The stands were packed with fans, the scoreboard was lit with a 63-52 win for the home Lancers and the cheerleaders performed a well-rehearsed dance routine.

It seemed like a normal Abraham Lincoln High School basketball game Friday, but it actually was a celebration of the school's first state basketball championship. The Lincoln boys won the Class 4A title March 10 in Boulder.

Proving it was no ordinary victory, the Lancers gym had some distinguished visitors, including Denver Public Schools superintendent Michael Bennet, district athletic director Leslie Moore and Univision sportscaster Luis Canela.

"I think that there's been a tremendous amount of school spirit that's been built up around the success of this basketball team," Bennet said. "If you spend any time at Lincoln, it's starting to pervade the rest of the school, including the pride people are taking in their academic work as well."

Several television cameras taped the proceedings, which included a wild slam-dunk exhibition that started off with impressive offerings from star players Jorge Gutierrez, the 4A tournament's most valuable player; Ruot Pal, the 6-foot-7 Sudanese center; and Francisco Cruz, a newcomer.

Even those unable to dunk, such as 5-6 guard Kadeem Thomas and school principal Antonio Esquibel, received a lift from the Lincoln big men.

Thomas, one of only three seniors on the team, said Friday's rally topped the others.

"It's the best we've ever had," he said. "I haven't seen so many people get so excited for something like this."

Girls got in on the act with a balloon-popping contest, in which they would run from the sidelines to midcourt and collide with a Camelot Crazy, one of the school's rabid blue-and-white face-painted fans.

Naturally, there was an introduction of each varsity player by head coach Vince Valdez, himself a Lincoln graduate in 1992.

Valdez, who found himself in tears at the Coors Events Center after the Lancers beat Ralston Valley by that 63-52 score, still found perspective in last week's title and Friday's party atmosphere.

"The fact that these kids can bring the community back together, and be such a model of hope and inspiration, is just tremendous," he said. "This day goes much deeper than basketball."

Valdez is in his 10th season coaching the Lancers and got close to the championship before, but that team was stopped in the round of eight. This year's squad played a demanding schedule and had injury problems but hit its stride down the stretch.

Lincoln, which moved down from Class 5A to 4A this year, also provided one of the most impressive fan bases seen at the state tournament. School officials organized buses to transport fans to Boulder, and they were rewarded by seeing Lincoln win it all.

Center Eric Carrasco, who also plays football for the Lan- cers, said the basketball team's share of the league title and playoff success infected the enrollment of about 1,500 students.

"The school spirit just skyrocketed," he said.

One person in charge of guiding that school spirit, senior cheerleader Ivana Peña, also said the basketball title was symbolic.

"It means more than a championship," she said. "It also means that it may inspire people to do things that they don't think they can."

Bennet is aware of how sports success can bond a community.

"This year, we've been seeing an incredible outpouring of support in the community for what's going on in Denver's public schools," he said. "That's something we need to see everywhere, and I'm extremely, extremely proud of what these guys have pulled off."

pearcea@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5352