Starkville High School boys basketball coach Greg Carter knows the difficulty of beating a quality opponent on a consistent basis.
During a standout career at Mississippi State, Carter and the Bulldogs played many postseason games where one team tried to continue its dominance over another.
As the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A state tournament unfolded last spring, it was apparent Starkville most likely would have to defeat region rival Madison Central to capture the state championship.
Starkville’s path to a state championship began with a 59-52 loss in January at Madison Central. Starkville (27-5) won its final 14 games, including a 43-40 overtime victory against Madison Central in the state championship game at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.
Starkville’s state championship in boys basketball is being chosen today as The Dispatch’s Top Prep Sports Story for 2015.
“The loss really changed our seasons,” Starkville then-junior Tyson Carter said. “We weren’t playing to the best of our ability. It was a wake-up call. We knew we had too much talent to not do more. If we wanted to reach our goals, we had to play better.”
Starkville won the second regular-season meeting, 71-58 at home, but Madison Central won the Region 3 title. In the region tournament at Starkville, Starkville rolled over Madison Central 78-53 before a standing-room only crowd.
Starkville finished 13-0 at home last season.
“It is very difficult to beat a quality team every time you play,” Greg Carter said. “You never want to lose a game, but the loss really helped us get better as a team. When we met in the state championship, we were looking for one more win, not looking to sweep the season series.”
By winning the region tournament, Starkville received a first-round bye. The postseason began with 69-55 home victory against Murrah.
At Jackson State, Starkville beat Hattiesburg 62-47 and Meridian 53-47 before reaching the state finals.
In the championship game, Starkville trailed throughout, falling down by as many as double digits. In the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets put things together with Carter running the show from the outside and Raphael Leonard taking care of business in the paint.
For Leonard, the state championship ring in his senior season was special, since he was part of a football team that won 13-straight games before falling to South Panola in the North State Class 6A championship game.
“Winning the state championship meant a lot,” Leonard said. “We thought we were going to be able to win one in football, but it did not work out. The basketball team was special. We believed in each other and we kept each other up at all time. We had some great games where we came from behind to win. That gave us confidence to keep going.”
For Greg Carter, it was his second state championship, joining the Class 5A crown won in 2010. Starkville also played for the state championship in 2003.
Starkville has its sights set on another title this season. At Christmas break, Starkville (11-1) has lost only to Meridian. The Yellow Jackets have been ranked in the top five all season, including a stint at No. 1.
Prior to the season, Tyson Carter signed to follow in his father’s footsteps at MSU.
“Being able to (sign with Mississippi) State is a dream come true,” Tyson Carter said. “With that behind us, I can totally focus on leading this team to another state championship. We are not satisfied with just winning last season. We want to give ourselves a chance to get another.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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