Blake Basketball Wins 4 Playoff Games as #9 Seed

Nobody gave Blake a chance, but the Bears didn't care what anyone thought.

The Blake School boys basketball team entered Minnesota's Class 2A playoffs as the ninth seed in their section. In March 2026, they shocked everyone by winning four straight elimination games against higher-ranked opponents to punch their ticket to the state tournament.

The run started with an upset over eighth-seeded Watertown-Mayer. Then Blake stunned top-seeded Holy Family 76-67, and something clicked in that locker room.

"Our coaching staff all looking at each other, players looking at each other, like, we might actually have something here," said head coach Tyler Biwan after that Holy Family win.

The Bears kept rolling. They knocked off fourth-seeded Minneapolis North in the section semifinals, then claimed the section championship by beating third-seeded Maranatha.

The timing made their run even more remarkable. Midway through the season, Blake stood at 9-10, barely above .500.

"I don't think any of us thought this was a real possibility at that point in the season," said senior Carson McMichael. "Everyone just bought in, we got healthy at the right time, and everybody locked in."

Why This Inspires

Blake's story reminds us that seasons aren't defined by where you start. This team could have packed it in at 9-10, accepting a mediocre finish and early playoff exit.

Instead, they chose belief over doubt. They got healthy, committed to each other, and discovered they had more in them than anyone realized.

Now they're three wins from a state championship, carrying momentum that no higher seed wants to face.

The Bears entered the state tournament as the seventh seed and faced second-seeded Pequot Lakes on March 25 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Win or lose, Blake already proved the most important thing: the only limits that matter are the ones you accept.

This team stopped accepting limits four games ago.