WILKINSON COUNTY, Ga. — It's championship week at the Macon Coliseum.
All GHSA state title games taking place right here in Macon, and that includes three teams from Central Georgia. Well, there's no debate. It's been a very special season for the Wilkinson County Warriors. How special is it?
That's what brings us to The Palace Tuesday afternoon, as we catch up with the warriors ahead of this week's class A division two state championship against Charlton county.
“We're winners, stay winners,” senior Kwaveon Hill said.
When you call your gym 'The Palace', you kind of have to be winners.
Wilco is going for the program's 11th state title.
“Even growing up, I didn't know much about Wilkinson County but I knew when they went to Macon, you leave with a dub,” Hill said.
But if the warriors want to leave Macon with a dub this time, it's actually pretty simple.
“I feel like if we play good defense, we take it home. Defense wins championships at the end of the day,” Hill said.
The same approach that head coach Xavier Whipple once used to help lead his hometown team to success, something he can only try to explain.
“He do, but I just know it feels good. You just can't really explain it, it's a good feeling. Go down there for all our people, win a state title for your county,” Hill said.
“I try to mix it in. It's kind of hard not to when you've got all these banners up and people around here love basketball. When people see us, they always talk about what we did so they have to see it so of course we talk about it. Sometimes we get out there and shoot around and I still have to let them know who the king is in the county,” Whipple said.
But as far as what would make this year special to win number 11?
“Well, we have 11 seniors. You try to get a group of kids to buy in to what you believe and then make them start believing in it and over time, they've seen it work. It's going to be an experience for them,” Whipple said.
It's the Warriors, it's the Indians, and it all goes down at the Macon Coliseum Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m.