From JV to state: How these seniors transformed into basketball stars at Williamsville

CHAMPAIGN — Williamsville senior forward Carson Kohler could feel the adrenaline rush.

Junior teammate Brayden Saling drilled a 3-pointer, while Kohler converted a three-point play himself the hard way to suddenly trail by just one point with 1 minute, 7 seconds remaining against Chicago Phillips in the Class 2A state semifinal at the State Farm Center on Thursday.

Kohler turned to senior teammate Brecken Thomas for an emphatic chest bump before sinking the free throw attempt. Williamsville (26-11) trailed as much as 52-40 with under five minutes left before going on a stunning 10-0 run.

“It definitely gets your blood flowing,” Kohler said.

How they got here: How Williamsville boys basketball found the right combination to reach 2A state semifinals

The Bullets nearly whipped up another unforgettable comeback but fell short 60-56 and settled for fourth place in their first state appearance since 1991 and second overall.

Williamsville started with a 16-2 deficit against Macomb before staging a 36-32 comeback victory in the Springfield Supersectional on Monday.

“We’ve gotten down in some games,” Thomas said. “Last week against Macomb, we got down by 14 and in huddles and timeouts, we tell ourselves, ‘Hey, we can still come back. We can still win this,’ and keep playing as hard as we possibly can and just try to stay together and stay composed.”

Big comeback win: Williamsville boys basketball rallies from 14-point deficit for first state berth since 1991

Williamsville’s seniors — like most of the lineup — hardly hailed any varsity experience until this season, a small cluster that also included senior forward Brayden Scott.

They transformed in a big way and became key catalysts in the team’s surprising run to the state finals.

Kohler helped power the Bullets most of the game and finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists despite jostling against a bigger nemesis in 6-foot-6, 240-pound forward Claude Mpouma.

It was perhaps a culmination of his progress over the past two seasons, undergoing numerous uphill battles against former big man Jacob Finley last season.

“When you go up against a guy that big, you’ve got to learn to finish around him and finish on the other side of the rim — anything to get away from his arms because they’re so long to block shots,” Kohler said.

Thomas facilitated the offense, too, with 11 points, three assists and three rebounds — not to mention two steals. Saling led the team with 21 points.

Thomas rescues Bullets: Williamsville boys basketball wins first sectional title since 1991

Thomas took the reins as point guard after top-scorer Blake Shoufler was lost for the season due to an injury in late December.

“It’s definitely grown a lot,” Thomas said of his confidence. “At the start of the year, I wasn’t really one of the main guys to get the ball and score. It was usually Blake and Brayden (Saling). Then when Blake went down, I had to step up, and me and Brayden were those go-to guys.

“Towards the back half of the year, I kind of stepped up, so has Brayden. We’ve done the best we could to get us here.”

Thomas furnished multiple late-game heroics in wins over Alton Marquette and Macomb. He also triggered the late surge against Phillips with a traditional 3-point play before setting up Kohler’s and-1 with a steal in the 1-3-1 defense.

If an award for the most improved player ever existed, Thomas would be the favorite.

“It’s a surreal experience — our three JV players turned into three senior players,” Thomas said. “We worked our butts off. JV last year definitely helped our game this year. We’ve worked as hard as we could to make it this year and get as far as we can.”

Kohler, a linebacker who registered 69 tackles in football, nearly averaged a double-double with 8.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as the team’s top rebounder and third-leading scorer.

Thomas was the second-leading scorer behind Saling with 9.1 ppg.

“I definitely had to take on a little bit bigger of a role, obviously with Blake going out,” Kohler said. “When my guards aren’t scoring, we’ve got to find other ways, so give me the ball and dish it to cutters or a pitch-back for the 3 or take it to the rim.”

Those seniors surely left a legacy at Williamsville, more known for its feats on the gridiron.

“I’ve definitely heard people talking about more fans coming to the games, student sections are always packed,” Kohler said. “It got that basketball feeling to the school.”

Kohler and Thomas will continue that connection beyond high school. They will be roommates together at Iowa State University.

“We’re definitely going to do intramural sports together because we have that chemistry going,” Kohler said.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Brecken Thomas, Carson Kohler leave Williamsville boys basketball legacy