MHSA(Q&A): Flint Beecher boys basketball coach Mike Williams
March 30, 2012
Mike Williams had brought Flint Beecher to the MHSAA Semifinals at Michigan State's Breslin Center at the end of both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, and also coached the team that made the Class C Final in 2008. All three times the Buccaneers had to settle with great runs, but losses to end them.
But not Saturday.
Beecher and Williams capped one of the best season's in MHSAA history, becoming the 12th team to finish with 28 wins and claiming the Class C championship. Beecher finished with a perfect record, and the championship was the Bucs' first since claiming the Class B title in 1987.
Williams graduated from Grand Blanc High in 1994 before then getting degrees at Ferris State and Eastern Michigan University. He's led Beecher to a 138-61 record over the last eight seasons, and had some powerful things to say after Saturday's win, both about the Bucs' legacy but also about what the win could mean to the entire Flint community.
"I’m just overwhelmed with excitement. Very humbled by this entire process, by this entire season, by the way our kids performed. Just fortunate to be a part of this. We put in a lot of work to get here. It feels unbelievable. I really can’t describe it with words.
"I know we did everything the right way. And we worked from the ground up"
This is the third time in school history (Beecher) finished with an undefeated season. You yopped the last two teams by one game. How does it feel for you guys to do this?
"It’s incredible. The only thing that I can say is we’ve got the full support of all the Beecher alumni, all the supporters that came out. … Everybody was pulling for us to do this. Like I said, it’s humbling to be considered and to be known right up there with all those great teams that have played in the past at Beecher. And to add to the legacy of Beecher, that’s the main thing.
With all things you guys have been through up to this point, not even just basketball, but off the court, on the court, talk about the feeling you guys have to be able to finish it on top and be able to celebrate a victory.
"I think with the things that our kids have gone through and the things our community has gone through, for me this is more than about basketball. This is about these kids' lives. I feel like I’m their father. The toughest part is that this is over. I won’t get to coach Antuan (Burks) anymore. I won’t get to coach Montana (Gooch) anymore. These are like my sons. I put more into their lives than into basketball. We revert everything back to their lives.
"Because you’re looking at some kids that overcome some things that you can never imagine. For them to make it here and accomplish this, it's setting a standard for all the kids in our city that we don’t have to act up. We can achieve. We can be successful. Because too many bad things are going on in our city, and I want these kids to be representatives of our city, of their generation turning around and being positive. And that’s been the biggest thing. It’s been about their lives. For them to accomplish this, it doesn’t even compare to the things they’ve overcome in their lives.
"So we just want to bring it back home and show everybody we can be successful. We don’t have to be in the streets. We don’t have to do things that are getting written about in paper that Flint is known for. Let’s get back to being successful. And our community and the whole Flint area, everybody supported us. Not just Beecher. That’s what I’m more proud of -- that we get to bring some positive attention to our area."
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 11
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 16, 2026
A season’s worth of work resulted in 128 fully-seeded Boys Basketball Districts published Sunday.
Michigan’s high school teams know when, where and who they will play beginning next week. But there’s one more left before the playoffs begin, and plenty more stories to tell before the championship chase gets underway.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Brooklyn Columbia Central 59, Michigan Center 56 The Golden Eagles (17-4) clinched their first Cascades Conference title since 1983 and avenged a 56-52 loss to Michigan Center (18-2) from Dec. 15.
2. Detroit Martin Luther King 68, Detroit Cass Tech 63 The Crusaders (17-4) finished a perfect run through Detroit Public School League play with their second win this season over Cass Tech (16-5), this time to seal a city championship.
3. Romulus Summit Academy 35, Harper Woods Chandler Park 33 The Dragons (21-1) emerged from a second close call this season with Chandler Park (12-5), this time to win the Charter School Conference Tournament and after getting past Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac to advance.
4. Freeland 54, Frankenmuth 48 The Falcons (17-3) pulled within a game of the Eagles (18-1) in the Tri-Valley Conference Red, but more notably handed Frankenmuth its only loss and after falling in the first meeting 47-43.
5. Grand Blanc 51, Muskegon 48 The Bobcats (17-3) added to their momentum heading toward the postseason with a close road win over another Division 1 contender in the Big Reds (16-2).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Muskegon (16-2) Despite Saturday’s loss to Grand Blanc, Muskegon has done more than enough to once again be considered a team to watch next month. The Big Reds won their first 11 games, with their most notable of that run over Wayne Memorial (16-3). They’ve also defeated Lansing Waverly (15-5) and clinched the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title outright with two games remaining. The only other loss came to Kalamazoo Central (16-2), and a matchup with Hudsonville (16-4) this week could be a nice jumpstart for District play.
