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PRESTON BOYS BASKETBALL

1st Round

Defeated Parma Girls Basketball (52% to 48%)

Quarterfinals

Defeated Moscow Girls Track and Field (51% to 49%)

Head Coach

Tyler Jones, 15th Season

Key Athletes

Trip Beckstead, 11, F

Kasen Bryce, 11, W

Cruz Harris, 12, F

Reggie Larsen, 12, W

Jake Schumann, 12, G

After a two-year hiatus from the state basketball tournament, the Preston Indians returned to the sport’s biggest stage in triumphant fashion, capping off a 25-1 season with an absolute dismantling of Jerome (first round), Bonneville (semifinals) and Hillcrest (championship).  In the three wins at state, Preston outscored their opponents 202 to 135.

Preston’s only loss on the season came to Class 6A Timberline, and that game was decided by a single point in overtime.  The Indians averaged 64 points per game while allowing only 44 points per contest.

6-foot-5 senior Reggie Larsen was a matchup nightmare for opponents, and was named Player of the Year in Class 5A hoops.  Fellow senior Cruz Harris was a double-double threat every night, and senior point guard Jake Schumann led a steady hand to Preston’s offense and defense.  It all led to Preston’s 11th boys basketball championship in school history.

RIRIE GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

1st Round

Defeated Sandpoint Girls Swimming (85% to 15%)

Quarterfinals

Defeated Bonneville Baseball (59% to 41%)

Head Coach

Pat Bragassa

Key Athletes

Jayci Baxter, 11

Liza Boone, 12

Lucy Boone, 11

Hailey Robson, 11

Lauren Robson, 11

Selecting one Ririe cross country team to highlight was difficult, as head coach Pat Bragassa engineered the Bulldogs to the rare boys-girls championship sweep at this year’s Class 3A meet.  But since the girls had the longer title drought, we’ll give them the nod here.  Ririe’s last boys cross country title came in 1996, while the girls hadn’t finished first since 1994.

Ririe’s girls went undefeated against Idaho teams in the 2024 season.  After finishing second to Soda Springs by a combined five points in 2022 and 2023, Ririe finally overcame the Cardinals, winning by seven points to claim the 2024 crown.

This year’s team featured a pair of sisters in Liza and Lucy Boone, as well as Hailey and Lauren Robson.  Lucy Boone finished second overall, while Liza Boone took fourth.  The rest of the Bulldogs’ lineup finished in the top twenty overall: Lauren Robson at 12th, Jayci Baxter at 18th and Hailey Robson at 20th.