Chasing Rings: Biggersville Basketball
By: Torrence Rees
Tags: Sports, High School, Basketball

Hunter Stacy grew up like everyone else around Biggersville, Mississippi: watching the high school boys team play on weeknights in a jam-packed gym.

He watched the 2009 Biggersville Boys basketball team fall short in North Half, same with the 2011 team. He watched the 2012 team come up inches short in the State Title game and then finally, he watched the 2013 team claim the Gold Ball and capture the school’s second title in their program’s history.

He always knew he wanted to be like his idols.

Hunter Stacy (with ball), weaves around the defense on his way to the basket in a pickup game in practice.

“I always had a ball in my hand when I was little,” Rising Senior Hunter Stacy said. “It’s just what I love to do.”

For a small school of roughly 20 to 30 graduates per class, this program had big expectations when it came to their basketball program. It started in 1996 when Daniel Rowsey, now current Biggersville Baseball Coach, and “Boo” Patterson helped claim the school’s first title.

“You dream of winning a state title as a high school athlete,” former champion Daniel Rowsey said. “We were all-in and if you can do that, and we did, you’re able to accomplish things.”

That goal would be a journey as he would have to watch from the stands like everyone else in his freshman year in 2017. Stacy did not make varsity that year so he went on to play out the year on the junior varsity team. However, that did not stop him from putting in work in the gym and improving his game and his craft.

“All we could really do is practice,” Stacy said. “But that’s when I really started getting better.”

Stacy would go on to play midway through his sophomore year and end up averaging around 10.2 points per game on a team, which was third on the team, that didn’t expect much from him.

“We really didn’t think [Stacy] would get playing time,” Assistant Head Coach Tracy Stafford said. “But, one man went down and it turned out we really needed him.”

Stacy ended up taking over the team this year as he doubled his average, scoring 20.3 points per game this year, leading the team, and hitting some clutch shot along the way on the Road to Jackson.

Stacy’s PPG skyrocketed in a year

He had a clutch steal and game-sealing free throws against Wheeler in the Division 1-A tournament. He hit a game-tying three in the second round of the playoffs against Ray Brooks in the waning seconds to send the game into overtime, which they ended up winning.

“He’s just the type of competitor that you want on your team,” Head Coach Cliff Little said. “He’s the type of kid that won’t let you lose. He’s gonna keep you from losing.”

Stacy rises up for a 3 point attempt in practice

Unfortunately for Little, Stacy, and the Lions, everyone loses at some point and this season it was to Potts Camp in the third round of the playoffs. To make matters worse, if it was any other year in the State tournament, the Lions would have qualified for Jackson. However, this year, the State only took two teams from each side, not four.

Stacy hasn’t forgotten when the 2013 team lifted the Gold Ball in Jackson as he traveled down to watch Jaylon Gaines, Daniel Simmons, and second-year Head Coach Cliff Little defeat Coldwater. As the team picture of the title team hangs on the wall along with their banner, and trophy in the trophy case, Stacy has one more year to join his idols along side them in the gym.

“I wish I were in their shoes,” Stacy said. “There isn’t any telling how good it feels to get a ring. But, that’s all I really want is a ring, that’s it. It’s possible, We can make it happen.”

Stacy and the Lions will have one more year to chase that elusive ring. After that, he plans to play at the collegiate level where he has Itawamba Community College looking at him among other small schools.