The Packers have the chance to settle an old score this Saturday.

All of Austin will be watching, listening or reading the Austin Daily Herald’s coverage during the Class AAA boys basketball state finals game when Austin High School once more faces the DeLaSalle Islanders. This game has the potential to be one of the most historic competitions our high school has taken part in, and we wish the young men who represent our community the best of luck.

It’s a classic story in the making. The Packers, riding on an undefeated season last year, came up against DeLaSalle in the state finals, only to lose to an incredibly strong Islanders squad helmed by Stanford commit Reid Travis in heartbreaking fashion. The Packers took second place, and many in Austin felt the high school team wouldn’t measure up after local superstars Joe and Tom Aase graduated last June.

The Packers have spent months proving critics wrong. Austin put together a 28-3 record heading into Saturday’s game, and it’s clear they want another chance to prove themselves against one of the best basketball teams in Minnesota.

DeLaSalle may seem unbeatable, but anything can happen in basketball. It took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls four seasons to overcome the Detroit Pistons and earn an NBA championship in 1991. We believe the Packers can conquer their own “roadblock” in two.

We hope the Packers can play the sort of game they’ve enjoyed all season and bring a championship home to Austin. Win or lose, they have been an exemplary model of hard work, tenacity and intelligence for our city, and we thank the team for playing as hard as they have this year.