The Gaels were crowned Class 1A champions, giving head coach Adolph Kochendorfer a title in his final season at the helm and matching the program’s accomplishment from 26 years prior.

That 2000 squad was anchored by a strong senior class, which included Cory Bargfrede, a 6-foot-3 stretch post player who scored 29 points in three games at state.

Flash forward to this year’s St. Edmond team. With Kochendorfer still at the helm over a quarter-century later, Bargfrede’s son — Carson — emerged as a clutch go-to performer in much the same way his dad did with the pressure on and the top trophy on the line a generation ago.

“When I think about Cory and compare him to Carson, the first thing that comes to mind is that they were both really nice, coachable kids,” said Kochendorfer, whose 26 years between championships now stands as the third-longest gap in boys state basketball history. “Cory never really got too high or too low; he didn’t panic or let the moment get too big. Carson is wired the same way.”

Submitted photos: Cory Bargfrede (left) and Carson Bargfrede were on the 2000 and 2026 St. Edmond state championship basketball teams, respectively, under long-time Gael head coach Adolph Kochendorfer.

Cory remembers the journey like it was yesterday, and agrees with Kochendorfer that he didn’t get overly rattled on the court. Being a dad in the stands this season, though, was an entirely different story.

“I had quite a few people ask me what was more satisfying between winning it as a player or watching your son win it (from the crowd), and hands down, it’s seeing Carson and his friends do it,” Cory said. “But I tell you what: it’s way more nerve-wracking (as a father). There’s so much to process. You see things as they happen or even before they do.

“When you’re on the court playing, you’re reacting and don’t have time to get too caught up in the moment. I think it’s a lot tougher watching (from a distance). I didn’t sleep much that week.”

Cory and Carson both described the moment and all of its parallels as “surreal.”

“My favorite moments came in the last few minutes of the game when we knew we had the title (clinched) and I was able to celebrate with my guys,” said Carson, who scored a combined 43 points for the Gaels in the three state contests. “I’ll never forget seeing my dad in the crowd and us pointing at each other, then touching my (jersey number) 42 (the same as Cory’s in 2000) and pointing up to heaven.

“My dad winning it all 26 years ago and telling me all the stories about him and his friends just made me look up to all of them. It’s amazing, knowing I had a hand in the school’s second (championship) and my dad was a part of the first.”

Kochendorfer believes the relationship and connection — both personal and basketball-wise — he had with Cory helped Carson become the player he was for the system the Hall of Fame coach expected.

“I think it played a big role in (bridging the gap) with both Carson and his teamamtes,” said Kochendorfer, who also led St. Edmond to state runner-up finishes in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2012. “I’ve always been pretty demanding, but was even more so with that (2000) group. I wanted to find ways to make them mentally tougher.

“It helps when you have a parent who not only played the game, but understands what I’m trying to do and the bigger picture that’s involved with it.”

Cory noted other similarities were “hard to ignore” between the two seasons as it all transpired.

“Little things, like losing a heartbreaker (in the regular season) to Bishop Garrigan, getting a huge win over a 3A team late in the year when we beat Webster City and this group got Clear Lake, and beating a (two-time defending state runner-up) in the finals (Pella Christian in 2000 and Bellevue Marquette in 2026),” Cory said. “Going through all of the emotions and seeing every game with the intensity and expectations build a little more…you definitely recognize it (as a former player).

“When we won it all, it took a while to really sink in. And that’s how I feel now (as a parent and fan), too. You watched it, you saw it happen, but you’re still kind of saying to yourself, ‘did they just do that?'”

Carson agreed.

“It still hasn’t completely registered in my mind that we’re state champions,” said Carson, a Buena Vista University recruit who will play for head coach and former Iowa Hawkeye star Jeff Horner at the next level. “We obviously all felt a sense of happiness and pride, but it almost doesn’t even feel real, even after (some time has passed).”

Carson added that his dad preached a simple concept of trusting everything leading up to the final moments — “just go out there and hoop” — while Kochendorfer “taught me to adapt to win.”

“Being a part of what Coach K built and the legacy of what my dad left made me realize I’ve worked my whole life for this moment and this opportunity,” Carson said. “You put all of the stuff you’ve learned and gone through and suffered through to work and it all came together. It’s shaped me into being what hopefully people would consider to be a great player and great teammate, and to my dad, a great son.”

Cory admitted the road “wasn’t always smooth” between the two through the years.

“Of course we butted heads a lot like a father and son do,” Cory said. “There’s so much time and sweat equity involved in this. Hours and hours of getting after it in the gym, and conversations (about basketball) that become a tug of war at times.

“Hopefully Carson feels like it all paid off now, and understands the demanding (nature) maybe I showed or Coach K showed was to get him to that next level.”

Cory did pull back the reins some for Carson’s senior year, picking and choosing his spots rather than breaking down every detail on and off the court.

“I consciously tried to find more of a balance, because he’s 18 (years old) now and he’s starting to figure things out for himself and (realizing) when to ask versus me always telling him or initiating the conversation,” Cory said. “There are times where I’d back off and wait for him to come to me about something. It’s always better when the solution or even the idea comes from him first.

“That’s a part of growing and maturing, not just as a player but as a person.”

Kochendorfer saw a sense of ownership among Carson and his teammates from the loss in the state semifinal round a year ago into this season.

“I really haven’t changed much in terms of the bottom line and what I want for my players,” Kochendorfer said. “I respect the perspective of other coaches, and I remember hearing (Michigan State Hall of Famer) Tom Izzo say that almost every kid sets the goal of being first team all-conference or winning championships, so it’s our responsibility to map out how they can get there and hopefully they embrace your (gameplan and philosophies). This group did that. They were respectful of my time and each other and dialed in when they needed to get to work. The parents and the families deserve a lot of credit for it.

“They bought in together. I definitely had the right kids at the right time to go out like this (on top).”

Cory got emotional when remembering the championship celebration.

“After the game, we were waiting for the kids to come through the tunnel. Carson came up and gave me a big hug. And he’s not really a hugger,” Cory said, his voice cracking. “We’ve been through a lot. It can be a struggle. Everyone is going through something you don’t know about (privately), and while I don’t necessarily know all of the stories of what happens behind the scenes with all of Carson’s teammates, I know his and how far he had to come.

“I’m proud of him. I think about the ups and downs Coach K and I went through at times when I was Carson’s age…a lot of it was stuff I didn’t necessarily understand or realize until I got 10, 15 or 20 years down the road. You couldn’t write a better script for him than this, and I’m thankful Carson will always be a part of his last run and this final chapter.”