There’s something about a buzzer-beater, isn’t there? Especially when it wins you a championship.

That’s exactly what happened on Sunday night at the DC State Athletic Association (DCSAA) boys’ basketball title game. With 5.5 seconds to go, the score was 45 to 44, with Sidwell rival Wilson High School in the lead. Christian Gamble ’22 went for a three-pointer coming up just a little short when Caleb Williams ’24 grabbed the rebound and laid the ball into the hoop just a moment before the final buzzer sounded. Then: chaos! The Sidwell Friends team and the coaching staff emptied the benches to celebrate on the court, while fans in the stand leapt, yelled, hugged, and yelled some more.

This was always going to be a difficult matchup, but things looked especially grim when the Quakers were down by 10 points with just under six minutes left in the game. The defense, perhaps Sidwell Friends’ most important weapon all season, held Wilson to only three more points while they chipped away at the lead, bit by bit. Then came the frenzied last few minutes, topped off by Williams’s shot, and suddenly the Quakers had their first state title since 2019.

The boys’ team wasn’t the only one who got to cut down the nets. The girls’ team finished its undefeated season by, well, remaining undefeated, nabbing their first DCSAA championship ever by toppling Georgetown Visitation 69 to 41. Leading by 13 at the half, the No. 1–ranked Quakers held the No. 8 Cubs to only four points in the second half. Leah Harmon ’24 finished with a game-high 24 points, while Kiki Rice ’22 did her part with 10 points and 10 assists.

If you looked closely at the lunchroom on Monday after the game, you could spot multiple students proudly sporting t-shirts that proclaimed Sidwell Friends as the DC state champions. As of press time there’s no word as to whether either or both teams will be invited to a national tournament, but that can wait—for now, savoring a state victory is sweet enough.