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Wilkins Makes First Trip to State Tournament

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McKenzie High School boys basketball Head Coach John Wilkins will make his first appearance as a coach at the TSSAA State Basketball Tournament Thursday when he leads his 28-3 Rebels to their second appearance in program history and first since 1998.
Wilkins has attended several TSSAA state tournaments as a fan, most notably and most recently last Thursday through Saturday as his father, Mitch Wilkins, coached the Gibson County Lady Pioneers to the Class A Girls Championship. It was his first championship win.
John is in his seventh season as the Rebels’ head coach, following six years as assistant coach under his father at Henry County High School. The two departed Henry County for their respective current positions during the same summer. During a post-game interview with The Banner following the Rebels Sectional win against East Robertson, Wilkins said, “We hoped the moment wouldn’t get too big for us, and it didn’t. We just focused on defending and rebounding and doing those things, and we knew everything else would take care of itself.”
He said of East Robertson, “They’re a good team. Everybody from here on out is. We get a two-point win or whatever, we’re gonna be happy to have it.”
He addressed facing a long break between the Sectional and the first round of the state tournament, and made reference to the fact that he wasn’t the only Wilkins coaching at this year’s state tournaments. “It’ll be different. Dad’s in the state tournament Thursday, so I have to kind of balance going and watching him and also getting prepared at the same time. That’s a good problem to have. I’ll figure all this stuff out. I love being in the position of having to figure out how I can prepare my team for the state tournament, and watch my dad’s team. It’s just such a blessing. We’re fortunate to be where we are, we have caught some breaks this year. We’ve got a good group of kids that have worked and continue to work. It’s going to be fun. We’re gonna figure it out.”
Wilkins also noted the Rebels’ crucial comeback win against Loretto in the Region championship game. “That fourth-quarter comeback was big the other night, staying here.” But come-from-behind wins are nothing new for this McKenzie squad. “Our kids believe they can win. We’ve been in that scenario a couple of times and been able to get over the hump. Now, we get down six, eight or ten, it’s not panic time for us. You need some of that in a group.”

In a follow-up telephone interview Sunday, Wilkins wished to first and foremost thank God. “He led us to McKenzie and the blessing that it’s been.”
He also called his wife, Lauren, an “unsung hero” of the team’s success. “I couldn’t do it without her,” he said, noting how much she supports him and the team while also caring for their three young children.
He credited his team for their unselfishness. “They all bought in. Everyone accepted the role they’ve been given and have been truly about trying to do what it takes to win. Any time you get a team focused on overall results, you can accomplish a lot.”
He noted that there were no seniors last year, so the entire team returned. He said that the Rebels’ elimination in the region tournament last year (in a game interrupted by a tornado warning) didn’t sit well, and that they knew they were close. Wilkins said that community support has had a huge impact. “It’s been overwhelming. We needed money [for the trip], and with the amount of people reaching out to help, we’ve raised all that we’ll need. We can focus on basketball.”
He’s also thrilled at the opportunity it is for many of the kids. “They’re gonna get to do some things they never get to do. We’re blessed to live in a community that supports us so much. The school administration had also been great. Since day one, they’ve done whatever they could and provided anything we’ve asked.”
He said that being in the Murphy Center last week to support his dad and the Lady Pioneers was “exciting, but also strange,” knowing that the roles would be reversed this week. He noted that every break he had from supporting them, he was preparing for his own tournament, looking over information and watching film.