Gold Standard: Beulah Sets the Bar in Class A

The Beulah Miners enter the 2025-26 season as the clear preseason No. 1 in Class A. The Miners are a perennial powerhouse in Region 4, they are a fixture at the State Tournament — and all signs point to another trip to March's big stage. Under the high-quality leadership of head coach Brandon Schirado, this year's squad is deep, skilled, confident, and built to win.   The Miners will be fueled by a dynamic backcourt featuring the Schirado brothers — Braylen and Benny — two stellar lead guards who will control tempo, create offense, light it up from three, and set the tone on both ends of the floor. The future of the program is also bright with young talent like [player_tooltip player_id='2631384' first='Philip' last='Weidner'], a rising star who will have a huge impact. In the paint, [player_tooltip player_id='1355919' first='Bennett' last='Larson'] returns to Beulah to anchor the interior — the rugged presence who blocks shots, clears rebounds, and thrives doing the gritty, essential work that Championship teams depend on.   Beyond the headline names, Beulah also boasts a roster of dependable role players who know their assignments and embrace winning basketball. These glue guys bring toughness, intelligence, hustle, and effort — the intangibles that transform a strong team into a great one.   The Miners are positioned for a memorable run, and Prep Hoops Dakotas is excited to follow every step of their journey. The road to the Class A crown runs through Beulah — and everyone in the state knows it!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/beauluahminer-2.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/beauluahminer-2.jpg?w=854" alt="" class="wp-image-3143121" style="width:164px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/HoopsPreview-crop-646x424-1763435049.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/HoopsPreview-crop-646x424-1763435049.jpg?w=645" alt="" class="wp-image-3072387" style="width:165px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   School: Beulah   Mascot: Miner   Head Coach: Brandon Schirado   Athletic Director: Jason Simpfenderfer   Class: A   Region: 4   Player To Watch   *Comments from Coach Schirado   [player_tooltip player_id='1355920' first='Braylen' last='Schirado'] 6'1” Senior Guard - "Braylen is coming off a first-team All-State performance last season and we expect big things again from him. He excels in shooting and scoring, but he is also a very good passer and will be looked upon to add to his playmaking this year. He is an ultimate competitor. He is our leader on and off the floor. One thing that separates him is feel and knowledge of the game.  He has been an integral piece to the past 3 teams in Beulah and has a wealth of postseason experience."   [player_tooltip player_id='1355919' first='Bennett' last='Larson'] 6'8” Senior Center - "After playing in Stanley the past 2 seasons, Bennett and his family have returned to Beulah. He has a relentless motor, rebounds very well and is a shot blocker. He is a very smart defensive player. We hope he can establish himself as a top interior player on both ends of the floor in class A for us."   [player_tooltip player_id='2631417' first='Shane' last='Schmidt'] 6'1” Senior Guard - "Shane came on strong in the 2nd half of the season for us. He is a physical player who can guard bigger players than himself. He can hit the perimeter shot and put the ball on the floor. He can do a lot of things for us."   [player_tooltip player_id='2428677' first='Bensyn' last='Schirado'] 5'10” sophomore Guard - "Benny had a very strong postseason run for us and spends a lot of time on his game. He can handle the ball well, is a good shooter, and is a fearless defender for his size. He will be asked to step up his game to another level for us this year."   [player_tooltip player_id='2631384' first='Philip' last='Weidner'] 6'4” freshman Forward - "Phillip was thrust into the lineup last year as an 8th grader and continued to develop and gain confidence all year. He had a tremendous offseason. Phillip is a very good athlete. He has a nose for the ball and is a tenacious rebounder. He will continue to be one to watch as he gets older and rounds out his skillset."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2508303" style="width:232px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Brandon Schirado   PHD: How would you sum up last season?   "Last year, we were very young and had very little experience returning. However, our guys really worked hard all season, and we found ourselves peaking at the right time. We ended up taking 2nd in the Region and winning a play-in game to get back to State. It was a very satisfying year for us, and it helped fuel us for the offseason."   PHD: Does your program/team have any non-negotiables?   "Our motto is to be “Tough, Gritty and Connected.” I think that kind of sums things up. It covers a lot of things we want in our guys."   PHD: What will your defense "hang its hat on"?   "Really tough man-to-man defense has been our calling card. We hope it stays that way."   PHD: How does this year's team differ from last year's?   "We are a lot more experienced this year with most of our lineup returning. We really struggled at times last year to rebound and we think that will be a strong point for us this year, especially with [player_tooltip player_id='1355919' first='Bennett' last='Larson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2631384' first='Philip' last='Weidner'] playing together."   PHD: How did the offseason go for your team/program?   "We had a decent offseason. We had 4 guys in the AAU circuit, which was beneficial. We attended 3 team camps, hosted a skills camp, and had summer workouts. I think the biggest key to our offseason was the weight room. We had a lot of guys that got stronger. We identified that as a real focus at the end of last year and I think we got better in that regard."   PHD: Who are some players you expect to take on expanded roles this season?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2631384' first='Philip' last='Weidner'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2631417' first='Shane' last='Schmidt']. I think they will both take a jump this year. Both really came on strong at the end of last year."   PHD: Who are a few of your top defensive players?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1355919' first='Bennett' last='Larson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2631384' first='Philip' last='Weidner'] are good in the interior and both have excellent motors."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2428677' first='Bensyn' last='Schirado'] is a gritty on-ball defender. He has also gotten stronger this year. That will help."   PHD: Who are a couple of up-and-comers to look out for?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2889776' first='Chase' last='Hetzler'] is a sophomore guard that had a nice offseason. He had a strong JV season last year and will be in our rotation this year and will be a big piece the next 2 years for us. He is a talented guard."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2631384' first='Philip' last='Weidner'] is a freshman that will make some noise this year because of how hard he plays.  He is athletic and got stronger as well. He has a very bright future."   PHD: What style of play can fans expect on both ends of the floor?    "I think we have a lot of players that can score this year, and we hope to take advantage of that. I also expect us to defend at a high level. We just really want to be the hardest-working team every night in the gym and hopefully that comes to fruition."   PHD: Who do you think will be your best rebounders?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2631384' first='Philip' last='Weidner'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1355919' first='Bennett' last='Larson']-6'4” and 6'8” is probably the biggest reason, but overall they both just have a knack for going after the ball."   PHD: What are your team goals this year?   "Internally, we have some pretty high goals, but right now we just need to get better every single day, take nothing for granted, overlook no one, and take each game one at a time."   PHD: Who are some of the top teams & players in your Region?   "I really think we have a very balanced region where anyone can beat anyone.  There are tremendous coaches in our region and every one of them can put together a game plan to make their opponents struggle, there are a lot of really nice players as well, the region is a toss-up.  The top players in no particular order-[player_tooltip player_id='1765803' first='Jaxon' last='Reese']-Killdeer, [player_tooltip player_id='2625159' first='Emerson' last='Simnioniw']-Dickinson Trinity, [player_tooltip player_id='2132776' first='Keaton' last='Batke'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2309400' first='Jaran' last='Reinhardt']-Hazen, [player_tooltip player_id='1510913' first='Carson' last='Quam'], [player_tooltip player_id='2132774' first='Dawson' last='Davis']-Shiloh, Clarence Freeman and [player_tooltip player_id='1951580' first='Lawrence' last='Marshall']-New Town. [player_tooltip player_id='2929890' first='Chasin' last='Harrison']-Standing Rock."   PHD: Can you tell us about an assistant coach?   "Coach Cody Nelson brings so much energy to our team. He loves the game and the team. He is a former Miner player and just really embodies the program. Coach Kelly Huffman has a great demeanor with our kids and is organized and steady. Both guys are invaluable to us."   PHD: Any last comments about the upcoming season?   "We return a lot of experience. We understand that we will not be sneaking up on anyone. It will be a battle every day to get better. Our schedule is very tough, and it will be a grind. We really hope to represent our school and community in the highest way possible. Hopefully, we are peaking at the right time and continue to keep our program standards very high."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE MINERS!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/beauluahminer-2.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/beauluahminer-2.jpg?w=854" alt="" class="wp-image-3143121" /></a></figure>

The Beulah Miners enter the 2025-26 season as the clear preseason No. 1 in Class A. The Miners are a perennial powerhouse in Region 4, they are a fixture at the State Tournament — and all signs point to another trip to March's big stage. Under the high-quality leadership of head coach Brandon Schirado, this year's squad is deep, skilled, confident, and built to win.