STARKVILLE — Tyson Carter’s senior basketball season continues to impress.
While last week included the disappointment of losing the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A state championship, this week has been much better for the Starkville High School senior. In addition to being chosen for tonight’s Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game in Clinton, he also has been named Mississippi’s Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
“Any honor is humbling,” Tyson Carter said. “It is not only a reflection of my game but also of the coaches and the entire program. My teammates have helped me get to this point. The last couple of years have been an incredible experience.”
Carter averaged 22 points and five assists per game to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 27-6 record. Starkville lost to Columbus 37-33 decision last week at Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson in an attempt to win its second-straight title. A year ago, Carter played a key role in guiding Starkville past Madison Central in overtime to win the school’s second boys basketball state championship.
“We really had a great season,” Tyson Carter said. “It hurts when you work so hard for that one moment and your team does not play its best game. We have a great rivalry with Columbus, so that was a fun atmosphere. We just would have liked to have made a couple of more plays to come out on top.
“Still, we did win a state championship while I was in high school, and that will always be a special memory. A lot of people never get a chance to play for a championship and we had a chance to play for two of them.”
Starkville coach Greg Carter saw his son become a better leader last summer when Tyson Carter played in some prestigious Amateur Athletic Union events.
“It was a unique experience because I could sit back and watch him as a father instead of a coach,” Greg Carter said. “I was really proud of how he grew and matured as a leader. Since we lost some key pieces off last year’s team, we knew he would have to be more of a vocal leader.
“He played the type of role you expect from a senior point guard. Since he is my son, he always had a good idea of what I wanted to get accomplished on the court. That was a huge advantage.”
Tyson Carter looks to put the skills he learned under his dad to good use later this year at Mississippi State. Tyson Carter began his senior season signing with the Bulldogs, roughly two decades after his father played there.
For now, there is one more high school task. Carter will join Columbus High’s Demetrice Clopton on the Team Mississippi roster for the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game at Mississippi College.
“It means a lot to be representing our state with the other best players in the state,” Tyson Carter said. “It is another thing I will remember for the rest of my life. There have been a lot of those the last couple of years.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.