By By Rocky Higginbotham/special to The Star
Feb. 24, 2002
TAYLORSVILLE Come Tuesday, Kemper County's boys will make their fifth trip to "The Big House" in the past 10 years, and the Wildcats own a Class 3A state championship during that span.
But never have Kemper County's boys won a South State title, and the 2001-02 season is no different.
A flat Kemper squad could not overcome nine first-half 3-pointers by homestanding Taylorsville, and the Tartars rolled to an easy 76-49 win over the Wildcats in the Class 2A South State championship game Saturday afternoon.
Both squads, as well as Madison St. Joseph, will advance to the Class 2A State Tournament that begins Tuesday at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson. St. Joe advanced with a surprisingly easy 78-57 win over Bay Springs in Saturday's South State consolation game.
Kemper will play an opening-round game Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. in the Coliseum, taking on Coldwater, an 85-81 overtime winner over Shaw.
If the Wildcats are to claim another state title for veteran head man Charles Jackson, however, they'll have to play with much more intensity than Saturday at Taylorsville.
The Tartars got five 3s in the opening quarter, including two apiece from Kendrick Smith and Reco Crosby as they took a 19-12 lead.
Taylorsville poured it on in the second, getting a trio of 3-pointers from 6-foot-6 senior guard Timmy Broomfield. The Tartars led by as many as 16, and were up 41-28 at halftime.
Kemper got a 3-pointer from Marques Mays to keep it a 14-point game midway through the third, but Taylorsville scored the next eight points and it was never close again.
Mays led Kemper with 11 points, while Terrance Westerfield scored eight as the Wildcats lost an 11-game winning streak and fell to 28-7. James Moore had seven points and seven assists, Gary Griffin had seven points and four steals and RonTerrian Dale had five blocked shots.
Broomfield finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks for Taylorsville, which gets a bye into the 2A semifinals next Saturday. Marcus Keys had 18 points and seven rebounds, Smith scored 14 points and Crosby finished with 10.
St. Joseph 78
Bay Springs 57
The stellar prep career of Jason Forte' came to an end, as he and his Bulldog teammates were blitzed by a St. Joseph squad that appeared overmatched.
St. Joe managed a two-point edge in the first quarter before pulling out to a 38-27 lead at halftime. The Bruins led by as many as 30 in the third quarter before settling for a 60-36 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Chris Shaidnogle scored 16 of his team-best 24 points in the second half for St. Joseph, while Clint Luckett scored 18, John Robinson 16 and Adam Wells 12.
Forte' led Bay Springs with a game-high 33 points, while Reggie Shellwood scored eight.