Published: February 28, 2009 11:53 pm      

Higginbotham: Winning is second nature to Rebelettes

CLINTON – One could argue that Leake Academy’s girls had little business making a run to the Mississippi Private School Association Overall Tournament championship game.

One could say this year’s version of the Rebelettes were overachievers. That any accomplishment after their fourth straight state title was simply gravy.

In fact, one could say Leake and living legend coach Doyle Wolverton were playing with house money.

Truth be known, just about any of those cliches would work. But simply put, Leake and Wolverton captured their fifth MPSA Overall title here Saturday because ... well ... they’re winners. They don’t know anything except winning.

“The best team doesn’t always win,” Wolverton said following his team’s 65-56 victory against Oak Forest, La., at Mississippi College’s A.E. Wood Coliseum — and he’s never spoken truer words.

Exactly 10 years ago, Wolverton’s bunch capped a remarkable 46-0 season with its fourth Overall title. That team is considered by many to be his best, although he’s brought plenty of teams to MC since who had the potential to win No. 5.

In fact, his last two teams both brought undefeated records to Clinton. The 2007-08 squad lost in the semifinals and wound up 42-1; the 2006-07 team went 42-1 and was the Overall runnerup.

Before Saturday’s win, Wolverton was 4-6 in Overall finals.

“We’d been in this thing 10 times and won four ... in fact, I had lost the last two,” Wolverton said. “That kinda hurt me a little bit.

“Sometimes, you start to question yourself: ‘What am I doing wrong in these championship games?’”

To think that Wolverton has ever questioned himself is mind-boggling. He’s been cranking out championships at the Madden school since 1975 and has just one losing season — a 12-17 mark back in 1977-78.

Just a few astonishing numbers to share:

*Wolverton now has a career record of 1,088 wins and 172 losses. That’s a winning clip of nearly 87 percent; and an average of just about five losses per year.

*In his 34 seasons, Wolverton has taken his team to the state tournament 32 times. He’s won 12 state championships and four in a row.

*This year’s edition of the Rebelettes finished 42-3, giving Wolverton his sixth 40-win team. He’s had 17 seasons of 35 wins or better; and has won at least 31 games 13 straight years.

*Seven times, Wolverton’s team has finished with a single loss, and of course, the 1998-99 team had the unblemished 46-0 mark.

Two seasons ago, Wolverton credited the program’s unparalleled success to his feeder program. Leake has “Tomorrow’s Terrors” in elementary school. The veteran coach gets kids in the fourth grade, and no one puts as much emphasis on a junior-high program as Wolverton.

“By the time they get to high school, they can either play or they can’t,” Wolverton said two years ago — and this year’s squad certainly proved him right.

Last year’s veteran squad was considered by some LA fans and supporters every bit as good as the 1998-99 edition. They were ranked No. 1 all season and coasted to a state title, but were beaten by Pillow in the Overall semifinals and graduated seven of their top eight players.

“It took me til Christmas to know some of these first names,” Wolverton quipped about this year’s team.

In fact, Wolverton agreed that — on paper, at least — last year’s talented squad would easily be considered a better team than the one which left Clinton with the Overall championship Saturday.

“Not even close,” he said. “Last year’s team would beat them by 30 — on paper.

“People always want me to compare teams, but you just can’t do it,” he said. “They want you to compare this team or that team with the team that went 46-0 or the teams that had (Susan) Byrd ... but you didn’t even have the 3-point line back then.”

Byrd was a stalwart for Wolverton in the 1980s. He had four straight single-loss teams from 1984-88, won four straight state championships from 1986-90 and won his first two Overall titles from 1985-87.

The 1998-99 team, like the 2007-08 version, was known for its full-court pressure, its speed and a bench full of athletes.

“Those were pressing, running, jumping, being athletic teams,” he said. “This year, we pass the ball, run time off the clock, try to take good shots ... and we’re bigger this year. We worked hard on the fundamentals and got really good execution on offense. Dribble, press, shoot ... I thought we did a pretty good job of all of them.”

They certainly shot it. A day after hitting 43 percent overall and 9-of-20 from 3-point range in a win against Class AAA state champ East Rankin in the semifinals — Leake came back to nail 8-of-15 treys Saturday, including a 4-of-4 showing from point guard Jessie Powers. She scored a season-high 16 points.

Leake and Powers had plenty of help from all-tournament performers Char’Lesa Tadlock, Jenny Wilbanks and Emily Kea — all underclassmen — and another solid outing from eighth-grader Hannah Peoples.

Peoples, 8-of-11 from the free-throw line, scored 18 points to go with six steals and three assists. She ran circles around Oak Forest defenders most of the second half — which just added fuel to her cult-like popularity among Leake’s rabid fan base.

“For somebody who’s not as old as the shoes I wear, she’s pretty good,” Wolverton said. “She don’t ever get too high or too low. She’s always under control.”

And when asked if he thought Peoples was the fastest player on the floor Saturday?

“Far and away,” he said, adding that no matter the formation or the defense, “she still outran everybody down the floor.”

It will likely be several years before Peoples realizes just what she and her teammates accomplished here Saturday — although with a stable of speedy junior-high athletes to join her soon on the varsity level — she may be hoisting trophies for years to come.

“I don’t know how many folks thought we had a chance to be here,” Wolverton said. “But we’ve had a lot of heroes that were unexpected.

“They’ve come a long, long way ... I think this one is a little special.”

Special, but in Wolverton’s mind — just the goal he was trying to accomplish all along.

The 56-year-old Wolverton appeared every bit as energetic as a 14-year-old in the closing seconds, then hugged his wife Linda on the bench before congratulating his girls.

And as the Rebelettes accepted the trophy and their fans roared — he stood under the basket some 40 feet away and admired it all.

Gravy.

You gotta love it.