CEDAR CITY — The Cedar High School boys basketball team received a warm welcome back to town Wednesday night, just hours after winning the 4A state championship in Richfield.
The Reds, who had entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed, defeated No. 3 Crimson Cliffs on Monday, followed by a 66-61 semifinal win over No. 7 Ridgeline on Tuesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, Cedar beat Region 9 rival Desert Hills, the No. 4 seed, in the state title game, 64-59. It marked Cedar’s fourth-ever boys basketball state title and its first since 1995. Cedar has now won a state basketball championship in each of the past three years, as the girls basketball team won back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020.
As soon as the team’s buses arrived in town shortly after 7:30 p.m., the players and coaches were met with scores of honking vehicles filled with students, fans and family members. Shortly after exiting their bus and walking across the parking lot, the Reds climbed atop the firetruck with their trophy as onlookers clapped and cheered.
The procession then made its way south on Main Street until it reached 800 South, at which point the vehicles turned right and headed west until reaching Cedar High School a couple blocks away.
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Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Zab Santana after victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City NewsZab S
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Head coach Mark Esplin and player Aaron Munson after victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Dallin Grant greets family members after victory parade for state 4A boys basketball champion Cedar Reds, Cedar City, Utah, March 3, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
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Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.