DILLON — Last March, then first-year Dillon head boys basketball coach Jeff Edwards watched his team add another state title to the Beavers' collection after storming past Lewistown in the Class A championship at the Butte Civic Center.
Previously an assistant under longtime head coach Terry Thomas — who guided Dillon to four state championships during his tenure, as well as four football titles — Edwards still considers his predecessor to be the gold standard of Beaver athletics.
Thomas was in attendance when Dillon claimed its latest basketball crown at the Civic Center.
"I was with (Thomas) a long time and I still consider him the best that'll ever do it," said Edwards. "For him to be able to sit behind the bench, it was a really special deal."
And there was of course some personal enjoyment for Edwards, a Columbus native, after guiding the Beavers to the summit in his first year at the helm.
"It was just a whole lot of enjoyment, a lot of thankfulness. Being able to celebrate with my teammates and my coaching staff and my community. It was a dream come true that I'll never forget," he said.
The Beavers earned their 11th state title in March and, as they head into the 2024-25 season with aspirations of making it an even dozen, they've gone back to the drawing board as they look to design a strategy that accounts for the void left by graduated all-conference players Cooper Anderson, Kee Christiansen and Max Davis.
"We're just back to the basics, back to where we started," said senior forward Carter Curnow, a Montana State football commit. "Get a little bit better every day. Work on the fundamentals, lock those down."
That sentiment was echoed by fellow senior forward Kyler Engellant who has received collegiate offers from both hometown Montana Western as well as Montana Tech and is still weighing his decision.
"I think just having the mindset that nothing we did last year matters," said Engellant. "We gotta work at it again. Everything resets for everyone."
Dillon will open its season on Friday against Bigfork at the Western A Tip-Off Tournament in Frenchtown. The Beavers' home opener is Tuesday when they host Butte.
