so him and Nicole kind of counter each other, which is good. She lets us be creative, and he keeps us fundamental.”

This season, Coeur d’Alene has won seven straight games, including the Region 1 championship game at Lake City last Wednesday to advance to state starting Thursday at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

This year’s team consists of one senior, six juniors, three sophomores and one freshman.

“We started talking and setting those goals, then they started to understand it was possible,” Symons said. “We empowered them and were speaking positively to them. I just looked at the player personnel that we had, and knew we had to play to our strengths. We’re small, so we had to play fast and aggressive. Once we figured out our team identity — and that came through summer league — and discovering where we’re really good, we knew we had to expose teams that way. Once we figured out each others’ roles, then we really started gelling in January. And it’s been fun to watch them play without having to over-coach them in games. We just had to let them be who they are, and help each other in that progress.”

That, and they’re enjoying themselves again.

“I think we’re having a lot more fun as a group,” Burke said. “Instead of focusing so hard on every little detail, we’re just going out and playing basketball. We’re flowing as a team, we’re gelling and working together and just having fun. We were a lot more structured last year, and this year we’re just focusing on the defensive end and pushing things on offense. We’re not as structured as we were last year, but are playing with a lot more flow to things this year.”

Jaden Chavez is a 5-4 junior guard for the Vikings.

“I think Nicole has so much confidence in us and believes in us,” Chavez said. “And that helps our confidence and makes us believe in ourselves as well. She’s brought our team together as a family this year. Her expectations for us are to go out and work your hardest, which makes it a lot less stressful because you’re not worried about going out and making mistakes. All you’ve got to worry about is playing basketball.”

Tori Younker, a 5-6 junior, is a three-year starter at guard for Coeur d’Alene.

“Going into the season, we definitely were sick of losing,” Younker said. “We hadn’t had a successful two seasons, and we were sick of it. One thing that our coach said is that the future is now, and we’ve really bought into it and done this for each other.”

Freshman Madison Symons scored 18 points in the regional championship game against Lake City on Feb. 12. She is daughter of Nicole and North Idaho College men’s basketball coach Corey Symons.

“It’s been really fun having my mom as my coach,” said Madison Symons, a 6-foot forward. “My parents have been my coaches my entire life. They’ve taught me how to play basketball from the get-go. It’s been kind of fun being closer with my mom and seeing her a lot more. All the assistant coaches at NIC have helped me along the way as well. I’ve worked out with the NIC women’s team a lot. The entire family here has been really good, and probably where I’ve learned the most from. It’s a great opportunity.”

Junior Jaelyn Brainard, a 5-7 guard, remembers watching some of those Viking championship teams in 2009 and 2010 as her sister, Kendalyn, was a player and her mom, Apryl, was an assistant coach under Dale Poffenroth, who coached the Vikings for 12 seasons (2004-16).

“I’d always go to practices and shoot on the sidelines while they practiced,” Brainard said. “They always worked really hard in practice. Now that our coaching has turned around, we’ve got a better chance of doing well at state.”

As far as playing in the Ford Idaho Center later this week, Brainard said she’s ready to get started.

“I remember it being a little scary when I was little, watching games in the big gym,” Brainard said. “But I’m really excited to get to go play there. I’m just ready to put it all on the floor and try my hardest.”

Since Jan. 10, Coeur d’Alene has not allowed more than 50 points in a game.

“We’ve been focused — and we’re a lot smaller team than in the past — on being a defensive-oriented team,” Burke said. “Our drive has been to play off our defense, which has made the offense a lot easier. We’re not structured, and she lets us play a lot more loose and have more fun.”

Since beating Post Falls — another state 5A qualifier — 46-35 in Post Falls on Jan. 10, Coeur d’Alene is scoring 61.3 points per game.

“A lot of teams, you can key on one person,” Younker said. “If you shut down that person, they’re done. With us, if you shut down Madi, we’ll have Jaelyn pop up, or Skylar out there. It’s never a two-man thing.”

As a player, Nicole Symons — then Nipp — won state titles at Coeur d’Alene in 1992 and ’94, then again at Lake City in 1995.

“I’ve been kind of working and telling them about the things we did as a team to set that culture,” Nicole Symons said. “If the goal was to get to state, then these certain things have to happen. You’ve got to get in the gym, get some work in, and learn to depend on each other and play off each others strengths and help each other in their weaknesses. Just that experience of getting there as a player, I’ve been trying to instill in them what they need to do to create this team. Coach Nacc has talked to them about it being a four-season season. You’ve got preseason, regular league play, district play and then state. Our goal was to take it one season at a time and focus on getting better in each of those seasons, and peaking at the right time. They’ve learned to play together, depend on each other, and enjoy each other both on and off the court. Those experiences really helped develop a bond on the court. As a player, we were really tight off the court, which carried over in between the lines.”

Coeur d’Alene (18-4) faces defending champion Eagle (15-11) in its opening round game on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. PST.

“I wouldn’t say I’m nervous, but a little excited for state,” Burke said. “We can definitely go and make some noise at state. I’m looking forward to bringing people’s attention to Viking basketball. We want to remind people we’ve got a good program, and we’re here.”