Under the direction of coach Kristie Williams, the Starkville High School girls basketball team has become one of the elite programs in Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A play.
Championship basketball isn’t new in Starkville. Coach Greg Carter has built arguably the state’s best boys program for parts of two decades. Williams has shifted the Lady Jackets into a similar spotlight.
As we enter the New Year, the Starkville High girls are 9-3, while the Starkville boys are 13-1. Both teams will be favorites to win their region and get back to Jackson.
The true measure of the strength of a program is the level of success during a transitional season.
Williams has led the Lady Jackets to back-to-back Class 6A State championships. The 2017 title was the program’s first since 1992. Before breaking through, Starkville had a couple of other losses in the Coliseum.
After the first championship, Starkville lost one starter — Kelsey Jones, who is now at Southern Mississippi. Last season, the Lady Jackets lost a little more firepower, so there were some unknowns entering the season.
Williams knew she had some talented players. She knew she had players who grown accustomed to winning. These players had seen the amount of hard work needed to get to the top.
“The biggest challenge is teaching players how to win,” Williams said in the preseason. “While there is not as much returning experience as we have had in recent years, we have a hard-working group. They are enjoyable to coach. They come to the gym and work hard. We have established an expectation around here and these players want to respond to that challenge.”
On Thursday, Starkville provided evidence it is heading in the right direction when it defeated Olive Branch 57-54 in the Travis Outlaw Slam Dunk at the Hump at Humphrey Coliseum.
Starkville and Olive Branch have had several heavyweight matchups through the years. The dynamics changed a year ago when Olive Brach was shifted to Class 5A in realignment, so the stakes aren’t quite as high, but it is still great basketball between two great programs.
Coach Jason Thompson has Olive Branch at 16-2 as we enter the New Year. The Lady Jackets handed the Lady Quistors their first in-state loss of the season.
Olive Branch has size, speed, and athleticism. The Lady Quistors rely on full-court pressure and present every problem an opposing team could be asked to tackle.
“The biggest thing is remaining disciplined and handling the pressure,” said Williams after the victory. “They want to speed you up, force turnovers, and take you out of rhythm. We had some unforced turnovers, but overall, we handled the pressure well. This is just a great win. Being able to enter the second half of the season (at 9-3) is really big for this team. There is a lot of potential here, and we are getting better each day.”
Starkville does have a Dandy Dozen player — senior Jalisa Outlaw. Overall, there are six seniors on the roster. The Lady Jackets may have a little less size than recent years, but they play smart, focused, and stay within themselves. Sophomore Amaya Ford is a rising star.
The schedule has been challenging. Pontotoc beat Starkville in the season opener. The Lady Warriors are 15-1. Columbus has beaten Starkville twice by a combined 10 points. The Lady Falcons are 12-1.
In the latest Mississippi Gridiron basketball rankings, Starkville is fourth in Class 6A. Conversely, Pontotoc is No. 1 in Class 4A and Columbus is No. 3 in Class 6A.
Starkville is much different from when the season started. You can sense a comfort level. Players are having fun and reacting well with one another. After being a state championship favorite a year ago, this team has been able to fly under the radar.
The only thing missing from the first half of the season was a win that would shake up the state and tell everybody Starkville isn’t going to go quietly into the night. That win happened Thursday in the Hump.
This team will build on that victory. It will remember it when things are challenging in February and the season is on the line.
A transitional year could become a championship year.
Scott Walters is a sports writer for The Dispatch. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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