They don't come from a little
               town that needed putting on
               the map, but the Schaumburg
               High School Saxons this
               weekend brought renewed
               civic pride to a village better
               known by some for its
               businesses than its residents.

               The village and school came
               together Sunday afternoon to
               enthusiastically celebrate the
               boys basketball team's Class AA state championship over top-ranked Thornwood
               Saturday night in Peoria.

               The 66-54 victory marked the first time since 1983 that an unranked team has won
               the state title, and the first time since 1963 that one has done so by beating the
               top-ranked team.

               A crowd of hundreds - from small children barely old enough to walk to the
               grandparents of current students - crowded the sidewalk in front of the school
               Sunday afternoon awaiting the return of the team bus. The sounds of the police
               escort approaching brought the most excited of the teens all the way out to the
               street.

               The state trophy and game ball were proudly held above the crowd as the players
               made their way into the gym for the celebration.

               "I'm sort of at a loss for words," 10-year Saxons coach Bob Williams told fans. "It's
               been quite a journey. The things we did took huge, huge sacrifices.

               "We're not the most talented team in the state, I'll tell you that," he said. "But we're
               the greatest team in the state. We have the best fans. We have the best
               community."

               Senior star Mark Pancratz's voice cracked with emotion as he reminded the school
               of his pledge two years ago to work hard to bring the Saxons back to the state
               finals, and he thanked his teammates for doing the same.

               "This weekend has been nuts," he said. "It's something we dreamed of. It's
               something some of us believed in."

               Schaumburg High School Principal Sharon Cross said the championship was all the
               more meaningful for having been achieved by a group of gentlemen - scholars and
               athletes who committed themselves to excellence in all their pursuits.

               But she admitted that some parts of some games during the season got too tense
               for her nerves to handle. She would have to leave and walk around in the halls
               outside the game until she heard the sounds of cheering from the Schaumburg side
               return - as it always did