Tilton coach Tara Brisson stood near the far right corner of the Loomis Chaffee sidelines, watching the Class AA championship before her team would suit up in the AAA bout.
When asked how she felt about facing Nobles — which had knocked Tilton out in the previous year's championship, and which had beaten the Rams twice this season — Brisson said it was the calmest she had been before a title game.
Hardly anyone expected Tilton to topple two-time reigning champion Nobles. The third-seeded Rams weren't supposed to beat Tabor on the road by 22 points in the semifinals, either. Those rosters had nationally-ranked seniors and star Big Threes, and had won each NEPSAC Class AA title since 2022 — before NEPSAC created the new AAA class. Tilton, owner of six titles in classes A through C between 2011 and 2020, had never finished atop prep's highest class.
Then Brooke Golden's high-off-glass hook shot fell with one second remaining, giving the Rams a stunning, 68-66 championship victory. Tilton's relentless confidence and commitment to its "We Got Us" team mantra was suddenly validated.
