By Robert Wilson
For his size, Jackson Prep’s 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior forward John Ed Maddux might be the best player in Mississippi at getting rebounds.
He said you’ve got to want it and you have to give great effort to go get those boards with regularity.
Maddux wanted something much bigger – a MAIS Overall Tournament championship – Wednesday against defending Overall champion Jackson Academy.
And just like he gets rebounds, he got an Overall title.
Maddux seemed to be everywhere Wednesday, of course getting rebounds, but also hitting shots at all levels, 3-pointers, mid-range jumpers, layups and putbacks, and playing solid defense.
He had a double double (14 points and 12 rebounds) and go along with Ben Segrest’s game-high 19 points to led Prep to a 53-51 victory over JA before an estimated 1,600 at Mississippi College’s A.E. Wood Coliseum in Clinton.
Prep – ranked No. 6 in Mississippi by MaxPreps – finished 28-6 and won its third Overall title in the past four years. The Patriots defeated Class 5A state champion Heritage in the first round, Class 3A runner-up in the quarterfinals, Class 6A runner-up Hartfield Academy in the semifinals and JA in the championship game, the last three wins in a grueling three-day stretch. Prep defeated JA for the second time in three meetings this season.
This is the best four-year Overall title span for Prep since the three-peat from 1996-1998 (coached by Gerald Austin) and the MAIS record 17th Overall boys title in school history. Prep also had two three-peats in 1979-81 (coached by Steve Rives) and 1984-86 (coached by Bobby West).
JA – ranked No. 3 in Mississippi by MaxPreps – finished 25-5 and was denied a chance to repeat at Overall champions. The Raiders were trying to repeat as Overall champions for the first time at the school since the 1994 and 1995 seasons with Coach Stan Jones.
Maddux – who played tight end on Prep’s football team – was big all night long, but especially on the last possession of the back-and-forth game between two of the best six teams in Mississippi.
JA senior guard and Mississippi College signee Caleb Gaitor hit a 3-pointer to put the Raiders back ahead 51-50 with 35 seconds to play. Prep senior guard De’Marion Tyler picked up a loose ball and drove for a layup for a 52-51 Prep lead with 20.6 seconds to play. JA had a chance to win the game and win its second consecutive Overall title.
Gaitor dribbled up court and passed to junior guard Marcus Goodloe on the right wing and Goodloe drove down the baseline, to the other side of the goal to try to make the winning basket, but Maddux was there to stop him and alter his shot. Prep’s 6-5 junior Kevin Roberts got the rebound, then Roberts made a free throw with 1.3 seconds to play for the final margin.
“I knew going in that this would be my last game ever, so I wanted to go out on my own terms win or lose,” said Maddux, who made 4 of 9 shots from the field, 2 of 4 from 3-point range, and 4 of 4 from the free throw line along with his 12 rebounds (7 offensive rebounds) and 2 assists. “I wanted to be able to know I did everything I could to get the win. And I will stand by that those rebounds are all about effort. I’m not the tallest or most athletic, I just tried to find a way and I was able to. With that last shot from Marcus, my main focus was just to not foul and hope he missed. It was a very difficult shot, and I didn’t want him to get the easy way out.
“Winning this Overall means a lot. I remember my 10th grade year when we won overall and the joy I got from that. It feels even better being able to do it as a key contributor. And for our team it means so much for the six seniors. We have given so much time and energy trying to attain this goal and it feels incredible to reach it. We knew going into the season that last year was as disappointment after losing to MRA in the semifinals and didn’t want to go out on a loss again.”
The 6-3 Segrest came up with some big buckets like had all season long. He made 8 of 12 shots from the field, 8 of 9 inside the 3-point line, and 3 of 4 from the free throw line along with 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Segrest took a tough fall on a foul in the third quarter, but he came back in after a brief time on the bench and scored six points in the fourth quarter to help Prep win the game, including a layup for a 50-48 lead with 2:40 to play. JA never caught after that.
“I think Ben Segrest showed everyone why we think he is the best player in the league,” said Prep coach Zach Allison, who won one Overall as an assistant under Tim Wise in 2023, before going to be the head coach at Heritage for one season then coming back to be head coach at Prep when Wise went home to coach in Memphis two years ago. “During crunch time, it’s about players, not plays. Ben helped carry us to the finish line. John Ed Maddux and Kevin Roberts had great games. John Ed cleaned the glass. He is a monster on the boards and I love his toughness. He also hit some huge 3s for us. Kevin’s defensive presence protecting the rim was outstanding. For him to block multiple shots, alter shots at the rim and still rebound is a special skill he has. De’Marion’s layup put us up. He’s a natural spark to our team every time he is in the game. It was awesome to see De’Marion get that moment. I’m very proud of him.
Allison had a lot of emotions with his first Overall title as a head coach.
“I have a deep feeling of gratitude,” Allison said. “There are so many people that play a part in being able to accomplish this goal of winning a championship. From our coaching staff, Coach (Josh) Glidewell and Coach (Will) Johnson, to our players and families to our administration and so many more. Jackson Prep is a really special place and I’m thrilled our players, students, families, and community got to experience this.”
Unfortunately for JA and coach Jesse Taylor, he and his Raiders weren’t able to feel that championship feeling like last year.
“Any time you get Jackson Academy vs Jackson Prep you are in for an exciting game no matter the sport,” said Taylor, in his third season at JA head coach. “The rivalry runs deep and is the best in the state. It did not disappoint in the Overall championship game. This game was a battle. Give credit to Jackson Prep. Coach Allison had those guys playing at a high level all year. No one could really put a string of good possesions together and pull away from the other team. Some nights you just tip your cap. It was a great game. Both teams fought extremely hard. I am so proud of the Raiders, how we fought all year. These guys showed so much resiliency and toughness throughout the entire season.”
Gaitor and Goodloe led JA with 15 points each. Gaitor made 3 of 4 from 3-point range and Goodloe made 3 of 6 from 3-point range.
Both Allison and Taylor agree that the MAIS 6A league is the toughest in Mississippi.
“Our league is in a great place,” Allison said. “We have some of the best coaches and players around It makes it really fun going up against some of the best competition in the state has to offer game in and game out. JA has one of the best teams in the state, public or private. Coach Taylor and his staff do a great job. That game could have gone either way. Sometimes the ball bounces your way at the end.”
“This year’s 6A was the most competitive it’s been in recent memory,” Taylor said. “Every single team could have won on any given night.”
