The Fairfax High School boys basketball team, the Lions, lost Saturday’s game against the Mater Dei Monarchs, 51-40, at the Water Pyramid at California State University, Long Beach, eliminating the Lions from competing in the state championship.

The game was a match between two strong teams, each with respectively high rankings. The Lions kept the No. 1 spot in both city and section divisions, the No. 6 spot in state and No. 22 spot nationally. Currently, the Monarchs are in the No. 3 spot nationally and hold the No. 1 spot across the board in city, section division and state.

Although the  season is over, the Lions and their coach, Harvey Kitani, are not taking a break.

“As crazy as it sounds, it’s just around the corner. The spring league is next month. Also, we’re going into a summer tournament soon, too. The vicious cycle begins again,” Kitani said.

The Lions have won two state championships, one in 2004 and another in 2007, according to Kitani.

“The kids are excited. We’re aiming to simulate the same kind of effort that we had this year,” Kitani said.

Next season’s team lineup is looking to remain strong even though some of the star players are graduating, such as Lindsey Drew, Lorne Currie, Isaiah Ajiboye, Foster Dixon and Paul Oh.

Players who will be returning include Donald Gipson, Babacar Thiombane, Antoine Monroe, Jeremy Hamilton, Lawrence McGee and Jamal Hartwell.

The team is going to have its annual banquet sometime in May, celebrating the end of the season, according to Kitani.

The 2015 California Interscholastic Federation state championship game between the Mater Dei and the Bishop O’Dowd will take place March 28 at 8 p.m. at the Haas Pavilion at University of California, Berkeley.