The Lady Griffins, a basketball team representing the students of The Academy of Classical Christian Studies in Oklahoma City, made history in February when they clinched their first championship just four years after starting the program.
Then, just two days later, the team made history again when they gave the trophy back.
Head Coach Brendan King says he had a gut feeling that something was off.
"I just needed to know in my heart for certain that we were the champions so that I could sleep that night," he told CBN.
After reviewing the game footage twice, he came to the crushing discovery that his team actually lost by one point. A reported scoreboard error during the game had given the Lady Griffins an advantage.
When Coach King told his team, they unanimously decided to appeal the game's outcome and give the championship trophy to the opposing team, Apache High School. The state governing board for high school athletics granted the team's appeal, and hours later, the coach and his wife personally delivered the trophy and explained the error to the winning team.
"This is a good story," says Steve McConkey, president of 4 WINDS USA. "It just shows you that if we teach the right … godly, Christian principles, generally people do the right thing if they know the Lord."
The team's decision was covered by CBS News and quickly spread to other outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian, reaching audiences around the world.
McConkey says sometimes when we put God first, it seems like the initial success is gone, but the believer's rewards go beyond this earth.
"We may not receive them here, but when we go to be with the Lord, He'll reward us in His timing, in His way," he asserts. "It's good to see a team that gave up that earthly reward and knowing that they did something for the Kingdom of God and also for the future when they meet Christ."
