Can Coast’s best boys basketball team win a postseason ‘dog fight’ against top teams in MS?
There’s no question who the best high school basketball team in the state of Mississippi is. At least, that’s if you ask star high school athletes Duran Parish and Rayjaun Daniel.
“Biloxi High School,” Parish said.
“For sure, us,” Daniel added.
The backcourt duo have led the Indians to a 23-2 record and the top seed in the upcoming district tournament. Biloxi has sat atop the Sun Herald power rankings throughout the year and has held the No. 1 spot on statewide rankings, as well.
Parish and Daniel alongside Southwest Mississippi commit Blake Hart make up a group of guards that head coach Seber Windham calls his team’s strength. The trio account for nearly 40 points per game together.
The three pair well with a frontcourt, featuring football star RJ Moss, that’s only gotten better as the season has progressed.
Altogether, Biloxi has a deep group that has dismantled nearly everything in its path. In a recent contest at Hoopsfest, the Indians earned an 18-point win over D’Iberville while using its bench for the majority of the second half.
Every team faces challenges and for the Indians, that has been winning. Windham keeps his team focused week-in and week-out by reminding them of what is expected from the program.
“At Biloxi we have pretty high expectations every year,” Windham said. “We’ve got five state championships. That’s what we shoot for. We want to play in Jackson. We won a Thanksgiving tournament, our tournament, won (at Hoopsfest). That’s all fine and dandy but we want to get to Jackson and play for something that really means something.”
His team has become adept at staying focused on the task at hand without letting any outside noise find its way in.
“Just block out the whole crowd,” Parish said. “Just focus on the game. We expect to win every game we play. Get in, get out. Stay locked in, stay focused.”
“We put out everything we see on social media and all that,” Daniel added.
Seniors Daniel and Hart have played together since middle school and junior Parish joined the mix when he arrived in ninth grade.
The chemistry built from years of playing together both in and outside of school are paying dividends at the end of their high school careers. Now Biloxi stands at the door of the postseason with a target on its back.
To Windham, there’s no added pressure thanks to the other high schools that make it a strong region, including Harrison Central, Gulfport and Hancock High.
“We feel like we have the toughest region in the state,” Windham said. “Every night is going to be a dog fight. We just know that if we don’t play well, we go home.”
Region 8-6A is the only region in the entire state where every team has a winning record. Three of the four teams in the area will make it out of the district tournament and into the state playoffs, meaning one of the Coast’s better teams will be staying home.
But if you let Parish and Daniel tell you who that team will be, it’ll be anybody but Biloxi.
