As you see in today’s paper, the Coahoma County High School boys basketball team won its third Class 2A state championship in four years.
The Lady Red Panthers’ success cannot be forgotten either as they missed the title by one game. They continue to make the state tournament and fall just short.
One win or one loss on a given day does not define a team. The overall body of work shows what a team is made of and both the Red Panthers and Lady Red Panthers continue to be successful.
I moved to Coahoma County for the first time in January 2011 and have followed the CCHS basketball program for nearly a decade. I have seen success year after year.
I believe the key is teamwork.
When the team wins, everyone on the roster makes a strong contribution. When the team loses, something goes wrong somewhere.
Just look at the Red Panthers and their 1-7 start to the 2019-20 season. They were not at full strength thanks to some injuries.
However, when the team was healthy, there was as much depth as I have ever seen. Senior guard Bentavious Galmore was the leader, but when defenses zoned in on him, others stepped up.
Senior wing Tarkevius Logan stepped up most of the time, but in the championship game, it was sophomore guard and forward Christopher Abby.
The Lady Red Panthers had a much easier time getting to the championship game.
Once they played in that championship game, foul trouble caught up with them.
Senior forward Nakia Cheatham fouled out during the fourth quarter, while sophomore guard Nyriah Artis fouled out in overtime. The Lady Red Panthers lost to Calhoun City 67-57 in overtime when they were not at full strength.
Looking at both the successes and failures, it is evident, in the big picture, both programs are strong because the majority of time, they are able to work together and play unselfish basketball.
It does not guarantee you a win every time, as the Coahoma County girls saw, but most likely, you will be a winner in the big picture.
Both of these teams are winners. The coaches and players worked extremely hard all season and showed an amazing amount of dedication and work ethic.
They deserve our praise, congratulations and support. It was a job well done and I know we will continue to see the Coahoma County programs succeed more than we ever imagined.
I look forward to seeing that success in 2020-21 and, hopefully, covering more state championship games.
