ST. LOUIS — The word "dynasty" might be overused in sports today. What constitutes a dynasty anyway? Do you have to win multiple championships in a certain span? Do you just have to have sustained success?
Well, there's no dynasty debate when it comes to Incarnate Word basketball. They're the real deal, and have been for some time.
On Friday, the Red Knights beat Kickapoo 67-50 in the Missouri Class 6 state title game.
They finished their season 29-0 and averaged 73 points a game. The state title win was their 68th victory in a row, the longest current streak in the country. They've won 60 of those games by double digits. They've won 5 state championships in a row. They've won 12 state championships overall as a program, the most by any girls basketball team in the state of Missouri.
That's what a dynasty looks like.
And all that success makes every team they play want to beat them that much more.
"This year had its own challenges because we always have a target on our back, but when you have everybody returning, everyone says, 'Oh, you're a lock. You should win this thing.' And I think that puts a little more pressure on us and our girls. And we always have a target on our back but it felt like for this season, even more," head coach Dan Rolfes said.
Rolfes is obviously no stranger to state titles, but with the end of the season comes both happiness and relief.
"So much of it is relief. For me, the pressure is off, we finally did it, the season is over and it's on to the next thing. As enjoyable as it is, a lot of it is relief," Rolfes said.
While the Red Knights have enjoyed sustained success, this year's team was especially loaded with experienced talent.
"I think this year was so special because we had everyone coming back, and we were just so excited to play as a team, and obviously play for our seniors," junior guard Olivia Hahn said. "And just to win another and have our program keep building and building."
But it's not just talent. This team works harder than anyone, and all that work paying off is a feeling the players and coaches never get tired of.
"We have super-long practices to prepare for this moment. And coach Rolfes puts his entire time into this. So you know it was earned and wasn't given. So it's like a feeling of relief," sophomore forward Abbie Sextro said.
Incarnate Word hasn't lost a basketball game since Feb. 8, 2020. They'll be the odds-on favorite to add another title next year, and at Incarnate, that is the standard.
"Our goal is to win a state championship every year. We'll have the talent to do it, but we've just got to make it happen," Rolfes said. "Those expectations and the bar set so high is what the challenge is for us."