Last Friday was a special night for the Becker boys basketball program, as the team held a celebration honoring its two state tournament berths before its M8 Conference game versus Cambridge-Isanti.

Several players from both the 1991 and 2001 state tournament teams, along with 1991 Coach Tom Chirhart and a trio of cheerleaders from 2001, gathered before the varsity tipoff to reminisce about their monumental accomplishments.

As players arrived, videos of games from those special years were playing in the BHS commons, while the alumni from that era were invited to grab a commemorative t-shirt that honored their achievements.

Current Bulldog Head Coach Cory Nuest then invited those players into the Bulldog pre-game meeting where the team did one last review of the night’s game plan.

2001 team member Josh Stoll then addressed the group, exhorting the current players to show consistent effort and pointing out some similarities between this year’s team and his squad.  Both teams suffered a mid-winter swoon, losing several games in January, but Stoll recalled how the squad from 23 years ago was able to pull together for a state tournament berth and he told the current Bulldogs that they have the talent and tenacity to do the same.

From there, the alumni were invited to sit on the bench for pre-game announcements and those players were then introduced as part of the starting lineups.  Nuest then spoke to the crowd, thanking the former players for their efforts and inspiration as he looks to chart a new course of success with the program.

A total of 12 players from the two teams joined in on the fun, some coming from as far away as Arizona and Montana to participate. 

During halftime of the varsity game, the two teams squared off in a shooting contest, with the 2001 group taking the win.