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Boys basketball, wrestling open season

by DYLAN GREENE
Sports Editor | December 2, 2020 1:00 AM

PRIEST RIVER — The winter season is officially in full swing.

Priest River boys basketball and wrestling open their seasons in the coming days.

Boys basketball tips off the 2020-21 season 7 p.m. tonight with a home game against Wallace.

Last season, the Spartans finished with a 8-15 record and fell to Timberlake in the district second place game. Priest River lost six seniors, including all-league selection Caden Brennan. But Trentyn Kreager, an all-league player last season, Travis Mathews and Jace Yount are back.

The Spartans have seven new players on varsity this winter — Jordan Nortz, Dylan Nortz, Conor Bernes, Luke Butler, Teigan Marinello, Nadin Thompson and Michael Johnson.

Due to the pandemic, the Spartans didn't get a summer league. However, head coach Kevin Wylie said his young team didn't let that deter them from making strides during the offseason.

"We did dedicate our entire summer to the weight room, and the hardwood," Wylie wrote in an email. "We knew what had to be done in order to compete this year. Prior to the shutdown we made a commitment to get better, and build up our bodies."

Wylie is expecting big things from Jordan Nortz, Bernes and Butler and believes the Spartans have plenty of talent to replace the pieces they lost.

"It will definitely take some games to get our younger players prepared," he wrote, "but our goal is to be playing our best basketball in January and February when it really counts."

The boys will also take part in the Silver Valley Tournament at Wallace High School on Friday and Saturday and host the Post Falls JV team at 7 p.m. next Tuesday.

The wrestling team opens the season with a dual at Sandpoint at 6 p.m. Friday. Four wrestlers that competed at state are back for the Spartans. Hayden Sorbel (98 pounds), Keith Poirier (120), Aidan Troumbley (120) and Bradley Bennett (160) all went 1-2 at state last season and were eliminated on the first day.

That group will be looking to best those performances this winter and help Priest River contend for a district title.

The Spartans will be without Truxton Wilson, who graduated. He took home a third-place finish at state last season.

The Priest River girls basketball team will also take the court tonight. The Spartans (0-4) will be looking for their first win of the season when they host Wallace at 4:30 p.m.

Fans will not be able to attend any of these events. For now, all Priest River home games this winter will be livestreamed on the NFHS Network. A subscription costs $10.99 per month.