The Legend of “Sweet Willie” Koko

Tornadoes claim third title in four years

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

Condis Cherry did a lot of nice things last Saturday in Murfreesboro.

The strip that sent Jibriel Koko sailing to the other end for a breakaway layup?

Bingo!

Alcoa roared back from a nine-point deficit to start the fourth quarter with a stunning, 20-2 run the last five minutes.

That’s what it took for the Tornadoes to claim their third state championship in four seasons, to go with a runner up finish a year ago, in a 57-48 triumph over Fulton in the Class 3A title game at Middle Tennessee State University.

“I think this game was a microcosm of our whole season,” Alcoa coach Ryan Collins said, “a lot of highs, but, at the same time, a lot of lows. Two four-game stretches of losses, and you got kids that just kept showing up, kept buying into the right thing, kept battling, kept fighting.

“And I thought they did that (in the title game), possession by possession.”

The BlueCross Basketball Championships thriller saw Cherry, an All-State Tournament selection, go off for a game-high 20 points, including a trey with three minutes left that pulled the Tornadoes within 46-45 of the Falcons.

Tournament most valuable player Jay Kirk got Alcoa the lead for good with an and-1 bucket one possession later.

“I’ve always loved Alcoa,” Kirk said, “and it’s just the biggest thing to come out here and get MVP and win a state championship with my brothers. I’ve been around it my whole life.”

Jamir Dean followed Cherry into double figures with 14, with Kirk adding 13, Koko 10. Each joined Cherry on the All-State Tournament Team.

It wasn’t just the scoring that brought the Tornadoes back, though. First came the rebounds, the stops, and none topped the Cherry/Koko gem visited upon Fulton’s Will Dixson.

Trapping at the half line, Cherry first spun Dixson back to his left. As Dixson wheeled, the Alcoa point guard leaned in for the strip with a wrist flick.

(Editor: Words don’t do it justice. It’s in the video.)

Koko collected the loose ball with lightning speed, racing to the other end for the bucket.

“That’s when we just got out and took over,” Koko said.

“They unleashed a fury,” Collins said. “I mean, a 20-2 run against Fulton is pretty unbelievable, and to close a game that way is maybe even more so.

“Ultimate respect to the other side. You view them as kind of the standard, so it was just a good feeling to see my kids fight like that.”

Fulton, which staged its own dramatic reversal in wiping out a seven-point Alcoa halftime lead, got an impressive afternoon from guard Nick Steen, who paced the Falcons with a team-best 19. Chaz Wood stung the Tornadoes for a trio of timely threes to finish with nine.

“At the end of the day, I’m just proud of our kids because they fought,” Collins said.

Four of five free-throw shooting from Cherry and Kirk inside the final minute kept the Tornadoes out of reach. The only thing left was a big finish.

Koko, a senior, first warranted the nickname, “Sweet Willie,” a few games back. Alcoa hosted Cumberland County for the sectional championship two weeks ago. During the contest, Koko dealt a Jets defender a double crossover move on a drive that left you speechless. The levitation on the ensuing layup was even better.

You can check out the video here.

With seconds left in the state championship game, Koko raced to the basket for one last flourish. Unfortunately, the final horn beat him to the rim by a step.

So he smashed it anyway.