The Clark Fork boys basketball team made it to the 1A DII state tournament for the first time since 2003 a year ago, and once it got down to Boise, it received a wake-up call.

It lost both state games by a combined score of 125-51.

“We didn’t know what to expect once we got down there,” Clark Fork boys basketball coach Heath Beason said. “We had to change our philosophy and we were successful at it.”

The philosophy the Wampus Cats had to change was its playing style.

They tried to match the way they played to the teams down south.

Clark Fork made the changes offensively and defensively in 2022, which allowed the Wampus Cats to have another chance at the 1A DII state tournament.

Clark Fork will play Timberline of Weippe today at 2 p.m. at Lake City High School in a state play-in game.

“They’re a really quick team,” Beason said. “They run a zone and they’re a great outside shooting team. They deserve to be where they’re at, but so do we.”

Clark Fork had a rough start to its 2022 campaign, starting its first 10 games 4-6.

But after a 61-55 loss to Northwest Idaho Christian on Dec. 18, the Wampus Cats went on a nine-game winning streak to close out the regular season 12-6.

“You learn from your mistakes,” Beason said. “Every negative that we’ve faced this year I look at as a positive. We had a rough start to the season, but these guys figured it out.”

All of Clark Fork’s starters were on its state team from a year ago and feel like they have something to prove.

“We didn’t want to believe it was a fluke that we got there,” Beason said. “We wanted to prove to ourselves that we belong down there.”

This play-in game against Timberline sets Clark Fork up for possible redemption at the state tournament. The Spartans are a team that Wampus Cats aren’t familiar with.

“You can’t take anyone lightly,” Beason said. “I keep telling the kids that they have to prepare because they’re at practice doing the exact same thing you're doing.”

Clark Fork is led by its captains Carter Sanroman and Co-North Star League MVP Sam Barnett.

According to Beason, Barnett lets his play do the talking, whereas Sanroman is the more vocal leader.

“They work so well off of each other,” he said. “(Sam) Barnett runs the offense and the defense, and (Carter) Sanroman is more boisterous and gets the guys going in the locker room.”

The Wampus Cats are a deep team and Beason has faith in number 1-10 to go off on any given night, even as the postseason starts heating up.

“We’re running pretty deep right now,” Beason said. “We’re 10 strong on varsity and I’d feel comfortable with anyone 1-10 stepping in.”