![Minneapolis North Community High School head coach Larry McKenzie celebrated the win in the closing seconds of the second half. ] ANTHONY SOUFFLE ï anthony.souffle@startribune.com Players competed during the boys' basketball state tournament Class 1A championship game between the North Woods High School and the Minneapolis North Community High School Saturday, March 25, 2017 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/AFQUTBKVH3TKQAGB45I2PCNBI4.jpg?&w=712)
Larry McKenzie became Minnesota's first boys' basketball coach to win back-to-back state championships at two different schools when Minneapolis North defeated North Woods, successfully defending its Class 1A title.
"I try to give the kids everything I have," McKenzie said. "I've had some really good players."
McKenzie previously coached at Minneapolis Henry, where he won four consecutive Class 3A crowns from 2000-03.
"I'm honored to have coached at both places," said McKenzie, a North Side resident who has the highest winning percentage in state tournament history at 94.7 (18-1).
The feat has been done once among girls' basketball coaches. Faith Johnson Patterson won back-to-back titles in 1998-99 and later led Minneapolis North to a three-peat from 2003-05. Johnson Patterson, who now coaches at Eden Prairie, then led DeLaSalle to three consecutive Class 3A crowns from 2011-13. She also owns the top winning percentage in girls' state tournament history at 85.7 (36-6).
RON HAGGSTROM
'Iron five' proves themselves
Depth was certainly not Crosby-Ironton's strong point, rarely dipping into its bench. The starting five of seniors Jack Silgen, Evan Edmundson, Trey Jacob and Noah Gindorff and sophomore Jonathan Jacobson played 531 of the 540 total minutes in three state tournament games.
Still, the Rangers' "iron five'' gave eventual 2A champion Minnehaha Academy a scare in a 47-36 loss.
