After making city history earlier this week, becoming the first boys’ basketball program to reach a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship game, the Woodland Christian varsity basketball team officially cemented its legacy among the greats as they captured the CIF SJS Division V championship Friday afternoon thanks to an emphatic 87-63 victory over Argonaut.

“This win is special,” said Cardinals head coach Casey Neimeyer. “I have been going to watch the games during section championship weekend since I was a little kid with my dad. I didn’t quite make it as a player, so it’s very special to be here as a coach.”

While the Cardinals sensed coming into this season that they’d likely be pretty good due to a long playoff run last year, Neimeyer mentioned that he realized his group of players had a chance to be special following an early January contest against the same Argonaut they just beat in the section final.

“I kept it to myself, but the second I found out that Ripon Christian was bumped up to D4, I instantly saw a road to the final,” Neimeyer recalled. “They had always been the juggernaut in our way. That came very early, before the season started. During the preseaosn we had some lows and then I thought, ‘Well, maybe not.’

“But then we played in that Argonaut game. There were glimpses then of the team that I thought we could be. We ended up beating them at their place, which made me think, ‘That’s a top-4 team, and we beat them at their house.’ Thats when I really saw the path.”

A week after the Jan. 2 80-74 win over the Mustangs, the Cardinals began to reel off a still-active 18-game winning streak.

That win streak culminated with an undefeated Sierra Delta League season, earning the Cardinals the No. 1 seed in the CIF SJS D5 bracket.

They got off to a fast start in the first round, taking down No. 17 seed Mariposa County 88-43 on Feb. 19, then defeating No. 8 seed Western Sierra Collegiate Academy 70-57 in the quarterfinals on Jan. 21. They defeated longtime rivals Bret Harte 76-61 in the semifinals this past Tuesday.

While the Cardinals are a pretty experienced bunch, the basketball program had never made it this far at any point in its history. Their opponents, however, had made four recent section championships.

“The team being new to this was something on my mind as I prepared for this game,” Neimeyer said. “This was Argonauts’ fourth trip to the finals, so it was a factor, especially not knowing how we’d respond. We laid it all out there for them, mentioning what the setting was going to be like and highlighting the differences between the court at Golden 1 Center and a high school gym.

“Thankfully, our assistant coach (LaRon Gordon) had been there three times with Capital Christian. We prepped our guys on all the logistical stuff associated with the game, and they handled it really well. We got there early to get the butterflies out, and after warmups, we were ready.”

The Cardinals’ star duo, consisting of junior Romello Bruhn and senior Tanner Thomas, got off to a scolding start, combining for the teams’ first 11 points as they raced out to an 11-4 lead. They’d grow that lead to 16-8 at the end of the first.

In the second quarter, Bruhn continued going off as the Cardinals grew the lead to 27-12 with just over five minutes left to go in the half. They went up 38-24 at the break, with Bruhn and Thommas combining for 33 of the team’s points. Bruhn poured in 21 points while Thomas added a cool 12 to the mix.

“We have a strong junior and senior class,” Neimeyer said. “A lot of the starters on Argonaut were sophomores and freshman, so I told the guys at halftime to play like the older and more experienced team.”

In the third, the Cardinals ballooned the lead to 47-32. A few minutes later, that lead grew to 57-43, and by the end of the third, the Cardinals looked to be in complete control of the game, up 62-45.

In the fourth, a 3-pointer from sophomore Malakai Baker unleashed a 20-point lead the Cardinals would not look back from as they pounded their way to an eventual 87-63 win.

Along with a legend-making 49 points, Bruhn also picked up 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

“He came locked in,” Neimeyer said. “On that stage, with that much at stake, you wonder how a 17-year-old kid would respond. He was all about his teammates. I had no idea he had 49 until after the game. He didn’t do it in a way that made you think he was trying too hard; it’s how the game just happened. I’m just thrilled for him. He deserves it and puts in all the work.”

While Bruhn will deservingly get most of the plaudits, Neimeyer mentions that the game truly was a complete team effort, with everyone playing a key role, especially Thomas.

“In the playoffs, you play six, maybe seven guys, but this was a complete team effort,” Neimeyer said. “Thomas flashed to ball and made himself accessible all night. He has been with me for the past four years and has been the backbone of the team as our second option guy. I’m so happy he was able to finish his high school career like this.

“Senior Devin Herrera as well. He was a football guy who came out to play with us this year, and really helped due to his experience in the playoffs.”

Junior Cole Hains had a challenging defensive assignment and did great. Baker also flashed, hitting a big shot and guarding up on the defensive end.

Isaiah Hunt excelled in his role as the team’s primary ball-handler, navigating through the Mustangs’ defensive pressure very well.

“He (Hunt) realized if I doesnt shoot, it will hurt our team, so he made some adjustments to his game,” Neimeyer said.

Freshman Luke Nguyen and Nico Armstrong got in on the action late and made lifetime memories thanks to a 3-pointer and pair of drained free throws, respectively. Junior Zach Nelson also got in on the action with a free throw late to fill his own stat line.

Noah Hinkle also stepped up to have a great game, playing as the defensive stopper while chipping in with a 3-pointer and a layup late in the game.

“It was fun to get them in and allowed our team to go out on a high note,” Neimeyer said. “The starters got to come off the court to an ovation, and that was really special.”

While it may all still seem like a dream, the Cardinals’ season is not over just yet as they gear up for the CIF State tournament, set to begin on Tuesday. The matchups will be announced on Sunday afternoon.

“In our team talks, we discussed how this (section) was tournament No. 1, and after that, we’ll focus on the second one,” Neimeyer said. “This year, we are in a much better position for the tournament, having played through Friday instead of being eliminated early.

“It’ll be a weird transition, but we will take the weekend off, enjoy the win and the huge accomplishment, and come ready to work on Monday. Anything worth doing has to have your whole heart and soul in it.

“I do feel there is a sense of playing with house money and less pressure to accomplish something, but the ultimate goal would be to win a state championship. Football won it. Baseball came so close, so there is a feeling of ‘let’s go get this.’”