RIVER FALLS — The high school baseball season was already one to remember for River Falls, making it to State for the first time since 2015. Things only got sweeter, though, as the River Falls American Legion Post 121 team won the State championship on their home field.

The Wildcats won the tournament opener 5-2 over West Salem before dropping a game to Superior 8-4. That loss meant River Falls would have to march through the lower bracket of the double elimination gauntlet. A 10-1 win righted the ship, and a 6-5 win over Waupun put the Wildcats into the top three. River Falls secured a spot in the final after beating West Salem 8-4 thanks to a three-run first inning. The championship game came against Waupun, and it was a great one. Ethan Jeffers was brilliant on the mound, allowing one run over seven innings. River Falls won the hit battle 4-2, with each team walking just once. A Kingston Quinn RBI single in the third and a Chase Rudolph RBI single in the fifth made the difference in a 2-1 win.

River Falls wound up playing six games in five days to come out on top.

“You think back to the first meeting, the first practices back in March and how everything was just starting. To watch it all unfold and watch these guys really start to believe, and trust in each other and play for each other,” Coach Ryan Bishop said. “It’s just pretty incredible.”

Bishop said the team earned the right to be the champions because of how committed they were to the process.

“Our coaching staff, collectively, what we watch and observe in how they believe in what we do and why we do it. How they continued to just play so well for each other and not worry necessarily about all the outside noise,” Bishop said. “As coaches, it’s so rewarding to watch that. As a program, that’s the mentality you strive for. The scoreboard results are nice when they’re in your favor, but the reality is you don’t win championships if you’re focused solely on a scoreboard. The scoreboard was in our favor at the end because of everything else that led up to that with this group.”

Now graduated senior catcher Colten Maves was named an American Legion All-Star, which earned him a trip to play in the All-Star Classic in Milwaukee. Maves is the lone Wildcat graduating senior to play Legion Baseball for all four years, and he did not miss a single game. Bishop said the things Maves does should not be under looked.

“Just pure consistency, pure heart. The guy’s our backstop,” Bishop said. “He caught every single inning of those six games in five days. There’s no question we don’t win that State title without him.”

Bishop thanked everyone who helped the Wildcats host the event. The moment of winning on the field in front of the home fans is one the team will not forget.

“To win it is pretty special. To win it in front of your home crowd is something that’s tough to put into words,” Bishop said.