JACKSON — Columbus High School senior Christopher Deloach emerged as a leader on the school’s football team this fall. The leadership quickly transferred to the basketball court.
But Deloach admits he isn’t the only leader on a Columbus boys basketball team that will look to make history Saturday night.
“All of the seniors on this team are leaders,” Deloach said. “That is the neatest thing about this team. I have never played on any kind of sports team that had this many leaders. If one player can’t do something, that’s OK, we got another leader ready to step up, come through and get it done.”
While leadership can carry a team a long way, there is no doubt talent adds to that success, too. In the case of Columbus, the Falcons have benefited from the state championship coaching pedigree of first-year head coach Luther Riley.
Add it all up and it is easy to see why Columbus (25-5) will face reigning state champion Starkville (27-5) for the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A State championship at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Mississippi Coliseum. The game will be shown in the Golden Triangle area on My Mississippi or the CW.
Columbus will make its first appearance in the championship game, while Starkville will try to repeat and win its third title in the past seven seasons.
“To be in the state championship game is like a dream come true,” Columbus senior Javontae McDavid said. “We worked real hard to get to this point, but a lot of teams work this hard every year. We know we are blessed to have this opportunity. It has been a special season. There is no doubt about that. We want to bring home the gold ball. That would be something really special for our school and our community.”
Riley replaced longtime Columbus coach Sammy Smith during the summer. Smith is now the school’s athletic director after close to two decades of leading the Falcons. In his last high school stop, Riley guided Provine High to five state championships.
“We already had a good situation. Then it became a great situation,” Deloach said. “Since coach Riley has won championships, you believe he can point you in the right direction. The buy-in was right away. Everybody was ready to go from the first practice. It was going to be something new, something exciting, something different.
“We weren’t sure how good we were going to be, but we knew we had a chance.”
While the victories mounted, there always was a sense the old Columbus might return. Still, the players were cautiously optimistic.
“It all changed when we won the district,” Columbus senior T.J. Gray said. “We knew then we could win a (state championship). Tupelo is really good. We beat them to win the (Class 6A, Region 2) regular-season championship and then again to win the region tournament.
“After we did that, we thought (state) was ours to win. You have a big-time game and play in front of a packed house and find a way. When you know everything is on the table and you find a way, that is special. Not every team can do that.”
After a dramatic 51-47 victory against Tupelo in the region tournament final, Columbus took things to another level. While most schools have to adjust when they arrive in Jackson, Columbus hasn’t missed a step, winning three playoff games by an average of 33 points.
“It is the focus to detail,” Gray said. “Coach has been on us to start fast. We have tried to do that in the playoffs. For a team new to all of this, we have a high level of confidence. We get that from the coach. It carries over to practice and over to the court.”
Playing Starkville makes the state championship matchup that much more intriguing. Rarely do schools 25 miles apart play for a state championship.
In the regular season, Starkville won 80-61 at home in December, while Columbus won 70-47 at home in January. Arguably, it is the biggest sporting event the rivals have played against one another in any sport.
“There is no doubt that playing Starkville makes it that much sweeter,” Deloach said. “We are all friends. We know all their guys and they know all of our guys. When we play summer games against one another, it is intense. When we play regular-season games, it is intense.
“I can’t even imagine how intense Saturday will be. It will be a feeling I have never had before playing sports.”
McDavid also is pleased about the matchup.
“Starkville has a great team,” McDavid said. “They won a championship last year, so we are trying to get there. The good thing is we do have one win against them, so we have some confidence. It’s nothing out of the ordinary that we have to do. We just have to limit the turnovers, shoot the ball well, and stay totally focused on doing the things we do best. We can’t let the game get too big, but, like my teammates have said, winning the district changed everything. After that, we were ready for a playoff run.”
The game will feature Dandy Dozen performers Tyson Carter, a senior at Starkville High, and Columbus sophomore Robert Woodard II.
Columbus has a size advantage, while Starkville has been known as one of the premier defenses in Class 6A.
The unsung heroes could decide the game. That should add to the fun because both squads have plenty of candidates.
For Columbus, the game will be the culmination of a journey Riley knew in October would end in Jackson.
“It may have taken a little while to win us all over,” Deloach said. “We may have said we believed, but still it was hard to imagine. But he was right. Here we are. (We are) one win away and excited for this opportunity.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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