STEENS — Down as many as 11 points late in the fourth quarter of its MAIS Class 2A semifinal against Delta Academy, a chance to play for a state championship was all but lost for Columbus Christian Academy.
The Rams, having lost all three times against the Raiders earlier this season, including in the district tournament, were well in jeopardy of having that happen a fourth time.
Foul trouble didn’t make things much better, with star forward Faith Yeates having fouled out in the fourth. CCA head coach Billy Thomas had to empty his bench, but in doing so, the Rams came alive.
Great bench play propelled CCA to tie things up at the end of regulation, and the Rams eventually won in overtime, moving on to the MAIS Class 2A title game against West Memphis Christian (Arkansas).
Against all odds, the No. 3-seeded Rams (27-12) heading into state tournament play ran the gauntlet, winning a state title, which the team celebrated in front of a big crowd inside CCA’s main gym Tuesday morning.
“This year was difficult for me as I coached all four teams,” Thomas said. “I felt like at times, I wasn’t able to build relationships with individual players on both sides. I was always worried about that, but we practice the same amount every day.
“Us being a young team, going into the district tournament, I was wondering if age was going to be a factor this year. Would we be able to hold it together under the bright lights? I’m extremely proud of these girls for not getting caught up.”
It was a great atmosphere and great production that the school put on for the players as they walked up and down the stands, high-fiving students, family and friends alike before showing off their state title trophy and banner to the onlooking crowd.
They were introduced with smoke machines as the lights were turned off, leaving just the red outlines of the baskets visible.
A well-deserved honor was in store for a team that many didn’t think would get as far as it did, especially as a lower seed, but as we’ve seen in the Golden Triangle this academic year, underdogs often come out on top.
“In that championship, both teams wanted to win, but we just wanted it more,” Yeates said. “We just played as a team, and that’s how we prevailed.
“It feels really good. It’s been a while since CCA won a state championship.”
That state championship game against WMCS was close throughout, but some help off the bench and some clutch shots late gave the Rams a much-needed cushion as they tied the bow on an incredible title run.
Where Yeates was able to dominate down low, taking control in the post, teammates like Carrie Kinard and Ada Farlow were able to produce from the wing and beyond the arc, knocking down clutch 3s and hitting shots with consistency.
Consistency was the secret sauce to success and having great production from not just the starters but everyone on the team created a level of depth that was unmatched in Class 2A.
“I feel like we knew we had to win to prove something,” Farlow said. “Coming from third in the district to winning it all was definitely a challenge, but I’m glad we made it.”
Tuesday morning’s ceremony concluded as players from the team cut down the nets, each getting a small piece to represent a historic season for the Rams, one that saw them have to beat two No. 1 seeds and a No. 2 seed to hoist some hardware.
Their journey isn’t quite finished as CCA moves on to play in the MAIS overall tournament. The Rams face No. 3-seeded Class 4A team Clinton Christian Academy at 10 a.m. Thursday at Mississippi College.
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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 28 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
