Brookhaven Academy fans will enjoy their final serving of thelong basketball season Saturday at Mississippi College’s A.E. WoodColiseum in Clinton. That’s the location of the MississippiAssociation of Independent Schools’ All-Star Basketball Games

BA’s Star Wars connection finds standout senior forward Jake Reedplaying for the South AA-AAA boys and the highly successful BarryGray coaching the AA-AAA girls. It’s a full day of all-staractivity, starting with the North-South Class A girls at 11 a.m.,followed by the A boys at 12:45. The AA-AAA girls teams compareskills at 2:30 p.m., followed by the AA-AAA boys at 4:30.

Reed, a solid 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, was an impact player for CoachDale Watts as the Cougars (29-7) marched to an unprecedented sixthconsecutive Class AA state championship. He averaged 16.8 points, 6rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals per game.

“It’s going to be fun,” answered Reed, when asked about theall-star experience. He and Gray departed this morning for Jacksonand a whirlwind two days of practice.

Serving as treasurer for his school’s National Honor Society, Reedis anticipating a college basketball career. He is onCopiah-Lincoln Community College’s protected list of districtplayers. Mississippi College men’s basketball coach Don Lofton hasReed high on his wish list, too.

Looking to the future, Reed said he is considering a career insports medicine. His favorite high school subject is math.

Winning a sixth straight state title meant a lot to the Cougars.Reed said, “Winning the state championship was sweet, especiallyafter we lost South State to Bowling Green.”

Bowling Green met the Cougars again in the state title game andReed sparked his team to victory, along with fellow senior JamisonPowell and underclassmen Sidney Chaffin, Christian Keene and BrockSmith.

The Cougars got off to a slow start as Powell and Keene were latearrivals from the football team that march to a perfect 15-0 recordand claimed the state title Nov. 27.

“It took us a while to find our identity but we were starting toplay well by the Christmas tournament,” said Reed. “We were anunselfish team.”

He said Watts was an exceptional coach. “He has a great knowledgeof the game. He can make adjustments and help us playbetter.”

Watts has coached many exceptional players during his lengthycareer and Reed is in that unique category. “Jake is one of thebest kids that I’ve coached. He really works hard at the game. He’sprobably one of the most versatile players for us. I could play himat the point or any of the other spots on the floor.

“He knows the fundamentals of the game,” Watts continued. “He has agreat attitude and a great work ethic. In the course of the year hedid a very good job leading us. He did a lot of maturing andgrowing up early in the season when we were short-handed,” becauseof the football playoffs.

A Kentucky native, Reed has deep basketball roots and ferventlyfollows the UK Wildcats, plus the Boston Celtics and UK productRajon Rando. He moved to Franklin County with his parents, Tim andTeresa Reed, from Monticello, Ky., when he was in the eighth grade.His father is a district ranger and works in the HomochittoNational Forest.

Reed said his parents would be moving back to Kentucky after hegraduates in May.

Coaching the South AA-AAA boys are Gary Harris of Hattiesburg’sPresbyterian Christian School and Roger Stockton of RiverOaks.

Gray is continuing the family’s all-star tradition. This is thesixth time for him to coach the all-stars. He played in the game in1981 after helping his father, John R. Gray, bring home a statetitle. His wife, Lindy, was an MVP in the ’81 game. His son, Alan,played in the 2005 game. Barry’s older brother, Ricky, has coachedand played in the classic, too.

“We have a good group of girls on the South squad,” said Gray. Heticked off the names of East Rankin’s Brooke Rhodes, Prairie View’sCaroline Oliphant and Katye Magee of Presbyterian ChristianSchool.

Gray didn’t have a senior on his squad this season as the LadyCougars finished 31-7. They were runners-up to Leake Academy in theAA State Tournament and semifinalists in the MAIS Overall, losingto eventual champion East Rankin in the semifinals. His team alsowon the District 4-AA and South State tourneys.

Working with Gray will be Michael McAnally of East Rankin.

According to Gray, the all-star game format will feature 20-minutehalves, with each player receiving a minimum of 12 minutes playingtime. There will be six personal fouls per player instead of theusual five. Only man-to-man defenses will be permitted.

Write to sports editor Tom Goetz, c/o The DAILY LEADER, P.O. BOX551, Brookhaven, MS 39602 or e-mail sports@dailyleader.com