Beecher Finishes Emotion-Filled Run with Title #9

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com

April 10, 2021

EAST LANSING – Eight wasn’t enough for the Flint Beecher boys basketball team. 

The Bucs won the program’s ninth MHSAA Finals championship Saturday with an impressive 75-47 victory over Iron Mountain in the Division 3 Final at the Breslin Center.

Beecher moved into a tie for second with Detroit Country Day and Muskegon Christian/Western Michigan Christian for all-time boys basketball championships won. River Rouge tops all schools with 14. 

“We just wanted to come out and establish our defense,” Bucs coach Mike Williams said. “They prepared and fought, and they executed. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Beecher had last won a Finals title in 2017. The Bucs’ only loss this winter was to Division 1 contender Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the second game of the season.  

This was an emotional title run for Williams, whose father passed away nearly a year ago to the championship game date from COVID-19.

Senior Keyon Menifield Jr. lost his grandfather the day after due to COVID-19 complications.

“It’s extremely special and these kids have been my therapy,” Williams said. “This has been a long year for me and my family, and we had some other kids deal with it as well. This is a part of the healing for me and the community and the people that have gone through this pandemic. I’m just glad we got to the finish line.”

Menifield Jr. scored a game-high 37 points – the ninth-most in an MHSAA Final. He was 17 of 27 from the field with only one 3-pointer and two free throws contributing to his total.

“We locked down our defense and we knew we had to get stops, close out and get rebounds,” Menifield Jr. said. “I had to attack, and I had to make sure I got in the lane and made shots. The team that makes the most shots wins the battle.”

2021 D3 Boys Basketball Finals

Williams, whose team won its last 15 games with only two opponents coming within single digits, said Menifield Jr. hasn’t received the attention he deserves.

“I’ve been saying all along that he is either the most underrated player or the best player in the state of Michigan, period,” he said. “I don’t know anyone who wants to guard him, and I’ve talked to college coaches who have not recruited him and told them they were crazy.”

The Bucs also were able to contain Iron Mountain senior standout Foster Wonders, who scored more than 2,000 career points.

He was held to 13 points and didn’t score until the third quarter. 

“The best compliment I can give a player is I would pay money to watch him play,” Williams said. “That kid can play, and we knew that we had to neutralize him one way or the other for us to have a chance to win.” 

The Bucs held a commanding 38-19 at halftime. They led by as many as 34 in the second half en route to the decisive victory.

The Mountaineers simply couldn't match Flint Beecher’s size, speed and athleticism. The Bucs’ full-court pressure forced 20 turnovers

“All the credit goes to Flint Beecher,” Iron Mountain coach Harvey Johnson said. “They were tough, and they did to us what no other team could do completely. They’re quick, they’re fast and their press and ability to create off the dribble bothered us. He had his team well-prepared.”

Iron Mountain finished as Division 3 runner-up for the second time in three seasons, and Saturday’s loss was only the Mountaineers’ second over the last two seasons. They were 21-1 last year before the pandemic halted the postseason.

“These eight guys were outstanding, and we beat some great teams to get here,” Johnson said. “I think they represented themselves, our school, our community, and the entire Upper Peninsula with great class. They worked hard and overcame a ton of adversity like every other athlete in the state did to get here. Not many kids get to play here, and we were blessed to be able to do that.”

Jurgen Kleiman added 12 points and eight rebounds for Iron Mountain, while Dante Basanese chipped in 11 points. 

Click for full box score

PHOTOS: (Top) Beecher's Carmelo Harris makes his move toward the lane during Saturday's Division 3 Final. (Middle) The Bucs' Taylin Muldrew (13) gets a hand up as Iron Mountain's Foster Wonders looks to pass. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)

Flashback 100: Detroit Central Star Voted into Pro Football Hall of Fame

February 14, 2025

The recently-announced 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class includes Detroit Central’s Antonio Gates, an extraordinary athlete who never played college football.

At Central, Gates excelled in both football and basketball. He led the Trailblazers to the 1998 Class A basketball championship, delivering a standout performance with 17 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in a 63-47 victory over Belleville in the Final. (Watch it on YouTube.)

Gates (44) gets in position to receive a pass in the post.On the football field, Gates was a three-year starter at tight end and linebacker. As a senior in 1997, he helped lead Detroit Central to a 7-3 record before falling to Birmingham Groves in the Regional Semifinals.

Opting to play college basketball, Gates finished his career at Kent State, where he played a pivotal role in the Golden Flashes’ first two Mid-American Conference regular-season titles. In 2002, he led Kent State to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. His impact was so profound that the school retired his No. 44 jersey — the same number he wore at Detroit Central.

Despite never playing football at the collegiate level, Gates took a chance after college, working out for NFL scouts. The San Diego Chargers saw his potential, signing him as an undrafted free agent. Sixteen years later, Gates is regarded as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. He holds the career record for the most touchdown receptions by a tight end (116) and remains the Chargers’ all-time leader in receptions (955) and receiving yards (11,841). His accolades included eight Pro Bowl selections, three first-team All-Pro honors, a spot on the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, and recognition on the San Diego Chargers’ 50th Anniversary Team.

Joining Gates in the 2025 Hall of Fame class are Eric Allen, Jared Allen, and Sterling Sharpe.

Previous "Flashback 100" Features

Feb. 6: Multi-Sport Star Look Becomes Super Bowl Officiating Legend - Read
Jan. 31: Johnson Family Put Magical Stamp on Michigan High School Hoops - Read
Jan. 24: Future Hall of Famers Face Off First in MHSAA Class A Final - Read
Jan. 17: First-Ever WNBA Draft Pick Rocked at Salem, Won Titles at Tennessee - Read
Jan. 10: Despite Launching Before 3-Point Line, Smith Still Tops Scoring List - Read
Jan. 3: Edison's Jackson Earns Place Among State's All-Time Elite - Read
Dec. 20: Future Olympian Piper Leads Grosse Pointe North to Historic Heights - Read
Dec. 13: 
The Other Mr. Forsythe in Michigan School Sports - Read
Dec. 6: 
Coleman's Legendary Heroics Carry Harrison Through Repeat - Read
Nov. 29: Harbaugh Brothers' Football Roots Planted in Part at Pioneer - Read
Nov. 22: 8-Player Football Finals Right at Home at Superior Dome - Read
Nov. 15: 
Leland Career Helps Set Stage for Glass' International Stardom - Read
Nov. 8: Future Baseball Pro Led Escanaba's Legendary Football Title Run - Read
Nov. 1: Michigan High School Baseball Trio Provide World Series Voices - Read
Oct. 25: Before Leading Free World, Ford Starred for Champion GR South - Read
Oct. 18: Mercy Links Legend Becomes World Golf Hall of Famer - Read
Oct. 11: Fisher Races to Finals Stardom on Way to U.S. Olympic First - Read
Oct. 4: Lalas Leaves High School Legacies on Ice & Pitch - Read
Sept. 27: Tamer's History-Making Run Starts in Dexter, Continues to Paris - Read
Sept. 20: 
Todd Martin’s Road to Greatness Starts at East Lansing - Read
Sept. 13: 
James Earl Jones, Dickson High Hoops to Hollywood Legend - Read
Sept. 6: 
Pioneers' Unstoppable Streak Stretches 9 Seasons - Read
Aug. 30: Detroit dePorres Rushes to 1995 Class CC Football Championship - Read 

PHOTOS (Top) The 1998 Detroit Central boys basketball team, including Antonio Gates (front row, fourth from left). (Middle) Gates (44) gets in position to receive a pass in the post. (MHSAA file photos.)