Perham finished third at last spring's Class 2A state tournament and then said goodbye to two seniors who graduated, the school's career scoring leader Jensen Beachy and 1,000-point scorer Josh Jeziorski.
That didn't mean the No. 5-2A Yellowjackets also said goodbye to their state tournament aspirations for the next season.
With juniors Finn Diggins (20.3) and Elijah Morris (11.8 ppg), and senior Charlie Rasmussen (19.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 3.5 steals per game) waiting in the wings, Perham (7-0, 2-0) came into this season with plenty of skill and confidence.
Maranatha Christian also experienced heavy between-season losses, starting with its coach. Former Gopher Ariel McDonald has stepped in to replace Robert Ware to pilot a talented young team looking for its first state tournament berth since 2015.
Freshman twins Matthew and Isaiah Bluford, and Bailey McDonald, another ninth-grader, give the Mustangs (4-3, 0-0) good young depth while seniors Hakim Daniels (13 ppg) and Maciah Harut (13.7 ppg) lead the way. Sophomore Jeremiah LaVelle averages 12.3 points.
Maranatha Christian is looking up at No. 6-2A Minneapolis North in Class 2A, Section 5, but Saturday's game at the Crossover Classic could be a state tournament preview.