They had a hard run and a solid showing, but in the end the King’s Fork High School boys’ basketball team found the school’s second state title in history to be just out of reach.

The 52-40 score in Saturday’s game between the Bulldogs and I.C. Norcom’s Greyhounds at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center wasn’t really indicative of how close much of the contest actually was. But the final score did reflect Norcom’s dominance in its division of the Virginia High School League, which most recently has been called the Group 4A division.

Considering the two teams have met each other in the state or regional basketball tournament for the past four years, the score really only tells part of the story. In fact, Norcom is a powerhouse team with a long history of state titles, and King’s Fork can make a special claim that no other school in Virginia can make: Since at least 2009, if the Bulldogs did not either win the title outright (as in 2009) or knock the Greyhounds out of the tournament prior to the final round (as in 2012 and 2013), Norcom went on to win the state title each year.

History seems to show us that whether they are there in the role of dynasty breakers or state champions, the Bulldogs will find themselves back on top in this perennial matchup between powerhouse basketball teams, and we can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.

Meanwhile, the boys from King’s Fork should hold their heads up in the knowledge that they’ve carved out a space in the rarefied heights of Virginia high school basketball.