FRANKFORT The tears will dry, and the pain eventually will fade away. Then all that will be left is the legacy.

For the third straight season, Liberty Christian said goodbye to one of the greatest players in program history Saturday night.

Ronny Williams drained a 3-pointer on the final shot of his high school career, then buried his head in his jersey as the buzzer sounded. He walked that way moments later with his teammates to the locker room.

But he was back on the floor after Lafayette Central Catholic celebrated a 69-54 victory at Case Arena that gave Class 1A's top-ranked team its first regional title since 2013.

While the Knights made plans for next week's semistate, Williams greeted friends, family and former teammates on the court where he and his senior teammates have enjoyed so much success.

In the past four seasons, the Lions won 84 games. The loss in the regional final snapped a string of 11 postseason wins overall and seven in a row at Case Arena.

Seniors Williams, Trajan Dixon, Peyton Quinn and Osiris Crumes also helped the program extend its string of sectional titles to six. And, of course, they were a part of the school's first state championship in any sport a year ago.

"These seniors left us a huge gift, and that gift is that the cupboard is not bare for next year," Liberty Christian coach Jason Chappell said. "They care about the program, and they worked really hard to help develop these young guys. So those players are going to be better for it. That's great leadership."

Chappell asked the three seniors on the floor in the final period Williams, Dixon and Quinn if they wanted to come out and receive a final curtain call from the fans. They all declined in favor of playing out their final minutes.

"That just shows their character," Chappell said. "I'm so proud of them."

The championship tilt itself began to turn in the second quarter when the Knights used an efficient inside-out attack to knock down six 3-pointers and outscored Liberty Christian 21-10. That left the Lions with a 34-22 halftime deficit.

Liberty Christian (13-15) twice got within seven points in the third quarter but couldn't make a sustained run.

The Knights (21-6) took a 52-38 advantage into the final period and led by as many as 21 before the final buzzer sounded.

Avery Denhart and Jacob Page scored 19 points each to pace the victors. Ben Tharp and Carson Barrett each added 10 points, with Barrett a 6-foot-3 freshman also pulling down 10 rebounds.

"The first game took something out of us," Chappell said. "But LCC is a great team. They really work the ball around, and they're selfless on offense. It didn't go our way, and we struggled to execute our game plan. That happens.

"LCC's a great team, and they're ranked No. 1 for a reason."

Williams finished his marvelous career with 23 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. That followed up a triple-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the 65-48 victory against Seton Catholic in the semifinals.

Dixon was the only other Lion in double figures with 16 points.

Long after the fans had left the arena, while a custodian with a leaf blower worked the bleachers, Williams and Dixon waited at one end of the court.

As the victorious Knights left the floor, each stopped and shared mutual congratulations with their opponents.

The final member of the parade was a 2-year-old child who ran as fast as tiny legs would allow in Williams' direction. The point guard bent down to embrace the child.

Then he rejoined Dixon and walked off the court for the final time.

"It's the end of their high school careers, but it's not the end of our relationship," Chappell said. "What will make me proud is to see them become great men of God, be strong in their marriages and strong in their work ethic. And I know these guys are going to do exactly that."

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Knights snap Liberty Christian's postseason streak - The Herald Bulletin