No ifs, ands, or buts about it, Gjon Djokaj made a heck of a first impression in his inaugural season as Pilots head coach.  

The former Walled Lake Northern head man led the Purple and Gold to an 8-3 record during the COVID-19-abbreviated 2020-21 regular season. He notched wins against heavyweight programs such as Catholic League Central division rival Birmingham Brother Rice (in DLS's first of two matchups with Rice) and non-conference foe Detroit Edison.

The Pilots' regular season came to a close with a 58-56 loss to Brother Rice in a Catholic League Tournament semifinal contest. 

Senior guard Linden Holder was the "straw that stirred the drink" for DLS all season long. Yet, sophomores Triston Nichols, Nino Smith, and Michael Sulaka, as well as junior Caleb Reese, all also made consistent contributions.
 
Holder was named All-Catholic, and Nichols and Reese were each named All-League for their efforts. Meanwhile, senior Jacob Moceri was named to the Catholic League's All-Academic team.  

Holder put up back-to-back 30-point performances during the season, first on March 11 against U-D Jesuit and then on Senior Night March 13 against Edison.

In 11 regular season games in 2021, Holder averaged a team-high 17.9 points per game, to go along with 4.2 assists and five rebounds per game. 

The Pilots then proceeded to go on a run in the state playoffs. 

They advanced all the way to the MHSAA Division 1 Final Four at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. In their state semifinal contest, they suffered defeat at the hands of Ann Arbor Huron, 55-39. 

Along the way, they made some history, too.  

Not only did Djokaj & Co. beat CHSL rival U-D Jesuit, 64-59, for a regional championship, but for the first time ever, the Purple and Gold captured a regional crown at the Bill Fox Gymnasium -- the first time the regional round of the state tournament was held on the campus of DLS.

Djokaj was elated for his team after the game. 

"I'm just so happy for the boys. It's always about these kids. It just means so much to all of us because we put in so much time and so much effort," Djokaj said. "We sacrificed so much, time away from our families, time away from our friends, just quarantining ourselves as much as possible. And these kids haven't waned from that, even during stoppages. They've been like, 'Hey, we're going to practice tomorrow. That's what we want to do.' And, I just love every single one of them." 

Holder wouldn't have wanted to win the regional championship anywhere else.

"Oh, man, winning here was amazing," Holder commented. "In my sophomore year, I broke my ankle, and couldn't even play. Then, last season was cut short because of COVID. So, this feels amazing. In my senior year, to do this with my brothers, whom I love, it's amazing -- and especially with us being able to win on our home court." 

The Purple and Gold easily took care of business in the next round, defeating Macomb Dakota, 68-33, in a quarterfinal matchup at Detroit Renaissance HS. 

Next up for the Pilots was a trip to the Breslin for a state semifinal affair with the Huron River Rats. DLS fought and fought until it could no longer. 

The Pilots dropped the contest with the River Rats, bringing an end to their unforgettable campaign.

The 2021 season for the Purple and Gold was about so much more than the Final Four loss. 

It was about the entire journey, from start to finish, including getting acclimated to a new head coach in Djokaj and overcoming the adverse circumstances that were presented by the coronavirus pandemic. 

"It was an unbelievable journey. I got hired here in late September. These guys welcomed me in. I told them in the locker room that they are De La Salle and that I was the newcomer. And it had to become a situation where I had to earn their trust," Djokaj said after the Huron loss. "And to be honest with you, sometimes that can be a challenge. These guys had an open mind from the beginning, though, and eliminated that challenge from the rip. And right away, they started learning about each other and learning our system."

Holder will never forget the journey he and his teammates went on this season.

"This is something I'll never forget. I'll never forget my coaches. I'll never forget my brothers, my teammates," Holder commented. "This is lifelong. It's just a moment, but it's going to last forever."

Although the Pilots weren't a preseason favorite to make it to the Div. 1 semifinals, Holder knew at the beginning of the season that the Purple and Gold were capable of making a deep run in the state tournament.

"It was something I knew we could do. But, back around August, we didn't even have a coach," Holder said. "So, it was wishy-washy, and no one really knew what was going on. My teammates and I all knew we could make it to the Breslin, though. But, it was a long way to go, and getting there was just amazing."

If the 2021 season taught us anything, it's to never count out the Pilots.