2024 was a sports year filled with momentous records, historic seasons and crazy losses.
Lapwai’s Kase Wynott — now with Washington State — and his all-time Idaho prep basketball scoring record took the spot as our top Tribune and Daily News sports story of 2024.
Here’s a look at Nos. 2-10:
No. 2: Idaho and Washington State lose their football coaches days apart
Both Palouse college football coaches, Jason Eck of Idaho and Jake Dickert of Washington State, got new jobs four days apart in December.
After leading the Idaho Vandals to a third straight Football Championships Subdivision playoff appearance, Eck left Moscow for Albuquerque, N.M., to take over the New Mexico football program.
Four days later, Dickert hopped on a private plane out of the Pullman-Moscow Regional Aiport and took the helm of Wake Forest.
Eck’s Mountain West gig was met with considerably more fanfare than Dickert’s Atlantic Coast Conference post as Eck took the job the day after the Vandals had lost to Montana State in the FCS quarterfinals, capping off the most successful three seasons in recent Idaho history.
Dickert’s departure occurred nine days ahead of the Cougars’ participation in the Holiday Bowl.
The third-year WSU coach won eight games in 2024, but his tenure ended with three straight losses by a combined margin of seven points to three teams with losing records.
Idaho hired former assistant Thomas Ford Jr. as its next head coach on Dec. 18 and WSU hired South Dakota State coach Jimmy Rogers on Dec. 28.
No. 3: Kendrick football dynasty continues at a higher classification with its fourth straight state title
The Kendrick football team doesn’t shy away from competition, consistently assembling one of the strongest nonconference 8-man schedules in the state. The Tigers faced an even tougher slate in 2024 after moving up to the 2A classification.
Despite the jump, Kendrick’s football dynasty remained intact as the team secured its fourth consecutive state championship with a commanding 50-14 victory over Butte County (Arco) Nov. 22 at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.
Kendrick started the season 6-0 overall, extending its win streak to 31 games over three years.
The Tigers outscored their opponents 396-42 in their first six games. But the team’s winning ways came to an end with a 30-18 loss to Class 2A Whitepine League foe Logos of Moscow on Oct 18.
Kendrick (11-1) never faltered again. The Tigers rattled off five consecutive wins, including a 52-26 redemption victory over the Knights in the state semifinals at the Kibbie Dome on Nov.16.
Kendrick was led by senior Sawyer Hewett, a University of Idaho signee who racked up 1,305 all-purpose yards, scored 29 touchdowns and was named the Class 2A player of the year. Coach Zane Hobart earned coach of the year honors, while junior receiver Ralli Roetcisoender tallied 887 receiving yards and 16 TDs.
All-state linemen Brock Broyer, Wyatt Cook (seven sacks), and linebacker Xavier Carpenter anchored Kendrick’s defense.
No. 4: Lewis-Clark State baseball misses out on NAIA World Series for the first time since the 1990s
Lewis-Clark State baseball and its history of hosting and often winning or contending for the title in the NAIA World Series have amounted to a cultural touchstone in the Tribune readership area for the past several decades.
It was thus something of a collective shock to the valley’s system when the Warriors failed to qualify for the Series this past spring, setting up the first LC State-free NAIA championships since 1998.
Having finished the regular season on a 16-game winning streak, the Warriors faltered when it mattered most, going 3-4 in the postseason. LCSC first fell twice to Bushnell in the Cascade Conference Tournament, then suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of Arizona Christian and UBC to see its season end in NAIA Opening Round action — all games played on its vaunted home turf at Harris Field.
No. 5: Clarkston’s Joel Dahmen makes PGA Tour bubble with an epic finish in his final tournament of the year
Fans of Clarkston pro golfer Joel Dahmen sure were in for an exciting finish to the PGA Tour fall season.
Needing to sink a 5-foot par putt to make the cut, an eagle with a sand wedge and a final-round of 6-under 64 at the RSM Classic in November, Dahmen delivered on all fronts.
The result was a narrow finish just inside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup fall standings to keep his full PGA Tour card for another year.
Dahmen was emotional after hearing he’d made the bubble and now his fans and family will get to watch him compete on the biggest stage for at least one more year.
No. 6: Idaho football goes undefeated at home for the first time in 28 years and reaches 10 wins for the first time since 1993
During Jason Eck’s three-year tenure as the coach of the Idaho football team, the Vandals developed a habit of breaking long-standing droughts — some dating back to when Nitro was beating Raw during the “Monday Night Wars” of professional wrestling.
That trend continued for UI this season, with a 10-win campaign, its first since 1993. The Vandals also went undefeated at home (6-0) for the first time in 28 years.
Idaho qualified for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the third consecutive year. But its season came to a close with a 52-19 loss to Big Sky foe and top-ranked Montana State in the quarterfinals Dec. 13.
No. 7: Clarkston’s Rebecca Skinner, headed to WSU, surpasses 100 career goals
