I will miss this basketball season and the group of characters who took to the courts from Sanders, Mineral and Lake counties.

But I will look forward, hopefully, to watching the next batch of young men and ladies come up through the ranks and put their basketball skills on display next season.

In the meantime, I will revel in the success of the local wrestling crews who produced three state champions between Mineral and Sanders county schools.

Superior led the way with seniors Decker Milender (126 pounds) and Chandon Vulles (285/heavyweight) bringing home the gold. They were joined by Max Hannum (170) from Thompson Falls. And that goes with Superior winning the Class C state team championship trophy.

That’s really cool in my books!!

But with seven schools (eight and nine if I continue to cover some sports for Charlo and Two Eagle River which is fine with me) I will miss the dudes and dudettes who are graduating this spring and won’t be hitting the hardwoods next winter.

I’ve been writing about area sports and taking pictures of those who participate in them for most of the past three high school seasons. I’m a well-documented, self-described sports nut so this has been the perfect “retirement” job for me after 42 years doing X-rays, CT scans and MRIs, mostly in the Seattle and Portland areas.

Back home in Montana is where I wanted to be for more than 30 years. Coming back to this “last, best place” has been awesome, and getting to chase my life dream of being a sports writer is a dream come true.

Last year when the basketball season came to an end, I was bummed, but not like this year. Now by bummed I don’t mean wailing with the cats in the back alley at midnight. My favorite sport is without a doubt football...it ain’t even close for number two.

But I have grown to love watching the teams from these small town schools play ball at a much higher level than I thought would be the case.

Guys like Caleb Ball, Orion Plakke, Jesse Claridge, Keaton Piedalue, Stetson Reum, Garth Parker and others I’m sure I’m blanking on will not be on the courts next year. Neither will Macy Hill, Isabella Pereira, Payton Milender, Darby Haskins, Carlie Wagoner, Ellie Baxter, Chesney Lowe, Avery Burgess and Emily Brown from the region’s girls teams will be moving on.

Such is life.

But I will miss much more than the talents of these players and others I have written about. Without exception they have been the most courteous, well spoken, bright and respectful young kids I’ve been around other than the three I call my own.

I will miss the contagious dancing and high energy of Hill, who leads the league in showing she is having a good time.

I will miss the slick moves of Ball and Brown, who caught my attention with their basketball abilities three years ago and have gotten better every week.

It won’t be the same not seeing Pereira, Milender and Haskins outrunning everyone in sight getting up and down the court.

Claridge, Piedalue, Reum, Plakke and Parker will leave a void for hustle and tough play that most people would be stunned to find at the Class B or C level.

Wagoner was constantly diving for loose balls and the Thompson Falls girls excelled in all phases of the game.

They are all talented and fun to watch and I will miss their contributions to high school sports in this area.

I take heart in seeing the crop of student athletes coming up in the next few years at literally every school I cover. There have been some eighth graders take to the courts this year that remind me of the first time I saw Hot Springs’ Katelyn Christensen blow by a group of would-be defenders and pull up for a nothing but net, three point dagger. It left me asking, good Lord if she is only a freshman, how good can she become?

Same goes for St. Regis’ John Pruitt, a big guy in all ways, who also has the ability to drill a long three-pointer five seconds after coming out of an on-court scrum.

There is a 6-4 eighth grader with moves coming back next year who made solid contributions to this year’s Superior team, Landon Richards, and another Bobcat eighth grader with a deadly outside shot, Gannon Quinlan.

Pruitt will have company at St. Regis in the form of another eighth grader who made a big impact this year, Conner Lulis.

So, as sure as it’s cold in Butte, the future looks pretty good for area basketball teams, and much the same for the wrestlers.

And from what I’ve already seen, they have the same manners and respect as their predecessors.

Track and field will be fun this year, as will golf, tennis and softball. Baseball is coming to one area school, Plains, and should be good to watch.

And football along with volleyball will be back this fall.

Then, once again it will be time to hit the hardwoods. And before you know it, district and divisional battles will take place for a shot at the coveted state crowns.

Bring it on.