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It won’t be easy for the Wildcats’ boys basketball team to replace Dylan Wood, Carter Duncan and Ethan Hickcox, but they started the process against two tough teams to open their season.

Mahtomedi 68, Chisago Lakes 45
The Zephyrs feature Parker Fox, a six-foot, seven-inch wing star, and he was a one-man show against Chisago Lakes in the season opener.

He scored 32 points, only 13 shy of Chisago Lakes’ team total.

Meanwhile, Chisago Lakes struggled as they got no bench production. Senior Trevin Nelson led the ‘Cats with 19 points and Aron Johnson added eight. Arran Hickcox and Thomas Gillach each had six and Will Tinjum had five. They were the starters, and they scored 44 of Chisago Lakes 45 points. Transfer Niles Lee added a free throw for his first points in a Chisago Lakes uniform.

Mahtomedi, meanwhile, had nine players register on the score sheet, highlight by Fox and Shayne Frost, who scored 11 point points.

Rocori 80, Chisago Lakes 69
The offense got going a bit more against Rocori, but the defense couldn’t stop the Spartans throughout.

They scored 45 points in the first half and 35 in the second half for the 8-69 win. Rocori had four players score more than 16 points in the game, led by Derek Thompson’s 19.

Chisago Lakes had four players in double digits, but again, only one player other than the starters scored. Nelson had 16 points to lead the way, Gillach had 13, Tinjum 12 and Eric Thompson had 11 off the bench. Johnson added nine points and Hickcox had eight.

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