On their way to another boys basketball season, the Bigfork Vikings took a little detour through Florence – and came out of the Bitterroot a man short.

The potential loss of 6-foot-4 Nick Walker to a knee injury in the State B football championship cast a shadow on the upcoming hoops campaign, but Vikings coach John Hollow expects the post player to return after New Year’s.

That’s the good news, and now for the not so good: Bigfork plays seven games before Christmas break. And the better: The Vikings remain talented enough to rule District 7B.

“We’re excited for the year,” said Hollow. “We return three starters – actually four, give or take, with Levi Taylor. We have a lot of kids with experience. We’re a little banged up from football, and who knows what this weekend will bring, but we’re excited.”

Seniors Ian McMann, Taylor and George Brown fortify a lineup that returns standouts in sophomore Colin Wade and juniors Bryce Gilliard and Isak Epperly.

Epperly was an All-State pick a year ago. Wade will start, as could fellow sophomore Wyatt Johnson in place of Walker.

“We don’t have a lot of height or physicality on the inside,” Hollow noted. “And Nick brings that.”

It was Thompson Falls that scooted past Bigfork and into last year’s State B tournament in March, and the Bluehawks – like Bigfork – are coming off a deep run through the football playoffs, having won the 8-man state crown.

The Jake Mickelson-coached Bluehawks began the year with a 65-39 takedown of conference foe Troy, and did it without Nathan Schraeder, who missed the game with illness.

Eureka has a “new” coach in Troy native (and former Trojans coach) Gavin Evins. He came back as a math teacher in 2020, and takes over for Spencer Sartori. He inherits a 6-14 squad that is athletic.

“It’s a great bunch of guys,” said Evins. “They are great kids. Which makes it fun as a coach to go every day to practice. They want to be good.”

Danny Dunn, Joey Kindel and Gavin Bates are the top returnees, but Evins also looks for big things from “our big redhead,” 6-4 Carson Komac, as well as Caleb Utter and slashing ugard Tristan Butts. He also has Trent Truman in the post.

“We’re probably at our best when we’re out running,” Evins said. “As long as we can control the chaos.”

2020-21 Standings

Conf. Overall

W-L W-L

Bigfork 7-1 15-4

Thompson Falls* 6-2 17-6

Mission 5-3 12-8

Eureka 2-6 6-14

Troy 0-8 1-12

x-Plains n/a 2-11

*-Made 2021 State B tournament.

x-Spent 2020-21 in District 14C.

Prediction

Bigfork

Thompson Falls

Mission

Eureka

Plains

Troy

Players to Watch

Gavin Bates, Eureka; Jesse Claridge, Thompson Falls; Isak Epperly, Bigfork; Bryce Gilliard, Bigfork; Paxton Fisher, Troy; Trevor Graham, Troy; Zoran LaFromboise, Mission; Ross McPherson, Mission; Garth Parker, Plains; Nathan Schraeder, Thompson Falls; Levi Taylor, Bigfork; Colin Wade, Bigfork; Nick Walker, Bigfork; Jayden Weeks, Plains.