Mitchell McCurry was a part of some great teams at East Webster as a player and an assistant, but the young coach had yet to enjoy a district title with his team as a head coach.
That all changed last week when the Louisville head man took his team into the district championship game with Choctaw Central and emerged victorious. It was the first district title for the Lady Wildcats since 2019 and was a sweet accomplishment for McCurry as he continues an impressive tenure with LHS.
“It was a surreal feeling because this was my first one in my coaching career,” McCurry said of the district title win. “The change that I’ve seen this year is because of the leadership in the seniors. Last year we didn’t have that leadership and everyone was new to the system and trying to get used to me as a new coach. This year they’ve all grown up and are playing their best basketball.”
The most impressive thing about the win is who the Lady Cats beat to get it. Beating Choctaw Central is tough to do one time in girls basketball. Doing it twice is all the more impressive. But doing it three times is almost impossible – unless your LHS.
After knocking off the Lady Warriors the first two games by double digits, this championship game was a nailbiter. LHS would find a way to the win as it won 51-48 to grab the No. 1 seed in Class 4A, Region 4.
“It’s hard to beat Choctaw Central one time,” McCurry said. “We stressed that discipline we had to have and we knew it was going to be hard to beat them for a third time. We fought all night long and found a way. I couldn’t be more proud.”
McCurry’s girls have been focused from the start of the year to this point and haven’t had many setbacks. The team is one of those to beat in 4A this year as they’ve racked up an impressive record at 25-3. The Lady Cats have also won 10-straight games and 21 of the last 22 this year.
The first goal is complete with a district championship trophy in hand. This team has higher goals for itself now.
The playoffs began on Monday night with LHS hosting Ripley in the first round. A win will have them back at home on Friday at 6 p.m. to play either Mooreville or Yazoo City. McCurry wants his team to know that every game could be their last now. The ultimate prize of a state title is still for the taking.
“We talked about not letting (district tournament) be the highlight of the season,” McCurry said. “We set our sights on winning the state championship this season. That season is over with and now it’s a new season.”
Boys
The Wildcats followed their Lady Cats up on Friday night by playing for a Region 4 championship.
After knocking off Koscisuko 59-49 and avenging two losses in the regular season against West Lauderdale with a 49-39 win, the championship against Choctaw Central was set. The Wildcats beat the Warriors in the first meeting before losing two weeks ago in the regular season finale.
In the title game, Choctaw Central would leave no doubt, however, taking a 75-49 victory.
The Wildcats (14-12) still get a home playoff game and played host to New Albany on Tuesday. A win would advance them to round two on Saturday to play either Corinth or Gentry.
