With the final tournaments played, All-Conference teams selected and the All-Star games in the books, Idaho high school basketball is officially wrapped up for the 2023-2024 season.  While most everyone is moving on to the next season of sports, there are a few people that are still sifting through the last few months of basketball.  

From the outside, a sports season lasts just the designated time on the calendar, but for the coaches that are developing a program, it lasts all year long.  In the weeks following their season, they will take the time to go over what worked and what didn’t, where their team excelled and where their weaknesses are.  From that, they begin putting together the pieces for the upcoming year to help their teams to grow and progress.  And as they did so, the coaches from Malad High shared some final comments of their season.

Lady Dragon Head Coach Trevor Jones shared, “We had so many highlights and so much progress this year. I have to say that beating the Soda Springs Cardinals on our home court and having the crowd storm the court was a special moment. We hadn’t beaten them at our home court for over 13 years. The girls grew together as a family and really looked out for each other. They trusted each other.  Whether on the court or on the bench, they cheered each other on.   

“This year we became a team that put the state on alert.  The Lady Dragons started the season 11-0 and had been in the state rankings top five all year long.  They averaged 58+ points a game, with over 10 games in the high 60’s or 70’s . They put up the highest score in school history at 77 points.  Winning the Ririe tournament in December was also a defining moment. It was very similar to a state experience having 3 games back to back to back. We beat Canyon conference champions, the Declo Hornets, in the championship game. 

“The Lady Dragons had a tough schedule and were able to knock off seven different teams that had beat them the previous year along with several 3A and 4A schools. It was great to see the direct results of hard work. 

“Malad’s few losses came from state tournament teams and all of Malad’s losses were by single digits.  We always tell our players those tight games come down to effort, to a couple missed shots, a few more defensive stops, diving for one more loose ball, hustle plays, a box out, a few more rebounds, free throws, or one less turnover.  Those losses will do a lot to help our team continue to grow

“We learned a lot as coaches this year as well, things like how to have better subbing rotations, different defensive looks, better play calls, and end game scenarios. We all grew and learned a lot this year. Most importantly, as coaches,  we want the girls to know we really are proud of them. They are resilient and just keep fighting. That’s all you can ask for.  It gives them a chance every time they step on the court and will carry that through life’s trials. 

“It was truly a heartbreaking way to end the season but we plan on learning from it and working hard to prepare for next season! 

“We would also like to thank all the fans this year.  The energy of the home games, especially senior night, was incredible and the girls loved to put on a show! Special thanks to the drill team, cheerleaders and the band. They really combine to make an extraordinary atmosphere to play in. 

“We have 18-20 girls coming back and a middle school group that is up and coming as well. Our seniors are going to be hard to replace. They are great examples on and off the floor. Hallie and Oakley led the team with their athleticism, positive attitudes and inclusivity. They will be missed but have left the program in a great place!” 

MHS boys basketball Head Coach Zach Beutler shared, “In the second year of installing our system and philosophy the guys took a big step towards buying in and a good portion of them put significant off-season work in. We saw that growth as we analyzed out team KPIs [key performance indicators], which were:

FT +6%

FG +6%

3pt +3%

TOV -6% (we had 6% fewer 

    turnovers)

Assists +31%

A/TOV +25%

Steals +18%

PPG +30%

Point margin went from -14 to -6

“Looking at these statistics removes emotion around a season and provides an objective snapshot of the progress made year over year. This is a substantial step in the right direction. 

“The 5 seniors are great young men. We as a staff have seen their capacities grow as basketball players but more importantly as human beings. We aren’t sending them off with a perfect understanding of basketball or life but we are sending them off with confidence in their ability to navigate the next chapter of life with more resilience and perspective than they had prior to our time working together.

“For next season the plans are already in place. Team camp, practices, scrimmages and tournaments are on the calendar for off-season and the schedule is set for next winter.  We will be the youngest program in the district next season however we are confident in the crew we have and will look to make another step upward as a program. 

“The efforts of Trisha Beutler, Chet Keetch & Byron Bott with the middle school teams and the countless parents that have jumped in to coach 1st-6th grade youth teams will continue to aid in providing a consistent positive experience for the young men of our community. 

“We strongly believe that organized athletics are an exceptional vehicle to facilitate learning essential life skills that are transferable to becoming a better and more productive individual in family, community, school, workplace relationships and all future pursuits. 

“2A basketball has changed drastically over the last 20 years. To be competitive at our level it is an absolute that you have 5 skill players on the floor at all times. The IQ, personal skill set and team chemistry required to be competitive continues to increase at an exponential rate. We are excited to continue to build a healthy boys basketball program in Oneida County.”

Speaking of future Dragon basketball JV Coach Zack Jeppson added, “We are very proud of our JV team this year.  The record doesn’t show it, but the progress they made throughout the year was very promising and exciting to see. We were pretty young considering the JV’s across the district and the out of district teams. Every game we played was a hard fought battle and our boys never gave up. Even with being younger and outsized every game, their attitude and work ethic kept them in every game and gave them chances to win. We are excited for the future with these boys and what they can accomplish as they continue working hard and being coachable.”