‘Brotherhood’ fuels Coronado basketball’s state championship run – Las Vegas Sun News

Members of the Coronado High basketball team took turns hoisting the state championship trophy, celebrating the school’s first title in nearly 25 years of existence.

Whether it was star player Munir Greig or team leader Jonny Collins, or reserves like Logan Svendsen or Brayden Bauman, every player had his moment. One by one, they walked to the center of a circle of teammates, raised the trophy and danced up and down together.

Coronado’s hard-fought 60-55 win over Liberty at Valley High School would not have been possible without that bond.

Having the state’s top player in Greig — a junior forward and one of the class of 2027’s top recruits — means little without the right team around him. Teams, not individuals, win titles, coach Jeff Kaufman said.

“We spent a lot of time together on the road,” Kaufman said. “They became good friends, and by the way, Coronado is a welcoming place. They felt at home here. They are happy and comfortable here. It just kind of all came together.”

That mentality was needed in the fourth quarter.

Greig, Collins and Missouri State signee Amare Oba each hobbled off the court with leg cramps. Although they quickly returned after hydrating, the timing wasn’t ideal as a pesky Liberty squad kept the game close.

The closest Liberty would cut the deficit was four points, at 55-51 with under a minute to play. Coronado responded by putting the ball in Greig’s hands, and he drew fouls as Liberty looked to extend the game.

Greig was money from the free throw line when it mattered most, making 5 of 6 attempts in the final quarter.

Collins, a four-year varsity player, was the main holdover from last season. The rest of the lineup was new — including Greig, who moved to Henderson from the Philadelphia area.

Developing a bond with new teammates came naturally, Kaufman explained. Coronado traveled the nation “like a college team,” giving players plenty of opportunities in airports and rental cars to connect.

The team even visited Disneyland on a trip to Southern California.

“I’m proud of these kids,” Kaufman said. “Yeah, of course, I am happy. But more than anything else I am grateful. Grateful for these kids, our administration, teachers and all these families.”

The Cougars continued to improve as the season progressed — a fact highlighted by the play of senior post Siyahe Siaisiai. With the game close in the first quarter, he came up with a steal and raced the length of the court for a dunk.

Coronado held a distinct size advantage inside, with the 6-foot-9 Siaisiai leading the charge in disrupting shots at the rim.

“We developed a brotherhood when we got here and that translated onto the court,” Siaisiai said. “Everything takes time, but it all worked out in the end.”

Coronado lost the 2024 state championship game to Bishop Gorman by three points, and last season the Cougars won the league regular-season title only to be upset in the first round of the playoffs by Silverado.

This year, things were different.

They dominated Bishop Gorman by 20 points in the state semifinals Wednesday, then hoisted the trophy Friday with the win over Liberty.

“Winning a state championship is hard, but we were confident in each other that we’d get it done,” Greig said.