Senior class restores the title tradition of Scott County Central basketball

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Scott County Central boys basketball team won its 15th state championship Saturday.

But despite all the school's basketball history, senior Otto Porter and his classmates did not enter SCC dreaming of winning more titles.

"I didn't even know about state," Porter said in the hallways of Mizzou Arena after his team defeated Dadeville 69-54 on Saturday. "I didn't know anything until maybe seventh or eighth grade -- that's when we started working for it."

Before its current string of titles, Scott County Central had not added to its collection since 1993. That corresponds to around the time the members of the senior class were born.

"We dreamed about this when we hit junior high," senior Reggie Woodson said with tears in his eyes. "We've been practicing. [Porter[']s] dad, he'd practice with us after our junior high season just so we could be ready for this moment, and we're thankful that we did."

Scott County Central's Lawrence Woodson defends Dade-ville's Trenton Bergmann during the fourth quarter of the Class 1 championship game Saturday in Columbia, Mo.

Woodson said most of his classmates were crying in the locker room after their win.

"The team, like the players, we're all about to separate," Woodson said. "I'm going to miss my coach, my school, my friends. It's just hitting me all at one time.

"I thought a little bit about it last night, but it didn't hit me like it did right now. I tried not to think about it as much."

The 10 seniors on SCC's roster set lofty goals for themselves, and many of them took part in the Braves' back-to-back-to-back titles.

"My class, we always said we wanted to be one of the best classes to come out of Scott Central, and we just tried to accomplish our goal," said senior Stewart Johnson, who like Porter played on the varsity team for four years. "We had a couple different coaches, but even when coach [David] Heeb was there we always said we wanted to be one of the best classes to come out of Scott Central."

Scott County Central head coach Kenyon Wright talks to players during the first quarter of the Class 1 state championship game against Dadeville on Saturday, March 19, 2011, in Columbia, Mo. Scott County Central won 69-54. (Kristin Eberts)

Porter, who finished his career with a record 191 points at the final four, said he thought he and his class should be considered one of the best.

"I think we succeeded at that goal," he said. "We just wanted to play for the championship. That's what we've been dreaming about. Going through class talking about it all the time, even the school talking about it all the time. We just wanted to bring another home. That's 15. That's amazing to add on to the tradition."

Unlike this year's senior class, young students at SCC got a chance to see that tradition in person.

"That means a lot," Porter said. "Maybe they'll step up and start learning how to play and try to make it their goal to try to come up behind us and start winning state."