Late basketball mogul Tony Geer often referred to the Hopkins staff as the "mafia," acknowledging the tight bond among regular and recurring members.
Saturday night at Target Center, Hopkins laid another hit in the class AAAA championship, winning their third straight title in a 68-45 win over Bloomington Kennedy.
Hopkins (31-1) claimed their fifth overall championship and became the first school in the state's biggest class to win three straight titles.
The 2013 journey was slightly more difficult for the Royals, a narrative that held steady in the first half against the Eagles (28-4). Kennedy made a battle of things with their bench, and a sluggish 24 percent shooting clip from Hopkins meant the state's most complete team could only muster a 28-26 halftime lead after trailing by five late in the period.
However, opponents who face Hopkins must execute with near perfection to rattle their morale, or face the consequences of their notorious pressure defense. Kennedy failed to score for the first 6:53 of the second half, and by that point, Hopkins did more than enough damage to comfortably seal another win.
The Royals forced 31 turnovers in their rematch from November against the Eagles, leading to 37 points.
If anyone thought the excitement level of Hopkins would fade after three years of fulfilling expectations, senior guard Taylor Anderson busted a few celebratory moves with the support of her brethren.
McDonald's All-American Nia Coffey made no dunk attempts during her final high school visit to Target Center, but she did get 25 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. The senior forward, whose vertical is unmatched by any other high school player, will join the Big Ten as a member of Northwestern next season.
Kennedy senior forward Jade Martin, a Georgetown recruit, led Kennedy with 19 points and six rebounds.
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