Rochester (20-0) The Falcons have improved from five wins in 2022-23 to eight the next winter, to 19 last season and now a 20-0 start as the only remaining undefeated team in Division 1. Rochester, which will be pursuing a second-straight District title next week, can finish an outright title run in the Oakland Activities Association White on Tuesday against second-place Rochester Adams and has won 14 games by double digits this winter – including 66-45 over Adams in their first meeting Jan. 27.
DIVISION 2
Dearborn Divine Child (18-2) The Falcons defeated Detroit Loyola 69-50 on Saturday to add a Catholic High School League AA Tournament title to its regular-season championship. Divine Child has won 17 straight games since opening with losses to Loyola (17-4) and Detroit Catholic Central over its first three in December. Divine Child also has a pair of important wins over Jackson Lumen Christi (14-5) and another notable victory over Dearborn (15-4).
Grant (20-0) The Tigers have reached 20 wins for the second-straight season but this time without a loss as they seek to finish a perfect regular season with victories this week over Morley Stanwood and Big Rapids. Grant defeated Big Rapids 66-40 last week to clinch the Central State Activities Association Red title outright. The team’s only single-digit games came during the first two weeks of December, a one-point win over Cedar Springs in the season opener and three-pointer over Belding a week later.
DIVISION 3
Comstock (15-4) The Colts have enjoyed a magnificent turnaround with their first winning season since 2022-23 and after winning 15 games combined over the last two. They have a half-game lead on Cassopolis in the Southwest 10 Conference with two games left – including the regular-season finale hosting Cassopolis on Friday, and having defeated the Rangers by 20 in their first meeting Jan. 16. Comstock also has locked down the second seed in a tough District behind only Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep.
Springport (15-5) A 62-44 win over Concord on Friday gave Springport a one-game lead on the Yellow Jackets atop the Big 8 Conference with two to play. One more win also will give the Spartans their most in a season in at least 15 years and after entering January at 4-4. The only loss during the current 10-1 run came Jan. 17 to Battle Creek Pennfield, which won the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference, and four of Springport’s five losses came against Division 2 opponents.
DIVISION 4
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (14-4) The Irish have locked up the Mid-State Activities Conference West title and will play East champion Breckenridge twice in a row this week – the second time in Friday’s league championship game. Division 4 runners-up only two seasons ago, the Irish will be playing next week for a fourth-straight District title and with losses this season to three opponents with at least 17 wins and the fourth to Division 1 Flint Carman-Ainsworth. Sacred Heart avenged a two-point defeat to Beal City from Dec. 20 with a 46-24 win Feb. 9.
Southfield Christian (16-5) The Eagles have guaranteed their winningest season since 2021-22 and last week avenged one their losses from this winter, defeating Whitmore Lake in a rematch 54-40 after losing their Jan. 20 meeting by three. Southfield Christian will finish second to Allen Park Inter-City Baptist in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue, with two losses to the Chargers (18-3). The other defeats came to Genesee Christian (16-4) in overtime and Division 1 Royal Oak.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Gladwin (19-1) at Beaverton (17-4) – These longtime rivals meet a second time this season, this time for the overall Jack Pine Conference title and after Gladwin won the Feb. 3 meeting 61-49.
Tuesday – Macomb Dakota (17-4) at East Kentwood (17-2) – One of the most exciting prep games for the start of the playoffs pits the Macomb Area Conference Red champion Dakota and a Falcons team that has clinched a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title.
Friday – Dearborn Heights Robichaud (15-3) at Redford Thursday (17-2) – These two also play Monday at Robichaud, and Friday’s rematch will either end in a shared Western Wayne Athletic Conference championship or outright title for tonight’s winner.
Friday – Wayne Memorial (17-3) vs. Hartland (17-3) at Northville – The Kensington Lakes Activities Association overall championship game will be a second chance for Wayne after it lost to Novi in last season’s decider.
Friday – Yale (18-2) at Croswell-Lexington (16-4) – Croswell-Lexington leads Yale by a game in the Blue Water Area Conference with two league games left for both and this rematch the regular-season finale; the Pioneers won the Jan. 20 meeting 64-57 in overtime.
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PHOTOS (Top) Lansing Waverly’s Derek Thomas (22) works to get to the basket during his team’s 101-76 win over Flint Hamady on Saturday. (Middle) Saginaw United’s Lemonte Ramon-Wiley (1) finds a teammate during an 81-78 win over Flint Powers Catholic on Friday. (Photos by Terry Lyons.)