With one minute to go in the class 6A state championship basketball game, a chorus of “We are the Champions” from the Pound escorted the Blue Valley Northwest basketball starting five off the floor. Seniors Kyle Harrison, Clayton Custer, Ben Richardson, Vince Fritz and David Salach all embraced their head coach, who had been teaching and mentoring them since they were in grade school.

“I wanted to end on the right note,” head coach Ed Fritz said. “And we did.”

Moments later the final buzzer sounded and the Pound’s screams of delight reached pandemonium as the  team was deemed 6A state champions for the second year in a row. As senior Clayton Custer said at the conclusion of the game, it was only fitting for this year’s senior class to face EKL rival BVN in the championship game. After a close first quarter, the Huskies pulled away to take a 27-point victory over the Mustangs, 73-46.

“I’m happy that we won,” Custer said. “To be able to do it again is awesome. It’s not easy to do it twice in a row. So for us to be able to do it again was awesome.”

The Mustangs kept the score close in the first quarter, taking their only lead about halfway through after a transition layup. Once the Huskies found their groove, however, they began to pull away. Custer concluded the first quarter with a smooth pull up at the free throw line to give the Huskies a 16-14 lead. 

“The state championship game is pretty intense going in,” senior Ben Richardson said. “Plus we played our rival so that adds some pressure to it.”

BVNW was definitely shooting better from beyond the arch and this was proved from multiple treys by junior Dalton Schoen, senior Kyle Harrison and Richardson. BVN called a timeout early in the quarter to try and gather themselves, but the Huskies were on a roll. Custer ended the quarter once again by sinking two free throws with four seconds to go, and the Huskies entered halftime with a six point lead.

The team exited the locker room to go on a 10-0 run against the Mustangs after both Harrison and Fritz netted threes. BVNW also turned up pressure defensively and forced several turnovers that transitioned into layups or open jumpers. After Custer completed an almost uncontested drive to the hole, North once again called a timeout to try and refocus. At this point, the Huskies had established a significant lead. At the end of the quarter, BVN failed to convert on a buzzer beating play and the Huskies went into the fourth quarter leading 52-36.

The fourth quarter marked the last quarter the Husky seniors would be playing together, and it was obvious they were determined to go out with a boom. Multiple shots rang in from beyond the arc and drives were finished against contesting North defenders. With a  minute to go in the game, Fritz exited his five starters from the floor to a standing ovation. 60 seconds later the Huskies were deemed the 6A state champions.

“The game was awesome,” Richardson said. “I think we played really well, it was a good culmination of our career, in my opinion, because everyone played their best basketball tonight. I think that was the perfect way for our last game together to end.”

According to Richardson and Custer, while it has not exactly hit yet, it’s sad they will no longer be playing together.

“It’s super sad that it has to end,” Custer said. “But for us to finish out on top was the coolest thing that has ever happened to me.”