Senate Concurrent Resolution 617

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE H.W. BYERS HIGH SCHOOL "LADY LIONS" GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM AND COACH JASON THOMPSON FOR MAKING MISSISSIPPI BASKETBALL HISTORY BY WINNING THEIR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE MHSAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.

WHEREAS, for the H.W. Byers High School "Lady Lions" Girls Basketball Team and their Coach Jason Thompson, history has once again repeated itself. On March 13, 2014, Coach Thompson and his team picked up their fourth straight Gold Ball and sixth overall, this one in 2A at the Mississippi Coliseum. They beat Scott Central 69-54. Coach Thompson has achieved a most enviable feat with the teams he has coached over the years of his tenure at H.W. Byers High School. He won three consecutive titles in 1A from 2011 to 2013. Before that, his Lady Lions were victorious twice in 2A Championship Games in 2008 and 2009; and

WHEREAS, "This year's team," Coach Thompson said, "faced the biggest obstacles in grasping the Gold Ball again. Six seniors were missing from the season before, and four of those signed college scholarships. Plus, Byers was stepping up a classification after four years in 1A. That says a lot about these kids. They developed their skill level and they found a way. And once we got to the Championship Game, we said, 'let's finish.'" And that is exactly what they did, against a favored Scott Central team and Victoria Vivians, the nation's best girls basketball player; and

WHEREAS, the Lady Lions broke the second frame wide open. Byers kept pouring it on in the third. Scott Central had to go into desperate mode in the last frame but to no avail; and

WHEREAS, the Lady Lions received two more accolades: Jequira Thompson picked up the Scholar Athlete Award and Miracle Duncan was identified as the Most Valuable Player of the Game. The leading scorers for Byers in this battle were Gulledge with 20 points, Crutcher with 15, Duncan with 13, and Collins with 12. Duncan had 16 rebounds and Collins nine. Crutcher handed out six assists; and

WHEREAS, Byers (25-8) has four seniors: Laniqua Collins, Jequira Thompson, Miracle Duncan and Richenda Crutcher. Three of those — Collins, Thompson and Crutcher — have won a Gold Ball every year of their high school career. The 2013-2014 H.W. Byers High School "Lady Lions" Roster is as follows: Alayna McClure, Jequira Thompson, Autezia Sellers, Lakeisha Reynolds, Laniqua Collins, Richenda Crutcher, Keoasha Moore, Lanchai Collins, Bryonna Campbell, Jasmine Bryson, Miracle Duncan, Abria Gulledge, and Laquincenara Nabors; and Head Coach Jason Thompson; and

WHEREAS, it was the sixth time in seven years that Coach Jason Thompson and the Lady Lions have taken a Gold Ball back to the small Community of Mt. Pleasant, 15 miles north of Holly Springs; and it is with great pride that we recognize this girls basketball dynasty:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the H.W. Byers High School "Lady Lions" Girls Basketball Team and Coach Jason Thompson for winning their fourth consecutive Mississippi High School Activities Association State Championship, and extend to the team, coaches, parents and sponsors our best wishes for future athletic and academic success.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Coach Jason Thompson and H.W. Byers High School Principal Sonya Cross, forwarded to the Marshall County Board of Education, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.