STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS: Motivation aplenty for Chase, St. Maries

By MARK NELKE 

Sports editor 

Despite being diagnosed with pancreatic liver cancer in June, Bryan Chase was determined to coach the St. Maries High boys basketball team again this season. 

Missing state last year for the first time, after reaching state for each of Chase’s first 10 seasons with the Lumberjack boys, was one reason. 

“I just feel like we didn’t reach our goals last year, and everyone on this team was disappointed, including myself,” said Chase, whose squad lost in a state play-in game last year. “I felt we had opportunities to go (to state) and we just didn’t do it. It’s a pretty special group of seniors, and I probably wouldn’t have come back for anybody else but this group.”

This year, St. Maries (18-3) is the No. 1 seed to state, and opens Thursday vs. No. 8 Parma (14-10) at 11 a.m. PST at Meridian High. 

Other than a long weekend full of blood work and scans at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in early February which caused him to miss a couple practices, Chase has been with his team every day. 

“There are definitely some days when you feel tired,” Chase said, “and sometimes you just try to get an energy drink in me and power through it.” 

The move has been somewhat therapeutic for all. 

“I know deep down the boys are fighting hard for me, and that means the world to me,” Chase said. “I think they probably want it worse than I do.” 

A few of the seniors on the senior-laden team got on the floor for St. Maries as freshmen, when the Lumberjacks placed third at state, and several played key roles as sophomores, when they went two-and-out. 

“When these guys put their mind to it, man, they play as good a defense as anybody in the state," Chase said. “They can really lock teams down when they put their minds to it. Last year we had moments where we’d give up if we got down 10 in the game. I think this year, our win at Kellogg after being down 14 was a good sign, and even (in last week’s district title game win over Orofino), being down 10 in the first half ... “ 

Senior JJ Yearout recently passed the 1,000-point mark in career scoring at St. Maries, and is currently sixth on the all-time scoring list with 1,095, just ahead of Randy Mueller. 

This year, Yearout averages 20.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals. 

Senior Xavier Sloper, who missed last year with a knee injury, averages 9.3 points per game. Jack Barta averages 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals. 

“For sure, getting Xavier back has made us a much stronger team on both ends,” Chase said. “And his leadership has been really strong too. There were times last year we were definitely missing a leadership piece, and that’s something that Jack (Barta, a senior) and JJ and Xavier have all kind of embraced.” 

Senior Isaiah Gustaffe averages 9.5 points, junior Landon Riberich 8.6 points per game. 

St. Maries enters state on an eight-game win streak. The Lumberjacks’ lone losses have come to Sandpoint (5A), Orofino and Kendrick (the No. 1 seed in the state 1A tournament). 

St. Maries also beat Kendrick earlier in the season, and is 2-1 vs. Orofino, the third seed at state. 

“It’s a privilege to have the 1 (seed), and it definitely gives you the best opportunity, but you still have to go down there and win games and play your best,” Chase said. “This year, probably more than any year that I’ve seen, the 7 and 8 seeds are good enough to win state down there.    

“We’ll go down there with the goal of winning it, and take it one game at a time.”