After an impressive 31-2 record last year, many thought they had seen the peak of Paly boys basketball. That is, until this year’s Vikings shocked the Bay Area and the rest of California with a truly magical season that transcended logic.

Seven times in the playoffs, the Vikings faced elimination and seven times, the Vikings pulled it out to complete the improbable dream of a state championship.

Most assumed the miraculous season would end bitterly as the Vikings faced five-time state champ Mater Dei on March 17 for the California Interscholastic Federation Division-II state basketball crown. The stunning 51-47 upset reminded everyone that "March Madness" can apply to the high school level as well. The upset turned heads across the state, but long before the special championship game, the team and its fans witnessed a truly special season.

The Vikings’ run to the state title began in early November when the team, led by six seniors, decided on the goals for the season. Aiming for the stars by hoping to win league and Central Coast Section playoffs, Paly hit the moon as its success carried it to the state finals.

For senior captain Jeremy Lin, the meeting was emotional, having broken his fibula in a pick-up game the night before the CCS finals last year. His team won the next three games without him, but lost, 55-35, to eventual state champion Oak Ridge in the NorCal finals. Lin, still haunted by the memories of his foolish mistake, felt he owed it to the team to help them reach the state championship.

“It’s the best feeling knowing I screwed up, and yet having the support of my coaches and teammates,” Lin said. “I wanted to give us the best chance to win state.”

After a month of grueling conditioning in which two of the Vikings’ starters were absent due to football, the Vikings came together to begin their four month quest for the title.

“We knew we had a great team, and we always believed we could win it all,” said senior forward Steven Brown.

After winning their first two preseason tournaments which included a thrilling 54-53 victory over powerhouse Paso Robles, the nearly impossible dream began to show signs of hope. The Vikings’ first and only loss came from defending Division-V champ Price, but losing only further fueled the Vikings’ desire.

“After the loss, we realized how much we hated the feeling,” said head coach Peter Diepenbrock. “We didn’t want to have that feeling again.”

They did not know it then, but the Vikings would never lose again. The Vikings won nine straight after the loss, but on Jan. 20, Paly faced its cross-town foe Gunn in a match that would determine sole possession of first place in the De Anza division. A late second half comeback helped the Vikings escape with the 61-55 victory.

After four more wins, the Vikings traveled to Gunn for the rematch, and Paly again took over in the second half to sweep their rival and clinch a share of the league title. Two final dominating victories over Fremont and Mountain View clinched the league title and gave the Vikings the top seed in the CCS playoffs.

The dream was now only seven victories away, but opposing teams tried to obstruct Paly’s path to the playoffs. Earlier scares during the regular season already had the Vikings in playoff mode, and from the first game, it was obvious the Vikings needed all the intensity and effort they could muster.

Seeing his team slipping in the first round, Lin took over, scoring 33 points and leading his team to victory over Woodside. In the CCS finals, the Vikings were expected to fall to Archbishop Mitty, a private school with 6’9” sophomore sensation, Drew Gordon. The Vikings and the Monarchs met in the finals last year, but Lin was forced to watch from the sidelines. This year, Lin scored 19 points, carrying the team to a 50-38 win. Though the Vikings were top seeded, many called the win an upset.

“I think that after we beat Mitty in the CCS finals, everyone saw how special this team was,” Lin said.

After the Vikings captured the sectional title they again received the top seed, this time in the NorCal playoffs. A first round blowout over Richmond could have been closer, but the Oilers’ top scorer, Wendell McKines, was suspended for the game.

The second round game against Laguna Creek was the final game at home for the six seniors. A late surge by the Cardinals tied the game with just over a minute left. Not wanting to end his season with a home loss, Lin drained the go-ahead three-pointer. On the next possession, with the Cardinals defense focused on Lin, he found the open man, Brown, who clinched the win from beyond the arc. With the thrilling victory, the Vikings ended their high school careers without having ever lost a varsity game on their home court.

The Vikings then found themselves in the same NorCal championship as last year, and facing the same opponent who they had already beaten for the CCS finals, Mitty. Once again, the public school was expected to fall to the supposedly more distinguished and polished private school from San Jose.

This time, the Monarchs followed through on the predictions, but only for the first quarter. The Vikings found themselves in a 20-6 hole early on, but by the third quarter, the Monarchs’ lead had disappeared. Late in the fourth quarter, Mitty twice focused on Lin and twice he dished to senior guard Brad Lehman who twice drained a three-pointer to give the Vikings the lead. As the Monarchs’ final shot fell short, giving the Vikings the victory, the improbable dream was only a win away.

