During the high-stakes match against Fallbrook High School, the junior varsity Mustang Minds team pulled through to become SDA’s first-ever North County Academic League champions April 20 at CCA and remain undefeated for the season.

Out of the six teams in the division, only one junior varsity team was to make it through to the playoffs. “We didn’t at all expect to make it at the beginning of the year,” said Rokas Veitas, junior. “As the season went on, we started thinking seriously about it.”

In preparation for the season and the playoffs, the team had regular practices after school and occasional lunch practices which consisted of studying and buzzer practice. “The team put in a lot of time into preparation and that’s a big factor going into how we did so well,” said Veitas.

For the Mustangs, the hard work paid off, especially during the last regular game of the season which held great significance. The match was against LCC and would determine which team would advance to playoffs.

After an 80 to 54 point defeat against LCC and the hype of an undefeated season, the JV Mustang Minds team advanced to the playoffs. The first playoff game was against Westview High School where they accumulated a final score of 73 to 40, earning them a spot in the final round.

For many, excitement and anxiety circled the room as the championship game set forth. Through it all, SDA ended the match against Fallbrook with a 101 to 46 victory, making them North County Academic League Champions.

“I was very excited and to be honest I was in shock,” said sophomore Wyatt Clay. “I was happy and hugged some of my teammates and it was a great game. Everyone got a chance to play and everyone took part in the victory.”