The end of March also marked the end of the Malad Middle School boys basketball season.  The long season was a successful one for the Knights, both on the scoreboard as well as their learning, improvement and satisfaction. 

The 7th grade team, coached by Trisha Beutler and Austin Tubbs, ended their season with a 15-1 record and as district champions.  The 8th grade team, coached by Byron Bott and Kevin Winsor, finished with an 8-8 record and in second place of the district tournament.

Coach Beutler shared of their season, “The one loss [for the 7th grade team] was a single digit deficit to Preston on account of some uncharacteristic breakdowns on the offensive and defensive end. We were eager for another matchup, but they opted not to play us at home.  

“We reached out to an equally tough Bear River team to fill the last spot on our schedule.  We came out strong and played sound team ball and were able to secure a victory over a bigger, more athletic team.  

“During their younger years we spent a significant amount of time working on how to function and navigate in the half court on both sides of the ball.  The past couple of years we layered in transition offense as well as some full court pressure.  They pushed the ball extremely well this year and played excellent team ball.  They have great team chemistry and were always willing to give up a good shot for a better one.  They were all contributors and genuinely excited for each other.  

“Before the tournament we talked about trust, being a giver and having fun doing it - and that’s just what they did.  They are a joy to watch and play the best kind of basketball - selfless and composed.”

Adding about the 8th grade team Coach Beutler said, “The 8th grade boys finished the season with a second place finish at district. They beat Soda Springs handily in the first round, after losing to them in the first round of the tournament the previous year.  The coaches talked a lot about believing.  Believing in each other, believing they could do hard things, believing they could win.  

“One of the highlights of the year was when they played West Side at home.  Prior to this game, they lost to West Side at West Side in a pretty disappointing game in terms of their decision making and lack of resilience. However, in the home match up they came out at half with a 30 point deficit and after digging deep and demonstrating belief, they fought their way back into the game, cutting that lead to 4 points and ending the game with only 4 players on the court on account of foul trouble.  

“Although, they fell short of the win - this game was a huge victory for these boys as they fought until the buzzer. You could see the confidence in their eyes as they began to BELIEVE that they could win.”  

The season schedule included district teams: Soda Springs, Aberdeen and West Side and non-district teams: Grace Lutheran, Bear Lake, Marsh Valley, Snake River, Preston and Bear River.