Richfield » The last time South Summit won a state championship was 1976. That only added to the drama of the Wildcats' 38-37 victory over Waterford in the Class 2A boys' state championship Saturday.

South Summit was down 37-31 with 45 seconds to go when Levi Thompson scored seven the last seven points of the game for the Wildcats.

"Levi Thompson is the anchor of this team," said Parker Anderson, who finished with seven points. "He knew what he was supposed to do and he knew he had to do it, and he did it."

Still, Waterford had plenty of chances to win. Holding a late lead, the Ravens' Jacob Flinders missed a jump shot with just under 10 seconds left. Waterford's Neal Monson almost grabbed the rebound, but it bounced off his fingertips and landed in the hands of Thompson. The junior made the most of the opportunity as he sprinted down the court and made a layup with 4.2 seconds left for the 38-37 lead. The ensuing inbounds pass was intercepted, and South Summit fans and players went wild celebrating the championship and their good fortune: When the Wildcats needed good bounces, they got them.

"The ball just seem to come to me," said Thompson, who finished with 11 points. "It was the defense at the end and committing to ourselves we weren't going to lose. We've dug deep the last three nights."

"What a game," said coach Jerry Parker. "The basketball gods were with us."

Parker said he was a sophomore in the stands the last time the Wildcats won a state championship and that this title isn't just for the team and the school.

"It makes it even more special to our school, our fans, and our community," Parker said. "It's for the whole community."

South Summit had to overcome plenty of adversity.

Thompson had to fight through foul trouble most of the game. At the beginning of the third quarter, Judd Rydalch went down with a knee injury.

South Summit's defense was able to hold Waterford in check, including limiting Monson, Class 2A's leading scorer, to just 15 points. Freshman Eric Mika contributed nine points for the Ravens.

Waterford's defense wasn't bad, either. South Summit shot an abysmal 12-for-46 but made three out of its last four shots in the game.