MACON, Ga. --- Up. Up. Up. Up.

That has always been the only decipherable word to cross the lips of every Glenn Hills Spartan before they hit the court for their playoff games in the Class AAA state basketball tournament.

Up. Up. Up. The rest was just boys being boys. Swaying. Yelling.

The players would gather in a fraternal circle. Then crank the volume. They'd empty their lungs before emptying their hearts on the floor. It was heard over the loudest gyms in Columbus and Macon this month. Tradition called for the Spartans to always huddle up before taking the floor for game time.

It was really heard after a 64-57 victory against Carver-Columbus on Saturday night. It clinched the first championship in the history of the Glenn Hills boys basketball program.

"We're as high as we could possibly get up," Glenn Hills senior Jerel Stephenson said. "We just jumped up and grabbed a state title. That chant gave us energy we never knew we had. That chant led us to a state championship."

The Spartans' 24th consecutive win meant there are no games left. No one left to beat. They've reached the top. The Spartans' victory in the Class AAA state tittle game also secured the first championship in the history of any boys team at the school.

"We are going to be remembered forever now," Stephenson said. "The '07-'08 boys belong in those history books. Nobody forgets a state champion. That means nobody is going to forget us. Best team in school history. That's how we will be remembered forever now."

This ultimate victory was won on a different pair of backs. Stephenson had only nine points, two steals and two rebounds. Leading scorer Chris Reynolds could manage only seven points and six rebounds. The two future college players combined for only 16 points. Reynolds usually manages that alone.

"If you would have told me that we'd just have 16 points between the two of us before we played," Reynolds said, "I'd have told you our team was going to be in trouble."

But Reynolds was able to fire the game ball into a rowdy Glenn Hills cheering section just seconds after the final buzzer. He jumped on the scorer's table and pounded his chest.

Those feelings were made possible by the contributions of sixth man Shawn Allen and another stellar night from point guard Reggie Middleton. Allen had 16 points and eight rebounds.

"Role players, man," Reynolds said. "That's how championships get won. Guys are called upon, and they come through when they are needed. That's what championship teams are all about."

Allen came up big in key stretches with starters Jihad McCloud and Jerel Stephenson in foul trouble. Both ended up fouling out.

"I said during the season that Webbie (Allen) could start for just about any team in our area," Glenn Hills coach Richard Wallace said. "He sure played like it for us tonight. His contributions tonight led to this championship."

Middleton swished 11 of his 12 free-throw attempts. He added five assists and six rebounds. It was a gut-check effort for him. The senior point guard re- injured an old ailment. He came into the contest with a sprained thumb that he had to get taped prior to the game. He'd injured that thumb in the semifinals Friday night against Hart County.

"If you noticed the last five minutes of the game, he re- injured that old thigh muscle," Wallace said. "But Reggie is a bounce-back kid. He's a tough kid who came through for us again tonight."

Carver (22-10) took an early 7-2 lead over the first minute of play, but it wasn't long before Glenn Hills jumped right back into it and made it a 10-10 game with 2:12 to go in the opening quarter.

The Spartans (29-2) took the lead for good with two Middleton free throws that made it a 17-15 contest with 7:08 left to play in the first half. He wound up leading the Spartans in scoring with 18 points.

"It just wasn't our night tonight," Carver coach Warren Beaulah said. "It was Glenn Hills' night."

The Spartans had won five state basketball playoff games in the history of their boys program before this season. Their fifth playoff victory of the 2008 playoffs came with another strong defensive showing. The Tigers averaged 68 points per game this season.

"Defense has been our calling card all season long," Stephenson said. "It was still there tonight with me and Chris when our scoring was a little down."

Jarvis Jones led Carver with his 23 points and nine rebounds.

The feat marks the area's first basketball championship since the Hephzibah girls won the state title in 2005. It is the first area boys state basketball champion since Westside beat Josey in the Class AAA state finals in 1995.

Carver-Columbus was attempting to win its first state title since 1971. It was also attempting to match its Class AAA football championship this year.

There were three starters off that state title football team who also logged key minutes for the Tigers on the hardwood.

They weren't enough to stop Glenn Hills on this night.

"When I get into our locker room to talk to the boys, there there's only one thing I can tell them," Wallace said. "That's going to be congratulations."

Reach Jeff Sentell at (706) 823-3425 or jeff.sentell@augustachronicle.com.