By Robert Wilson
Senior guard Mike Williams started the high-powered Germantown boys basketball team’s engine with a 3-pointer 30 seconds into Thursday night’s MHSAA Class 7A state championship game.
And then Williams, his brother and junior guard Mason Williams, 6-foot-10 junior center Sam Funches and rest of the Mavs pushed the engine from first gear to fifth gear to give Germantown its first boys basketball state championship in the school’s 15-year history.
Williams had 22 points, Mason and Funches had 16 points each as Germantown defeated Madison County rival Madison Central 69-52 at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.
Germantown finished 29-5, the first winning record in school history, and defeated Madison Central for the third time in as many meetings this season. Madison Central finished 23-12 and was denied its third state championship in school history and first since 2006.
Williams – a Jackson State signee who rated as the No. 21 combo guard in the country in the Class of 2025 by 247 Sports – and Mason won their second consecutive state championship. The Williams brothers – sons of former NBA Champion and NBA All-Star and current Jackson State men’s basketball coach Mo Williams – led Jackson Academy to the MAIS Class 6A and Overall Tournament championship and its best record in school history last season before transferring to Germantown.
Williams – the 2024 PriorityOne Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Player of the Year – had many spectacular plays from the opening tip, from his first 3-pointer in the first minute, to mid-range, pull up jumpers, slam dunks, and acrobatic layups, bringing the crowd to its feet, reminding them of great performances at the Big House like Williams’ father Mo, who played at Murrah, Gulfport’s Chris Jackson, Murrah’s James Robinson, Ronnie Henderson and Jesse Pate, Lanier’s Monta Ellis, and Callaway’s Malik Newman, just to list a few.
Mike Williams, who scored the first eight points for Germantown, made 7 of 13 shots from the field, 3 of 6 from 3-point range, and 5 of 5 from the free throw line. He had 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist.
Starting with Mike Williams’ first 3-pointer, Germantown led the entire game. The Mavs led 20-12 after one quarter, 29-21 at halftime and 52-35 lead after three quarters.
Third-year Germantown coach Chris Love won his second state championship of his 11-year head coaching career. He led Velma Jackson to state title in 2019.
Love also won a state championship as a junior in 1997 for Pearl. He played for his father, Lewis Love, who won 607 games and won one state title and had three state runner-up finishes in his career at Amanda Elzy, Velma Jackson, Canton, and Pearl before retiring in 2003.
Chris Love, who has been a head coach for three years at Canton, his alma mater, five at Velma Jackson and three at Germantown, also had two state runner-up finishes at Velma Jackson.
“The guys were focused all week and ready to play,” Love said. “Defensively, we were locked in what they were doing. Offensively, Mike set the tone scoring the first eight points. And Mason and Sam got going. So, it was a great team effort in the second half. I thought (6-1 junior guard and Vicksburg transfer) Mikey Johnson and (6-5 junior guard) Devin Moore stepped up on the offensive end (combined for 15 points). I thought Mikey did a great job defending (Madison Central’s 6-7 senior forward and Naval Academy signee) JP (Baldwin).”
“It took a lot of confidence and pressure to overcome to win this championship,” Mike Williams said. “With everyone expecting us to win, it made it harder for us to win. Everyone thinks we were a super team, but we just happen to be skilled players that all live in the same neighborhood. Our coaches gave us the courage we needed to get the win and get Germantown boys the first ever state championship.”
Madison Central’s chances of state championship dropped significantly when leading scorer and senior guard Dylan Rowe went down with a wrist injury in the second quarter and did not return to the game.
Sophomore guard Maddox Singletary led Madison Central with 13 points.
“It was a blessing to be able to be in the 7A final,” said Madison Central coach Ben Gardner, who finished his fourth season as head coach after seven years as an assistant. “Obviously, we would have loved to have a different outcome, but I couldn’t have been prouder of my group for the effort and fight they showed last night. We can hold our heads high knowing that we did things the right way and we always will as long as I hold the position. We are Madison made. Each one of our guys have come through each level of this program and have built it into what it is today brick by brick. We took no shortcuts. In a ‘grass in always greener’ world, our guys planted their feet and watered their own grass. These seniors – Dylan Rowe, JP Baldwin, and Kody Smith – entered the program six years ago and changed it forever. They hung a banner that won’t hang in the rafters but will instead be worn by every player who follows after them in the orange and blue. They are the true definition of a champion. They didn’t run, they didn’t get outside help, and they never flinched. This season has been so special. This group was special. They battled through so many levels of adversity and finished the race together. As a coach, I’ve never been more proud of a group of young men.”
