It all came down to one play. One shot. One basket and the GMHS boys varsity basketball team was headed to Richmond.

On Saturday, March 5 Mason knocked off Graham High in the Virginia State Tournament quarterfinal match by a tight final score, 74-72.

The game was tied at 72 with only 11.2 seconds left in the game, and the Mustangs had one last chance to secure their position in next week’s VHSL semi-final game. Senior guard Elliot Mercado took a half-court inbound pass and dribbled the ball down the middle, drawing the Graham defenders to him before passing smoothly over to senior Douglas Bossart. Bossart hit the layup with fewer than two seconds remaining to secure the Mustangs’ win.

Mason is now a perfect 29-0 on the season with a real chance to secure the first ever boys basketball championship in the school’s 60+ year history.

“We had a play drawn up to get the ball in bounds but from there it was up to Elliot to see what the defense was giving us. He made a smart aggressive drive to the hoop and when he drew three defenders [to him] he was able to dish the ball to me…” said Bossart.

The moments leading up to the nail biting fourth quarter had been strong. By the end of the first quarter the Mustangs had a commanding 14-5 lead, which continued to grow into the second quarter.

Senior guard Josh Allen was the leading scorer of the game, with 23 points. He hit big shots in the second quarter that helped contributed to the Mustangs’ 32-22 lead at half.

However, by the fourth quarter the Mustangs were clinging to a 44-43 lead. Senior Robert Tartt — who had gotten into foul trouble in the first half and collected his fourth foul early in the fourth quarter — was nearly unstoppable during the final minutes of the game, racking up a 20 point total that helped keep the Mustangs in the game.

The last-second shot caused an eruption in the crowd and raucous excitement for the team as they realized they would be heading to the State Semi-final in just one week.

“Celebrating with the team on the court after the buzzer was one of the best sports experiences I’ll ever have,” said Bossart.

Mason will now play Greensville County at 11:45 am on Friday, March 11 in Richmond at VCU’s Siegel Center.