STARKVILLE — Starkville High School sophomore Kelsey Jones always has dreamed big.
At the beginning of the season, Jones wanted to help the Lady Jackets advance to the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A State tournament.
To an outsider, it looked like a tall task. After all, Starkville last played in the Big House in 1992 when it won a state championship.
However, Jones always has tried to be a person of her word. With averages of 17 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocked shots, she played a huge role in helping Starkville re-write the school’s rich basketball history with a long-awaited return to Jackson.
For this success, Jones is The Dispatch’s Large Schools Girls Basketball Player of Year.
“At the beginning of the year, I thought we could make it to Jackson,” Jones said. “I couldn’t do it by myself. My teammates came along and really helped me out. It was an awesome season.”
As the 6-foot-2 Jones emerged as a force in the paint, the guards also played their role and began to consistently hit 3-pointers. Jones’ attention to detail and hard work helped set a standard for the rest of the team.
“When the season started, everybody knew we were losing Blair (Schaefer) and Imane (Montgomery), so a lot of people thought we would be rebuilding,” Starkville coach Kristie Williams said. “Kelsey really took it upon herself to make sure this was a special season. She has a real quiet demeanor off the court. On the court, she is a dominating player.”
Jones knew being a sophomore wouldn’t be an excuse for raising her game to another level without Schaefer and Montgomery.
“My main goal was to do whatever it takes to lead the team to the Big House,” Jones said. “My other goal was to encourage my teammates. As far as my game is concerned, I just worried about being better at rebounding and facing up before I shoot. I had to do a better job of following my shots because now my teammates were looking up to me more.
“There was a lot of stuff we needed to work on. That is one thing I can say about this team is we really worked hard.”
As the players began to learn their roles, the Lady Jackets took flight. The team won eight of its first nine games and served notice it was ready to contend in Class 6A.
“Kelsey really set the tone for this team,” Starkville senior guard Daija Williams said. “To make it to Jackson, each player on a team has to step up. We really didn’t have that one go-to player, so everybody had to do their part. Kelsey did a great job of controlling the paint, and that made it easier for the guards to get shots. Once we started making more shots, the team really took off.”
Starkville finished 25-5, including 13-1 at home. The season ended with a loss to eventual state champion Horn Lake in the semifinal round of the state tournament. Starkville beat Hattiesburg 59-52 in its state tournament opener. The Lady Yellow Jackets overcame a 10-point deficit in the final 4 minutes, 43 seconds to advance.
“It was an awesome season because we went so far,” Jones said. “It was awesome playing in the Big House. Whenever you start playing the game, you hope to one day play there. To know you are one of the last four (in the tournament), you have a good feeling. This team was young and talented, so we know we will be coming back there soon.”
The Lady Jackets practiced in Humphrey Coliseum to prepare for the state tournament. Starkville played with poise and confidence rarely seen by young teams.
“It was overwhelming (playing in Jackson),” Jones said. “It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. We had never been there before, so we didn’t know what to expect. However, we just stepped up and give it our all.”
Williams said many times the confidence of her team was never a question. The ability not to get too high or too low benefited the team as it navigated unchartered waters.
“I think Kelsey’s personality really was representative of our team,” William said. “We were a tough team. We always grinded it out for four quarters. There was never anything in a game that bothered our team. Now that we have a taste, you are going to see Kelsey and the other returnees work even harder.”
Jones has always been motivated to play competitive basketball, starting in grade school. Being the last of four children in a sports-heavy household has helped Jones reach her potential. Brothers Kyle and Kobe and sister Kierra have been big influences, as have parents Melvin and Telesia.
Kierra Jones played for Williams several years ago.
“My family has always been supportive,” Jones said. “They never let me get down and they keep me focused. My brothers and sister always remind me to stay out of trouble and keep my grades up. When I need some encouragement, I know I can always go to one of them.”
The lessons of encouragement were shared by Jones with her teammates. Despite her youth, Jones leads by example and her voice carries a lot of weight.
“It is hard to describe our team,” Jones said. “They are always outgoing and stuff. We always tried to keep each other happy. We are always encouraging each other all the time. When we are down, the other ones try to pick us up.
“That helped this team a lot on the court. We helped each other off the court, so that helped us play better together on the court.”
With her size and ability to make shots down low, junior and senior college coaches already are lining up to see Jones play. Williams expects the interest in Jones to take off next season.
“It is humbling to have coaches coming to see me play,” Jones said. “I have to stay grounded and focused because college is a long time off. My main goal is helping this team win a state championship. We know what it takes to get to Jackson. Now we want to go back and win a championship.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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