Two days after the Williston girls basketball team won their first FHSAA state title in program history, and the Williston boys finished as state runners-up, The Rock School boys varsity team won their first state championship in school history.

On Sunday, the No. 3 seed Lions (24-7) defeated No. 2 seed Southland Christian (Kissimmee), 67-62, in the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association (SIAA) Sunshine Final at Daytona State College.

“Winning our first varsity state championship means the world to the entire Rock Basketball program (MS through National),” said TRS varsity coach Brian Findley. “This is the result of years of hard work, not just from this year’s team, but from the players and coaches over the past three years who built this foundation shot by shot and practice by practice.”

The road to a title began months before the first game of the season was played.

“This group made a decision back in September to lock in,” Findley said. “Their focus, discipline, and commitment to each other completely changed the level we were playing at. They didn’t just want to compete; they were determined to bring this championship home. I couldn’t be prouder of the way they carried themselves, the work they put in, and the standard they set. They earned this.”

There were a lot of emotions from the coaching staff following the win.

“When you’ve poured into young men, watched them grow, watched them build real relationships, a true brotherhood, it becomes more than basketball,” Findley said. “This team became a family.”

They faced adversity all season, including possible changes for the program moving forward.

“To go through all of that together and then finish it the way you dream about finishing, that’s overwhelming,” Findley said. “I’ve never cried because of winning a game before, but I did this time. That tells you what this meant.”

Findley said the championship was “even more meaningful,” since this is his last season coaching.

“And having Justin Harden there representing the SIAA, someone who’s been a mentor to me, a brother in Christ, someone who pushed me to step into being a head coach and having him be the one to award us the trophy and medals, that was special,” Findley said. “He’s been incredible to me and my family for the past 10 years, especially these last three. To share that moment with him is something I’ll never forget.”

If this is the last season for The Rock School’s varsity program with its current affiliation, what a way to end an era.

“As for next season, we don’t know what’s ahead with the SIAA, but if this is the way it ends, going out on top is a pretty special way to do it,” Findley said.

Findley said the key to winning the tournament, which included four wins in the 16-team field, was their defensive intensity.

“When the playoffs started, our guys locked in,” Findley said. “They were determined to create havoc defensively and shut down whoever was in front of them. They didn’t overlook anyone. We had a job to complete, and they were committed to finishing it.”

The Lions faced guard-heavy teams during their run, so it started with guys like junior Kyroe Jordan, and freshmen Levi Hyatt and Marco Johnson.

“Kyroe took on the challenge of shutting down high-level guards every night,” Findley said. “Levi was constantly in help position, playing disciplined defense and then attacking downhill offensively for key shots when we needed them. Marco’s scoring and rebounding, especially late in games, was critical. Without some of those boards, things could’ve gone very differently.”

Findley said Jordan was their “unsung hero.”

“He takes the toughest defensive assignment every night without hesitation,” he said. “If you asked him to guard someone 6’8”, he’d do it and compete the entire time. He embraces the hardest job on the floor, and I’d trust him in that role against anyone.”

Offensively, junior Kayden Merricks was outstanding, averaging nearly 28 points per game during the playoffs.

“Kayden had an unbelievable playoff run and absolutely deserved playoff MVP,” Findley said. “Offensively, he was a juggernaut. He got downhill whenever he wanted, knocked down 3s from anywhere on the floor, and when games were close games, he kept us in front. But what impressed me just as much was his defense and his leadership. He didn’t just score; he set the tone.”

But it was a collective team effort.

Johnson was outstanding defensively, especially against opposing bigs.

“In the championship game, he guarded a player averaging 25 per game and held him to six,” Findley said. “That doesn’t happen by accident. That’s preparation, discipline and determination.”

Junior Evan McCumber made play after play after play offensively and defensively.

“Big moments never sped him up,” Findley said. “Evan was a consistent playmaker all tournament long. He took charges when we needed momentum. He played unselfishly. He scored when we needed points and got stops when we needed stops. He just understands winning basketball.”

Freshman Elijah Harden was the smallest player on the floor, but Findley said he “grabbed a rebound over a 6’5 forward late in the championship game.”

“The whole team stepped up, but if you’re talking about MVP, it was Kayden,” Findley said. “His scoring, his defense and his leadership were on another level.”

Findley said this year’s team was “the definition of toughness.”

“In our program, toughness means doing the correct thing consistently, regardless of the obstacle,” he said. “That’s how we define it, and that’s how they lived it. It didn’t matter what was in front of them. It didn’t matter who we were playing. They were determined to do the right things over and over again — defensively, offensively, in preparation, in practice, and in the biggest moments of the season.”

He said that consistency is what carried them to the school’s first-ever varsity state championship.

“That’s why I’m so proud of them,” Findley said. “They didn’t just talk about toughness; they demonstrated it every single day. I couldn’t say enough about this group.”

Meanwhile, The Rock’s national team finished as state runners-up in the national bracket.

The top-seeded Lions defeated No. 5 seed Victory Rock, 83-73, but lost to No. 3 seed Academy of CF, 86-66, in the championship game.