Boldness of guard helps Jackets win
OXFORD – Starkville's Coltie Young shot the basketball with no hesitation.
It was midway through the fourth quarter in Saturday's Class 6A state championship game and Young was doing his best to give the Yellow Jackets a spark. Once up by as many as 19 points over Murrah, Starkville found itself down a point with only 5:15 to go. Young saw a chance to put the Jackets back on top. He displayed nerves of steel by putting up a 3-point attempt. Make it and his team would lead again. Miss it and the Mustangs would get an opportunity to start pulling away. Young knew the consequences and had no fear.
“When it's in my hands, I”m just going to let it go,” Young said. Young sank the shot. On the Jackets' next trip down the floor, he hit another. Just like that, Starkville was back in front by four. The Jackets never trailed again, ultimately defeated Murrah 58-51 and claimed Starkville second consecutive Class 6A crown. It was a title that might not have been possible if not for Young's boldness.
Young entered the fourth quarter with only four points all game. He more than doubled that total in a critical 31-second stretch in the final period that saved the Jackets as their title hopes nearly slipped away.
“He was kind of quiet and had a few fouls on him, but he stepped up at the right time,” Starkville High head coach Greg Carter said of Young, who finished with 10 points.
Young's pair of long-range jumpers helped the Jackets close the
tion by kissing the Humphrey Coliseum floor as he exited the court. Not long after, ironically enough on the home court of the team Tyson and the Bulldogs beat, Greg Carter's team ended its day kissing the golden state championship ball.
It was, at the very least, a solid consolation prize for Greg. He missed out on being physically present for Tyson's celebration, but he did win it all with his other, non-blood-related kids.
The funny thing is, Greg never really even brought up his situation with his team. Nonetheless, they went out and got the win for their coach anyway.
“We really didn't know (about Tyson's senior day), but we wanted (the state championship) real bad because of how much (coach Carter) wanted it,” Starkville player Forte Prater said. “He deserves it. He coaches us and puts us in this position. He taught a lot of us a lot. We've come a long way.”
As great as the championship is and as nice as the eventual state title rings will be, there'll probably always be a part of Greg Carter that wishes he could've been present back in Starkville to support Tyson. Maybe the thing that'll give Greg the biggest peace of mind though is that Tyson likely wouldn't have wanted his father to be anywhere else other than coaching Starkville to the title.
“He understands it,” Greg Carter said of Tyson. “He and I talked about it. That was the last thing he said was go win a gold ball.”
Daddy Carter did just what his son instructed. Tyson, meanwhile, had an incredibly successful day of his own. In the end it was a good day for both Carters and it was one that, though apart, they'll neither likely ever forget.