Richards made Flashes go

[4/25/04]St. Aloysius’ Kyle Richards knew his team was counting on him for his senior basketball season.

Richards was one of five senior starters on the squad and the only true threat under the goal.

During the summer, he worked hard to prepare for his final year. He hit the weight room, bulked up on muscle and lost weight. He also practiced his post moves and footwork to become a more complete player.

“I think him realizing it was his senior year, he really put in an effort,” St. Al coach Paul Hayden said. “He was in tremendous shape, lost a lot of weight in the offseason. He came in this year knowing that he was going to be the only true post player I had, and knowing that he had to put in a lot of minutes and playing without getting into foul trouble.

“His work ethic was unbelievable this year. He really stepped it up for his senior season, the numbers show it.”

Richards emerged as one of Class 1A’s top players in the state, and his dominance garnishes him with The Vicksburg Post’s Boys Player of the Year honor.

“It’s great. I’m the first one from St. Al in a while, so that’s pretty cool,” Richards said. “I had a good season, ended up a little disappointed, but the season went well.”

In four seasons, Richards progressed immensely.

He began his career at St. Aloysius as a scrawny freshman, moved into a starter’s role his sophomore year, and became a scoring threat in his junior season.

This year, he took it to an even higher level as the Flashes’ go-to option on offense, averaging 19.3 points per game. He also added a strong presence under the goal with averages of 10 rebounds and three blocks per game.

“He definitely was our go-to guy,” Hayden said. “There were a number of games that we needed some points to get us going, and he was the one that would step up and got us going.”

Hayden said Richards was also a coach’s dream. Whatever Hayden needed to help the team whether it was more rebounding, scoring or defense Richards delivered.

“I’ve enjoyed being his coach. I ask him to do something, he’ll do it,” Hayden said.

And Richards attributes much of his success to his teammates, whose outside shooting and passing helped set up many of his inside shots.

Once they all got on track, the Flashes finished out the season at 10-16, despite a 1-6 start.

Behind Richards, St. Aloysius finished 8-4 in Region 7-1A. The Flashes netted the fourth seed in the region tournament, where they lost a close match to host Natchez Cathedral.

“It just all started to fall at the end of the season and kept up from there,” Richards said. “It just seemed like everything went my way this year.”

Johnson led Vikings to division champs in first year

Jesse Johnson began his first season as Warren Central’s head basketball coach trying to get a feel for his players, instill a new system and a winning attitude.

He ended it by winning the Vicksburg Post’s Coach of the Year for leading the Vikings to the Division 6-5A championship and a trip to the playoffs.

“We had to come together as a team and work a little bit harder,” Johnson said. “We had to reach down and outdo the expectations of an average team.”

The Vikings’ 13-15 record will certainly not blow anyone away, but seven of those losses were by fewer than five points.

“It gets frustrating when you lose so many games by so few points,” Johnson said. “We used those losses as a motivational factor to propel us.”

Johnson was an assistant for one season under Preston Wilson, but when Wilson left for a coaching job in Louisiana, Johnson got his shot.

He used his military background to instill discipline in his players. He also instilled a stifling in-your-face defense that came together late.

The Vikings began the season 2-6 and there were rumblings about the program that just one year earlier had played for the division championship.

Warren Central came together to earn the third seed in the division tournament and a showdown with Vicksburg High in the division’s first round.

The Gators had already beaten WC twice, but with a chance to advance out of the division on the line, the Vikings beat the Gators by 11.

They then pummeled Natchez in the division championship game.

In the state playoffs, though, 10th-ranked Moss Point held off a Vikings’ charge, ending the season in the satellite game.

Johnson wants to use that success to build on for next season. Several of the Vikings’ top players will be returning making WC a bonafide force in the division, and the South State.

“As long as we stay together, work hard and play together as a team, we can play with anyone in the state,” Johnson said. “We have to hustle hard and play hard.”

2004 Vicksburg Post All-County Basketball Teams

Boys

Marcus Harvey, 6-1, F, Sr., Warren Central

Chico Hunter, 6-0, G, So., Warren Central

Chip Lofton, 5-9, G, Sr., Porters Chapel

Cedric Parson, 6-4, F, Sr., Vicksburg

Brian Phelps, 6-2, F, Sr., Warren Central

Anthony Rector, 6-1, G, Sr., St. Aloysius

Sedrick Williams, 6-0, G, Jr., Vicksburg

Girls

Annie Beaugh, 5-8, G, So., Porters Chapel

Kristin Ellis, 5-11, F, So., Vicksburg

Tiffany Hubbard, 5-9, F, Sr., Vicksburg

Sarah Kerut, 5-8, G, Fr., St. Aloysius

Carla Latham, 5-9, F, Jr., Warren Central

Laura Beth Lyons, 5-2, G, Sr., St. Aloysius

Ebone Williams, 5-10, C, Sr., Warren Central