AKRON, Ohio — It's been a long time coming for the Buchtel Griffins boy's basketball team, but 2023 is the year the program can call itself state champions for the first time ever.
Over the years, the Griffins have come close. There's been plenty of talent on the team and it's gotten them to the state tournament six times before. They've even made it to the state title game one other time. But the trophy has never come home to Akron with them.
"It feels awesome. It's sinking in more and more each day. And we understand the task that we had have finished, as far as when we set out on our season, to start out with the goal of winning a state championship—for us to achieve that is just monumental," said head coach Rayshon Dent. "And this is our very first one. And our community's well deserving of it. They have supported us throughout the years."
Through thick and thin, Akron has cheered the Griffins, hoping one year they'd bring home the title.
The support has kept Dent and the program motivated—not just for them to win a championship, but to showcase the school and rewrite a narrative about the school.
"Buchtel gets such a bad rep. People say 'Buchtel's this, Buchtel's not safe,' but just to say 'No, Buchtel's state champions is a great feeling," said senior Amir Robinson.
Robinson, who is committed to play basketball at Nevada University and major in engineering and construction management, knows that the state title is a big deal— but he sees it as a way to showcase more than just their skills on the court. Seeing the discipline the team had to make it all the way and clinch school history with the first-ever title is something Robinson hopes shows off the other qualities the Griffins players have.
"There's so much things that people don't see inside of Buchtel, what the kids are doing. We have great football players, basketball players. There's a bunch of smart kids that people just overlook because of the bad rep we get. So it's kind of good to show them we're not just this; we're more than that."
Khoi Thurmon, a senior point guard headed to Purdue Fort Wayne for college, noted how deep the bonds on the team run. The basketball program has not only instilled passion for the game, but created a work ethic in them that led to the ultimate goal of a championship—and helped him grow as a young man.
"We're family, we're all brothers. We trust one another. We all love each other and we all got each other's backs. And we're always working and always trying to work harder than the other team every game," Thurmon said. "The coaches, they always kept real with me. They always made sure I was on top of things, including schoolwork. Helped me be a leader and just helped me know what it takes to get to the next level, what I'm going to be able to go through as well."
Senior Marcel Boyce is headed to Wayne State University in Michigan to play football and major in accounting and finance. For him, this state title has served as a lesson that the journey to the championship and the completion of the goal is a lesson that goes beyond the sport.
"It's bigger than basketball," Boyce said. "Life is bigger than basketball. This is a life lesson on and off the court. So I believe this was a chance or this was a chapter of life that really can help people out."
Helping people by inspiring — Dent agrees that this accomplishment can have a lasting impact, not just on Buchtel, but on the Akron community as a whole.
"Not just for our program, but I think for inner city schools across America. Why not? You have all kinds of athletes, all we have to do is tighten up our education, keep them as student-athletes and moving forward," Dent said. "I'd like to use this as a pilot to move forward and try to get as many kids as I can in school out of my community. That falls under my umbrella or my stewardship."
Coaching a team to the state championship game is an accomplishment Dent is proud of, but knows carries a reward greater than a piece of hardware that will sit on the shelves of a trophy case. There's deeper meaning.
"This is something that our community wanted and this is something that we were blessed with," Dent said, looking at the OHSAA 2023 Division II Boys Basketball State Champion trophy sitting beside him. "It is a symbol when what can possibly happen when everyone's on the same page."
Dent and his team will celebrate their accomplishment with the community on Sunday at 2 p.m. in a joint parade with Hoban, who won the Division I title this year as well. As Akron comes out to the corner of Main and Cedar Streets to see the parade take off, promise is sure to be felt amongst the crowd.
Promise that Buchtel has started to rewrite the narrative of its students. Promise that their championship reflects the character the students—and the community—share. And promise that the hard work won't stop there.
"I can't predict the future, but I promise you this—we will try to make this the first of many," Dent said.
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