Cases claim 3 generations in all-star games
Published 8:00 pm Thursday, July 12, 2012
CLINTON – It’s a family tradition.
Three generations of Cases have played in the Mississippi Association of Coaches All-Star Boys Basketball Game. Jared Case of West Lincoln made his mark Wednesday night in Mississippi College’s A.E. Wood Coliseum, playing for the South boys.
Case’s father, Jason, and his grandfather, Jack, proudly watched Jared from the bleacher seats last night. He was cheered on by his mother, Mary Karen, older sister and brother, Julie and Jay, and younger sister, Jana. Grandmother Alice Case smiled with pride.
A large contingent of West Lincoln basketball fans also made an appearance.
Jason Case played in the 1982 game after helping West Lincoln win back-to-back Class A state championships. He signed a scholarship with Delta State University.
“I told Jared to enjoy himself,” said his father, when he dropped off Jared at the Hinds Community College campus, the same dormitory location he stayed at during the all-star week. “You will meet some good people and some new roommates.”
There was a 3-point field goal, free throw shooting and slam-dunk contest Tuesday night among the all-stars, girls and boys. That competition followed the MAC’s All-Star Volleyball Games.
Jason now serves as West Lincoln’s principal. He used to coach basketball at his alma mater before handing over the reins to Lane Young. Case still coaches the cross country team and is an avid runner himself.
Asked if he remembered anything special about his all-star experience, Jason laughed and said, “We got beat. We had some pretty good players; Ricky Short from Murrah, Kenny Jemmerson, from Harrison Central.”
Case scored 16 points in the loss. His dad coached the South, along with Orsmond Jordan of Jackson Murrah.
All-star games are difficult to coach and difficult to play in because of the short preparation time. This year’s edition had two practices prior to the game.
Jason Case said he hasn’t witnessed an all-star classic in several years. “The last all-star game I saw was when I was coaching.” Anthony Lloyd, a 6-foot-4 post player, represented the Bears in the early 1990s.
Under the MAC’s new format, rising seniors are selected to play in the game. Under the old format, graduated seniors played in the game, which used to be held in Jackson’s Mississippi Coliseum. For a period of time, some of the graduates failed to report for all-star practice.
Jack Case doesn’t do shampoo commercials any more and neither do I, but he does know his basketball. He played in the 1957 game. That would be 55 years ago.
A 1957 Bogue Chitto graduate, Case was a high school superstar, averaging 35 points per game for the Bobcats. A 6-foot-1 forward, he could outrun, outjump and outshoot most of his opponents. He signed with Mississippi State University, which was coached by the legendary Babe McCarthy. Jerry Simmons was the freshman team coach, back when freshmen couldn’t play varsity basketball.
Case missed his home in Lincoln County and came back to Co-Lin where he played two years for Coach Alton Ricks. He then went to Delta State and played two years for John Ray Ricks, a cousin of the Co-Lin coach.
In 1957, the game was played at the old City Auditorium in downtown Jackson. The Mississippi Coliseum wasn’t’ built until 1965.
Case’s South team won and he was the leading scorer with 16 points. That was 19 points below his average. He said Dude Morgan kept the statistics for Bogue Chitto.
Case said the all-tar teams checked in on Sunday evening and practiced all week. “We worked pretty hard and played that Friday or Saturday.”
Coaching the South was F.O. Brock of Jackson Forest Hill. His daughter, Debbie Brock, a diminutive guard, later played at Delta State, when the Lady Statesmen won three consecutive national championships in the late 1970s.
Case didn’t realize a state championship until 1981 at West Lincoln. Asked about his high school team at Bogue Chitto, Case said, “We got beat in the South Mississippi Tournament. I turned my ankle in the finals of the district so I didn’t get to play. The team that put us out was Sellers, a team from the Gulf Coast that we beat earlier in the season.”
R.L. “Bob” Calhoun coached the Bobcats at that time. Calhoun was famous for his colorful, emotional antics. One night after his team lost in a tournament championship game, the Bobcats were given the game ball as a consolation prize.
Calhoun stopped the bus near a bridge, on the way back to Bogue Chitto. He got off the bus and kicked the ball into a creek.
Calhoun said something like, “I don’t want a dang basketball if we can’t win the trophy.”
Bogue Chitto, led by new principal Mickey Myers, plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Calhoun Gymnasium this winter. Plans are under way.
Contact sports editor Tom Goetz by Email: tgoetz@dailyleader.com