But yet, the Red Storm seems to keep outdoing itself.

Competing in the Section VII, Class B title game, the state-ranked Saranac Lake squad used a “championship-level fight” to outduel the top-seeded Saranac Central Spartans 78-73 in overtime Friday in a thrilling game where neither squad led by more than seven points.

“We weren’t gonna be able to beat that team without (that level of fight),” Saranac Lake’s head coach Daryl Crist said.

The win gave the “Cardiac Storm” their second straight sectional title after snapping a 27-year spell last season. It’s the first time in school history that they’ve gone back-to-back.

Saranac Lake’s Cedar Crist lays up a shot during Friday’s Section VII, Class B Championship game against Saranac Central at the Clinton Community College gym in Plattsburgh. (Enterprise photo – Parker O’Brien)

Mik Denkenberger, a senior, paced Saranac Lake with 35 points, including seven 3s. But his excellence at the free throw line, especially in overtime – going for four-for-four – proved to be the difference-maker. The senior also came away with the game-sealing steal in the final seconds.

The Red Storm also got strong contributions – predominantly on the defensive side – from Alius Martelle, who scored six points.

It was the first-time Martelle had returned to the Saranac Lake line-up since being diagnosed with a life-changing illness that left him with permanent hearing loss in one ear and facial paralysis on the same side.

While the junior had undergone surgery exactly two weeks before to fix his hearing loss, it didn’t look like he missed a beat. Martelle laid in a shot in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to give Saranac Lake a two-point lead. Though the Spartans forced overtime, a few seconds later.

Martelle said he was just glad to be back to playing again.

Saranac Lake’s Mik Denkenberger looks to drive to the lane during Friday’s Section VII, Class B Championship game against Saranac Central at the Clinton Community College gym in Plattsburgh. (Enterprise photo – Parker O’Brien)

“Just being on the court with the team for at least one more championship was awesome,” he said.

Saranac Central forward Carson Duffield scored a team-high 27 points on Friday. Armani Richard added 19 points, while Henry Napper had 13 for Saranac Central, which finished the year with a 16-6 overall record.

Duffield played spoiler to Martelle’s game-winner when he essentially forced overtime, after knocking down a pair of free throws with 13.5 seconds left to tie the game at 68-68. But for Saranac Lake seniors like Cedar Crist, they had no intentions of ending their varsity basketball career in Plattsburgh.

“I’ve got four minutes for the rest of my life,” Cedar Crist recalled thinking. “So why not leave it all out there, right? ‘I’ve got nothing left to lose.'”

After trading scores, the Red Storm got a big boost when Duffield fouled out. Though the Spartans’ Austin Hulkow drained a 3-pointer to give his team a 73-72 advantage, Saranac Lake’s Zack McCarthy immediately knocked down a mid-range shot to reclaim the lead.

Saranac Lake’s Mik Denkenberger hugs his father and assistant coach, Jeff, after winning the Section VII, Class B Championship game over Saranac Central on Friday at the Clinton Community College gym in Plattsburgh. (Enterprise photo – Parker O’Brien)

Denkenberger and Cedar Crist then knocked down some free throws, while the team held strong defensively to shut out Saranac Central in the final minute of overtime.

“We just stuck our nose in on defense, got rebounds and attacked the rim,” Coach Crist said. “It helped us eventually put the game away.”

Martelle, along with sophomore Gunner Harrison, were tasked with fending off the two high-scoring Spartans’ forwards – Duffield and Napper. Martelle and Harrison held their own against the duo, who have combined for more than 1,600 career points.

“It didn’t matter that (Martelle) only had a few days to prepare. He stuck his nose in on defense, and he had a great drive lay-up there (at the end),” Coach Crist said. “But what he’s gone through and where he is now is an unbelievable story.”

Harrison had a career day for the Red Storm, scoring 16 points. He helped ignite the team’s offense early, adding six points in the first quarter. The team led for most of the first half.

From left, Saranac Lake’s Cedar Crist, Zack McCarthy and Mik Denkenberger hold up the Section VII championship trophy after beating Saranac Central in the Section VII, Class B Championship game on Friday in Plattsburgh. (Enterprise photo – Parker O’Brien)

“It’s great stepping up,” Harrison said. “It was good to do it with the boys.”

Senior guards McCarthy and Cedar Crist also reached double figures. McCarthy added 11 points, while Cedar Crist had 10.

