Windham's Creighty Dickson waves the net after the Eagles beat Edward Little, 55-49, in the Class AA boys basketball championship game on Saturday in at Cross Insurance Arena. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

No one said it was going to be easy.

Then again, the best things in life seldom are.

Windham High’s boys basketball team, the 2023-24 season’s darling and Class AA champion, has had to face adversity this season. Real-life loss. On-the-court setbacks.

And here they are, with a ticket back to the state championship game at  Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. The two-time North regional champions, with a 17-4 record, will try to become two-time state champs Saturday night (7:45 p.m.) against South Portland (16-5).

“I don’t think it should be any easier this year than last, because winning a state title, any level, any year, is just a really difficult challenge,” said senior guard Braycen Freese.

Windham did return three of its top players from last year’s team that beat Gorham in overtime: senior do-it-all guard Creighty Dickson, junior scoring guard Tyrie James and junior AJ Moody, a capable scorer and superior defender.

But they also had to replace three starters (James came off the bench in a super sixth man role).

“Leadership definitely was something we had to replace,” said Moody, noting he and James had to take on bigger roles in that department.

“We had to figure out different roles,” said Dickson, who leads the team in scoring (15.6 points per game) and rebounding (6.8).

Players like Freese, senior Conor Janvrin, his sophomore brother Colin Janvrin, and senior guard Joseph Blige barely saw the varsity court last year. Freese and Conor Janvrin are now in the starting lineup, averaging 8 and 7 points respectively. Colin Janvrin, Windham’s tallest player at 6-foot-4, is now the sixth man, contributing 9 points and 4.5 rebounds. Blige is a tenacious defender.

There was a three-game losing streak to get past and learn from. James was out because of an ankle injury, a large factor in the dip. But the losses also revealed signs that the normally cohesive Eagles had some work to do.

“I gotta say that was probably the best thing for us,” Moody said. “I think we kind of had to get slapped in the face and realize we have to get back to practice, fully tuned up, no days off.”

Dickson said, “I think we needed some adversity. We were too high. We thought we were the best team ever.”

Actually, the team had already faced significant adversity.

Just as the season was about to begin, Moody’s father, Pat Moody, died as the result of cancer. Pat Moody had been an inspiration and coach for the whole team, as well as for former Windham player and current head coach Chad Pulkkinen. Less than two weeks before Moody’s death, over a thousand people came out on a chilly Sunday night to honor him when the town’s outdoor basketball courts were dedicated in his name.

“The loss of Pat at the beginning of the year, that was hard for our group. But you know, everyone was there for AJ and still are for AJ,” Pulkkinen said.

When the season started, Windham’s players said they wanted to “play with joy,” the way Pat wanted everyone to play the game. It’s a goal they continue to have.

“We dearly miss him and we play with him, but not just for him,” AJ Moody said. “We play with joy. And joy in our intensity is what we maintain. We just know his presence is here and watching over us and keeping good care of us, too.”

When Windham is at its best, all five players on the court are actively involved in the offense. It’s a goal of most teams but few do it as effectively.

“I feel like it comes from trust,” said James, who averages 14 points, five rebounds and 4.2 assists. “Just knowing that everyone on the court can do everything well. I mean it’s more fun when everyone’s involved.”

Windham has full respect for its championship game opponent. South Portland won the regular-season meeting in Windham, 55-54. South Portland’s coach, Kevin Millington, is a history teacher at Windham High.

Moody said he expects the key to Saturday’s state final is “just going to be hustle and effort.”

“Great team, great coach, great players at South Portland. I think we have the same here,” Moody said. “I think it’s just going to be a dogfight. I can’t wait to see the outcome.”