Caryn Jarocki jumped up and down with both arms raised courtside at the Denver Coliseum.

The legendary Colorado prep basketball coach further cemented her legacy among the state’s all-time legends. Her team at Highlands Ranch laid the foundation for another hoops juggernaut. She celebrated accordingly as the final buzzer rang out following a dramatic 54-51 win over Northfield on Saturday for the Class 6A girls state championship.

“It’s the greatest feeling,” Jarocki said after the game, still clutching the trophy. “I wanted this so bad for the kids.”

Check her resume.

Jarocki, in her 30th season at Highlands Ranch, has now won eight state championships. She is the state’s all-time winningest girls basketball coach with more than 700 victories. But it had been 15 years since the last Highlands Ranch team won a state championship in 2011. That all changed on Saturday afternoon.

Jarocki beamed with pride as players collided at midcourt in celebration.

Sophomore guard Kimora Banks-Thomas led all players with 20 points. Junior guard Katie Moon came off the bench and scored 15 points. The pair combined to make 9 of 14 attempts from 3-point range. Sophomore forward Jayda Rogers dominated the paint with 12 rebounds and three blocks.

“It feels amazing,” Banks-Thomas said. “We played hard from beginning to end, and we were able to pull it out.”

No. 7 Highlands Ranch held off a furious late-game rally from No. 5 Northfield to secure the championship in front of two lively student sections.

Northfield trailed 42-34, with less than seven minutes left in regulation. Junior guard London Taylor kept Northfield in it with a team-leading 18 points. Northfield clawed back as Taylor hit two clutch free throws with eight seconds left to trail 52-51. Tensions rose on the Highlands Ranch bench.

Jarocki’s message to her team: “Make your free throws and we win.”

“I was definitely nervous,” Banks-Thomas said. “We were having trouble getting it in towards the end.”

Highlands Ranch put it away with two clutch free throws from freshman guard Na’ziah Newbins. Yet another example of a young player doing big things in the title game. Is something special building at Highlands Ranch?

“Yes, it really is,” Banks-Thomas said. “I love Coach J.”

Jarocki reflected on the latest accomplishment of her legendary Colorado prep basketball coaching career.

“This team was probably the most fun championship team I’ve ever had,” Jarocki said. “Because they played freely and they played for each other. … I’m so proud of them. I knew they would make some mistakes. But they rebounded from those errors and didn’t make the next mistake.”