For Copiah County girls head basketball coach Mitch Mitchell,2002 turned in to a memorable year for him and his talented LadyColonels.

The Copiah girls finished the season with a 41-3 record and theState Class AAA state championship. Two of his top players,Madeline Price and Candace Clayton, were selected to the All-SouthAAA-AAAA All-Star team this season. Mitchell was selected as theassistant coach to Jackson Academy head coach Jan Sojourner for theall-star game.

For his achievements, Mitchell has been selected The DailyLeader’s All-Area Girls Basketball Coach or the 2001-2002 campaign.It’s the second time for Mitchell to be recognized for his coachingaccomplishments. In 1999, Mitchell was selected as the All-AreaBoys Basketball Coach.

“It is a great honor,” said Mitchell. “This is a real goodbasketball area. I had a real good group of girls to workwith.”

At the start of the season, Mitchell said he felt the girlscould go far after their performance in a summer camp at MillsapsCollege where they were the only private school involved in thecompetition.

“We had a chance to be pretty good,” said Mitchell.

I never thought we could win 41 games.” Beating highlyranked Jackson Prep early in the season gave his girls confidencethey could beat anyone.

Mitchell credited the entire team with contributing eachgame to help make the Lady Colonels the success they were.

“A lot of girls did a lot for things us,” explainedMitchell.

This years’s All-Area Most Valuable Player, Madeline Price,of Copiah Academy, learned how to be a leader her senior year. “He(Mitchell) taught me to be a team leader; to help the youngerplayers out.”

Candace Clayton, a senior guard named to the All-Area team,said she appreciated Mitchell’s work ethic. “He always encouragedus. He made us work harder. We shot free throws a lot.”

Mitchell was named head coach of the South AAA-AAAA All-Starboys basketball team in 1999. Two of his Colonels, seniors BlakeThornton and Scotty Cline, were selected to the All-Starteam.

1999 was Mitchell’s first year to coach the Lady Colonelsand they finished with a 25-16 worksheet. They placed third in theSouth AAA tourney and third in the state tournament. They were inthe Overall State Tournament.

This year’s Colonel team was 14-20 and advance out of theirdivision to the state playoffs, finishing third in theirdivision.

Mitchell, the son of Mac and Karen Mitchell, is a native ofLawrence Country. He grew up in Jayess and graduated fromTopeka-Tilton High School in 1982 before consolidation.

Mitchell participated in all sports atTopeka-Tilton.

“I played everything we had, football, basketball andbaseball,” said Mitchell. “I was an average player. I playedforward in basketball. I was just one of the group.”

Mitchell attended Co-Lin for two years where he playedfootball under James Sloan and baseball under AltonGreenlee.

Following graduation at Co-Lin in 1984, Mitchell went toMillsaps where he played football and baseball. He earned his BSdegree in physical education and later worked for a masters inadministration.

Mitchell is also an assistant to headmaster Carol S. Rigbyat Copiah Academy. He has previously taught math atCopiah.

The first coaching job for Mitchell was at Simpson CountyAcademy in 1987 where he stayed for eight years.

“The first year, all I did was football,” stated Mitchell.”The next year, by accident, the basketball coach left right beforethe season started. I was, I guess, the man on the spot to fill in.I’ve been involved in basketball ever since. I’ve coached football,basketball and baseball at Simpson at different times.”

His best season came at Simpson before his final year. “Mynext to last year at Simpson we played for the state championshipin basketball. Record-wise we were like 18-16 but we got beat inthe finals of the state tournament.”

Mitchell and his wife, Diane, have recently moved fromCrystal Springs to Gallman, just next door to Copiah Academy. Theyhave two girls, Alexis, a 7th grader; and Camryn, a 3rd grader atCopiah Academy.

Mitchell and his family are members of the Harmony BaptistChurch just outside of Crystal Springs.