JACKSON — The Coahoma County Red Panthers have been the Class 2A MHSAA boys basketball state champions for four of the past five seasons.
The Red Panthers (10-2, 4-2) won the 2020-21 championship with a 46-40 victory against Newton at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson Friday. The Red Panthers are back-to-back state champions.
“I don’t have words,” said coach Derrick Moore, who is also a 1996 Coahoma County High School graduate. “I’m just blessed. I’ve been fortunate enough to be around a group of kids since I started coaching in 2004. I’ve had great athletes over and over – junior high, girls, high school boys, you name it. I’m just blessed.
“One thing I tell people, once you get them kids to believe in you, they’ll do anything for you. I don’t care if you tell them to run through a wall. Once they believe in you, they’ll do anything for you. They believed in what we were talking about. They knew the expectations of what we had in that program. They went out and did what we asked them to do.”
Junior center Tylin Martin, who transferred from Coahoma Early College High School, was the game’s MVP with 16 points and four rebounds.
“Coach, they told us go play hard,” said Martin after being named the game’s MVP.
Senior wing Amarian Phillips connected on two 3-pointers in the first quarter to help give the Red Panthers a 13-6 lead going into the second quarter.
Junior wing and guard Chris Abby connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to give Coahoma County a 24-22 halftime lead. Abby finished with nine points on three 3-pointers and Phillips finished with seven.
Martin said their performance from the outside helped him on in the paint.
“It spaced the floor out for me,” Martin said.
Keion Cosby was the championship game MVP for the Red Panthers in 2017, Jai’Sheldon Yates was the MVP in 2018 and Bentavious Galmore was the MVP in 2020. All four MVPs had a number on their jersey that starts with one.
“I guess we’re special,” Martin said.
“I worked hard for it.”
Martin said he knew the Red Panthers had momentum when he knocked down two free throws in the second.
“We’re champions,” Martin said.
Phillips won the C Spire Scholar Athlete award prior to the game.
“It’s good to be an athlete and do well in school,” said Phillips whose GPA is around 3.6.
He said he wants to be a lawyer.
“It’s tough,” Phillips said. “You’ve got to make time for both of them (academics and athletics).”
Phillips said his two 3-pointers in the first quarter set the tone. He saw much more playing time as a senior than in previous years.
“It was tough, but the guys were for me,” he said. “They showed me the way and showed me what to do. They gave me that mentality. It’s just the Coahoma County mentality.”
Phillips said the Newton defense covering Martin freed him up for the 3-pointers.
“We feed off of him and he feeds off of us,” Phillips said.
It was a year of adversity for Coahoma County right down to the final game, but the Red Panthers overcame every obstacle.
Derrick Moore and his brother assistant coach Daryl Moore received letters of termination in May 2020, but they were able to resolve differences that stemmed from a lack of communication with superintendent Dr. Ilean Richards.
“We talked to the superintendent,” Derrick Moore said. “She was generous enough.”
That was only the beginning of obstacles the Red Panthers overcame. They were only able to play 11 games on the court including the postseason due to COVID issues. One of their wins was by forfeit.
This came in a year where Martin, senior wing Jermell Daniels, junior guard Cameron Eagins, junior Montavious Winfield and sophomore wing Keshawn Maddox all transferred from Coahoma Early College High School and senior wing Anthony Williams transferred from West Tallahatchie High School.
While the Red Panthers were still learning to play together, the district tournament was cancelled due to COVID issues and the playoffs were delayed a week because of the snow. Coahoma County had yet another two weeks off as a result.
The Red Panthers won their district in the first three championships. They finished second to Northside in Region 3-2A this year and had to play two road playoff games. Coahoma County erased a 17-point halftime deficit to win at Pisgah, a seven-point halftime deficit to win at New Site and defeated Bay Springs in overtime in the state semifinals.
The Tigers outscored the Red Panthers 16-2 to open the second quarter and take a 22-15 lead.
The Red Panthers responded with nine unanswered points before the half to take a 24-22 halftime lead with Abby’s back-to-back 3s capping off the run.
The second half, particularly the third quarter, was a defensive battle as the Red Panthers outscored the Tigers 8-5.
“I think it was nerves on both teams,” Derrick Moore said. “We just have a lot of guys that haven’t been there and know how to close out games. This is our 11th game so we couldn’t expect much, but they held on. One thing about it we weren’t scoring, but they weren’t scoring either. That was a good thing. Our defense held them down.”
The Red Panthers also faced adversity in 2019-20 starting the season 1-7 after several injuries. They came back to win the state championship. Each situation was unique.
“Every year has its own special case and meaning,” Derrick Moore said. “Each group of players is special in their own way.”
He said there are a lot of good basketball players in the area.
“I live in the Mississippi Delta,” Derrick Moore said. “Kids don’t have a lot of options, but when they do that right there, they can’t take that from them. That’s something they hold for the rest of their life.”
Daniels finished the championship game with three points and 10 rebounds. He helped his team win on the boards Friday. He also scored 18 points and had a double-double as CCHS came back from 17 points behind to win at Pisgah in the playoffs.
“It was a different strategy every game,” Daniels said. “We have to fight it out.”
Daniels was glad he transferred to Coahoma County.
“I’m a champ,” he said.
“It’s a dream come true.”
Daniels’ family concurred.
Alicen Victory (Daniels grandmother from Atlanta)
“I just got here 30 minutes before the game,” said his grandmother from Atlanta, Ga., Alicen Victory. “I’m feeling good. It was worth it.”
Daniels’ mother, Monica, was glad he won a championship.
“We’re so excited,” Monica Daniels said. “All he wanted was that ring and he got it.”
Senior forward and center Martin Williams hit five 3-pointers against New Site and four against Bay Springs. In the championship game, he took one 3-pointer and made it, but he is most focused on the team.
“It feels good,” Martin Williams said. “Going into the playoffs, nobody chose us to be there, but since we won it, it feels much better.
“It feels good. I went out with four rings.”
Senior forward Lamont Lee’s main sport is football, but he stuck with the basketball program. He said he expects to sign a college football scholarship in the near future, but still wants to be a well-rounded three-sport athlete.
Lee played quarterback on the football team and is a pitcher and shortstop on the baseball team.
“It’s good,” said Lee of playing three sports. “You want them to look at you in everything you do like the Hoss Bennett Award.”
The Hoss Bennett Award is a local award named after legendary Clarksdale High School football coach Ronald “Hoss” Bennett. Three seniors on each local high school football team are nominated and judged on academics, athletics, community involvement and school spirit. Lee is a nominee.
He was thrilled to close out his high school career with a title.
“We’re the champs,” Lee said.
Anthony Williams finished the championship game with two points and eight rebounds, freshman guard Harlem Bell finished with two points and six rebounds and sophomore wing Demarjay Rucker finished with four points and five rebounds.
The Red Panthers rewarded one fan who has been loyal and traveled with them everywhere.
Yvette Lias received a state championship ribbon for being a good supporter.
“I’m a former classmate of Coach Moore,” said Lias, a 1997 CCHS graduate.
“He’s awesome. He is that guy.”
