AUSTIN — For a few moments, it seemed the Lancaster Tigers might have landed the knockout blow on the Yates Lions — literally and figuratively. Guard Joseph Young lay on the court, holding his head. He eventually would be carried off.

SEYMOUR — After Class 4A No. 1 Bloomington South's 86-55 shellacking of Jeffersonville in December, Red Devil head coach Tim LaGrange said he hoped his players learned a lesson in facing the best team in Indiana. They learned their lesson well.

SANTA ANA - For Mater Dei, it's 3 down, 2 to go. Mater Dei beat the state's No. 3-ranked Taft of Woodland Hills, 75-73, Saturday and now gets ready to play No. 2 Westchester. Mater Dei, No. 1 in calhisports.com's California rankings, will play Westchester next Saturday at 8 p.m. at USC's Galen Center in the CIF Southern California Regionals Division 1 championship game.

You could call this something like "Trenton Catholic's Revenge" after two straight losses in the finals or maybe the "Third-Time-is-a-Charm" final. But history is more likely to record this classic Trenton Catholic-St. Anthony clash as the game that couldn't get started and yet didn't want to end.

Three years ago, winning a district championship was a huge accomplishment for a Northland team mired in mediocrity for the better part of two decades. A state championship and a No. 1 national ranking will change such perceptions, so winning a third Division I district title in four seasons yesterday qualified as a minor achievement for the Vikings.