BROOKHAVEN — Senior Jax Leggett walked around the Clubs at Ole Brook with the number 50 on his back and a $50 bill taped to his shirt. He is the only player in Bogue Chitto tennis history to ever won 50 matches in their career Friday.

Head Coach Chase Wallace said it was the only tennis player he knows of to set the record since the program started in 1998. He will step down from coaching at the end of this season and start a career in administration as assistant principal.

Leggett was one of four Bogue Chitto seniors to qualify for the MHSAA Class 1 individual state tournament. He and senior Andrew Merrell won the district tournament No. 1 boys doubles court.

“It’s been rewarding. It has been a long journey, one I put a lot of work into,” Leggett said. “It’s not finished yet. I plan to get a few more before it’s over. I couldn’t do it without  my buddies and Coach Chase Wallace.”

He said the hard work he put in came over the summer each season he played. The senior played football at Bogue Chitto and had to lift weights. He also played in a summer tennis league.

Leggett said he and his buddies would get together and play multiple times a week during the offseason. Together the seniors have developed a love for the game.

Head Coach Chase Wallace convinced his cousin Leggett to play tennis. Leggett started in his seventh grade year and stuck with it ever since. He lost one season to COVID-19.

“I’ve always played everything I could. I figured I would try it out,” Leggett said. “I fell in love and never looked back. I will miss hanging out with the team. We are always fun to be around. We really built a great program at Bogue Chitto.”

Wallace has helped lead the program development at Bogue Chitto. The kids have bought into tennis and invested in developing younger teammates.

Leggett said those ingredients lead to a three-peat of winning the Lincoln County Tennis Tournament. Wallace will step away from coaching tennis at the end of the season. He was promoted to assistant principal and is unable to continue coaching.

Christopher Smith is poised to take the tennis coaching reins.

Leggett’s Bogue Chitto career is not over yet. He can add to his win tally in the team playoffs and individual state tournament in Oxford.

“The competition at state is good. I’m fully confident in myself and Andrew (Merrell),” Leggett said. “ We can play with anybody. We want to go all the way.”