Mars Hill accomplished a rare feat in Friday’s Class 2A state championship game at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena by shutting out Highland Home in the first quarter.

The Panthers (27-2) jumped out to a 16-0 lead and never looked back on the way to a Friday’s 56-42 victory, earning the first boys basketball state championship in school history.

“We just came out hot,” Mars Hill’s Cannon Pigg said.

Highland Home missed all nine of its first-quarter shots, while Mars Hill made 6-of-9 overall and 4-of-6 from 3-point range. The Flying Squadron (21-8) didn’t score until Brice McKenzie’s 3-pointer at the 7:25 mark of the second quarter.

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Mars Hill coach Jeremy Pounders credits his team’s defense for the dominant play in the first quarter.

“Our offense becomes easy when we defend like we do,” he said. “When the other team is having trouble scoring and getting good looks, it makes the offensive end easy.”

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Did you know?: Mars Hill captured the first AHSAA boys basketball state championship in school history after finishing as 1A runner-up in 1996 and 2001 and 2A runner-up in 2022.

Did you know (part 2)?: Mars Hill advanced to the state tournament for the third straight season after finishing runner-up in 2022 and falling in the state semifinals in 2023. The Panthers beat Highland Home in the state semifinals in 2022.

Championship basketball: While it’s the first boys basketball championship for Mars Hill, the girls program captured girls titles in 1979, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 2005 and 2023.

This post will be updated.