Milwaukee Juneau earns first boys basketball state title
· Yahoo Sports
MADISON – For the first time in school history, Milwaukee Juneau has won a WIAA state title.
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The Pioneers defeated Cambridge, 62-54, in the Division 4 boys basketball championship game March 21 at the Kohl Center to finish an unprecedented run with a gold ball. Juneau was led in scoring by Dooney Johnson (23 points) and Jaden Hardiman (17).
The Blue Jays, also making their first appearance at state, were led by Jett Horton (14 points), and Evan Harbort (11).
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State appearance a point of pride for new city-wide athletics commissioner
Juneau's appearance at state was not only a program first, but also the first Milwaukee City Conference boys team to make it to state since Milwaukee Washington made it to the Division 2 title game in 2019.
New MPS commissioner of athletics and academics Matt Goodwin, who was hired in late February, said he hopes reaching the state stage again is a momentum-building achievement for the conference.
"We have a lot of good talent in the city. We have a lot of great coaches, so to be able to see their peers accomplish something of this magnitude and make it to the state tournament, I hope it's inspiring not just for schools in the conference, but the young people as well that are looking up to them," Goodwin said.
Goodwin knows all about the City Conference's legacy in state boys basketball, having played on the last two boys state championship teams to call the City Conference home while attending Milwaukee King. He scored seven points in a 57-46 Division 1 title game win over Appleton West in 2003 and also had eight points in the 75-58 win over Madison Memorial the following year that secured repeat titles.
When asked about his memories of those appearances, Goodwin pointed to less tangible memories than a medal or trophy.
"I remember the opportunity to play, not just for our school, but for the city," he said. "What sports does, it brings community together. Whether you're in the classroom, on the court, off the court, the community, the school. We see bands up here, we see the cheerleaders up here, we see families up here. It was just the support that we had from the community and also our school district."
As for his advice to Juneau this week as a two-time state champion, Goodwin implored Juneau players to embrace the moment.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for some, and a lot of other people don't get, and they should cherish it and play for themselves and play for their families," Goodwin said.
Reflecting on his own new role, Goodwin acknowledged that interscholastic athletics transcends deep postseason runs as well.
"I understand what sports and organized sports can do for the community," he said. "Having the opportunity to be able to create positive environments and experiences for young people, develop them, turn them into leaders, develop life skills – not just on the court but off the court.
"Having a district where we serve K through 12, so to be able to capture them at the youth level, develop them and try to retain them all the way through the high school level is very important."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Juneau earns first title at Division 4 state hoops