JACKSON — Starkville High School senior Darius Wilson likes to have fun.
Born into a basketball family, Wilson often has found solace and fun times in the gym. His teammates share a similar vibe.
“The best thing about this team is our enjoyment of the game,” Wilson said. “It’s a lot of hard work, but we don’t look at it that way. On the court, we are laughing and having a good time. You can tell we like being out there. You can tell we have fun together.
“It has been a special run, and I will always be thankful for how it has turned out.”
Wilson and the rest of the seniors will try to have fun one more time at 8 p.m. Saturday, when Starkville (27-5) will face Columbus (25-5) at the Mississippi Coliseum for the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A State championship. The game will be shown in the Golden Triangle area on My Mississippi or the CW.
Columbus will play in its first state championship game, while Starkville will try to repeat as champions and win the gold ball for the third time under coach Greg Carter.
“I have brought several teams to Jackson,” Greg Carter said. “There have been teams more talented than the last two. You can’t undervalue togetherness. The bond this team has may be the best I have had as a team. They genuinely love the game and love each other.
“Sports is about adversity and overcoming it. When you are down and you need a lift, who is going to provide it? We have a team full of players who are unselfish and ready to take the lead, set the example.”
Starkville has built the best boys basketball program in Class 6A thanks to a team concept. While senior guard Tyson Carter is a Dandy Dozen performer and the catalyst of the offense, his role is the exception rather the norm. Typically, the Yellow Jackets have relied on tenacious defensive and a sticky togetherness to take down many teams thought to be more talented.
“It’s funny in that everyone has said this team will beat Starkville or that team will beat Starkville,” Starkville senior Jamal Williams said. “We are supposedly the flawed team. We always need this or need that. Instead, we just take what we have, play hard, and do the best we can with what we have to work with.
“It’s exciting. When people count you out the most, that is when it is most rewarding to the rise to the top.”
Starkville has won all five of the games it has played the past two seasons in Jackson. The Yellow Jackets also have thrived in tuneup games in the regular season at Mississippi State’s Humphrey Coliseum.
“The kids have a comfort level with one another, but they also have a comfort level being on this stage,” Greg Carter said. “I have brought some teams in here that struggled to adapt. This team did it seamlessly a year ago, and that has paved the way for this season. Even though we have had some close games and some huge challenges, we have had success here.
“When you take the court and you know you have had success here, that’s a calming feeling. It makes you feel good about what is going on.”
While Columbus brings the hotter offense into the battle, Starkville has won two defensive masterpieces. In the quarterfinals, Starkville beat Biloxi, 55-44. In the semifinals, Starkville broke a 25-all halftime tie to roll away from Tupelo, 61-46.
“When we are playing that lock-down defense, we are at our best,” Starkville senior Keith Harris said. “You can tell if we are taking the other team’s offense out of its rhythm. That is what we are trying to do on every possession. If we can get a couple of loose balls and a couple of transition baskets, we are usually in good shape.
“If we can have that one long run, we feel good about our chances, pretty much against any opponent.”
Starkville beat region rival Madison Central in overtime last season in the Class 6A State title game. Again, it is North vs. North for the title. Realignment sent Columbus and Starkville to different regions this season. However, the rivals still played two regular-season games and have found each other for the biggest game played in the state this season.
“We are very excited about playing Columbus,” said Tyson Carter, who was the catalyst with 24 points in the victory against Tupelo. “It’s really like playing your brother. When you play your brother, it’s intense. It’s for bragging rights. When we played both games in the regular season, the gym was full. No reason to not expect the same.
“It will come down to execution. Who can do what they do best. We have an advantage having played in this game a year ago. They have a great team, though. That means we will have to play better than we did in the first two games here.”
In arguably its best offensive game of the season, Starkville beat then-No. 1 Columbus 80-61 at home in December. Starkville then spent some time at No. 1 as well. In a January rematch, Columbus rolled to a 70-47 victory at home.
“You feel good about the matchup because you already have a win against them, so you know you can do it,” Williams said. “We owe them some payback for the second game. We didn’t play well that night and they did. If either team doesn’t play well Saturday night, they are in for a long night.”
Regardless of how tight the situation gets Saturday night, look for the Starkville players to continue to smile and to pat each other on the back. The team’s chemistry is eerie, and everyone knows what to do at the right time.
“The thing I know about Saturday night is we are going to have a fun,” Wilson said. “We are playing for a state championship. A lot of teams don’t have that opportunity. You need to have fun while you are doing it.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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