For possibly the first time in Minnesota high school boys basketball history, five cousins faced off against each other at the state Class AA boys basketball tournament this past March. Three of the cousins play for the Caledonia Warriors, while the other two cousins suited up for the Albany Huskies. The family showdown took place during the semifinals, where Albany defeated Caledonia 59-54. Albany then advanced to the championship game, where they claimed the title with a 70-63 win over Waseca.
The legacy of this remarkable athletic family begins with James King, the cousins’ great-grandfather, who moved to Caledonia from Iowa. According to his son Dean King, and daughter-in-law Linda King, James played baseball in Caledonia on a local non-school team, setting the foundation for a lineage of athletes.
Dean followed in his father’s footsteps and played baseball. Linda, who came from a large farm family, fondly recalls summers filled with softball tournaments in Brownsville, Caledonia, Spring Grove, Plum City, and Durand, Wis. With seven sisters, they fielded their own team with help from some cousins, while her brothers competed in the men’s division.
Now, both the male and female members of the King family are deeply involved in a wide variety of sports, from volleyball, softball, and basketball to football, wrestling, baseball, and track. When asked if anyone in the family plays golf, someone chuckled and replied, “We golf for fun.”
The King family includes Dean and Linda’s 10 children – Brad (Susan) King, Randy (Leigh) King, Corey (Kerry) King, Tami (Jason) Goetzinger, Sara (Eric) Klug, Luke (Amanda) King, Amanda (Neil) Austin, Amber (Rob) Brown, Ashley (Levi) Reiff, and Dustin (Katie) King – along with their athletic spouses. With 44 grandchildren, and an ever-growing number of great-grandchildren, the family is bursting with talent and team spirit.
The fourth generation of the King family includes a number of familiar names including: Alexis Pitts, Owen King, Noah King, Elijah King, Megan Benson, Andrew Kunelius, Mason King, Grant King, Troy King, Tressa Stevermer, Trent King, Trey King, Haley Seymour, Alanna Goetzinger, Seth Goetzinger, Kara Goetzinger, Eve Goetzinger, Wes Goetzinger, Bryn Goetzinger, Nora Goetzinger, Grace Goetzinger, Tae ‘von Goetzinger, Aria Goetzinger, Austin Klug, Page Klug, Reid Klug, Aubrie Klug, Jovial King, Regan King, Kensey King, Bayla King, Zeke Austin, Jaxson Austin, Maddalyn Austin, Brooklyn Austin, Franklin Brown, Jocelyn Brown, Adlee Reiff, Barrett Reiff, Ivey Reiff, Kami King, Kasen King, Kyler King and Kolten King.
Listing the family’s accomplishments is nearly impossible, as there are too many. Numerous family members have surpassed 1,000 career points in basketball, some have gone on to compete in high school at a state level, others have gone on to compete at the collegiate level, and others have taken on coaching roles themselves, either in high school or community sports clubs.
Notably (mostly in recent memory), Noah, Owen, Eli and Mason King are the top four all-time scorers on the Warriors’ boys basketball scoring list. Reid Klug is also on that list. Sister Aubrie, plus mom Sara, are on Caledonia’s girls 1,000-point scoring list. Brother Austin Klug currently pitches at Purdue University. Seth Goetzinger is one of Chatfield’s top wrestlers ever, a former Minnesota state champion now competing at Augsburg. Sister Kara Goetzinger just won a NJCCA Division III basketball National Championship for RCTC.
Dean insists that the key is to “start young.” Growing up, once chores were done, the kids were outside playing all the time. The family emphasizes the importance of having fun. Favorite backyard games include “sock tag” – a game like dodgeball with a ball wrapped in a sock – and lots of wiffle ball. How did they learn to slide? “By getting balls thrown at their heads – so they had to duck or slide!”
Caledonia coach Brad King, the oldest son of Dean and Linda, built a basketball court inside his garage, complete with a lower hoop for the little kids.
There’s an energy around the King family that’s infectious. Just spending time with them makes one want to jump in and play a game of horse. With most of them living within driving distance – Caledonia, Chatfield, and Albany – they spend a lot of time together. And it shows – the King family’s legacy isn’t just about winning games: it’s about love, laughter, and lifelong connection through sports. The cousins are fun to watch in action as they are fiercely competitive, but in the end they are always laughing and having fun.
What was it like to play against cousins in a state tournament? One family member said they were still talking about it a week later. The cousins shook hands as they walked off the court, and the stories from that day will be passed down to the next generations of Kings on the family’s home court.