DENVER – A year after finishing runner-up in 2024, the Kent Denver boys basketball team cleared that final hurdle this winter and won the Class 4A state championship.

On Saturday afternoon at the Denver Coliseum, the Sun Devils won 71-54 over rival Colorado Academy to take home the trophy. It will go next to the school’s only other boys basketball title trophy from way back in 1997.

“It feels amazing,” Sun Devils junior Caleb Fay said. “We’ve been waiting for this for years, so to finally get it done feels great. It feels great.”

Fay (22.7 ppg) led all scorers with 20 points while shooting 64 percent from the floor.

Behind Fay as their leading scorer, the top-seeded Sun Devils (25-3) jumped out to a 24-16 lead by the end of the first quarter and never looked back. They led 40-34 at halftime and 58-44 to start the fourth quarter, during which they outscored No. 10 Colorado Academy (18-10) by three points to finish out the game.

Kent Denver swept a two-game set between the two teams during the Metro League season and beat their conference rivals by double figures for the third time in 2024-25.

“It’s like a dream game,” Fay said. “Playing your rivals for the state championship – it’s amazing. It’s like, you know how they play, but they’re always going to pull out something different. It’s a little weird seeing how that goes. But it’s fun.”

Also for Kent Denver, senior Elvis Lloyd (13.9 ppg) scored 15 points and senior Gil Schayes added 11 more.

Senior Clay Love (19.3 ppg) led Colorado Academy with 17 points, senior James Claypool (12.3 ppg) scored 15 points and senior River Hamm scored 12 points.

Colorado Academy is still seeking its first-ever boys basketball state title.

To reach the championship game, Kent Denver won 84-70 over No. 4 Prospect Ridge. In the opposite semifinal, Colorado Academy won 67-62 over No. 6 Coal Ridge.

Denver East and Manual are tied for the all-time lead with 12 boys basketball titles.