Hoxie in Kanas has won four consecutive state titles, a state-record 95 consecutive games and now the title of Best Girls Basketball Program as part of USA TODAY High School Sports’ “Best of” contest series.

Hoxie finished with 210,934 votes in the final round that concluded Monday to outlast Friendship Capitol of Baton Rouge, La. (134,456 votes) and Deer Creek, Okla. (50,349).

The program will be honored with a championship banner, a $1,000 prize for the athletic department budget and a ceremony at the school.

“When our community got word about it, they just went crazy, and we had some very faithful people who sat at their computers and voted and voted and voted,” coach Shelly Hoyt said. “Our kids were in the state basketball tournament, but our community picked us up and they got after it.”

The city of Hoxie in Sheridan County, Kan., has a total of approximately 1,200 residents. The combined junior high and high school has 120 students in grades seven to 12.

“We just had a lot of community support,” said Cyndie Aumiller, a teacher and librarian at the school. “People were posting on Facebook and encouraging other people to vote. Parents were organizing voting parties at the high school. Students were voting after hours and community people who don’t even have kids in the school anymore got involved.”

“Even alumni from years and years ago were getting on board in their own communities. We have a really strong community spirit and that stays with us no matter where you live.”

Athletic director Marlin Beougher said Hoxie was receiving votes from residents and schools in neighboring counties.

The Indians girls basketball team went to the state title game for the fifth consecutive year this season. The road to a fourth consecutive championship included a 71-43 win against La Crosse in the quarterfinals; a 64-37 victory against Centre in the semifinals; and a 67-53 victory against Centralia in the final.

​The team’s last loss was in December 2011 to Word of Life at the early season Castle Rock tournament in Quinter. Since then, the Indians have reeled off 95 consecutive wins. The previous state record was held by Little River, which won 91 in a row from 1995 to ’98.

“We never talked about the streak,” Hoyt said. “It might have been in the back of everybody’s mind, but we never talked about it. We tried to focus on excellence every single day in every single drill.

“We never focus on the streak and continue not to. When you do something day in and day out, the games kind of take care of themselves.”

Hoyt has been the coach for 15 years and has coached all four of her daughters through the years. Her youngest daughter, Terran, is a junior on the current team.

“Everybody around here knows about Hoxie girls basketball. It wasn’t a big secret,” Beougher said. “Our girls put in a lot of work and our coaches put in a lot of work. That’s what has made us successful.

“Before Shelly came here, it wasn’t that successful. She made it a point of emphasis with the girls and done the same thing with volleyball with almost the same group of girls.”