When former Wildcats walked into the gym Easter weekend for River Falls’ eighth annual boys’ basketball alumni tournament, past players’ faces lit up with joy as they rekindled relationships with former teammates and coaches alike.

Lance Westberg, who graduated from River Falls in 2009 and served as an assistant under current head coach Zac Campbell during the 2013-14 season, is one of nearly 50 players that return every spring to compete in the annual alumni tournament.

Those players – many of whom travel hours back to River Falls – have made playing in the alumni games a beloved tradition.

“We play for camaraderie, tradition and to share some great memories,” Westberg said after playing in the first of two games on Friday night at the high school. “Zac (Campbell) runs such a great program. It’s great to come back and see all of the other guys that played here too.”

For River Falls head coach Zac Campbell, who just completed his 10th season as the leader of the Wildcats’ program, hearing Westberg, a former player and one of the school’s distinguished alumni praise the tournament makes him proud of the work he does every year to host it.

“Lance saying that makes me the proudest of all of this,” Campbell said. “That’s the purpose of this. It’s everyone coming back together. Some guys come back and tell us they’re keeping track of our season. We’ve got guys living in Milwaukee and California and they still take time to keep track of our team.”

Before Campbell took over as leader of the program prior to the 2013-14 season, he had already mapped out a plan to establish a rich tradition with the Wildcats’ alumni. Campbell emphasized connecting with former players in his formative years of coaching.

“I experienced it post-high school and loved it,” Campbell said. “Part of identifying as a program is associating with our alumni. Once people move on, there aren’t a lot who stay here in River Falls. We had three guys catch flights who played tonight, but it’s also obviously Easter weekend, so obviously they’re here to see family too.”

Perhaps that’s why more than 50 former players took time on Easter weekend to compete in the annual alumni tournament. Maybe it’s because the relationships they built with teammates and coaches, sometimes decades ago, are family-like bonds.

For Campbell, making the annual alumni tournament a family-friendly environment is at the top of his priority list. Many former players, now in their 30s and 40s, have wives and children that attend the games each year.

“To have these guys all come back together is great,” Campbell said. “There are 40-year-old guys here with their kids running around, and we’ve got little hoops up for them to play too. It’s just awesome to have all of the guys who have played here back in the same building.”

The 2023 alumni tournament featured six teams with players from 18 graduating classes spanning from 2001 to 2022. Although the tournament typically sees approximately 40 players compete annually, this year more than 50 players hit the hardwood between Friday night and Saturday afternoon’s championship game.

The tournament bracket was split into two halves, each of which featured three teams vying for a spot in the title game. The left side of the bracket included the classes of 2001-06, 2014-16 and 2021-22, while the other half included the 2008-11, 2017-18 and 2019-20 squads.

Younger alumni dominated the tournament, as both the 2019-20 and 2021-22 Wildcats cruised to 2-0 records in pool play to advance to the title game Saturday afternoon.

The 2019-20 squad had too much firepower, as they secured a 78-60 victory over the 2021-22 graduates. It was the 2019-20 Wildcats’ second consecutive alumni tournament championship.

Although the young guns got the best of the older guys this year, it hasn’t stopped the aforementioned Westberg and the 2008-11 Wildcats from eyeing a championship in the next couple of years.

“We’re building for 2025, I think that’s going to be our year,” Westberg said while laughing sarcastically. “It’s a process. We’re in a little bit of a rebuild right now. I think we’re all going to hit our prime in our mid-30s.”

While Westberg and his team of 2008-11 graduates are likely moving further away from regularly contending for the annual alumni championship, it hasn’t deterred them from competing each year. He spoke about the desire to continue that tradition of competition every spring.

“I’m always going to want to come back and play in this tournament,” Westberg said. “It’s always great coming back and playing with these guys. Zac does such a great job of running it every year.”

While players want to win the annual title, that’s not what keeps them coming back. Instead, they reunite for the camaraderie and tradition of hitting the hardwood with teammates and lifelong friends.