So, I finally broke out of my slump, got off my backside, and made it to a Pascagoula High basketball game a couple of Friday nights ago. The Panthers trounced arch-rival Moss Point 78-41, and it really wasn’t even that close. To say that I was impressed with PHS, which is now 27-1 and the number one 6-A team in the state, would be an understatement.
The question arises, why haven’t I been to any Panther hardwood games in the past couple of years? I like basketball, and I enjoy supporting our local student-athletes. I don’t have a great answer other than this sketchy one: for whatever reason, I just got out of the habit. Same with PHS baseball. Hey, you get older, and it gets easier to chill at the house, I suppose. I’m going to try to do better.
But I digress. Man, is this 2023-2024 edition of Panther basketball fun to watch. Three of my buddies and I got to see that first-hand on that Friday as part of the overflow crowd at Pascagoula Gymnasium (we need to get a cool name for that fine facility). Oh, and a shout-out to my friend Jackie Davis. My group got there about 45 minutes before tip-off, and there seemingly was not a seat to be had. Jackie saw me, waved me over, and somehow rearranged things in his area to where we were able to squeeze in on the front row. Dang, courtside seats thanks to Jackie.
(We saw the end of the girls’ game, also won by the Panthers. Our young ladies are region runners-up and looked good themselves.)
The Panther boys, under Coach Lorenzo Wright, are very impressive. With no starter over 6-4, the team is a collection of superb, mid-size athletes who know how to play the game. Dorian McMillian, a terrific 6-3 shooting guard and state Dandy Dozen honoree, is the leading scorer, but all the guys contribute. The team is very quick, plays excellent defense, and is fundamentally sound. They are also very deep – Coach Wright would substitute an entire new five at times, and there really wasn’t too much of a drop-off.
To be sure, these 2023-24 Panthers have to be considered as one of the best teams to ever take the hardwood for Pascagoula. Other exceptional squads from over the years that come to mind would be the following:
- 1962-63 (Won 21 games, made it to the South Big Eight championship game, which was then the equivalent of the state tournament.)
- 1976-77 (Led by the stellar Barry Bargainer, won, I think, 28 games, and made it to the state championship game.)
- 1987-88 (Featured a starting five who all went on to excel in college [Dale Brown was a star at Kentucky]. Won the South State Championship and made it to the state semi-finals.)
Speaking of teams/players from back in the day, I had a good visit at the game the other night with Joe Watson, one of Pascagoula’s all-time great basketball players. Joe, who graduated in 1971, was one of the first ever Black players for PHS. He had one of the smoothest jump shots you’ll ever see, and, as his teammate Mike Wixon reminded me, “could jump out of the gym”. Good stuff, and really enjoyed seeing Joe.
One thing is for certain: the last 20 years or so, we are enjoying the golden age of Pascagoula basketball. Since 2005-2006, the Panthers are an impressive 381-159 (.706 winning percentage). Coach Wright, who has been the head man since 2016, is 154-64 so far, appropriately also a .706 winning percentage. For the uninitiated, those are just outstanding numbers. Just as importantly, numerous region titles and trips to Jackson for the state championship tournament have come within these seasons.
Now, back to this year’s Panthers. Joe Davis, who as Head Athletic Trainer for Pascagoula School Athletics has watched a lot of PHS basketball over the years, had this to say: “What intrigues me most about this year’s team is how well they play together. This is not actually the most talented team I have seen at Goula, but by position they are all interchangeable. Mc Millian has been pegged as the guy to try to stop, and rightfully so, but any of the other four starters are capable of getting it going and leading the team on any given night.”
The Panthers now continue on in the state playoffs. Next up, as Region Four champs, Pascagoula will host West Jones from Region Three this Saturday night (February 17) in the friendly confines of Pascagoula Gymnasium on Taylor Street.
If you like good basketball, extraordinary teamwork, and a fast pace of play, you would do well to drop by the gym that night (but arrive early). The 2023-24 Pascagoula Panther roundball team is historically outstanding, and, finally, I can tell you from personal experience that they are quite a sight to behold.
Richard Lucas may be contacted at rblucas17@gmail.com.
