WINDSOR —

At long last, the Henry Carr Crusaders won’t have to reflect on an opportunity gone awry.

Finally, the burden has been lifted from a program that has been among the very elite in high school, but dogged by an inability to break through on the biggest stage this level has to offer.

The conquering Crusaders were tested, pushed to the limit, but they would persevere to bring home the school’s first OFSAA gold.

The tourney’s No. 1 seed outlasted the Oakwood Barons, a program that beat Carr at Humber College in the marquee showcase two years ago, 61-53.

Carr responded when Oakwood made runs. It protected the ball better, executed better and showed just enough resiliency and poise to take control.

It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but the lack of polish was made up with sheer competitiveness and a willingness to leave it all on the line.

The margin for error was so slim that every missed shot on one end that got converted on the other end loomed large.

An Oakwood miss was used by Carr to get out and run, scoring a basket to give the Crusaders a six-point lead as the final quarter turned into a nail-biter.

With 1:56 to go, Carr was leading 53-49.

Then came a very sloppy turnover on an inbound play under the Carr basket, which nearly turned into a four-point play on a back screen.

Two missed three throws and one Crusaders bucket later and suddenly the Barons were trailing by five with one minute remaining.

It was then a one-possession game as the drama grew thicker.

The two powers from Toronto went toe to toe, the pace frenetic and not unexpectedly the game turned ugly when the tempo led to too many turnovers, many of which were unforced.

It was 12-10 Carr after the first quarter, eight minutes when the teams combined for nine fouls.

Oakwood produced the finest stretch in the second fuelled by Kadre Gray and his ability to take his man off the dribble and attack the rim.

The Barons seemed to be in control by going on a 10-2 run, but they couldn’t sustain their level, allowing Carr to fight back.

One key adjustment was Carr’s decision to put Mychael Paulo on Gray, Paulo’s length and ability to move his feet forcing Gray into some forced shots and turnovers.

When they were in rhythm, some draw and kick action led to knock-down threes from Nathaniel Nelson and Josis Thomas.

Just as the half was about to expire, Gray’s turnover when he should have pulled it for last shot was parlayed into a buzzer-beating three just inside midcourt by Carlo Dubria.

Oakwood led 26-25 at intermission.

Carr suffered a blow early when Shae Brown picked up two quick fouls.

In the second half, Dubria converted on a straight-line drive to the hole.

Oakwood responded to retake the lead, forcing head coach Anthony Miller to call a timeout to address his team’s defence.

Both Miller and his Carr counterpart, Paul Melnik, stress defence.

Both can live with missed shots, but neither tolerates poor rotation, failing to box out, stationary feet and not communicating.

It was sweet vindication and validation for Melnik, who fell to his knees as the buzzer sounded, as his kids celebrated, as Carr hoops got its long overdue moment of glory.

The game was tense and even amid the wild shots heaved it made from a competitive battle, which is what one wants in a title game.

After three quarters, Carr led 40-36 thanks to Brown’s perimeter presence coupled with Oakwood’s lack of execution on offence.

The road to the final was eerily similar for both teams, challenged at times, but when big plays needed to be produced in big moments both the Crusaders and Barons found ways to execute on both ends of the floor.

For Carr, its opening-round game against St. Joe’s of Mississauga was the most difficult, the scrappy underdogs pushing the tournament-proven top dogs to the limit with the game tied in the final two minutes.

For Oakwood, it would be Milton’s Reding to push the perennial city powerhouse in the quarters, the Barons jumping out to a huge lead, letting their guard down before elevating their game.

In the opening three games, the Barons’ defence help opponents to a total of 17 first-quarter points.

Their defence was stunning in the semifinal as the Barons created a 19-2 lead after the first period against Waterloo’s Macdonald, double and triple-teaming the Highlanders’ dynamic big in Nedim Hodzic, who was held scoreless at the break.

It was Hodzic, Justin Hardy and Simon Petrov, the school’s big three, that helped produce the draw’s most compelling game going into the championship round as Mac downed No. 2 seed Vaughan, a program that has won two OFSAA golds, in a two-point thriller.

The Highlanders left everything, and then some, against Vaughan, unable to extract more against Oakwood the in the second semi played earlier in the day.

Carr and St. Mike’s tipped off the morning final four, a repeat of the 2013 title tip that was also played at St. Clair College.

Carr would reverse a recent trend of losing to St. Mike’s, emerging as the more energetic and engaged team after the break when the teams were tied 29-29 to prevail 67-57.

The Carr-OCI matchup in the final assured the GTA of yet another OFSAA gold that began with Eastern Commerce’s historic run.