Mohegan — This was for all of them. All the kids, coaches, alumni and townsfolk. All of them who would buy their clothes at Hurley's and their bats and gloves at Nassiff's. All those who would listen to Wayno on WILI in the mornings and who have hoisted a few at Blarney's and the Trolley.

All those who have added to the personality of their town, their town where "La Familia," in the words of town and school legend Brian Crudden, is a way of life. And has applied for the last 81 years.

Eighty-one years.

And then came Saturday, a short trip down Route 32, this day when the Whippets of Windham made their own little miracle. Eighty-one years later.

Neal Curland, the alum and former coach, fought back tears.

Six busloads of kids, faces painted and in full throat, chanted their school's name.

Paul Martineau, the coach (and also an alum), mouthed the words "Oh My God!" at the final horn.

And whether these events are orchestrated by the hand of God, the power of the mind or just a one in a million chance, Saturday was a day to appreciate and believe in the miracles that sports give us. Because miracles, however they are defined, create reality out of possibility.

The reality: Windham 62, Sport & Medical Sciences Academy 56. The first boys' basketball championship for Windham since 1941 and a proud day for another Eastern Connecticut Conference neighbor.

"The ball we have in the trophy case looks like we got it from Wal-Mart," Martineau said.

The ball has company now, thanks to the Travis Mangual, Isaiah Mangual and Malcolm Hunter, the kids who were 2-5 at one point this season, perhaps when the drought felt as though it would swell to year No. 82.

"This is so great for the school and the community," Martineau said. "I can't even describe what I'm feeling right now."

Neither could Curland, who graduated from Windham in 1976, coached the basketball team from 1985-96 and now is part of the CIAC Basketball Committee. Curland, who later coached at NFA, is among the most polished and measured educators and coaches in state history. His struggle to find the right words told the story of this day.

"I didn't expect to be feeling so many emotions," Curland said, eyes welling. "Look, 1941 is a long time ago. And winning a championship is a great accomplishment. But it's more than that. It's the coming out of this community. Look at this place.

"I can't tell you how many players I used to coach that I've seen here today. We've shared so many memories. We've shared love."

And this bunch of kids brought them all together on one Saturday morning. It didn't merely look as though the whole town was there. It sounded that way, too.

Martineau's name will be permanent part of town lore and legend now, the guy who proved that nobody, but nobody, denies the Whips of Windham 82 years in a row. And Martineau was happy to share the spotlight with the program's guiding hand.

Mark Gildea, once the coach of the program and Special Education teacher at Windham, died in Jan. 2021 from complications related to cancer. Nary a dry eye Saturday from anybody who mentioned Gildea's name in conversation.

"He loved these kids so much," Martineau said. "A great teacher. He'd be so proud of them right now. We told the guys he was looking down on us."

But then, who's to say Gildea wasn't right there with them all along?

"He's celebrating this somewhere," Travis Mangual said. "His son (Luke) is my trainer. I've worked with him for more than half my life. I don't know where I would be without both of them."

And with that, the celebration continued on the floor of Mohegan Sun, the same floor on which LeBron James and Michael Jordan played, the same arena whose echoes include Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.

But not even that notable quartet inspired the emotions that the Whips of Windham did Saturday.

Eighty-one years is now old news. The Whips have won one championship in a row.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro