Having a goal to get a winning season is always valued, but the mission to achieve to the final four in the state is incredibly high. On Saturday, March 3, at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Marquette High School’s varsity boys’ basketball team won their way to the final four for the first time in program history.
Davis Miller, senior, cheered along with his team as he and the other members of the squad shouted with victory in their hearts.
“First thing I wanted to do was hug Mitch Cox (teammate),” Miller said. “It was extremely hard. We practiced every day Monday through Friday from 3-5 and we watched film on “Hudl (sports website with game film for athletes to watch)” every night.”
Miller said that he and the team knew they were hot to advance to districts and further. However, Miller said the feeling of advancing to the final four was incredible.
“This was one of the best moments of my life,” Miller said. “I will remember this game forever. It is the best thing since sliced bread.”
Matt Bowlin, senior, was just as happy as his teammates as he watched the clock countdown to 0 in the final period.
“My first reaction as soon as we won was ‘Holy crap,’” Bowlin said. “It was unbelievable and I was happy that we had one it.”
Both Miller and Bowlin both said that “Stang Gang” was a huge part of their support to win.
“They kept us energized and to keep on going,” Bowlin said. “They were a big part of our success this season. It was a great feeling with them being there.”
Ryan Marks, senior, believed that with all the adversity that him and his team had gone through this season, he strongly believed that the Mustangs deserved the title.
“We earned every single bit of it,” Marks said. “There’s a point we were in the gutter, but then we looked at ourselves before Districts and we said, ’Hey… we want to win this. Simple as that.”
Since fall of 1993 when MHS opened, there have been 56 varsity teams that have reached the final four in state. In the fall of 1994, softball was the first to make it, finishing 3rd place in state. In fall of 2010, cheerleading finished 2nd in state to be team #56 to go to the final four. Now, varsity boys’ basketball will join the list.
Overall, basketball has had a drought of championships to build up on their program. In 1995, they won the Class 4A districts for the first time in school history. A year later, they won the 1996 Class 4A Districts and the Suburban West Conference. After 1996, the Mustangs did not win. But, on February 25, 2011, history was rewritten. Marquette won districts against Parkway South with a score of 30-28, for the first time since 1996. This season, the mustangs are 20-10 overall and went 15-10 during the regular season. They may have not won conference, but, on February 24, almost exactly one year later from their district title, the Mustangs had done it again against LHS.
With two consecutive district titles and a final four advancement, MHS will play against Nixa High School at the University of Missouri-Columbia.