Germantown boys win first state title in school history
Germantown reached new heights on Thursday night, beating rival Madison Central 69-52 in the MSHAA 7A state championship game to earn the school’s first boys basketball state title.
The Mavericks were dominant from start to finish in Thursday’s championship game, much like they have been all season long.
Despite not having a winning season in the history of their boys basketball program, Germantown came into the season with massive expectations. The Mavericks met those expectations and more, earning their first state title in program history.
“We have multiple guys who are going to play at the next level, but they have really bought into sharing the basketball all season,” Love said. “Our goal was to win a state championship and It’s always great to set a goal and then go out and accomplish it.”
A major reason for those expectations were the transfer of brothers Mike and Mason Williams from Jackson Academy to Germantown prior to the season. The transfer of the Williams brothers created a star trio with junior Sam Funches, who is ranked a top-50 recruit in the country in the class of 2026.
The star trio for the Mavericks combined for 54 of the team’s 69 total points in the win, with senior Jackson State signee Mike Williams leading the way with 22 points.
“We came into this with a goal of winning a championship and put a lot of work into it during the offseason,” Mike Williams said. “We really are a team. Even with all the guys we have, we do share the ball and share the points.”
Chris Love built up the Germantown program in only three seasons into a state championship winning program. After stints as a head coach with Canton and Velma Jackson, where he won a state title, Love wanted to win a championship at the state’s highest level and he met that goal in Thursday’s title game.
“When we came to Germantown and decided to do this, there were some days early on where we questioned why we took this job,” Love said. “We just kept working hard and building up. We didn’t come here just to win some games, we came here to win a state championship.”
Love’s father, Lewis Love, was one of Madison County’s most successful coaches during his career, which included 607 career wins in stops at Canton, Velma Jackson, Pearl, and Amanda Elzy. Love played for his father at Canton and won a state title in 1997.
“It was a bittersweet moment for me tonight, because I lost my dad about a month ago today,” Love said. “I just think about him today and the kind of relationship we had. I had my mom here today with me so it’s just a great feeling to win this one.”
Germantown and Madison Central are two of five teams that have and will compete for MHSAA state championships in 2025. The growth and continued tradition of basketball in Madison County shows the commitment to excellence that local programs have had in the past and will have going into the future.
“Madison County is a great area and the best school district in the state, in my opinion,” Love said. “A lot of people want to live here because of how great the school district is and it’s a great place to live and work.”
Germantown finishes the season with a 29-5 record and only two of those losses coming against teams from within the state. Madison Central wraps up a phenomenal season with a 23-12 record and their fourth state title game appearance in program history.