They played in the biggest game in Class B boys’ basketball last season and the Aberdeen Christian Knights are now on a mission to get back.

While Christian lost two starters from that runner-up squad, the Knights return plenty of firepower and motivation heading into the upcoming campaign.

“Anytime you bring multiple starters back from a team that gets to state and then makes a deep run, obviously, there’s a lot to be excited about,” said Christian coach David Rohrbach. “It’s a really talented group and a hard-working group.”

The team will be led by returning starters Malek Wieker, Ethan Russell and Jackson Isakson. The open spots in the lineup will likely be filled by Kaden Clark and Andrew Brennan who were the first two players off the bench last season. Abe Holscher also saw major minutes before getting injured.

All six of the players are juniors. There are no seniors on the team.

“We’re really excited that we don’t have any seniors, but we have six upperclassmen,” Rohrbach said. “We feel like we bring back a very experienced group and then we still get them for another year.”

Additional help will come from Blake Rich, Joey Johnson, Konnar Furman.

The Knights will be a bit smaller than last year, but will still be taller than most B squads with six players at least 6-foot-3 or taller. Not only that, but Rohrbach believes his team will be even quicker that last season.

“One of the big things we had last year is we were long, especially for a Class B school, we were big to say the least,” Rohrbach said. “We’ll still be fairly long. I think with the guys that will fill in, I think we’ll be a little bit quicker and play faster. Even with us being long and big last year, we liked to get out and run which I think we’ll run even more this year.”

Rohrbach said playing in last year’s state title game will definitely carry over to this season.

Not only does it generate momentum, it also carries the experience of knowing what it takes to play at that level in the post season.

“You know what it feels like. You know what it takes,” Rohrbach said. “Then to bring so many guys back who not just saw how it’s done but were a part of getting that accomplished, is not just something to build off, but it just does something for your program. To bring those guys back is huge.”

Rohrbach said the players realize what the expectations are heading into the upcoming season and a lot of those expectations are self imposed.

“They’re the biggest chasers of excellence themselves,” Rohrbach said. “They have the highest expectations and standards set for themselves. As a collective whole we want to get back.”

That said, there is plenty of work to be done before the post-season games take place in March. Rohrbach said seed points are crucial and that the squad needs to treat each game with significance and not look too far down the road.

“That’s why we preach defense so much,” he said. “That travels and that stays when your shots aren’t going, when you’re having an off night. You can rely on that and defense is a lot about your attitude, your effort.”

The Knights, who open their season Saturday on the road against James Valley Christian, have a demanding schedule which includes four classics, one in which they will face a squad from Tennessee.

Christian, which also qualified for state two years ago before COVID wiped out the tourney, will likely once again have a target on its back each time it steps on the floor this year, but it’s something that the Knights embrace, according to Rohrbach.

“I think what really helps is these last couple of years of being there, you know you’re going to get everyone’s best shot,” Rohrbach said. “I think the kids want that pressure. Now they want that standard of being the hunted instead of being the hunter.”