“Those three (seniors) really set the tone of who we are,” Coach Crist said. “They just play together. There’s nothing in front of them that they haven’t seen or aren’t able to overcome.”

No kidding.

This season, the Red Storm had two other contests go into overtime – a rarity in this sport. But neither went in their favor.

Saranac Lake’s Cedar Crist celebrates with his father and coach, Daryl, after winning the Section VII, Class B Championship game over Saranac Central on Friday at the Clinton Community College gym in Plattsburgh. (Enterprise photo – Parker O’Brien)

Now, playing an extra period doesn’t seem to be much of a problem anymore … if it ever really was.

“So many of our guys were tired, but they just hung in and just made plays when they had to make plays,” Coach Crist said. “It was just an unbelievable game.”

The Red Storm, which has now won eight straight contests, improved to 19-3 overall en route to the school’s fourth-ever sectional title. For this group, winning the championship isn’t just a goal anymore. It’s become an expectation.

“We have a standard here,” Cedar Crist said. “This (win) means we’re hitting our goals.”

Since Coach Crist took over the reins before the 2022-23 season, they’ve won 59 games – while losing just 29 – as this season’s roster has played a huge role in that record. In comparison, in the 12-years before Coach Crist took over, Saranac Lake had an overall record of 57-165.

Coach Crist credited his players, especially the seniors and not just the senior trio of Denkenberger, McCarthy and Cedar Crist. He pointed to the others Noah Hastings, Levi Lambert and Connor Gillis, for their dedication over the past few seasons.

“They really take what we teach every day and implement every day in practice,” Coach Crist said.

The Red Storm will now compete in the NYSPHSAA Class B state regional round against the Section 2 champions, who are yet to be determined. That game will be at 2 p.m. at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy on March 14.

But before that game, the Saranac Lake boys will face the section’s Class A champion, Peru Nighthawks, in the Section VII Champions Challenge at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Clinton Community College gym in Plattsburgh. No matter the outcome of that game, both teams will still compete in the state tournament.

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Saranac Lake 78, Saranac Central 73 OT

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Red Storm 19 13 13 23 10 — 78

Spartans 17 12 22 17 5 — 73

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Individual stats

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Saranac Lake (78): Zack McCarthy 4-3-11; Cedar Crist 4-1-10; Mik Denkenberger 11-6-35; Gunner Harrison 6-4-16; Alius Martelle 2-2-6; Connor Gillis 0-0-0; Levi Lambert 0-0-0; Elias Willett 0-0-0; Maddox Hamelin 0-0-0; Noah Hastings 0-0-0; Josh Kunath 0-0-0; Owen Hybicki 0-0-0; Finn Maiore 0-0-0; Cooper Barry 0-0-0. TOTALS: 27-14-78.

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Saranac Central (73): Storm D’Ambro 0-0-0; Brady Stone 0-0-0; Austin Hulkow 3-0-8; Brady O’Neil 1-0-2; Cooper Franks 0-0-0; Keith Brawn 0-0-0; Anthony Fleury 1-0-2; Henry Napper 4-4-13; Armani Richards 8-2-19; Peyton Davidson 0-0-0; Corbin Duffield 0-0-0; Caleb Champagne 0-2-2; Carson Duffield 11-4-27. TOTALS: 28-12-73.

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3-point goals: Saranac Lake (8): Mik Denkenberger 7, Cedar Crist. Saranac Central (5): Austin Hulkow 2, Henry Napper, Armani Richards, Carson Duffield.

Saranac Lake’s Alius Martelle, left, defends Saranac Central’s Carson Duffield during Friday’s Section VII, Class B Championship game at the Clinton Community College gym in Plattsburgh. (Enterprise photo – Parker O’Brien)

Saranac Lake’s Zack McCarthy calls a play during Friday’s Section VII, Class B Championship game at the Clinton Community College gym in Plattsburgh. (Enterprise photo – Parker O’Brien)

The Saranac Lake boys basketball team hoists the Section VII championship trophy after beating Saranac Central in the Section VII, Class B Championship game on Friday in Plattsburgh. (Enterprise photo – Parker O’Brien)

Saranac Lake’s Mik Denkenberger gets ready to knock down a 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter of Friday’s Section VII, Class B championship game against Saranac Central in Plattsburgh. (Enterprise photo – Parker O’Brien)