Perfect.
That’s what they’re saying in Flint about the Beecher boys basketball team after the Buccaneers defeated St. Francis 74-60 in the Class C state championship game, which gave the champions a 28-0 season.
The last time Beecher won a state title was in 1987 when it was a Class B team.
Beecher fired out to a 41-21 halftime lead over St. Francis and held back modest comeback efforts by the team from Traverse City in the second half.
“I’m just overwhelmed with excitement and very humbled by this entire process and the entire season,” said Beecher coach Mike Williams. “I’m fortunate to be a part of this. We put in a lot of work to get here. We did everything the right way. We worked from the ground up.”
The Beecher defense was tough, picking up 16 steals and forcing 19 Gladiator turnovers. The champs shot 31 of 66 from the floor for 47 percent.
Monte Morris led Beecher with 18 points, six assists, and seven rebounds, while Antuan Burks added 16 points and six assists. Both are Beecher captains.
“Their defense dictated that we needed to push the ball up the floor, and that’s our game anyway,” Williams said. “Our kids didn’t slow down. We can run up and down the floor and play freestyle basketball, but we can also play halfcourt and do our thing. It really didn’t matter what type of game it as. We could roll and weave.
“To get here, we played every style. It’s to our advantage that we were able to get up and down the floor.”
Sean Sheldon scored 22 points and had 19 rebounds for St. Francis, but the Bucs made sure that the rest of the team wasn’t much of a factor.
“We can say we went 28-0, something which may not happen again,” Morris said. “We’ll try to cherish it every time.”
Beecher’s rich tradition in basketball was a factor for Williams and his players.
“We got the full support of all the Beecher alumni and all of the supporters that come out,” Williams said. “Roy Marble called us last night and talked to the whole team over the phone. Everybody was pulling for us to do it. It’s humbling to be considered with all the great teams that have played at Beecher.
“This is all about these kids’ lives. I feel like I’m their father. The toughest part is that it’s over. I’m not going to get to coach Antuan anymore. I won’t coach Monte any more. They’re like my sons. I put more into their lives than into basketball. We revert everything back to their lives. We’re looking at some kids that have overcome things that you couldn’t imagine. For them to make it here and accomplish this, they’ve set a standard for all the kids in our city. Everybody supported us, not just Beecher.”
Last season, Beecher was upset by McBain in the state semifinals.
“That was definitely motivation,” Morris said. “ Mike would make us look back at that and make us hungry again. It was a big thing to come out and jump on them early so they would have to answer back. We wanted to get off to a good start to play our brand of basketball and not theirs.”