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Callaway High Basketball Victory Gets Brian Anderson Boost


When the Callaway High boys basketball team took home their second gold ball in two years, the championship win at the Big House proved extra special for Brian Anderson.

A volunteer assistant at Callaway High the past two seasons, Anderson doubles as the head of Mississippi College's social work program.

Defeating a strong Provine team in a 34-32 last-second upset at the Mississippi Coliseum before thousands of fans Saturday energized Anderson and other Callaway supporters. The game airing on Mississippi Public Broadcasting statewide took Anderson away from his comfort zone as an educator on the Clinton campus.

A former basketball standout at Tougaloo College and with Jackson Public Schools, Anderson has received awards as an unsung hero with a passion for helping others in his community in Jackson.

Saturday's win for Callaway as the state's 5-A boys champions went down to the last 1.2 seconds. Junior DeVion Smith, a Callaway junior and Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen player, hit the clutch shot near the foul line to preserve the victory for the Chargers.

Coach Wayne Brent and assistants like Anderson helped guide Callaway's second title win the past two seasons.

"This game included two great teams and two highly regarded head coaches," Anderson said. "We knew that it would be a continued brawl for us as it has been for us in the past."

Callaway's "kids accepted the challenge and did a superb job in satisfying individual roles for the betterment of the team's success. We are extremely proud of this group of kids," Anderson added.

The 5-A basketball championship is over, but Anderson's hoops season is far from finished. His Jackson team continues to play ball.

The Callaway Chargers will try to repeat as champs in the Grand Slam tournament in Jackson that matches teams from across the Magnolia State in various high school classifications. Small schools from rural Mississippi take on big schools from cities like Jackson, Meridian and Starkville. The tournament brings Callaway's team back to the Big House in Jackson Friday March 12.

"Regardless of the outcome in the Grand Slam, we are extremely proud of our accomplishments this year," Anderson said.

With a 22-10 record, Callaway will be tough to beat. Players like DeVion Smith, whose favorite NBA player is LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, doesn't like losing.

The basketball tournament in Jackson had another key Mississippi College connection. Communication professor Russ Brashear, who also goes by Russ Robinson, announced the championship games on Mississippi Public Broadcasting stations.

With coaches like Wayne Brent and MC's Brian Anderson leading the charge, Callaway will be bidding for a three-peat next season.