“This is where we wanted to be and who we wanted to play,” Rincker admitted. “It was a humbling feeling last year, but we learned from it.

“The boys did a great job of accepting the challenge and getting locked in,” Rincker added. “You could see their emotions at the end. It was a great feeling to get redemption.”

But it didn’t come easily.

The Purple Riders entered the game with 24 wins, including 10 in their last 11 games. Once again, St. Anthony was the favorite. But when Remi Roberts-McGeehon knocked down a three-pointer just 26 seconds into the contest, it was clear Arcola was not intimidated by that in the least.

Canton Wesch also connected from long range and Roberts-McGeehon added another in the opening eight minutes. But St. Anthony’s Brock Fearday and Ryan Schmidt answer with three-pointers of their own and Miles Waldhoff turned an Arcola turnover into a layup.

After the first eight minutes, the score was tied, 10-10.

A minute into the second quarter, Brock Fearday made a three to put the Bulldogs on top, 13-12. At that point, the Purple Riders decided to quit attacking on offense. For almost two minutes, Thomas stood with the ball near midcourt and nobody moved.

“I was a little surprised they went into their spread that early,” Rincker admitted. “I wanted to play basketball and my boys wanted to play basketball and not just stand around for the next six minutes. So, we went after them defensively.”

Arcola did score quickly when that happened. And when Tanner Thomas made a shot from behind the arc, the Purple Riders went up 17-13. But Keenan Griffith hit a shot from long range and Brock Fearday added two more jumpers, as SAHS responded with a 7-0 run.

Then it was Wesch’s turn again. His long, high-arching three from the corner went through the net just as the buzzer went off, sending the two teams to the locker room deadlocked once again, 20-20.

“I thought we guarded pretty well the first half,” Rincker said. “Wesch and McGeehon were left open and made some shots. They hadn’t shot the ball that well all year, but we knew they could make some.”

The third quarter proved to be decisive.

After Thomas scored just 12 seconds into the second half, the Bulldogs took control. With Schmidt, the team’s leading scorer being held in check by the Arcola defense, Will Fearday stepped up. He connected on a pair of threes and added another jumper to spark a 16-3 scoring surge.

In addition, Sam Link added a basket and Griffith converted a turnover into another score. With just 33 seconds to play in the period, the Bulldogs owned a double-digit lead, 36-25. Thomas made a three-pointer in the final seconds to make it 36-28 heading into the final quarter.

“Defensively, we improved in the second half,” Rincker noted. “Sam and Ryan, especially, did a better job not allowing Wesch and McGeehon to get off shots. They forced them to put the ball on the floor, which made a big difference.”

After going 5-for-9 from behind the arc in the opening half, Arcola made just 3-of-13 in the final 16 minutes. In fact, the only Purple Rider to score in the second half was Thomas. The other players combined to go 0-for-12.

Rincker was also pleased with his team’s offensive production.

“We executed very well in the third quarter,” he admitted. “Will, Sam and Keenan hit some big shots for us. It gave us some breathing room and ignited our defense even more.

“When you have two guys like Brock and Ryan, you know they are going to be keyed on every game,” Rincker continued. “It’s absolutely crucial for us to have the other guys step up and make plays. That’s what Will, Sam and Keenan did tonight. When they do that, it makes us hard to guard.”

Thomas, who scored all 14 of Arcola’s points in the second half, drilled a long three from the top of the key to open the fourth quarter. But those were the final points the Purple Riders scored.

St. Anthony didn’t make a field goal in the final eight minutes. But the Bulldogs were patient on offense, running a considerable amount of time off the clock. And when they got into the bonus, they converted at the foul line, making 7-of-8 in the quarter. Schmidt went 4-for-4, Griffith hit a pair and Brock Fearday added one more, helping SAHS secure the victory and clinch its third regional title in the past four years.

“This is a lot better feeling than last year,” Rincker said. “It’s been a long, long year.”

Thomas had 14 points for the Purple Riders, who ended their season at 24-8. They shot 33 percent overall, making just 11-of-33 attempts. Eight of those came from behind the arc out of 22 attempts. They were also 1-of-2 from the line.

Brock Fearday led all scorers with 15 points. Will Fearday had eight and both Griffith and Schmidt added seven.

The Bulldogs made 15-of-31 shots, a 48 percent clip. They were 6-for-13 from three-point range and 7-for-10 at the foul line.

After the game, Rincker had a moment to think about his grandfather, legendary basketball coach Lawrence Carie, who passed away Thursday morning.

“I talked about him with the kids. We prayed for him and the family,” Rincker said. “Lawrence was more than just a grandfather. He was a mentor, a coach and a friend. It certainly provided a little additional motivation tonight.”

The Bulldogs, now 29-4, will advance to the Bridgeport (Red Hill) Sectional. They will face Blufford (Webber) in a semifinal game at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Trojans, 27-5, will be riding a seven-game winning streak after defeating Christ Our Rock Lutheran, 80-60, to win the regional they hosted.

The sectional will also include Dieterich and Tuscola. Those two teams will play at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Dieterich earned its berth by beating North Clay, 69-49, to capture the Farina (South Central) Regional. Tuscola beat Casey-Westfield, 57-54, in the finals of the Chrisman Regional.

The sectional championship will be played at 7 p.m. Friday.