We’d like to congratulate the Austin Packers boys basketball team on another great season. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this program.

The boys finished second in the class AAA state tournament after losing to DeLaSalle 60-40 Saturday at the Target Center.

But there’s plenty of reason for optimism after the Packers’ third straight trip to state.

The Packers’ great three year run is actually more of a return to normalcy. Paging through the Minnesota State High School League’s program for the 2014 state tournament, it’s clear Austin boasts a long history of success in boys basketball.

Austin’s boys teams have reached state 29 times, won state three times and finished second six times. Since 1913, a boys team reached state in every decade except the 1990s and 2000s. That 30-year state drought, snapped in 2012, was the exception.

Naysayers will point to the fact that Austin is graduating five seniors, including guards Ajuda Nywesh and Zach Wessels, but the team also had nine juniors.

Most importantly, success breeds success. We hope younger Austin students watching the community band together to watch the Packers’ state runs are inspired to take their skills to the next level.

We hope this is a return to extended success for the program. Again, congratulations to the Austin Packer boys basketball team on another great season.