So, Andrew Walter could tolerate his aching back and sore knee Saturday against Sullivan County. Fighting through both injuries now has ensured that he and his dedicated teammates will walk together forever as champions.

Walter scored 13 points, four players reached double figures, and every player did his part as South Williamsport defeated Sullivan, 57-50 Saturday at Frank Lupacchino Court, capturing the Mid-Penn championship. South (20-4) won its first league title since 2010, reached 20 wins for the first since that season and avenged a loss against the last team to beat it, winning for the 15th straight time.

“I said to myself this is it. I’m never playing organized basketball again, so I’m not going to take it for granted,” Walter said. “I’m just going to push through everything.”

Talk about a tremendous swan song. Walter played his last high school game Saturday after transferring from St. John Neumann. He made it a memorable one, joining Chance Quimby (12 points), Bobby Regan (11) and Levi Butler (10) in double digits. He also grabbed seven rebounds, made two steals and helped South lead from the first quarter on.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Andrew Walter (1) takes a shot during the boys Mid-Penn West championship game against Sullivan County at St. John Neumann on Saturday. South won 57-50.

Ironically, Walter played his final game at Neumann. It’s been a road filled with twists and turns for both Walter and his teammates, but it led to a thrilling Mid-Penn conclusion Saturday as a team which started the season 3-3 celebrated in front of an overflowing crowd.

“I’m going to remember this forever,” Walter said. “From the start of the season, they took me in like we’ve known each other since we were little kids. It’s been great. Every game was a step, and this is where it led, so it feels great.”

South has played great since losing at Sullivan 61-49 last month. More apt, it has played together. Five individuals have become one and whether nailbiters or blowouts, South has continued winning.

After dropping its league opener against Muncy last December, the Mounties were one loss from league title elimination. it never happened. They won seven straight West Division contests, defeated Muncy in a one-game playoff last Monday and took down the East champions Saturday.

Every player who participated can look at the game and know how vital he was to victory. That made this title especially gratifying.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Chance Quimby pulls in a rebound during the boys Mid-Penn West championship game against Sullivan County at St. John Neumann on Saturday. South won 57-50.

“You think about a couple of the losses we had, and guys were playing individualistic basketball. We put a focus on energy and effort and everybody stepping up to the plate, and we could become something very good,” South coach Joe Simon said. “They’re seeing it right before their eyes this year, what type of team we can become and what type of team we are when we play together.”

Together, South planted the seeds for this championship when Simon returned to coach four years ago. The results differed at times, but the building continued with quality leaders setting a positive example.

Preparation and opportunity united this season and now this group joins the 2010 team as the most successful Mountie squad this century.

The work continues and South hosts Mifflinburg in Thursday’s District 4 Class AAA quarterfinals, but Saturday was a moment for Mounties present and past to savor.

“The overall experience of this season is kind of a buildup of the last four years,” Simon said. “It was starting the foundation up with players like Lee Habalar and Ben Manning, Alex Neidig, Marquan Harris and Aaron Akers and continuing it with Radley (Knapp) and Jordan (Baier) and Dylan (Scheller) and now you’re seeing the fruition of that growth.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Samir Moy (2) moves the ball past Sullivan County's Rya Murray during the boys Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. South won 57-50.

Like South, Sullivan has done a lot of growing this season and won its first division championship since 2018. Lucas King scored 20 points for Sullivan and Tucker Blasi 12. South snapped the Griffins’ seven-game winning streak, but Sullivan will be the top seed for the District 4 Class A playoffs and host Galeton Tuesday.

So, while disappointed with the result Saturday, Sullivan also understands it can use the experience to try pushing it toward a bigger goal.

“I think this is good for us. It was a good experience against a good team,” Sullivan coach Glenn Vaughan said. “It was a good, hard-fought game by two teams that will help each other get ready for what’s coming next week.”

Before looking ahead Saturday, South looked back. Simon had each assistant coach address the team since neither they, nor the players had been in a game like this before. Simon then left the team with an old Dean Smith quote: “Play hard, play smart, play together.”

