It’s funny how things work sometimes.
The town of Devils Lake hadn’t experienced a championship in a core sport since 1987. Then I show up, and within two months the girls’ basketball team ends the drought with a thrilling state title run.
I can’t claim to have known what it was like to go through all those years without a championship in Devils Lake, or how deflating it must have felt every time a talented team came just short. But even in my short time here, I’ve been able to tell how much it means to the residents, the families and the kids — and how happy they were to get this victory off their backs.
First, there’s head coach Justin Klein. He had a title ripped away from him in 2020, when his squad made it to the championship game against a team it was favored to beat, but the sudden COVID-19 pandemic canceled the contest. Not to mention 2019, when Devils Lake lost 69-61 in the final game.
Yet through all these years, Klein has stuck with the program. He hasn’t given up on coaching, or let the past heartbreaks dampen the humorous, energetic mood he brings to every game. He said after Saturday’s win that a championship is something every coach has on their bucket list. And as much as he’s kept a positive attitude through losses in the past, he said it feels a whole lot better when you come out on the winning side.
It was obvious when talking to him after the game — during an interview that choked him up a little bit — how much he cared about the players. Even in the midst of Saturday’s triumph, a moment that’s been a long time coming, he said that at the end of the day, it’s all about the kids.
And it was the kids who ultimately won the championship, achieving a goal that they’ve been working for throughout their childhoods. I have to remind myself to keep the perspective that this postseason was just the tip of the iceberg for these kids — I haven’t been here to see the growth, or the ups and downs, or all the hours put in behind the scenes. But I’m here now, and all I can do is observe the teams that are in front of me, and the product that they’ve developed through the years.
It was a squad led by Tylie Brodina, Cabryn Fritel, Torri Fee and Jolie Martinson — but also a team that had a deep array of options, like any championship group. Presley Brown made the all-tournament team and wasn’t even a starter. Gabrielle McLaurin’s name might not have shown up in the points column as often, but she was part of this team’s essential core as its point guard.
Ava Beck, Claire Heilman and Brinly Gregory all had key contributions off the bench as well. In fact, Heilman’s three-pointer made might have been the most important singular shot of the entire season in the last game — it was the one that gave Devils Lake a 10-point lead in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, quieting a rambunctious South Prairie student section and essentially sealing the deal on the state title. Beck had a three as well, come to think of it, back in the first quarter that helped fuel Devils Lake’s early 13-0 run.
So it wasn’t just one player that led this team. There are still others I didn’t even mention who had their moments. But man, what a season by Brodina.
During the regular season, she led the team with 4.7 field goals made per game — the next-best was Fee with 3.3. She also averaged two three-pointers a game. And she did all this as a freshman.
Her youth led to some waves of success during the middle of the season; Klein often talked about her streakiness as a young, offense-minded player. But what stuck out to me was how she stepped up and played her best basketball when it mattered most.
When you have an inexperienced freshman who’s clearly talented but also very streaky, they often might get overmatched by the pressure of a bigger stage. I’ve seen it before in other teams I’ve covered. But Brodina had the maturity to stay composed during some of the most intense moments of the state tournament. When the momentum was starting to sway South Prairie’s way, Brodina was there to make a bucket. She swished four three-pointers in the title game, including two back-to-back down the stretch of the third quarter. The Royals were pesky from deep as well, and if Brodina hadn’t come through there, the game could have gotten murky at the end.
And it’s that maturity that really bodes well for her future. She’s just a freshman, after all; it’s not like this was her last ride as a senior. It still would have been impressive if she was a senior.
Devils Lake’s youth in general is a good sign of things to come. Fritel, Fee and Martinson are all juniors, so they still have another year. Beck is a freshman. Brown is a sophomore. There’s a lot of talent that’s here to stay for at least another year. So maybe this wasn’t just the end of a drought, but the start of something bigger.
In any case, it sure was a fun team to cover. I really got the chance to dive headfirst into Devils Lake (not literally, thankfully) and learn what the town, and the athletic programs, are all about. Winning this championship was a community achievement that this place has been waiting decades for, and I got to join in on the fun only two months into my time here.
I don’t know if I’m good luck, or if I was just in the right place at the right time. But I’ve gotten to learn about this place very quickly, and it’s been a heck of a ride already.
