The goals were realistic and now, after beating Wayzata 76-63 in the Section 5, 4A championship game, they’re that much closer to being realized.

When the season began, the Champlin Park boys’ basketball team didn’t mess around with one-game-at-a-time nonsense. For the talented Rebels, the talk all season has been about being undefeated state champions. Settling for anything less just won’t do.

“We set our own goals,” said senior guard Marty Hill. “When you set your goals high, you shoot high and your work that much harder to reach them.”

For the senior core of this team, this goal was set years ago, while winning youth basketball tournaments together.

“We always felt like, if we could win those championships, why can’t it carry over to high school?” Hill recalled.

With their focus squarely on the big prize at the end of the season, Champlin Park blitzed Wayzata from the outset. The Rebels pressured the Trojans – upset winners over Maple Grove in Tuesday’s semifinals – on the perimeter. It worked out exactly as they hoped as Wayzata missed its first 14 shots from the floor.

Playing in one of the biggest games of their lives, the Rebels weren’t particularly sharp themselves but they didn’t need to be. Behind four three-pointers from guard J.T. Gibson, who would finish with a game-high 21 points,  Champlin Park led 31-24 at halftime. That was as close as Wayzata would get.

In the second half, Champlin Park’s sophomore star-in-the-making, 6-foot-8 forward Theo John, took over. He dominated the lane, scoring 14 of his 18 points after halftime, punctuated with four resounding dunks.

“That’s what we wanted to do from the beginning,” Champlin Park coach Mark Tuchscherer said. “We just reiterated it in the locker room.”

While his team and its fans celebrated its upcoming trip to the state tournament, the second in team history, Tuchscherer watched from the sidelines, taking in the scene.

“This team is driven,” he said, shaking his head. “They’ve talked about winning a state championship and going undefeated since day one. They put the pressure on themselves. I’ve never had a team do that before. They don’t just want to win. They want to be one of the best ever.”

Champlin Park remained undefeated with a 76-63 victory over Wayzata in the Section 5, 4A championship game Friday at Rogers. The undefeated Rebels (29-0) rode the inside-outside tandem of guard J.T. Gibson, who scored 21 points, and 6-foot-8 forward Theo John, who had 18 points, including four thunderous dunks.

Champlin Park advances to the state tournament for the second time in team history. Wayzata fell to 21-8.