The Vikings had already pulled off some amazing feats this season, but a win over the Mater Dei Monarchs, the SoCal champions, seemed out of reach. Predictions indicated that the Vikes would fall to a far more superior squad.

On paper, the match-up showed just how much of an underdog the Vikings were. With no one taller than 6’6” and senior Kheaton Scott, who barely stands above six feet, as their center, the Vikings were severely undersized. The Monarchs started three players above 6’7” including 7’1” Arizona-bound Alex Jacobson. Duke-bound junior guard Taylor King led the Monarchs through their remarkable season with over 26 points per game.

By game’s end, the Vikings handed the stunned Monarchs their second straight loss in the state championship game. The hustle and determination shown by the Vikings was epitomized in the first seconds of the game when Scott out jumped Jacobson on the opening tip.

The Vikings took an early lead that fluctuated throughout the game, but they never let go of it. Late in the fourth quarter with the momentum clearly on the Monarchs’ side, Lin threw up a desperation shot from NBA range. It seemed like if the Monarchs took the lead, they would never relinquish it. Lin’s shot miraculously banked off glass and fell through during the final minutes of the game. Scott, one of the last players off the bench last year, found himself on the foul line with two chances to ice the win. He only needed one.

“It felt great to be the guy to clinch it,” Scott said. “Anyone of us could have been there, I just happened to be the guy.”

After Scott swished the first free throw, the Vikings knew they had done the impossible. As the buzzer sounded, the Vikings bench joined their teammates at center court and the celebration began.

“It took me a while to realize what had just happened,” Lehman said. “We were really state champs.”

Many of the seniors have been playing with each other since middle school, so to win their final game in the state championship meant a lot to the players. During the players’ freshman year, Diepenbrock recognized that the young group had potential to be something special in a few years. The original plan changed when Scott moved from Texas and Lin grew 11 inches, but by their senior year, the six teammates were ready to go all the way.

“Winning state was always a dream of ours, but I never thought it would really happen,” said senior 6th man Kevin Trimble. “The win didn’t really set in until random people started congratulating me on the street.”

“It’s hard to comprehend the magnitude of what we did,” said senior forward Cooper Miller. “I still don’t want it to end.”

For five months, the six Viking seniors overcame adversity not with raw talent, but rather with teamwork and heart. Even in the championship game, the Vikings did not play their best game, but like in the other 31 wins, the gutsy team found a way to victory.

From the first game it was clear the Vikings would rely almost exclusively on their six seniors. Lin led the offense and on numerous occasions it appeared like he single handedly carried the team to victory. Brown, with his lengthy stature, caused havoc as a perimeter defender and knocked down key outside shots. Lehman, often overshadowed by Lin, consistently put up points and hit the key shots. Miller, the Vikings’ best defender, used his sculpted physique and quick feet to his advantage as he often guarded the opposition’s best scorer. Scott surprised many this year with his energy and determination on both sides of the court. His tenacity on the boards and on defense often gave the team a desperately needed spark. Trimble came off the bench hitting three-pointers at will while playing solid defense.

Looking forward to next year, the Vikings face another uphill battle. Except for junior guard Adam Wandell, the Vikings will have almost no varsity experience next year, but Diepenbrock is not worried.

“The seniors were like role models to the younger players,” Diepenbrock said. “They led by example and showed the young guys the right approach.”

Few thought this year’s Vikings could surpass the 31-2 record from 2004-2005, but the team proved their skill becoming Paly’s first basketball state champions in decades. The 2006-2007 Vikings will surely be underdogs, but that’s just how the team likes it. As Diepenbrock says goodbye to his seniors, he welcomes a new member into his own family. Janet Diepenbrock gave birth to the couple’s first child, John, on Super Bowl Sunday earlier this year. Whatever successes the Vikings have in the future, no one will ever forget these six seniors’ remarkable run.

“We will always have this season between us,” Diepenbrock said. “It will be a special bond and I’ll never forget it.”

They weren’t flashy, but no matter how stacked the odds were, the Vikings would not go down. A suffocating defense kept the team in the game long enough for Lin and the offense to pull ahead for good. When raw talent no longer gave the Vikings the advantage, sheer will and determination carried the team through to the state championship. After an emotionally thrilling yet draining season, the Vikings had still enough magic left to win one final game to take the state crown.

They were never expected to compete. They were never given enough respect. They were never given a chance to win. From the first workout in November to the final buzzer in Arco Arena, the Palo Alto Vikings left it all on the court throughout the extraordinary season culminating with a state championship.