LAFAYETTE ― Tri-County boys basketball coach Trev Parker made it his goal of getting his team a regional title after accepting the role in 2024.
And that’s what the towns of Wolcott and Remington will remember after Parker’s second season as head coach.
Tri-County won its first IHSAA regional title in 13 attempts and extended its string of sectional championship runs to four straight. They were unable to add a semi-state trophy to the collection, however, running into a buzzsaw from Triton, 78-46, in an IHSAA Class 1A semi-state semifinal game Saturday, March 21 at Jefferson High School.
“I’m very proud of these guys,” Parker said. “They created their own legacy here and I thought they set a great example for the younger generation. Giving them something to look up to. Our community is great and these little kids have looked up to these guys. They look up to these guys. We set a new standard here and I’m proud of.”
Senior Trey Foster finished with 16 points while playing through a broken elbow he suffered in the final two weeks before the start of the playoffs. Senior 6-foot-7 Clayton Atkinson was confined at times to the trainer’s room because of an aching calf and Achilles injury in the week leading into semi-state.
“Those guys have battled through injuries the last half of the season,” Parker said.
Combined with Triton’s experience of reaching the IHSAA Class 1A semi-state, and the fall of Tri-County almost felt inevitable. Triton jumped to an 11-2 run in the opening 3:51 and never relented in its aggression or ability to cut and drive to the basket.
Tri-County didn’t score its first basket until Atkinson finished a layup and the Cavaliers were already trailing 17-6.
“We didn’t respond to the physicality well early on,” Parker said. “We have to respond to that, and we have to hit shots. A little bit comes from the fact that this was a big moment for us. We’ve never been here before. That played a part as well, but we have to respond to the physicality. We didn’t today.”
Five players from Triton reached double figures, led by sophomore Jamison Swanson and senior Gage Riffle with 14 points, senior Landon Patrick added 13 points, sophomore Brayden Wood scored 12 points and senior Jayden Overmyer led with 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting. Triton shot a combined 59.6% from the floor.
Tri-County (16-11) graduates seven players, including triplets Trey, Nick and Drew Foster. Drew added 11 points and starting point guard Gabe Miller added 10 points.
For Miller, there was nothing but gratitude. He went from being on the end of the bench at Central Catholic, to a starter at Faith Christian but became a star at Tri-County.
“Back in the summer, we set our goal of making it to state,” Miller said. “Do what’s never been done before. Win a regional. We accomplished that goal. It sucks to go out like that, but we battled through adversity all year. This is a great group of guys, and I transferred twice trying to find a home. I’m just glad I got to spend my final year with some of the guys. All of us battled this year and I’m glad that I got to spend this year with this group of guys.”
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Tri-County boys basketball historic IHSAA playoff run ends in semi-state
Reporting by Ethan Hanson, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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