It figured that the Eureka Lions boys basketball team, coming off an 18-6 season bolstered by seven seniors, would get younger.

Then there’s the girls: The Lady Lions already were young, and one of the few seniors due back, Kara Stanger, moved with her family to Idaho.  

Yet back at the Western B Divisional are both Lions teams, led by a pair of siblings: Junior Kyler Kossman for the 11-11 boys and eighth-grader Brynn Kossman for the 8-14 girls.  If the records aren’t sterling those are still enough wins to get the Lions to Hamilton and a step closer to state.  

The Kossmans certainly have helped. 

“He’s a big kid; he’s an offensive lineman in football,” Eureka boys’ coach John Parrish said of the 6-foot-3 Kyler. “Brynn is a solid kid as well. Naturally gifted kids, but I know their parents have worked with them quite a bit. They’re always in the open gym — they’re gym rats. Always working on something.” 

Heading into the boys’ Thursday afternoon matchup with Florence, Kyler Kossman averages 14.1 points and 8.4 rebounds, both team highs. He averaged 2.2 points last season, but then the Lions graduated the top five scorers from a squad that was one win away from State. 

Parrish notes that Cole Sartori averages 10.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals for the Lions; Tyce Van Orden checks in at 10.1 ppg and Rowan Burow, 9.2. 

“We have two seniors beyond Cole Sartori that don’t blow up the stat sheet but have big roles on the team,” Parrish said of Henry Benge and Conner McDole. “They do a ton of work on defense and boxing out so someone can grab a board.” 

That someone is often Kossman. 

“How could I describe Kyler,” Parrish said. “He’s got such a great attitude. You just can’t get the kid down. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.” 

Kossman’s earliest basketball memory goes back to age 7 or 8. His parents were athletes at Division II Chadron State in Nebraska — Kase played football and Bobbi, basketball — before moving to Eureka 14 years ago (dad works for the Border Patrol). 

“In the winters we would just get out and try to stay active, and do things to keep the kids from going crazy,” Bobbi Kossman said. “I coached, and Kase coached. We were going to the high school or middle school gym and messing around, and Brynn was always trying to keep up with Kyler. 

“It’s been nothing for her to play with the older kids.” 

“In second grade my dad had started a little kids group to teach basic skills and stuff,” Kyler Kossman recalled. “My dad did that for us. I really appreciate him for that.” 

Parrish said the main difference between the siblings — another boy, Ryker, is in fifth grade — is on-court comportment. The boy is even-keeled; the girl gets riled. 

“Brynn has more of an aggressive edge than I do when it comes to basketball,” Kyler Kossman said. “She’s really fun to be around, but kind of a wildfire at times. She gets pretty mad (on the court) when things don’t go her way.” 

Plenty of Montana schools have used eighth graders since 2022-23, when the Montana High School opened up the possibility to all schools for non-football sports. That includes Class AA Butte.  

Brynn Kossman, meanwhile, is already 5-10 and has been going strong on the court for some time. The MHSA left the matter of eligibility to each school, and Eureka approved moving her up.  

Now she averages 12.3 points, slightly ahead of team captain Brynn Miller, who leads the team in rebounding. Given injuries to Aubrey Casazza, Laina Conard and Haidyn Guckenberg, the Lady Lions needed those points. 

“Huge help to us, for sure,” coach Julian Adauto said. “I’m grateful we allow it. Because I couldn’t imagine seeing her play eighth-grade basketball.” 

“I just remember being in second and third grade and going to Kalispell and playing in the league there,” Brynn Kossman said. “We had a team when we were really young.” 

Suddenly, she’s matching up with Missoula Loyola’s Spencer Laird and Addie Nault and Mission’s Kason Page. All-State players, all of them. 

“It’s really fun,” she said. “It’s definitely a different atmosphere. I’m used to playing AAU, and playing against a lot of the same girls.” 

The only drawback, she said, is not getting to hang with all these teammates for another four years.  

“We have one senior,” she said of team co-captain Mielyn Bozarth. “And I’m sad I only got one year with her.” 

Better take advantage of the time left. The Lady Lions also play Florence Thursday; tip-off is at 9:45 a.m.