The Princeton boys basketball team has won four straight regional championships, the first time in school history.

And even though they may have lost a lot of firepower from last year’s sectional finalists, the way the Tigers look at it, the regional is theirs until someone takes it away from them.

“I think we’re really going to surprise a lot of people,” senior Jackson Mason said. “We can go as far as we want to. We’re all here for each other. As long as we play for each other, we can go all the way.”

Seventh-year coach Jason Smith said not to be too fast to overlook this year’s edition of the Tigers.

“That (the doubts) is valid to a certain point, but you can’t place expectations on guys you’ve never seen play. There’s inexperience, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play basketball,” Smith said. “They’re going to surprise a lot of people with their basketball IQ and their basketball talent, I think the Tiger program is in good hands and in good shape.”

This year’s team will indeed have a new look. Gone are all-time leading scorer Noah LaPorte, now playing football for Northwestern, sharp-shooter Jordan Reinhardt and running mates Asa Gartin and Luke Smith, the top four scorers from last year’s sectional finalists.

Senior guard Gavin Lanham is the lone returning starter and top scorer back. Along with Mason, also returning are seniors Ryan Jagers, Stiehl Brokaw and Daniel Barnes and sophomore Jack Oester, all of whom saw limited playing time a year ago.

There are three senior newcomers. Tyler Forristall returns after sitting out last year, Owen Hartman is back in action after sitting out last year due to a football injury and Cayden Benavidez moves up from the JV.

Juniors moving up are Hayden Sayler, Brody Ross and Michel Sanchez. Sophomores Deacon Gutshall and Jake Harris, and promising freshman Julian Mucha out of Princeton Christian Academy will also contribute to the quest to keep the streak alive.

“Obviously by looking at our roster, we are young and somewhat inexperienced. We will rely on Gavin, Jackson and Ryan for that leadership,” Smith said. “We had a really good summer. I am looking forward to this group because they are an athletic group that are really basketball smart. I am excited to see the growth from November to mid-January.

“They all work extremely hard and are all very coachable. The coaching staff really likes what we see early on. I am very excited to see where this goes.”

Mason liked where the Tigers stood in the first week of practice.

“We’re showing a lot of good work on our defense and then on offense we’re moving really well right now,” he said. “Especially in the first week, with a bunch of young guys, like our coaches, you can ask them, too, they haven’t really had to stop us and show us what we’re doing wrong. Instead, they stop us and show us what we’re doing correctly and keep us after it.”

The Tigers will open the season at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24 against host Ottawa at the Dean Riley Shootin’ the Rock Thanksgiving Tournament. They will also face Pontiac (Nov. 25) and Sterling (Nov. 28) in pool play heading into the finals round on Saturday, Nov. 29.

The sophomores also play their own tournament at Ottawa against the same pool of opponents.