A legacy season ended Saturday when the Bulldogs secured Old Rochester Regional's first boys basketball state championship.

“It’s the ultimate team’s dream, the school’s dream, a coach’s dream,” Coach Steve Carvalho said. “It means a whole lot to me, but mainly because of the hardworking kids who earned every bit of it.”

Unfazed by the pressure of a Division III state final, the Bulldogs beat the Hoosac Valley Hurricanes 61-47 at the DCU Center.

Carvalho said winning it all seemed within reach after ORR earned the South Coast Conference title following a 22-year drought.

“We came through the grind of the SCC,” Carvalho said. “I felt we had the possibility to go pretty deep.”

Freshman guard Noah Fernandes had a game-high 20 points. He also sunk two key three-point shots in the fourth. The baskets halted the Hurricanes' momentum.

“It was so fun. I didn’t think we’d come this far,” Fernandes said. “To see everyone’s confidence build and for everyone to come together like this, it’s just awesome.”

With an exceptional season, Fernandes left an impression his first year. The Dog Pound, the student cheering section, made sure Hurricane fans knew that.

“He’s a freshman! He’s a freshman!” students chanted after Fernandes sunk deep jump shots.

When asked if the Bulldogs would return to the finals, Fernandes was unequivocal.

“Definitely,” he said.

The Bulldogs started strong in the first quarter. ORR was up 9-2 after senior and co-captain Jordan Menard nailed a three-point shot. When Menard scored again the team led by 10.

At the end of the first, the score was 18-12 after Hoosac chipped away at the Bulldogs' lead.

At halftime, the Bulldogs were up 32-25, but the Hurricanes made a stand in the third quarter.

Hoosac players scored 10 points in quick succession. The effort would have put them ahead, if not for a well-timed three-pointer from Fernandes. Instead, the game was tied at 35.

That was the closest the Hurricanes would come to overtaking ORR.

Senior and co-captain Ryan Beatty drilled a corner three-pointer in the opening seconds of the fourth. The Bulldogs led 47-39 after the shot.

Beatty scored again from behind the arc with 3:51 left on the clock. With the basket, the Bulldogs led by 10, and the Dog Pound cheered as if the game ended.

With ORR's sizable lead, both coaches let the bench play in the final minute.

The win had special resonance for Carvalho.

“Being a former Bulldog, having played for Old Rochester, my father coached here and everything else, it means a whole lot,” he said.

Looking back on the season, junior forward Evan Santos said the team's confidence was boosted last summer. The Bulldogs notched a 7-1 record in preseason play against South Coast teams.

Sophomore center Matt Valles said a tough playoff schedule also helped.

“We played against some metal teams – Martha’s Vineyard, Bishop Stang,” Valles said. “That really prepared us.”

In the semi-final game, the Bulldogs beat Pentucket Regional High School on the Celtics home court.

TD Garden is more prestigious. But Valles preferred playing where the Bulldogs became state champions.

“I got to make the comment: I like this floor better than TD Garden.”