UPDATED WITH VIDEO: Hartland Boys Basketball Wins District Title in Overtime

WHITE LAKE — What a difference a week makes.

Going into the state tournament, the Hartland High School boys basketball team was sputtering with its best player hurt and lopsided losses, including a double-digit drubbing at home to end the year.

Friday night, the Eagles won the Class A District 26 championship with a dramatic 65-58 overtime victory over Walled Lake Northern.

"This means everything,” said senior guard Shane Felix, who made a key free throw in the closing seconds. “We didn't have the year we wanted to have we got to finish strong with district championship. That's what people will remember more than anything.”

As players celebrated with the trophy, they put head coach Frank Leppek on their shoulders and students later joined in mobbing the center of the court as people took turns hoisting the wooden plaque.

"I just told the guys 'look around in front of you, this is a special moment.'" Leppek said. "I told Matt (Poches, who is playing for Oakland University in the fall): ‘You'll be on TV next year, but you'll never forget this. This will be one of the highlights of your life."

Leppek said his players before the game realized the opportunity before them.

“I just told them you have one time to put something on the wall. They were the most quiet on the bus ride over, I had to keep turning around to see if they were still there. We played with more vigor than we ever have."

With the win, the Eagles avenged last year’s loss in the district final to Northern. The victory also marked boys and girls teams won district titles for the first time.

Can Hartland continue its playoff run? The Eagles (12-11) find out 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Class-A regional semifinals vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (13-9) at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School.

Friday’s game was full of heroes during the back-and-forth contest that included spirited crowds for both teams that traded chants.

Poches, who had been out for more than a month because of a concussion until this week, continued his stellar play by scoring 24 while helping to shut down Northern’s Gage Throgmorton, who still scored 14 points including four 3-pointers.

Freshman guard Nelson Cagle stepped up under pressure by tying the contest at 55 all with a free throw in overtime. He also helped Hartland take the lead going into the fourth quarter after he hit a 3-pointer following an offensive rebound.

“I was nervous (before the free throw), I pulled it together. I had to make it to get the team going,” Cagle said.

Senior Dan Richmond also made a key free throw in overtime.

"The main thing was proving to everyone that we're a team to beat," Richmond said. "I'm just so glad we got this win, it feels so good." 

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