EAST LANSING, Mich (WLNS) – As the sun was rising over Mid-Michigan on Friday morning, the Fowler community gathered in front of the high school for a pep rally and send off the girls basketball team in royal fashion. The Fowler faculty put on skits, started cheers, and head coach Nate Goerge gave a speech thanking the community for its support.

From there the bus traveled 30 minutes to the Breslin Center for the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division 4 State Championship game. Fowler’s opponent, the Bellaire Eagles, were playing in their first state championship game in school history and were averaging 48 points per game through their playoff run.

Fowler’s defense was the main reason why they were able to pull away with a big lead in the first half, not letting Bellaire get any second chance opportunities and taking advantage of their turnovers.

During the second half, Fowler added to its lead making the score 52-12, starting the running clock. Bellaire was able to make a late push to stop the clock from running but not enough to get anywhere near changing the outcome. Fowler would substitute their seniors out early and cruise to a 54-20 victory becoming MHSAA Division 4 State Champions, their first state title since 1991. Bellaire’s 20 points was its lowest scoring performance of the entire season, once again proving that defense really can win championships.