WESTVILLE — Listed on the roster as 6-feet-2 inches, Salt Fork Storm guard David Sacre is the third-tallest player on this year’s team. Junior Alec Dutton stands at 6-3, and sophomore Max Stutsman is the tallest at 6-4. But Salt Fork coach Aaron Hird said there’s no question that Sacre has towered over the young Storm team all season.

And now that Sacre’s career is over following a 59-42 Class 2A regional semifinal loss against St. Joseph-Ogden, Hird said that his lone senior can finally get some relief from a coach who has followed his every move for the last six years.

“I did my student teaching with David as a fifth-grader,” Hird said. “He was in my very first class. I got hired the next year as a sixth grade teacher. That year, I was also hired as the junior high basketball coach, so he moved up to the junior high basketball team. He moved up one year later after me (to the high school varsity team) so he hasn’t been able to get rid of me.

“I couldn’t ask for a better kid in the classroom, on the floor, on the football field, when he’s out with his buddies. That’s what we talked about after the game is, this guy has cast a long shadow for these younger kids to walk behind.”

As the team’s only returning senior, Sacre wasn’t sure what to expect entering this season after losing so much talent from last year. What he knew, though, is that it was his turn to step into a leadership role and do everything possible to not only have a successful final campaign, but groom the younger players for a time when they would have to step up.

“I knew I had to be the leader of the team,” Sacre said. “I had to control the team’s emotion, and just help the team get through the year. I knew the team would be young so I had to set an example for the younger kids.

“I had a great group of kids in front of me,” he continued. “I learned how to practice hard and I tried to show the younger kids, and I think that’s showed throughout the year. I think that’s why we’ve improved all year.”

Salt Fork recorded its 20th win on Tuesday — an accomplishment many weren’t sure would happen. But the St. Joe Spartans allowed little opportunity for the Storm to get to No. 21.

The Spartans (22-6) never trailed and held the Storm (20-9) to only two points until the 1:29 mark of the first quarter. By then, St. Joe had already built a 9-2 lead. With just under three minutes remaining in the half, Salt Fork had pulled to within 19-15, but that’s as close as it would get as St. Joe went on a 13-4 run at the beginning of the second half that helped extend its lead to 15. The Spartans’ largest lead of the game came at the 3:08 mark of the final period when Louis Acklin (17 points, nine rebounds) put St. Joe up 52-33 on a rebound basket.

But despite the deficit, Hird gave credit to St. Joe’s talented roster, and applauded his own team for never giving up regardless of the improbable comeback odds Salt Fork faced.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these kids,” Hird said. “I think what we saw tonight was an embodiment of what they’ve been all year long. They played as hard as they could from the jump ball to when the buzzer sounded. I don’t think you can ask for any more out of a team than that.

“I think the attitude we take is that win, lose, or draw, we want to play hard every night. When you play hard, good things happen. Things go your way. We made a season out of balls bouncing our way because of guys playing hard.”

Ross Learnard scored a team-high 16 points for the Storm and had a game-high four steals. Alec Dutton finished with nine points, and David Sacre scored eight and had five assists. Max Stutsman also put up seven points and pulled down eight rebounds.

Learnard, who is one of the team’s six sophomores, said he is optimistic about next season’s prospects, but agreed with Hird that Sacre’s intangibles will be difficult to replace.

“He was huge,” Learnard said. “He handled the ball about 90 percent of the time. His character, his leadership, everything. I kind of always looked up to him. My brother graduated and I needed somebody to look up to after that. He’s the guy. He’s such a good kid. I love him to death.”