THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Storyline after storyline after storyline from state boys basketball

Not meaning to compare a team that has won three state championships in the past seven seasons to a viral infection. 

But ...

You may have seen the commercial on TV ... 

Shingles doesn’t care. 

Well ... 

Lakeside doesn’t care.    

The Knights didn’t care about Lapwai, and its storied history, and its 62-game winning streak when they knocked off the Wildcats, winners of 12 state titles to that point (now 13), in overtime in the 2023 state 2A championship game at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. 

And the Knights didn’t care about Kendrick, with its recent run of success in nearly every team sport, in Saturday’s state title game. Lakeside jumped on the Tigers early, controlled the game throughout, and finished with a 60-49 victory. 

(Kudos to Lapwai for honoring its fellow tribal community with fireworks and a line of cars as the Lakeside team drove through their town while heading up U.S. 95 on the way home after Saturday’s win). 

Also, Kudos to Lakeside coach (and alum) James Twoteeth.  

In his nine seasons as Knights head coach, he has gone 154-42 with three state titles (2020, ‘23 and ‘26). Also, he played on Lakeside’s first state title team in 1997, so he’s been a part of all four of the Knights’ state championships. 

Lakeside has played in the state title game four times in the last six years. He’s taken the Knights to state six times, with five trophies, including a third-place finish in 2021. 

SPEAKING OF kudos, let’s look at the run Bryan Chase has had as St. Maries boys basketball coach. 

Before he took over in 2014, St. Maries had only been to state three times since 1999. 

Under Chase, the Lumberjacks went to state in each of his first 10 seasons, reaching the semifinals each time, getting to the title game three times, and winning in 2021. 

After losing in a state play-in game last year, St. Maries came back and won the state title this year — just the third in program history. 

Chase posted his 200th win as Lumberjack boys coach earlier this season, and surpassed the 300-win mark at St. Maries late in the season (remember, Chase coached the Lumberjack girls for eight seasons, from 1998-2006, taking them to state eight times and posting an 86-97 coaching record. 

So overall, counting boys and girls, Chase is now 305-167 in 20 seasons coaching Lumberjack hoops, with 13 combined trips to state. 

Then, of course, there is Chase’s fight with pancreatic liver cancer, which he was diagnosed with last June.  

You would have understood if he had stepped down as coach after he got the news. 

But Chase was determined to coach this senior-laden bunch, most of which had played together on the varsity since their sophomore year. 

I watched them two years ago at state, saw the youth but also the potential, and wondered what they might be like as seniors. 

Chase coached his team at every game this season. And, other than a few days at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in January, Chase was at every practice.  

He powered through the expected fatigue during the season. 

His cousin, an assistant coach, got him a stool, so he didn’t have to crouch near the floor when he spoke to his team during games. 

And his team, playing that in-your-face defense so often seen in St. Maries basketball in recent years, delivered their coach a title. 

His players, and opposing coaches, spoke highly of Chase at state.  

Just ask seventh-year Ririe coach Jordan Hamilton, who coached against Chase once before at state, losing a close one.  

“Bryan Chase, he texted me all through the year, wishing me luck, congratulating me on wins,” Hamilton said, after St. Maries defeated his Bulldogs in the semifinal game Friday night. “I’m a young coach, and he’s kind of been a mentor to me, without even being in my conference. So I’ve really looked up to the guy — wish I could beat him — but he’s a good coach.” 

It’s been said often in sports, that someone is “one of the good guys.” 

Then it was noted that if you didn’t say that about someone, they must not be. 

But that’s OK here. 

Bryan Chase is “one of the good guys.” 

HOW COOL was it last Saturday at the Idaho Center?  

In addition to Lakeside, St. Maries and Lake City bringing state titles back to the North, two of the three other state title games included North Idaho teams. 

Lewiston, in a season where the Bengals beat two of the three 6A Inland Empire League teams, had a chance to win the 5A title, but fell just short to Bishop Kelly of Boise. 

And though it didn’t go well for Bonners Ferry in the 4A final against Cole Valley Christian of Meridian, the fact the Badgers reached the title game for a fourth straight season was impressive — considering the Badgers lost a bulk of the crew which played in the last three title games, and won the last two. 

STATE BASKETBALL is just a different animal for boys teams from North Idaho. 

Been that way for years. 

Many a team has gone down south, experienced a more physical game, and vowed to adjust for the next time. 

Lake City did just that. 

The Timberwolves, an offensive team the past two seasons, emphasized defense this year.  

And it paid off with the program’s second state title in four seasons. 

Especially at the Idaho Center, the refs let ‘em play. 

If you have a good run defense in football, you should be successful in playing defense in the Idaho Center. 

Lake City put on a defensive show in all three games, allowing 37, 51 and 47 points in its three wins. 

ON SATURDAY, Lake City did what few thought an Idaho school could do — beat Owyhee of Meridian in a big game. 

After all, the Storm had won three of the four state titles since the school opened in fall 2021. 

And Owyhee entered Saturday’s title game with a 94-5 record against Idaho teams. 

Make that 94-6 now. And two of those losses have come to Lake City. 

James Anderson took over as head coach after Lake City went undefeated en route to its first state title in program history, in 2023. 

All he has done since then was bring home three trophies from state in three seasons — a consolation title in 2024, a runner-up finish last year, and last week, a state title. 

In addition to honoring first responders at the Fight for the Fish game, the Lake City boys have been active in other ways off the basketball court, from each player honoring one of his teachers at a home game earlier this season, to wearing T-shirts supporting opposing players, as well as local youngsters, fighting illnesses. 

“I’ve never been in a locker room as special as this one,” Lake City coach James Anderson said, after the Timberwolves outlasted Post Falls in the third game of a best-of-3 series for the District 1 title.  

“These kids all love each other, and they’re all in on each other. Last night, as proud as I am today, last night they went to the school play for two and a half hours together as a team, sat on the second row, put their phones away, and were the loudest to applaud ... that’s just who they are. They're just incredible kids and it’s an incredible locker room. So lucky to be a part of it.” 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1205, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.