Glacier has a veteran coach, Flathead has a relative newcomer and both are wondering how things are going to shake out for their boys’ basketball teams this week.

Flathead, under new head coach (and longtime assistant) Dirk Johnsrud, opens its season Thursday at Missoula Sentinel; Glacier, with Mark Harkins in his 14th season, is at Missoula Big Sky.

Both schools return a bunch of scoring from last year’s teams, which had varying levels of success. The Flathead Braves won just three games, but a lot of major players are a year older and stronger.

How they fare against a talented Sentinel team that appears to be the Western AA favorite is for us to find out.

“I think they’re both physical and athletic,” Johnsrud said of the Spartans. “I think those are traits that we can have, and I’m just excited to play this game and evaluate how we did – see what we did right and wrong offensively and defensively.”

Sentinel has two big talents in Montana State commit Alex Germer (6-foot-8) and guard Tony Frohlich-Fehr.

“He’s a 6-5 kid and sees the floor extremely well,” Johnsrud said of Frohlich-Fehr. “He’s somebody we know we’re going to have to deal with.”

Flathead seems to have a set starting five: Joston Crip, Hunter Hickey and Ethan Vanden Bosch on the wings, 6-5 Gabe Walker at forward and 6-9 Ezra Epperly in the post. Johnsrud coached most of these Braves when they were sophomores.

“We know Sentinel’s very talented,” Johnsrud said. “But we’re also ready to see where we’re at,”

Missoula Big Sky is a bit of an unknown quantity for Harkins and Glacier, especially since its opener with Butte was postponed because of COVID-19 concerns at the Missoula school.

Guard Trevyn Reed returns for the Eagles, who won three games a year ago – with one of them coming against Sentinel and another at the divisional tournament against Helena High.

“I know they have a couple kids that were starters back from last year,” Harkins said. “Their second and third-leading scorer (Kade Olson). And they shoot the ball well. I expect them to come out and play pressure defense against us and shoot the ball.”

Harkins has quite a few returnees back, including point guard Keifer Spohnhauer, forward Weston Price, and wing Jaxon Olson. He figures JT Allen in at the post and junior Will Salonen at the off guard.

Whatever the lineup the Wolfpack, 10-11 a year ago, will continue to work the ball inside-out, driving and kicking.

“That hasn’t changed,” Harkins said. “Get the ball inside and if we can’t score inside then kick it outside. It’s been our philosophy for a while.”

Price is No. 5 among the Western AA’s returning scorers from last season, at 12.2 points a game. Cripe is fourth, at 12.7 ppg. Sentinel’s Germer (17.9 points and 8.5 rebounds a game) and Flathead’s Adams are 1-2 in rebounds among returnees.

Next is Jake Olson, Butte’s 6-8 forward that may help make the experienced Bulldogs a power in the league.

Glacier has its home opener Saturday against those same Spartans, while Flathead returns home to face Big Sky.

Western AA Prediction

Sentinel

Hellgate

Butte

Glacier

Flathead

Capital

Helena

Big Sky

Players to watch:

Gabe Adams, F, Flathead; Ezra Epperly, P, Flathead; Ethan Vanden Bosch, F, Flathead; Hunter Hickey, G, Flathead; Joston Cripe, G, Flathead; Weston Price, F, Glacier; JT Allen, P, Glacier; Keifer Spohnhauer, G, Glacier; Will Salonen, G, Glacier; Jaxson Olsen, F, Glacier; Jake Olson, F, Butte; Blake Drakos, F, Butte; Billy Kelly, G Butte; Beckett Arthur, G, Hellgate; Josh Wade, F, Hellgate; Tony Frohlich-Fehr, G, Sentinel; Alex Germer, F, Sentinel; Hayden Kolb, F, Sentinel; Trevyn Reed, G, Big Sky; Kade Olson, F, Big Sky; Brayden Koch, G, Capital; Malachi Syvrud, G, Capital; Kaden Huot, G, Helena; Dexter Tedesco, G, Helena.