Potlatch (20-2) — last year’s State runner-up to Prairie of Cottonwood — lost once at Lapwai, but topped the Wildcats (20-3) twice, including a 17-point runaway victory in the Feb. 25 district tournament final at the Activity Center. The Loggers dropped a game to St. Maries early in the season, then responded two weeks later by whacking the 2A Central Idaho League champion Lumberjacks by 28.

“The maturity of them to come back, it just showed they wouldn’t hang their heads. They needed to improve their effort, and they did that,” said fourth-year Potlatch coach Ryan Ball, who also coached at Kamiah for 16 years. “That was the only stinker. They’ve played well in every game since.”

The Loggers hope the trend continues when they open the tournament against Riverstone International at 5:15 p.m. Pacific on Thursday at Caldwell’s Vallivue High School.

They’re beating foes by an average of 20.8 points per game. Their air-tight, disciplined defense allows just 39.3 points per game, the fourth-best mark in Idaho regardless of class. Their offense shoots an abnormally good 53 percent from the floor.

“The kids take a lot of pride in their defensive effort. That’s key to our success, and that we shoot the ball at a high percentage,” said Ball, whose team used its bulky length, fluid defensive movements and efficient takes on offense to knock off 4A Inland Empire League champion Moscow. Potlatch also handled then-top-ranked Ambrose on Feb. 8. “We’re trying to create the easiest looks we can. We believe in attacking the rim. That’s the best shot you’ll get, but our other priority is rhythm jump shots.

“We have some size this year too, which is nice. We match up pretty well with a lot of teams.”

Size, and experience. Seven of Potlatch’s players are listed at 6-foot or taller, and all 10 are seniors.

“They play with a lot of confidence all the time,” Ball said.

The Loggers returned five contributors from last year’s team, which snapped a 14-year State drought but fell 59-51 to the Pirates at the Ford Idaho Center. The entire group spent the summer touring the region for summer-league tournaments to hone itself. Potlatch was not about to enter an expectedly special season unprepared after finishing second in the state tournament for the eighth time in program history — the Loggers, and Ball, have yet to win a basketball title. Many of the contemporary players’ relatives experienced the same disappointment at the end of Potlatch seasons.

“We know we have the team and the ability,” said Ball, a 1987 Potlatch grad and runner-up as a Logger guard. “With the returning kids, the goal was to get back and win the dang thing. So we’ll be slightly disappointed if it doesn’t happen for us.”

Potlatch is led by 6-foot-3 guard Brayden Hadaller, a silky-smooth All-Idaho senior team floor general who scores 16.2 points per game, nabs seven rebounds and shoots an eye-popping 77 percent from the field. Post Connor Akins, the son of former University of Idaho forward Dan —an assistant coach — tacks on 14.8 points and shoots 53 percent, as does Tyler Wilcoxson, who averages 11 points. The Nicholson brothers — Justin and Jerrod — and stout Ty Svancara also have been instrumental.

To say it’s a major opportunity for hungry Potlatch to claim state title No. 1 would be an understatement. It’s been building to this.

Conversely, annual stalwart Lapwai had somewhat of a surprise season.

Even with a first-year coach and a roster featuring primarily underclassmen and just one varsity returner, the Wildcats booked a top-tier campaign, featuring a stunner against Washington Class 4A University of Spokane, and a comfortable win against Washington 2A state title contender Clarkston at the Avista Holiday Tournament in Lewiston.

The Wildcats have only lost to Potlatch (twice) and once to Lewiston — the day before the Clarkston game.

“(Even) with how young are boys are, the pressure wasn’t too much. They kept their composure,” said coach Zachary Eastman, who moved from Minnesota to Lapwai about four years ago, then found a calling with the Wildcats’ program after Bob Sobotta stepped down last year. Eastman, a former point guard, played college basketball at NCAA Division II Bemidji State before finishing his career at NAIA Haskell Indian Nations University.

“Didn’t really see (the 20-3 record) coming. We knew we’d have our ups and downs this year, with being so young. But when you start putting things together and everyone buys in, you start to expect to win.”

The Wildcats, who boast 10 state titles and have made State eight consecutive years, are striving to move into a tie for second all-time in total Idaho championships when they open State at 12:15 p.m. Pacific on Thursday against Oakley. They finished third last season after a loss to Prairie, prohibiting a three-peat.

Lapwai, Class 1A DI’s highest scoring team at 68.6 points per game, is spearheaded by four sophomores. Whitepine League Division I MVP Titus Yearout, a score-first guard with next-level handles and drives, averages 29 points, six rebounds and five assists per game. Lydell Mitchell adds 12 points per game, and Kross Taylor — the younger brother of former Lapwai McDonald’s All-America nominee Emmit Taylor III — averages 11 points as a fellow 3-point sniper. AJ Ellenwood grinds underneath, grabbing 12 boards per outing. Most of Lapwai’s players have grown up on the court together.

“Offensively, we have a lot of scoring power,” Eastman said. “Defensively, we’ve gotten a lot better communicating. We’re trying to break some of them out of their shells and get them to talk more. They’re doing it a lot better. It’s really helped our team defense.”

The Lapwai community has high expectations, and Eastman has fit the mold with a values-based approach, rather than all Xs and Os. He’s given his players a good deal of freedom, and credits his assistants for their individual work with the team.

“There’s just been great chemistry between players and coaches,” said Eastman, whose late father, Dennis, was a storied coach and juco national champion at Central Lakes (Minn.). “We’re trying to be positive role models to the kids, keeping them focused and making sure they’re role models, too.

“We’re trying to make it more of a family, rather than just people playing basketball.”

At any rate, Lapwai has retained its fluidity in play despite a heap of roster turnover.