“I emphasized playing together because that’s what got us here and that’s what was going to get us the win,” Simon said. “We have to continue that into next week. That’s the only way we can win basketball games at a high level of competition like that is by playing together.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Andrew Walter reaches for a rebound around Sullivan County's Lucas King during the boys Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. South won 57-50.

South certainly did so against Sullivan.

Quimby played a marvelous all-around game, smoothly running the offense, igniting the defense and dealing seven assists, grabbing seven rebounds and making six steals. He and Regan (5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists) helped South assert itself early and ignited a 13-2 run which put it ahead to stay by seven entering the second quarter.

The lead grew to 33-22 by halftime as Walter scored seven of his 10 points. From there, the game resembled a yo-yo with Sullivan constantly chopping into the lead but South answering each time. Sullivan’s final push came in the fourth when King went into overdrive and hit a difficult leaner to make it, 53-50 with 1 minute, 18 seconds remaining. Butler hit a free throw, then made one of the game’s biggest plays, intercepting a pass which seemed destined to find Cayden Smithkors for a layup.

Instead of Sullivan being within two, South went the other way and freshman Samir Moy delivered two clutch free throws. Walter pulled down a board moments later, hit a game-clinching free throw and the celebration was on.

“Like against North Penn-Liberty (when South erased an 11-point fourth quarter deficit), we kept looking back at that situation and said if we can overcome that, we can overcome this,” Walter said. “We just keep going and going and if you don’t stop, then we can win this game.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport players pose for a team photo after defeating Sullivan County's in the boys Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. South won 57-50.

King was tough to stop in the fourth quarter when he scored 11 points and found Tucker Blasi (11 points) for a 3-pointer. The junior guard is having an excellent all-around season, and it wasn’t that he scored, but how he did so late in the game which stood out.

King often was defended well but made a series of hard-earned baskets, delighting the large Sullivan crowd and fanning the comeback flames.

“I don’t think there’s another guy on our roster who is more willing to step up when the game is on the line. He wants the ball when the game is on the line,” Vaughan said. “He’s willing to be that guy and he was tonight and helped us get back into it and hit a couple tough buckets, but unfortunately it just wasn’t enough tonight.”

Jaymes Carpenter and Neeko Bowen both hit key shots in the third quarter when South pushed a seven-point advantage to 12. They and all their teammates soaked in the loud applause for so many white-clad South fans moments following the game.

As always, they did so together.

“I didn’t know how the season was going to go. The loss to Sullivan really opened our eyes and we started playing as a team,” Walter said. “It’s straight team-ball. It’s great. Everybody played a huge part in this game.

“Everybody.”

SULLIVAN (50)

Lucas King 8 3-4 20, Tucker Blasi 4 2-2 12, Colin King 2 0-0 4, Cayden Smithkors 2 1-2 5, Ryan Murray 0 0-0 0, Jaiden Moore 3 0-2 6, Dom Marotti 1 0-0 3. Totals 20 6-10 50.

SOUTH (57)

Levi Butler 4 1-2 10, Andrew Walter 4 4-5 13, Chance Quimby 5 0-2 12, Bobby Regan 5 0-2 11, Jaymes Carpenter 1 0-0 2, Neeko Bowen 2 0-0 4, Samir Moy 1 3-4 5. Totals 22 8-14 57.

Sullivan 8 14 12 16–50

South 15 18 8 16–57

3-pointers: Sullivan 4 (Blasi 2, L. King, Marotti). South 5 (Quimby 2, Butler, Walter, Regan).

Records: South 20-4. Sullivan 19-4.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Neeko Bowen (4) grabs a loose ball during the boys Mid-Penn West championship game against Sullivan County at St. John Neumann on Saturday. South won 57-50.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Sullivan County's Colin King (12) takes a shot around a pair of South Williamsport players during the boys Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. South won 57-50.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Chance Quimby (11) takes a shot during the boys Mid-Penn West championship game against Sullivan County at St. John Neumann on Saturday. South won 57-50.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Sullivan County's Colin King (12) brings the ball downcourt past a pair of South Williamsport players during the boys Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. South won 57-50.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Chance Quimby (11) moves the ball past Sullivan County's Colin King (12) during the boys Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. South won 57-50.