There are two seconds left on the time clock and the Bomber Boys basketball team is down by one. Senior Dylan Banks breezes through the Caledonia Warriors defense and makes his shot for the win on a buzzer-beater with a final score of 82-81. Players, coaches, and fans were out of their seats in celebration. Cheering erupted from the Cannon Falls community filling up the auditorium gym at the Civic Center in Rochester. The Cannon Falls Bombers made it to the section championship game for the first time in 40 years.
The 2023-2024 Bomber boys basketball team ended their season with a crisp record of 23-7. Their first playoff game was against the Randolph Rockets, followed by the Lewiston-Altura Cardinals, the Caledonia Warriors, and finally the Lake City Tigers in the championship game. In each post-season game, the boys brought out the best of their skills and worked as a team for the success they all hoped for. This season was full of mistakes, growth, learning, fun, and memories.
Senior Isaiah Tennessen expressed his biggest takeaway from this basketball season was the close relationship each player shared, on and off the court. He explained, “We did everything together.” Fellow senior Aiden Johnson explained their hard work paid off during practices, which allowed them to make it to the section championship. The boys saw growth within one another in many different aspects, specifically finding their roles on the team, Tennessen added.
Johnson will continue on with basketball for the next four years at Jamestown University and he had nothing short of a great career. When he was asked which game he believed was his best, he declared, “My best game was against PEM when I scored 42 points, breaking the school record.” Although, he did not do it all by himself. He gave the people in his life the credit and it took his teammates, coaches, and fans to get him to where he is today.
The 2023-2024 Boys Bomber Basketball season has come to a close after a loss to the Lake City Tigers. However, after the leadership and immense growth seen from this season, the returning players are eager to play off-season and anticipating a great season next year.
