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A tale of the Knights’ conquest

The Russell-Tyler-Ruthton boys basketball team’s Class A state championship marked the culmination of a storybook ending for a near-perfect season.

The Knights prepared to take on the Nevis Tigers in the quarterfinals, a team that RTR defeated 74-71 in last year’s Class A consolation bracket. The Knights looked focused but loose on the floor and embraced the opportunity that presented itself.

The Knights were nearly perfect leading into the state tournament. They finished the regular season 24-0, and while they lost the Camden Conference Championship to Dawson-Boyd, they got their revenge in the Section 3A tournament to secure a state tournament berth. They were rewarded for their play with the No. 1 overall seed in the Class A tournament.

The Knights forced multiple turnovers and disrupted the rhythm of the Tigers’ offense. By halftime, this one was over. The Knights led by 21 at the break en route to an 80-62 win and it was on to another set of Tigers for the semifinals.

The semifinals weren’t until Friday, so the teams got a day break from competition. RTR held a practice at Eden Prairie High School, where they did drills before a 25-minute scrimmage.

In the scrimmage, Aiden Wichmann didn’t miss a shot for the first five minutes. He was locked in as the rest of his teammates were. The ball wasn’t turned over, the decision-making was crisp and the attention to detail on defense was solid. The team was fired up and ready to go.

Friday morning comes around and this time, the Knights will be playing in the Target Center. The Knights hadn’t yet played there this season but had a 6-0 record all-time in the building.

This would be the game where the Knights really get tested. The Tigers had four losses on the season but had the No. 2 player in the state on their team, Isaac Asuma.

“It has been fantastic watching this team this season as they persevere and improve throughout the season,” Justine Heath, mother of RTR guard Skyelar Martinez, said. “Our week has been a memory of a lifetime as we bond as a community. We have grown even closer as we have watched our boys play their hearts out this season and overcome the obstacles that have been out before them. Watching our boys play on the Timberwolves’ court is iconic in itself.”

The Knights stumbled out the block on the Tigers but were able to recover late in the first half to cut the Tigers’ lead to 3 points. When Asuma got in foul trouble and was benched to avoid fouling out, the Knights into the lead. Despite a late rally by Asuma, RTR held on for a 61-57 win. The Knights stood tall and were now one win away from completing the mission of winning a championship.

“It was a big dream for a lot of us to play at the Target Center,” Tucker Haroldson said. “We did a good job on Asuma, knowing that he is a great player. We just played a very solid game against Cherry.”

The job wasn’t done and the Knights had one more obstacle to overcome: the No. 2 New Life Academy Eagles.

Saturday morning came and it was the final day of the basketball season. The Knights were confident as usual but understood the Eagles were here for a reason as well.

The game didn’t pick up until the second half. A sea of red, white and blue filled the stands. Among the fans in the crowd were Dawson-Boyd standouts Brayson Boike and Keegon Wicht, in attendance to cheer for their fellow Southwest Minnesotans.

The Eagles had a furious rally and cut the lead to 3 points late in the second half, prompting an RTR timeout. Seniors Aiden Wichmann and Haroldson spoke to the team.

“We told the team that we’re okay,” Haroldson said. “The big message in that timeout was to just keep our composure.”

That’s exactly what the team did, closing out the game on a 7-0 scoring run to clinch the state championship.

“One of the top moments for sure was when they won the title,” Jessie Wichmann, mother of RTR guards Aiden and Cody Wichmann, said. “The look of joy on their faces was priceless. They had worked so hard to get the championship game and to get it done was awesome. Also after NLA received their medals, their coach came back to the bench and gave us a few words and a thumbs up.”

The scene was unbelievable. The crowd erupted and the Knights celebrated a happy ending to this tale. The faces of fans in the crowd and student section were filled with elation and tears of joy. The Knights had completed their mission of being back on top.

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