“You know, this has been four years in the making,” said South Sevier head coach Tracy Johnson, who now has won his first state championship as a head coach. “They were here as freshman, and they were able to train and work their butts off to earn this title.”

Also Saturday, Charlotte’s Victory Christian rolled to the 1A state championship, beating Crossroads Christian of Henderson, 63-32. Friday night, Rocky Mount Academy finished a 22-0 season by winning the 2A title, 43-37, over Caldwell Academy. On Saturday, top-seeded Grace Christian of Sanford beat Concord Academy, 56-45, in the 3A state final.

Girls Basketball (21-0) expelled the demons of last year as they took down No. 1 Lenox (20-1) with a thrilling 48-41 comeback victory on Saturday to continue the Cinderella season as the MIAA statewide tournament now awaits the Phoenix.