On my way back from covering the semifinal games in Jackson, I was thinking about how the amount of talented basketball from this high school season was absurd.
Looking back, as Pine Belt basketball winds down, the amount of player talent as well as coaching skills were mind-boggling. Yes, some teams fell short in the playoffs, but in no way is it a blemish to this season.
Maybe it was something in the water or maybe it just took me having to leave Hattiesburg for a while for the Pine Belt to be a basketball powerhouse. Either way, the number of talented players and coaches was incredible.
Let’s take a gander at the players.
Oak Grove’s Jay Barnes entered this season as one of the more underrated guards in the area and maybe the state. His season was stellar, and his shooting was lights out. He averaged 16.2 points per game and dropped 42 against rival Petal.
Speaking of Petal, Treylan Smith and Caleb McGill also had dominant years and carried Petal to its unforeseen deep playoff run. Smith and McGill averaged 18 and 17 pointers per game, respectively.
Another tough one-two punch was Rico Dorsey and T.J. Hogan as they helped bring PCS to the MAIS overall tournament.
Hattiesburg’s Cameron Brown has been a force for the Tigers the last several years, and in this past season he had three 30-plus point games and averaged 18 a game this season. Of course, let’s not forget Maylia Grayson, who averaged 14 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Forrest County Agricultural’s Ashton Campbell had another stellar season for the books. Campbell scored 23.2 points per game, averaged 10 rebounds a game and notably had a 50-point game against Purvis.
Joe Holloway for North Forrest has been the driving force for the Eagles, which was most notably highlighted in his quarterfinal heroics by dropping 40 points and coming up with a game-winning bucket.
Also let’s not forget Gracie Falla’s big year with Sacred Heart. She was crucial in the Lady Crusaders’ season as she averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals a game.
Speaking of which, as just as spectacular a year that the players had, the coaching was just as fruitful.
Probably one of the more talked about coaching jobs, was Matt O’Keefe’s year. O’Keefe orchestrated a mid-season turnaround and helped guide Sacred Heart to their first-ever Final Four appearance and district championship.
There is also Michael Thornton whose program finally made the jump from competitive to a contender. The Purvis girls were known to be a losing program and Thornton helped bring them to a quarterfinal appearance and a 24-win season.
On the boys side, you look at Laron Brumfield’s season with Oak Grove and Hattiesburg’s Ernie Watson’s year as both of those were just as impressive. Plus, Petal’s Todd Kimble’s deep playoff run was eye-opening.
FCAHS’ Grayson Timidaiski for the second year in a row finished with a 21-win season that won a highly competitive 4A Region 7.
Eric Cooper at Purvis also put together the best season in school history in what is believed, since the 1961 season in which was the last time the Tornados won 21 games.
Quenton Loving of North Forrest guided his team to a Final Four appearance for his second year in a row in what was thought to be a rebuild year.
Jonathan Edwards at Lumberton put together two competitive and successful Panther teams with the boys finishing as district champs and the girls as runners-up.
PCS’ first-year coach Joshua Scherer took PCS to just two wins away from playing in the overall tournament championship and a 20-plus win season as well.
I’m not sure if this level of talent can be much better anywhere else. I genuinely believe that any other newspaper’s coverage area would choose each of those performances to be coach of the year and player of the year. But I guess having staggering performances from the Pine Belt is nothing new.
On my way back from covering the semifinal games in Jackson, I was thinking about how the amount of talented basketball from this high school season was absurd.
Looking back, as Pine Belt basketball winds down, the amount of player talent as well as coaching skills were mind-boggling. Yes, some teams fell short in the playoffs, but in no way is it a blemish to this season.
Maybe it was something in the water or maybe it just took me having to leave Hattiesburg for a while for the Pine Belt to be a basketball powerhouse. Either way, the number of talented players and coaches was incredible.
Let’s take a gander at the players.
Oak Grove’s Jay Barnes entered this season as one of the more underrated guards in the area and maybe the state. His season was stellar, and his shooting was lights out. He averaged 16.2 points per game and dropped 42 against rival Petal.
Speaking of Petal, Treylan Smith and Caleb McGill also had dominant years and carried Petal to its unforeseen deep playoff run. Smith and McGill averaged 18 and 17 pointers per game, respectively.
Another tough one-two punch was Rico Dorsey and T.J. Hogan as they helped bring PCS to the MAIS overall tournament.
Hattiesburg’s Cameron Brown has been a force for the Tigers the last several years, and in this past season he had three 30-plus point games and averaged 18 a game this season. Of course, let’s not forget Maylia Grayson, who averaged 14 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Forrest County Agricultural’s Ashton Campbell had another stellar season for the books. Campbell scored 23.2 points per game, averaged 10 rebounds a game and notably had a 50-point game against Purvis.
Joe Holloway for North Forrest has been the driving force for the Eagles, which was most notably highlighted in his quarterfinal heroics by dropping 40 points and coming up with a game-winning bucket.
Also let’s not forget Gracie Falla’s big year with Sacred Heart. She was crucial in the Lady Crusaders’ season as she averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals a game.
Speaking of which, as just as spectacular a year that the players had, the coaching was just as fruitful.
Probably one of the more talked about coaching jobs, was Matt O’Keefe’s year. O’Keefe orchestrated a mid-season turnaround and helped guide Sacred Heart to their first-ever Final Four appearance and district championship.
There is also Michael Thornton whose program finally made the jump from competitive to a contender. The Purvis girls were known to be a losing program and Thornton helped bring them to a quarterfinal appearance and a 24-win season.
On the boys side, you look at Laron Brumfield’s season with Oak Grove and Hattiesburg’s Ernie Watson’s year as both of those were just as impressive. Plus, Petal’s Todd Kimble’s deep playoff run was eye-opening.
FCAHS’ Grayson Timidaiski for the second year in a row finished with a 21-win season that won a highly competitive 4A Region 7.
Eric Cooper at Purvis also put together the best season in school history in what is believed, since the 1961 season in which was the last time the Tornados won 21 games.
Quenton Loving of North Forrest guided his team to a Final Four appearance for his second year in a row in what was thought to be a rebuild year.
Jonathan Edwards at Lumberton put together two competitive and successful Panther teams with the boys finishing as district champs and the girls as runners-up.
PCS’ first-year coach Joshua Scherer took PCS to just two wins away from playing in the overall tournament championship and a 20-plus win season as well.
I’m not sure if this level of talent can be much better anywhere else. I genuinely believe that any other newspaper’s coverage area would choose each of those performances to be coach of the year and player of the year. But I guess having staggering performances from the Pine Belt is nothing new.
