The Lewiston High School boys basketball team ended the season strong with an overall win rate of 16-8.
They ranked third in the Inland Empire and made it far into the state qualification process, with the Bengals losing a close game against Meridian with a final score of 55-54. The Bengals had some stand-out players this year, such as Rylan Gomez, named Junior of the Year by Inland Empire Media. Carson Way (senior) was named P1FCU Athlete of the Week, and Parker Cushman-Bogar was known for his role as the only sophomore on a team of juniors and seniors.
This year, the Bengals were coached by Brooks Malm, who was hired at LHS this school year. Malm teaches Freshman Success and Pathway Success courses at LHS, and he shared his thoughts on his first season with the team.
Bengal’s Purr: What have you learned this year from coaching?
Brooks Malm: From this season of coaching, I have learned how great of a community Lewiston is and how much potential this program has moving forward.
BP: What are your core values as a coach?
BM: As a coach I try to be brutally honest with our players. I think that being brutally honest and open to confrontation makes our program unique in today’s world. I think that it builds a genuine bond and a high level of trust.
BP: What are you most proud of this season?
BM: I am most proud that in every game we lost, our kids ran off the floor. This takes a level of humility rarely seen in today’s society and a commitment to building something special. This was my favorite team I have ever been around. I was lucky and extremely blessed to be around this group of young men.
BP: What do you hope the team improves for the next season?
BM: I hope that each of our players improves and adds something to their game during the off-season. By doing so, that means they have spent a lot of time becoming a better basketball player. You can’t cheat success.