The Coahoma County Red Panthers won the Class 2A Mississippi High School Activities Association basketball state championship for the third time in four seasons in March.
The 2019-20 team was able to receive its championship rings quicker than the other two teams. CCHS was presented its rings in the high school gym last week.
Coach Derrick Moore said alumni, former coaches, attorney and other members of the community raised the money for the rings.
“We didn’t have to lift one finger,” Moore said. “That was big. It just shows how much these people care about the community and the children.”
Looking back on the season several months later, the 2019-20 Red Panthers were special for a variety of reasons.
“Our motto all year long was redemption,” Moore said.” The previous year (2018-19) we lost in the semifinals.”
CCHS started off 1-6 in 2019-20.
“All that adversity we faced at the beginning of the year, we never had our starters on the floor until January,” Moore said.
While fans were upset, Moore said he and his athletes would turn things around.
“A lot of people counted us out,” Moore said. “A lot of our own fans counted us out.
“It made it special to prove those doubters wrong through that process.”
If CCHS gets off to another slow start in the future, Moore expects those fans to have a similar reaction.
“Those same people, they were never true fans anyway,” Moore said. “A lot people you think were in your corner, they don’t want to see you win anyway. They’d rather see you lose. One thing we always say in this locker room is we’re family. We’re going to win together and lose together and live with the results.”
However, Moore said true fans believed in the Red Panthers and listened when he told them they had a better team than it appeared early in the season.
“I’m just excited for those kids,” Moore said. “It’s always good to see them rewarded for the work they put into it.
“It was sweet to see them jell behind them and get them those rings real fast. That was probably the fastest it had ever been done for us.”
One loyal fan who stuck with the team through the ups and downs spoke about how he received a ring for all he did.
Thomas Williams, a Coahoma Early College High School graduate and assistant coach last season, spearheaded an effort for an awards ceremony in June for all CCHS athletic teams. It appeared the banquet was not going to happen due to the COVID pandemic until Williams stepped up.
“I enjoyed helping them out on the awards,” Williams said. “I’m always for the kids, no matter what school they are from. It was a privilege to see the smiles on their faces. They worked hard for it and they deserved it. Hopefully, they can do it again. I want to thank everybody that donated and congratulations once again to CCHS and Coach Moore.”
