With the seconds ticking down on the clock, the 1981 Mercer Island High School Boys’ Basketball team appeared poised to win their first state championship after seven previous attempts.

As the final buzzer rang out, their opponent threw up a last-second shot that was initially waved off, then counted. A melee in the middle of the court ensued as the scoreboard was changed and Shadle Park, not Mercer Island, were declared the ‘81 state champs.

After a long and bitter dispute with the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association ending in a decision not to hear an appeal of the game from Coach Ed Pepple and Mercer Island High School officials, the school was placed on probation for a year. Pepple, resolved to redeem the school’s good name, vowed to return the following season and claim what was rightfully his.

TRADITION: The Quest for a Championship is the remarkable story of a community swept up in the pride and passion of the game of basketball, and the once-in-a-lifetime coach who game them all a reason to believe. Weaved together from articles originally printed in the local community newspaper and featuring a colorful cast of characters including future NBA coach Quin Snyder and Islander luminaries Steve Hawes, Al Moscatel, Brian Schwabe and Omar Parker, readers will find themselves rooting alongside the maroon and white-clad fans as they cheer the pride of their hometown on to victory in pursuit of their first ever state high school basketball championship.