Sports Shorts

by Jason Tennant

Friday, February 8, 2019 marked the end of an era at Carmichaels Area High School as Boys Basketball Head Coach Don Williams stepped down after a legendary career.

Williams has spent the last 44 years on the Carmichaels bench and came into that game with 511 victories, 7 Section Titles, and 21 total playoff appearances.

“It’s been a great career and I’ve enjoyed working with everyone at Carmichaels,” said Williams. “It was always rewarding to be able to work with the kids and see them appreciate how I taught the game.”

The game that night would end the Williams era on a remarkable note.

It was announced prior to the game that regardless of the game’s result, Coach Williams and his longtime assistant Tim Jones would be cutting down the nets, in basketball championship style, after the game.

Obviously that ceremony would have a much more “feel-good” vibe to it if it came after a win, but for most of the night, it didn’t appear a Carmichaels win was in the cards.

Chartiers-Houston came out strong and built up 15-7 lead after the first quarter. They extended the lead in the second quarter to lead 31-18 at the half. Up until the last minute of the first half, Carmichaels was held to just 3 field goals, all of them from 3-point range, and the game could’ve been put out of reach before the half if not for back-to-back late 3-pointers from Chris Barrish.

Trailing by 13 at the start of the third quarter, Carmichaels set a different tone on their first possession of the second half when Barrish found Al Cree cutting to the basket for the Mikes’ first 2-point bucket of the game.

Cree, who had just one free throw in the first half would come on strong to eventually be the game’s leading scorer with 21 points. His 8 points in the third helped draw the Mikes closer, but heading into the fourth quarter, they still trailed by 10 points, 42-32.

The Bucs started to lose their grip on the game in fourth, but still were able to do enough to keep the Mikes just out of striking distance until late in the game, and the Bucs still held a 4-point lead with 13 seconds to go. That’s when Cree pulled the Mikes to within 2 after a couple of free throws.

On the ensuing possession, Chartiers-Houston was guilty of an inexcusable travel call and the Mikes got the ball back. Matt Barrish was fouled and drained both free throws to tie the game with 7 seconds left.

The game went into overtime and when Garrett Ponick scored his first bucket of the game with a layup in Carmichaels’ first overtime possession, the Mikes got their first lead of the entire game.

They went on to dominate the overtime period, outscoring Chartiers-Houston, 9-2 on their way to the dramatic 64-57 come-from-behind overtime win.

The Mikes had willed a victory from the jaws of defeat and brought a fantastic finish to the season, to the high school career of the seniors on the roster, and most notably to the legendary career of Coach Wiliams.

“What a great game to close it out,” said Williams. “I don’t think Hollywood could’ve done it any better.”

Williams’ last act on the court that has his initials, ‘DW,’ emblazoned on the hard wood, would be to cut down the nets along with his long-time assistant Jones. It was well deserved and win #512 certainly made that ceremony all the more special.

“It’s been a great run,” said Williams. “And I’ve truly enjoyed it.”