The Loyalsock Township High School Lancers are the 2025 girls’ basketball state championships.

On these occasions, we often praise the successes of our local young people and note the role that hard work, teamwork and dedication played in reaching those successes.

Of course, the Lancers owe their championship to those qualities. The team consistently displayed the value of teamwork and a willingness to work hard and diligently practice.

But there is another specific quality the girls’ basketball team exhibited on the road to that championship that we feel needs acknowledged in particular: Resilience.

As Sun-Gazette reporter Chris Masse noted in his chronicling of the team’s journey, “just about every player who competed Friday was battling or has battled some kind of physical ailment this season.”

“It’s just such a tough group,” Loyalsock coach Curtis Jacobson told the Sun-Gazette. “(Assistant coach) Jeff (Everett) said, ‘We understand you’re beat up, but you have to figure out a way to play beat up because you’re going to get beat up Friday, too. Nothing is going to change in one day, so you have to find a way inside to say, ‘I’m not beat up, I’m not sick, I’m not this or that. I’m excited and I’m ready.'”

So they persevered. They rose above their obstacles and afflictions to give the game and each other their all — and now they, and the community, can celebrate a state championship.

We believe other young people — and, for that matter, people of all ages really — can learn from their example.

We are proud that these young women played through pain, with grit and determination, to not let each other down. We truly believe their neighbors of all ages can be inspired by that sense of selflessness, of putting the team and its aspirations for the state championship ahead of their individual selves.

The 2025 state champion Lancers deserve every accolade, we believe our region should celebrate the young women on this team and that this team should take immense pride in their accomplishments.