Wait ‘til next year sounds pretty hollow today to the Lakeview Gators boys basketball team, which fell a couple of seconds away from an unlikely return to the LHSAA’s Marsh Madness state tournament in a 47-46 homecourt loss Thursday night to East Iberviille.

The outcome ended Lakeview’s season with a 25-6 record. The Gators and visiting Tigers (19-14) played an extremely competitive state quarterfinal game before East Iberview ripped the lead away from Lakeview on a shot in the lane that dropped in with under a second remaining.

The Gators had only one senior, Jamarcus Reliford, and were thought to be in a rebuilding mode after four starters graduated following last year’s trip to the state championship game. But veteran coach Brian Williams and his staff got the best out of the Lakeview squad and the tradition-rich program greatly exceeded most expectations. The Gators won 14 of their last 16 games and came just a couple of seconds away from getting back to the state’s high school basketball showcase event.