It’s a longtime tradition at Mountlake Terrace High School, but this year’s Jam Session — the annual kickoff of the Hawks’ prep basketball season — will usher in a new era for the Terrace basketball programs.

Jam Session XXIX, set for Tuesday, Nov. 26, will introduce Hawk fans to new Terrace boys’ hoops coach Johnny Phillips after the retirement of former coach and Jam Session co-founder Nalin Sood.

After serving as an assistant coach for 24 years under Sood, Phillips takes over a Hawks’ boys basketball program that in school history has earned 24 state tournament appearances, six top-six trophy finishes at state and one state championship.

While this year’s Jam Session event will again include scrimmages of this season’s boys’ and girls’ Hawk squads, an all-star alumni game and exhibition Terrace wrestling team matches, many will be anxious to hear from Phillips and his focus on continuing the success of the Terrace boys basketball program.

On the girls’ side, Nick Starks returns for his sixth season coaching the Lady Hawks and will introduce a squad that will include many holdovers from a 2023-2024 squad that graduated just three seniors.

Jam Session XXIX, set to begin at 5:30 p.m., will also include performances by the Mountlake Terrace Hawks cheer squad and the Brier Elementary Unicycle Club, music by DJ Tilt, fan contests, and prizes and giveaways. Admission to the event is $5 or $3 with a non-perishable food donation.

Jam Session XXIX is produced by Hawks Student Media and sponsored by MLTnews, HBN, the MTHS Boosters, Terrace Basketball and Ken and Colleen Jones.

— By Doug Petrowski