MT. MORRIS TWP, MI – Basketball players and members of the Beecher coaching staff were still floating on cloud nine from the championship run during the pep assembly on Tuesday, March 31.

Nearly 200 fans from the district showed up to honor the Class C state champions for boys basketball in Beecher’s Moses Lacy Field House.

“You can hear from my voice that I’m still hoarse from the season,” Beecher coach Mike Williams said. “So right now it’s kind of a sense of euphoria. You’re caught in the moment but at the same time you don’t actually realize the magnitude of what you’ve actually done.”

The celebration reunited the full Beecher roster for the first time since winning the title on Saturday, March 28 at Michigan State's Breslin Center with a 78-52 victory against Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian.

Each contributor on the team was presented with a special certificate and introduced by Williams in front of the audience seated in the school’s gymnasium.

Over the weekend, everyone celebrated but most of them spent time with friends so the rally was a good way to meet up once again to reflect on their achievement. Beecher won its third Class C state title in four seasons and the sixth in school history. Three of those titles happened in Class B in 1976, 1985 and 1987.

“This was a great experience,” sophomore forward Levane Blake said. “There was a lot of stuff we had to sacrifice, a bunch of stuff to be able to come to practice and win games like going out with friends and other important things.”

Unlike the previous two state title celebrations in 2012 and 2013, the Beecher Community School District didn’t hold a parade down Coldwater Road. Many of the supporters also attended those past two assemblages and were just as excited to return for the third.

“I was not one of those that didn’t believe they couldn’t win without Monte Morris at point guard because I watched how they played their defense and disrupted the team’s offense,” said John Reaves, father of assistant coach Nicholas Reaves. “I always had confidence that they would win another championship.”

Nine-year-old Jaydah Peters attended the event with her mother, Michelle Johnson. Peters has watched many of the games this year with Johnson and also cheerleads at Dailey Elementary in the Beecher Community School District.

Peters saw this event as just having “fun” but Johnson seized the opportunity to show her daughter something that’ll help benefit her in the future.

“I’m just proud of the boys for shining a positive light on Beecher for once,” Johnson said. “I have two young ones that are here in the community so I’m just glad that they are able to be a part of history in this event with the basketball team and everything else.”