Preston Looking Good Early As A Three Peat Favorite Ahead Of Upcoming Tournament
photo credit: Stanley Brewster/For the Journal
As the reigning 4A back-to-back champion Preston Indians get set to host an early season tournament (kicking off Thursday) with a number of quality teams en route to visit, it is easy to think that this experienced and deep squad is on a fast track to a three peat given their early season success.
Entering the Preston tournament with a 4-0 record that includes wins over Burley, Skyview, Bishop Kelly, and most recently Logan (UT) in a nail biter, the Indians, led by their dynamic duo in Brayden Parker and Derek Wadsworth have put no doubt in teams and fans across the state as the heavy favorite to win yet another state title.
Up next will be a fun and exciting tournament for this Preston team as Sky View (UT), Century, Rocky Mountain, Bonneville, Capital, Rigby and Twin Falls are all set to take part in the festivities. As head coach Tyler Jones, whom is in his 8th season as head coach, leads his team against the formidable competition entering his team’s home floor beginning Thursday, the question of whether or not this team was ready to defend it’s latest state title crown has already been extinguished.
Jones has his team 4-0 and in that span has averaged 69.5 points on offense while only allowing 58.7 points on the defensive side. Already, there have been some impressive outings by some of Jones’ familiar studs as well, including the reigning 4A Player of the Year Brayden Parker. Parker, who has a full-ride offer to Idaho State in tact, has continued his dominant post play early this season and will look continue to do so for the Indians as they roll along their regular season schedule. Parker has had a 15 point showing in his team’s win against Burley as well as a near double-double 12 points, 9 rebounds and two assists in a win over Skyview. Needless to say, Parker is picking up where he left off last season.
In addition to Parker’s noteworthy play, Derek Wadsworth has also impressed. Wadsworth led his team in scoring with 18 points against Burley in their 68-54 win and then finished with a near triple-double 12 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists in the 70-52 victory over Skyview. Wadsworth is crucial to this team’s success and is the floor general a three peat chasing team needs. He has been rock steady so far and that is to be expected going forward for this group.
Another impact player for this group is Chance Hart who can change the game in a number of ways. In their matchup with Skyview, Hart finished with 9 points and 8 rebounds, a stat line in which he can seemingly post on any given night. Flanking the aforementioned trio for the Indians is a very well-rounded group including Britten Atkinson (who dropped 24 points, 3 rebounds and four assists vs. Skyview), Dixon Ware, Kyler Burbank, Riley Parker and Ty Hyde. This team is built to last and really shows no signs of weakness in regards to matching up with fellow 4A opponents.
Looking ahead, Preston will look to continue it’s flawless start as they will next face Twin Falls on Thursday, December 14th to help kick off their Preston Tournament. It will likely be a fifth straight win on the season as Twin Falls has just one victory to their name thus far this season, yet Preston will certainly be tested a number of times this year and perhaps soon with the talent scheduled to enter their building over the weekend. Last season this group dropped just four games however, so don’t be surprised if this squad continues to pile up the w’s in spite of losses.