In any given basketball season, lightning can strike.

Sometimes in prep sports a mix of athleticism, chemistry and hard work can come together like a perfect storm, lifting a team out of the pack, spurring it onto greatness.

Capturing that lightning and harnessing that blend of skills and intangibles to create a contender on the state level each year, however, is a different story.

But at Auburn Riverside, coaches have cultivated a winning tradition through planning, hard work and a system designed to motivate student-athletes.

The Ravens’ girls basketball program has achieved greatness, having captured 3A state title in 2007 and 2008 and a 4A crown in 2010.

The program has produced several Division I college athletes, including Katie Grad (Washington State University), Amanda Thomson (Cal State Northridge), Kara Jenkins (Idaho State), Mercedes Wetmore (Washington) and Kat Cooper (Boston College).

Those star players have something in common – they all got their start in the Riverside Youth Basketball program.

Denn Pretz, a 39-year-old Pacific resident, was asked by then Ravens coach Adam Barrett to start a youth program for the girls in 2003. At the time, Pretz had no real coaching experience but wanted to help his daughter, Jelisa, achieve her basketball goals.

“I wasn’t very good at (basketball),” said Pretz, who played at West Seattle High School. “When I was growing up, you played a little rec ball part of the year, and you figured that’s what all the kids did. But it wasn’t enough back then, and it isn’t enough now. I wasn’t able to play too long, but I came back around to basketball once my daughter was involved in sports.”

Committed to starting a youth program, Pretz and Barrett patterned the program after the Oregon City High School powerhouse. The Pioneers – under coaches Brad Smith, Carl Tinsley and Kurt Guelsdorf – have captured three USA Today national championships and 11 state 6A titles since 1991.

Pretz said the seeds of success are planted in the youth program by giving young athletes clear expectations and letting them know what it takes to compete at a high level.

Although Pretz said there is value in more casual programs offered by parks and recreation departments and the YMCA, the goal of the youth program is geared to the more serious athlete.

“The idea is to give our kids a different program,” he said. “It might not be a good fit for everyone, but we just want to let the kids know it’s out there, so the kids can play at a higher level once they get to high school.”

To achieve that success, Pretz teams up with Auburn Riverside coach Terry Johnson to maintain continuity from the youth program to the high school squads.

“They can’t coach the players at certain times and they can’t obligate them at certain times. That’s where I step in,” he said. “They are basically playing basketball every month except August.”

Last year, looking to replicate the success of the girls program, Pretz was asked to expand into boys basketball.

The Riverside Youth Basketball program now includes 75 athletes and eight teams, five boys and three girls.

“I’m excited right now about what this will all mean in a couple of years,” Pretz said. “You want the high school program to be successful. You want them to get something out of it. If they are willing to put that kind of effort into and the parents are supportive, they deserve to get everything out of it that they possibly can. And if you can help them reach that level, you should do that.”