For Stueber, who has worked with head coach Matt Johnsen for years, seeing him hoist the championship trophy was all the more special. “Matt’s a hard worker,” he said. “When you’re an athletic director and get to watch a coach who spends as much time working as Matt does… I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.”

Tom Supple, a 24-year resident of Valley Stream who has followed the Falcons all season, said it was nice to see the players reach their goal. “They had a good team,” he said. “I knew they had a tough team with good rebounding and three good guards, which makes a difference in the playoffs.”

Mayor Ed Fare, a teacher at South, said he was extremely proud of the players and coaches after the game. “This is part of the fabric of the community,” he said. “Look at the turnout we had here. It bonds the community.”

South will square off against John Glenn on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Hofstra University for the Long Island Class A championship. “Valley Stream is going to rally behind them,” Fare said.