LAFARGEVILLE — The LaFargeville Lady Red Knights varsity basketball team made its journey home on Saturday to a crowd waiting to celebrate the team’s winning its first state championship.
LaFargeville defeated Northville Friday by a score of 43-37 to capture the state Class D championship.
Community members and fans such as Kim and William Rapin were at the parade to celebrate their players. For the Rapins, they were there for their granddaughter, Adeline Hellings, a junior center.
“We’re so proud of Adeline and her team, they worked so hard,” Kim Rapin said. “They worked really hard and they’re just wonderful young ladies.”
As the team made its way back from Troy, they were escorted by local emergency personnel, and with spectators lined up on each side of the road, the girls pulled into their school and then proceeded to celebrate both in the gymnasium and outside.
Also in the crowd to welcome home the champions was Susie Erck, a third grade teacher in the district. She said she was there to support every player and the third grade manager.
“I’m so excited,” she said.
Erck was in attendance for the Final Four game and watched the championship game last night at home.
“We were cheering, we had our dog cheering with us,” she said of last night. “It’s just such an honor and I’m so proud of these girls and everything they worked for.”
She said that “it’s amazing” to see these girls from a small school win a state championship.
“It’s so crazy to think because we are such a tiny school but they worked really, really hard and I’m just really proud of this accomplishment for them,” she said.
Adeline said it was great to see the community come out and support the team.
“It’s so big for our town and just seeing all the love from everybody, it means the world to all of us,” she said.
Ella Hunnyman, a junior guard, said “it’s just awesome” to see the community support.
“We’ve been waiting for this,” she said. “This is what we have dreamed of. This is what we have worked for. All the sweat, tears, blood, everything, and practice. This is wild.”
As the buzzer sounded, Hellings said she wanted to go celebrate with her teammates.
“It was just all crazy, but it was all amazing,” she said.
Coach Zack Steiner said when the clock struck zero, he was feeling elated to bring the school its first state title
“To do something for the first time in 2025 in a school that’s 100 years old, it’s so impressive and you just have to tip your cap to that group of kids because they earned every second of it,” he said.
Steiner called the parade “awesome to see.”
“I think these events are more meaningful in these small towns because it just gives everybody something to gravitate towards and look forward to,” he said. “You look up into that stands yesterday and there’s, three, four, again 500 people there. It’s really special.”
Sarah Sourwine, a junior, said she didn’t know how excited she’d be until the buzzer sounded, and then she said “you can’t really process it.”
“It’s crazy and I’m just glad that we were able to experience it with this group of girls,” she said.
Sourwine said no one else will be able to understand the bond these champions have for the rest of their lives.
The team finished with a record of 22-2.
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