FARMINGTON, Minn. -- Two seasons removed from a state tournament trip Farmington boys basketball features a group of athletes keen on making their own mark. The Tigers graduated six seniors and the bulk of their scoring from the 2024-25 team that went 15-13 against a tough schedule that included seven games against teams that went to state.

Benny Fenske likes the chemistry with his fellow seniors, "A lot of us grew up playing together. If we go out there and play as a team, I feel that's the way that we're going to be able to compete.

"There's definitely a special bond, not only on the court. Outside of basketball we're all pretty good friends. We all hang out. On the court we all have key components that we contribute to the team. We all have special talents and abilities that we've been given."

Senior guard Blake Johnson says the offense needs to move the ball effectively, "Pass that ball around. Get good movement. I feel like last year we had a lot of (isolation). We want to be more like a team offensively. Get good shots. Pass up good shots to get great shots."

He says the players that come into this season with some varsity experience from last year can pull the others along, "We've done a good job just getting everyone else prepared and ready. Briggs (Sheridan) has had two years of varsity experience now. He's definitely one of our big players that we're looking for to have a big year this year.

"I think we did a good job this offseason working with summer league and fall league getting ready. We'll be prepared," assures Johnson.

FHS is looking to replace scoring from Class of '25 grads Ryan Beckwith (14 points per game in '24-'25 according to StribVarsity), Cole Wilcek (13 points per game), Marshall Gordon (13 points per game) and Nik Domier (11 points per game).

Beckwith is playing basketball at Dakota State University (Madison, SD). Wilcek is at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Domier is at Hamline. Gordon is on the baseball roster at Minnesota State University-Mankato.

Coach Tharen Johnson likes what returns, "This year's seniors are a strong group, and we got a good junior class behind them.

"We return (junior) Briggs Sheridan at center, 6-9, 6-10 kid, who's getting heavily recruited by colleges. He can definitely put the ball in the hole down low, and he's got a nice three-point shot as well."

Unfortunately, the team lost Tommy Schabert for the season due to a football injury, which could put the defense to the test, "We're going to have to play a little quicker this year.

"We got a quick team. All the guys are pretty athletic and move. And we still got Briggs down low to anchor our defense. We're going to have to pick up the pace a little bit and use our guards to pressure out on the perimeter," says Johnson.

Sheridan is prepared for his bigger role after working with the upperclassmen the last couple of years, "Big man on the team. I think we have a pretty good team this year. I learned a lot from all those seniors last year. They definitely played a big role in me getting a lot better and getting a lot stronger.

"We play through the middle a lot. We definitely feed off all the energy of everybody." As a sophomore he averaged almost ten points a game.

He is excited for the season, "Just getting back into the gym with all the guys. Having everybody back. It's really fun to talk to everybody and be playing with everybody again."

Sheridan looks at the Lakeville and Rochester schools as some of the Tigers' top rivals. FHS lost to eventually section champion John Marshall in the 1AAAA semifinals.

Max Blandin, senior point guard, is very comfortable with his teammates, "I'm excited. I don't really feel pressure. I think it will be good. I know who we got on our team. I'll take us over anybody…I think we can shoot. That will keep us in games."

And when they can work the ball inside to Sheridan, "Having him there, we give him the ball. He's taller than everybody. So, he can just do what he wants down low."

Defensively, Blandin believes, "We can all run and jump. We're athletic, fast. We're going to trap teams, cause turnovers, and make them speed up."

Blandin and Johnson are captains along with senior Kale Flees who states, "I think we had really good seniors last year to help us prepare. A lot of them were mentors for us. A lot of us played the same positions as them going into the season. I think we're ready for anything this year.

"I've been playing with these guys since eighth grade. I'm very confident in our guys. Everyone helps each other lift up. There's not just one guy that leads the team. Everyone's a leader for each other. That's a great component of our team."

Klees is ready for the challenge ahead that includes a stout non-conference slate, "I'm really excited to go play Totino-Grace away. That'll be a really tough game. They're going to be a ranked team. They're going to have top players to test us."
The Eagles were state runner-up last season in Class AAA after winning the previous three tournament titles.

FHS begins the season with three straight home games, opening with Section 1AAAA rival Rochester Century on Friday, December 5. Edina comes to town on Tuesday, December 9 and Rosemount rolls in to open South Suburban Conference play on Thursday, December 11. Each game tips at 7 pm.

Fenske says the team soaks up the home atmosphere, "The student section will definitely be good. That will help us win some games. The energy's always there. I feel like it also helps us play better too. We're playing for a crowd, so why not make it fun."

Holiday matchups include Stillwater on Friday, December 26 at 2:45 pm and Rochester Mayo on Saturday, December 27 at 12:30 pm, both at Macalester College in the Capitol City Classic. FHS travels to Rochester Mayo High School on Saturday, January 3 to play defending section champ John Marshall in the Southern Minnesota Hoopfest at 4:45 pm.

The other non-conference games take the Tigers to Chaska on January 22, to Totino-Grace on January 29, and bring Eden Prairie to FHS on February 10.

Johnson says Mayo can be considered a pre-season section favorite along with the Lakeville schools, and he hopes the Tigers as well. JM played mostly seniors last season.

Apple Valley, who went to state last winter, and Eagan, a state team two seasons ago, should challenge for the SSC title. Shakopee, who went to state last season, won the conference in 2024-25. The Tigers were 9-9 in the league finishing sixth.