RAPID CITY - Louie Krogman is a state champion, and there's nothing anybody can do to take it away from him.

The state's all-time leading scorer led White River to the Class B state boys basketball championship last weekend with a 66-50 win over the Langford Lions, the first for the Tigers since 1955. Krogman set a championship-round scoring record for Class B with 112 points in the Tigers' three wins, was named to the all-tournament team and took home the Spirit of Su Award to be named the Rapid City Journal Athlete of the Week.

Krogman already owned the record for most points scored in the tournament from last year, when he scored a single-game record 50 points in the Tigers' 2007 third-place win over Sully Buttes.

For a player that has accomplished nearly everything possible in an individual sense, but had come up just short in previous attempts to win a state title, this weekend's win did a lot to quiet the critics.

"Exactly, exactly, it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders," Krogman said with a laugh. "They said that one guy can't win a state title, Krogman's a good individual but he'll never win a title, stuff like that. Stuff that really wasn't mean to me, but more to my teammates. It was getting old. It wasn't even making me mad, because it takes a lot more than just words to make me mad, but it was getting old. It's just a big relief and I hope that people won't be so negative now. But maybe they'll be more negative, I don't know."

Krogman ended his high school career with 3,475 points, an all-time record for any player in South Dakota, regardless of gender. His 45 points in the championship game against Langford also set a new Class B championship game mark - a more than fitting end to one of the greatest

high school careers for any athlete in the history of the state. Krogman will take his talents to the University of South Dakota next season as they begin their move to NCAA Division I.

The crowds at the State B's this year were as big, or bigger, than any in recent memory, and there was little doubt that the chance to watch the most prolific scorer in state history gun for his first state title with his last couple of bullets was the main reason why.

"I didn't really notice it so much," Krogman said of the crowds that were standing in line as early as 2 p.m. for the night sessions. "We've played in front of big crowds at the (Rushmore Plaza) civic center for (Lakota Nation Invitational) and at the Hanson Classic in Mitchell where they're right on top of you, so it didn't seem too different. But I had friends text messaging me about how crazy the lines were and stuff. One friend said that when President Bush came to Northern (State) something like 3,000 people came to see him, but that there were more than 8,000 there for our games. That was kind of cool."

But Krogman isn't big-timing anybody just yet. Obviously, people in White River are excited about the first state title in over 50 years, but Louie's still buying his own meals - for a little while, anyway.

"I bought a meal before I left for state," Krogman said when asked if he'll ever have to buy another in his hometown. "I'm not that special around here."

What he's helped bring to the community is, though.

"It's pretty fun," Krogman said. "Guys are walking around town with a little spring in their steps. Everybody's giving you the No. 1 sign when you walk around town and wanting to talk about it. Everybody's pretty happy around here."

And that's something that can't be taken away from Krogman, or anybody else in White River.