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Williamston basketball

'Battle of Wills' Goes Williamston's Way in Title-Deciding OT Thriller

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com

March 26, 2022

EAST LANSING – Before Saturday’s Division 2 Final, the Williamston boys basketball team hadn’t been challenged much during the MHSAA Tournament, winning every game by double digits.

But the unbeaten Hornets received all they could handle and more against reigning champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

Willamston withstood a furious rally by the Cougars and poor free throw shooting to pull out a dramatic 68-65 overtime win at Breslin Center.

It was the first Finals title for Williamston boys basketball since 1940, as the Hornets finished the season unbeaten at 27-0. 

“These guys did something that people will remember forever,” said Williamston coach Tom Lewis, who brought out an old team photo of the 1940 champions before the game.

GRCC/Williamston basketball“And they took some heavy punches and most teams would have a hard time pulling that game out, but my guys had just enough counterpunch to get that done. I really don’t have the words to say how proud I am of my entire team.”

Torrid shooting in the second quarter, including five 3-pointers, helped stake the Hornets to a 36-28 halftime lead.

Williamston led by as many as 16 (53-37) in the third quarter, but the Cougars stormed back.

Catholic Central chipped away at the lead and outscored the Hornets 16-7 in the fourth quarter.

“When they were scoring and making that run and our lead was dwindling, we just kept talking about how we need to stick together,” said Williamston senior Mason Docks, who scored a team-high 27 points and knocked down six 3-pointers.

“We had to keep trusting each other and not get away from what we do. If we started being selfish, then we would've lost that game.”

Despite missing all five free throw attempts down the stretch in the fourth quarter and going a dismal 9 of 21 from the line for the game, the Hornets still had confidence in overtime.

“We had to have trust in our team,” said Hornets 6-foot-10 senior Max Burton, who had 23 points before fouling out. We had to trust that our guards would make the right plays, and we would just go out there and finish it.

GRCC/Williamston basketball“We haven’t had a lot of close games this year, but we knew how to handle these situations from AAU and in practice. We knew this wasn’t going to be a cake walk because Catholic Central is an extremely tough squad with great guards.”  

Docks made a crucial 3-pointer in overtime to give the Hornets the lead for good.

Senior Jacob Wallace added 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists for Williamston.

The Cougars erased the 16-point deficit in part thanks to the stellar play of junior guard Kaden Brown, who had a game-high 33 points, including 25 during the second half and overtime.

He forced extra time with a 3-pointer from the corner with 44 seconds left in regulation that tied the score at 59-59.

“We’ve had a few games like that this year where we’ve been down big, but a lot of credit goes to our players in the huddle for staying calm at halftime and then just regrouping,” Catholic Central coach TJ Meerman said. “We kept battling, but tonight was an absolute battle of wills. Their will to take the game over early and our will to come back.”

The Cougars (25-2) lost for only the second time this season. Their only other defeat was to Division 3 semifinalist Flint Beecher.

Catholic Central senior and Mr. Basketball finalist Jack Karasinski had 16 points, but picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter and fouled out late in regulation.

Sophomore Durral Brooks had nine points and nine rebounds.

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS (Top) Williamston celebrates its Division 2 championship Saturday night at Breslin Center. (Middle) Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Kaden Brown (4) defends against Williamston’s Mason Docks (21). (Below) The Hornets’ Max Burton (10) goes strong to the basket. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)

Tony Coggins serves as PA announcer during a 2022 Division 3 volleyball match at Kellogg Arena.

In Memoriam: Tony Coggins (1971-2023)

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 24, 2023

The MHSAA and Holly school communities are grieving this week after the sudden loss of Tony Coggins, a shining light in his educational community and an enthusiastic supporter of school sports as a public address announcer for several of our largest championship events.

But while that cheerful tone has been quieted, it surely will not be forgotten by the many fortunate to enjoy an event in the presence of that voice and the joyfulness he brought into every arena, press box and classroom.

Coggins, 51, died Saturday. He is survived by his wife Kristy and children Emma and Bradlee, among several family and friends from his local and greater sports communities.

Tony CogginsHis career as a PA announcer began during his freshman year of high school in 1985, when his father Dale Coggins – Flushing’s athletic director at the time – couldn’t find anyone else to announce middle school football games. That was 39 years ago, and this fall Tony Coggins was in his 24th announcing at Holly, where he taught and served as an administrator in addition to his role as “Voice of the Holly Bronchos” for football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, competitive cheer and swimming & diving over the years.

Coggins has been a mainstay among MHSAA Finals PA announcers over the last decade in football, basketball, softball and most recently volleyball. He lent his voice to college sports at University of Michigan as well. “Tony was a huge part of our Finals events. It’s hard to imagine it being the same without him,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said.

As part of the run-up to the MHSAA public address announcers clinic in 2018, Coggins said this about what drew him to the microphone:

“I have zero athletic ability whatsoever, which is interesting because my father was an all-state running back. But I enjoy being involved, and I've always been the one for history and statistics and knowing what's going on,” Coggins said. “This is a way for me to be involved. It's a way for me to use a talent I've been given; public speaking has always come pretty naturally for me.

“So I worked at my craft to get better. I got better from watching the people around me, from studying the people I like, and the people – if I saw someone I didn’t care for – I'd make a note and say to myself, ‘Don't do that.’ I take feedback from people very personally, and I mean that in a good way. If somebody takes the time to come up and say, ‘You did this well; I think you should change this,’ that means they care about the program also. We all have the same goal in mind, and that's to make the experience good for the high school student and the parents, the fans, that come there.”

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at St. John Vianney, 2415 Bagley Street in Flint. There will be visitation from 2-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, and at the church from 10 a.m. Saturday until the time of the Mass.