Biloxi, George County take court in 6A quarterfinals as underdogs

A pair of Class 6A boys teams from the Coast roll into the Mississippi Coliseum on Saturday. One program is no stranger to Jackson while the other is making its first trip in 25 years.

Biloxi is seeking its sixth state championship while George County is playing in the capitol city for the first time since 1991 and looking for its first state title.

In a pair of quarterfinal contests, George County faces Columbus at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and the Biloxi-Starkville game follows at 7 p.m.

While Biloxi has made plenty of trips to Jackson, it hasn't been there since the 2012 season.

That makes this year's group of Indians just as new to "The Big House" as any other team and they have to face a Starkville squad that's the defending Class 6A champion.

"The first thing I tell the kids is stay humble and enjoy the moment," Biloxi coach Seber Windham said. "There are a lot of good teams and good coaches that don't get a chance to participate in the tournament. We want to emphasize that they have to play every possession like it's the last possession."

Stopping Carter

The challenge for Biloxi Saturday will be to slow down the best guard in the state, Starkville's 6-foot-4 senior Tyson Carter, who has signed with Mississippi State.

Carter, who averages about 25 points a game, chose MSU over Indiana, Ohio State, Memphis and Oklahoma State.

"We're going to have our hands full with him," Windham said.

Starkville will also have a size advantage in the frontcourt with 6-foot-9 senior Jesse Little, who averages a double-double.

While Biloxi (22-10) will take the court as the underdog Saturday, it has been playing its best basketball of the season lately. The Indians also showed that they could go on the road and win in Jackson by beating Forest Hill, 64-61, last week to clinch a spot in the 6A quarterfinals.

One reason for Biloxi's improved play is the rise of junior forward Fred Ramsey-Thompson, who has responded well to receiving more playing time on the wing as opposed to the post.

The 6-foot-4 Ramsey-Thompson, who holds a scholarship offer from New Orleans, has averaged 19 points over the last two games.

"He has really been shooting the ball well," Windham said.

Rebels on a run

George County coach Ron Renfroe has watched as the Lucedale community has become energized by his team's unexpected run to Jackson.

The Rebels (17-6) began to play their best basketball at the first of the year when some of the football players began to find their stride on the court.

After losing to teams like Gautier and Moss Point early in the season, George County began to play well in the new year with wins over St. Martin and Biloxi.

Junior guard LaRaymond Spivery has been a steady scoring threat for the Rebels with averages of 19.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.1 steals.

"LaRaymond does a great job offensively, where he's our leader. He's also our defensive leader as far as guard play goes," Renfroe said. "LaRaymond is one of the best guards in South Mississippi. He's a guy that doesn't get as much recognition as he needs. He's a hidden gem that needs to be looked at."

Renfroe credits a solid group of seniors for providing leadership this season.

Six-foot-4 senior Randy Leverette is the starter in the post for the Rebels and he is averaging 8.6 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. Six-foot-1 senior forward Rashad Wiggins has hit some big baskets recently for the Rebels and is averaging 10.6 points and 6.8 rebounds a game.

"I think our seniors, even guys who don't get many minutes, have stayed consistent all year as far as leading by being the first guys on the floor at practice," Renfroe said.

George County has also received significant contributions from two juniors who are standout receivers on the football team - Dwan Williams and Tyrese Fryfogle.

George County plays a Columbus squad that is 22-6 and features one of the best players in the state in junior wing man Robert Woodard, who stands 6-foot-5.

Woodard, who is considered one of the top prospects in the nation for the class of 2018, holds scholarship offers from Mississippi State, Alabama, Baylor and Tennessee.

"They're a big, physical team that's good defensively," Renfroe said. "It will be hard to get easy looks so we'll have to control the tempo and keep the clock running to shorten the game a little bit."

Columbus will be the heavy favorite Saturday, but that's just fine by the Rebels.

"We love being the underdog," Spivery said Friday. "Nobody thought we'd be in this position."

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 2:12 PM with the headline "Biloxi, George County take court in 6A quarterfinals as underdogs ."