COLUMBUS – The Heritage Academy boys basketball team won the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Class 5A state championship on Saturday, defeating Oak Forest Academy 77-72 in the championship game at Pillow Academy.
The Patriots finished the season with a 24-5 record, winning District 1 with a 9-1 record in their division to clinch the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. On their way to the championship game, the team registered postseason wins over Leake, Simpson, Brookhaven and Rossville Christian. This is the program’s fourth title and its first in Class 5A.
Head coach Andrew Howell arrived at Heritage in 2023 and took the team to the quarterfinals of the overall tournament in his first season, losing to eventual champions Jackson Academy, 76-54, as well as losing to eventual 5A champions, Parklane Academy. The group was keen to get back and managed to take down the best in their division on a 10-game winning streak from the end of the regular season to Saturday to win the title.
“Since the end of January when we started this run, we had to win,” Howell said. We’ve been in that mode for a while and it takes a lot to get to the state championship, but we went through everybody to win it. It’s a tested group that is never satisfied, a tough group with a lot of experience, and they’re a complete joy to coach and be around.”
The run of good play has been spearheaded by a group of upperclassmen who were hungry to make this year count after coming up short a year ago.
“They’ve grown up so much and it all comes down to having guys who trust and love each other, who want to play for each other,” Howell said. “We’ve had that but these last few weeks it has really clicked. They want to work, they want to win. There is no other agenda, they want to win basketball games, and when you have a group that is coachable and trusts each other, the sky is the limit. We have a tight group and it’s carried us through tough times.”
There is a quick turnaround for the Patriots, who will face Jackson Prep today in the MAIS Overall basketball tournament. They practiced on Monday to reset ahead of the trip to Mississippi College and now have to stay hungry to compete against the best of the best.
“There’s a lot of mixed emotions,” Howell said. “The guys are excited to play Prep, but still feeling good after the state championship. It takes so much out of you to get there and then win it. They’re looking forward to the game.”
Howell’s group will face a Jackson Prep team fresh off of a state semi-final defeat to Hartfield Academy. At 23-6, they’re one of the toughest teams in the state, but that’s nothing the Patriots aren’t used to.
“The way we’re playing right now it’s good to go ahead and play, and keep that momentum going,” he said. “A team like Prep that does so much, who are so well coached, there’s not enough time to go over everything. You have to prepare how you can and get ready mentally to go again.”
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