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REMARKABLE RUN: 1999 Williamsport team realizes how special run was

By Chris Masse 6 min read

Williamsport understood it achieved something amazing when it captured the 1999 Class AAAA championship. But time and perspective have a way of changing views.

Now, those Millionaires players and coaches realize how truly special it was. As the years go by, the accomplishment's meaning grows. The team knows this not just from its own reflections, but upon hearing how much it meant to the fans.

"It's really nice to get to reflect on it and hear what the people really thought about after all this time," all-state forward Chevy Troutman said. "I feel it now that I'm back and living in Williamsport for half a year. I hear stories from people saying they liked watching us play and I hear nice things all the time. It lets us know we did something great."

They certainly did.

The fans who jammed the Magic Dome last Saturday let them know that once again. There, the 1984 and 1999 state championship teams were honored on their 40- and 25-year anniversaries, respectively. One by one those 1999 players and coaches were introduced and the ovations they heard made them feel like they had gone back 25 years to that fantastic season.

"Looking back, that was probably the most fun time of my life, playing with those guys," Taurance Johnson, an elite forward who could also play point guard, said. "We had fun, but we worked hard, too. Looking back on it, it's a long time, but it feels like yesterday."

As the 20th century closed, it was a transition period at Williamsport. Legendary coach Pete White stepped down following the 1997 season and Mike Bailey took over after winning a state championship with Allen Iverson in Virginia. He was assisted by coaches Matt Johnson and Kirk Felix but Williamsport surprisingly lost in the district semifinals in 1998.

All that did was fuel the fire for a team which would become one of the more dominant ones at that point in state history. The Millionaires were deep, well-rounded, explosive and hungry. Troutman would eventually enjoy both a decorated collegiate career at Pittsburgh and a lengthy professional career oversees. Johnson played at Florida International and Ayyub Ali played well at Division II power IUP.

Those three formed a ferocious backline, while a deep core of guards like Muhammad Cannon, Justin Holt, Sam Fatherly, Ryan Brown and Jeremiah Washington helped fuel a swarming defense and facilitate a potent offense.

Eric Hayman, Joe Walker, Justin McKernan, David Fatherly, Shawn Roberts and Luke Niedermyer rounded out the roster and also provided valuable contributions for a team which overwhelmed most of its opponents en route to winning its last 27 games.

"The way we were playing at that time, going into the playoffs, it was like 'It's going to be a tough time trying to beat us,'" Johnson said. "It doesn't matter who we play, we're going to be tough to beat."

"Once the pieces were there, it was inevitable," Troutman said, while also crediting the staff for its focus on academics. "Matt Johnson and Mike Bailey and Kirk Felix brought the teaching of basketball and the motivation to keep players activated to where they can perform at all times."

Like the 1984 Williamsport state champion, the 1999 squad not only won games, but won them big while navigating a demanding schedule. The Millionaires defeated powerhouses like Hatboro-Horsham and Plymouth-Whitemarsh during the regular season before reclaiming the District 2-4 title and bouncing Chester in the state quarterfinals.

That Chester team was led by future Orlando Magic all-star point guard Jameer Nelson and cruised to the 2000 state title, driving home how dominant that 1999 team was. Still, this was a determined, gutsy team as well and Williamsport proved it with a thrilling 55-54 state semifinal win against Council Rock in the state semifinals.

Williamsport trailed in the closing seconds of a back-and-forth game and called timeout to set up a final shot. What a shot it was. Holt found Johnson cutting through the lane, threw the pass upward and watched as Johnson threw down the alley-oop dunk which sent Williamsport to the state final.

"Matt drew the play up and he happened to notice that every time Chevy came down the middle of the lane, they crashed on him," Johnson said. "That's when Matt said if he comes through, it opens and I can follow behind him and Justin just threw it up and I was able to go get it and the rest is history."

Williamsport left its mark on history three days later when it routed Erie McDowell, 64-40. At that point, it was considered one of the most dominant state title wins in Pennsylvania history and the outcome was never in doubt.

It was a perfect ending to a near-perfect season. Williamsport started 2-2 but was not full strength in those two defeats. Once the Millionaires had everyone back, they became unbeatable.

"We did something great here and we did it in a short amount of time," Troutman said. "We bought into Matt Johnson and the collaboration with the new coach Mike Bailey and changing some of the basketball molds. They changed it fast, too.

"You don't go from districts to state champions that fast. It usually takes a couple of years but we did it pretty much right away."

They created both a link and memories which last forever, too. They were all back last Saturday, but they all have gone different roads in the last 25 years. Achieving what they did, however always keeps them on the same page.

Like legendary Philadelphia Flyers coach Fred Shero once said, this team now walks together as champions forever.

"We stay in touch and talk to each other and see each other. There's a bond that can never be broken throughout our whole lives," Johnson said. "No matter if I see you, two or three weeks from now or two to three years from now, it's always going to be the same. It's always going to be special."

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