California High School Ends 37-Year Championship Drought

The Millikan High School basketball team in Long Beach just proved that loyalty and 5am workouts can rewrite history.

The Rams completed their first undefeated Moore League season in 37 years Tuesday night, defeating Compton 82-50 to cap a championship run that seemed impossible just two years ago. It's the school's first league title since 1988, and the players who made it happen stuck with their program through coaching changes, transfers, and countless predawn practices.

"It makes it all worth it," said coach Stephon Price, who took over the struggling program in 2024. "The hard work we put in all year, the 5am workouts, long days, long nights. It was all worth it."

The victory held special meaning for senior Jeremiah Hunt, one of only two players who stayed with Millikan all four years. He scored 23 points in his final regular season game and surpassed 1,500 career points, potentially breaking a school record.

"I had no doubt in this program," Hunt said. "When we got a new coach, I had faith and trust that he was going to make us better. I bought in and everybody bought in."

Hunt wasn't alone in his commitment. Senior Jojo Wicker, who transferred to Millikan last year, added 22 points and reached his own 1,500-point milestone during the game. He had scored 27 points the night before when the Rams clinched their championship against Long Beach Poly.

The team celebrated five seniors before tipoff, all of whom started the game. While other players left during the coaching transition, this core group stayed together and built something special.

Why This Inspires

This story isn't just about winning basketball games. It's about teenagers choosing to believe in something bigger than themselves when walking away would have been easier.

The Rams lost players to transfers when Price arrived. They could have crumbled. Instead, the remaining players committed to grueling training schedules that started before sunrise and trusted a new coach's vision for turning around a struggling program.

Their faith paid off in spectacular fashion. Millikan jumped from Division 5 to Division 1, competing against the state's best programs and holding their own.

The team now enters the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs, where they'll face California's elite programs. Brackets release Saturday, and the Rams will be ready.