By Robert Wilson

The Madison-Ridgeland Academy boys won the MAIS Overall Tournament Tuesday night to give retiring Coach Richard Duease a parting gift with his 16th Overall championship.

But if not for junior guard Jack Dalton, Tuesday night’s championship celebration might not have ever happened.

The 6-foot-2 Dalton had a career-high 20 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals to lead MRA to a hard-fought, 70-59 victory over Rossville, Tenn., Christian in the first round of the Overall last week.

For his outstanding performance, Dalton has been named the Tatum and Wade/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Boys Basketball Player of the Week. 

MRA was in a tight battle with Rossville and was tied at 32-32 going into the second half. Dalton made a huge difference in the third quarter. He either scored or passed for a score on 15 of the 19 points in the quarter as MRA took a 51-45 lead. Dalton scored the final five points of the quarter then he scored six points in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter as MRA took a 10-point lead.

Also, Dalton played the point guard position some and helped bring the ball up the court because starting point guard Evan Carr broke his jaw in the Class 4A, Division I championship game against Jackson Prep in the last game before Rossville and surgery last week.

  “Jack has a great season and was big for us against Rossville,” said Duease, who finished as the winningest basketball coach in Mississippi history and is a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. “He has a chance, if he keeps working at his game, to play at the next level. His shot has gotten much better and he can get to the rim. And Jack has really guard and has a great range with his shot. He has really improved this year. He came off the bench last year and started late in the year.” 

Dalton averaged 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 27 assists and 1.5 steals and helped MRA to a 37-2 record, a Class 4A state championship, an Overall title and a No. 2 ranking in Mississippi by MaxPreps this season.

Dalton is also a wide receiver on MRA’s football team and caught nine passes for 236 yards, an average of 26.2 yards per catch, and one touchdown this past fall. 

Dalton is the son of Dalton is the son of Todd and Ashlie Dalton. Todd played football and baseball at Clinton High, winning a state baseball title with Coach Doug Hutton and playing football for James Sloan. Todd was a punter of one year at Arkansas State and graduated from Mississippi State. Ashlie graduated from Macon Central Academy, Livingston, Ala., (bachelor’s) and Mississippi State (masters and Phd). Dalton’s brother, Davis, played football and basketball at MRA and is a senior wide receiver on Southern Miss’ football team. Davis was the 2021 Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Player of the Year and caught 89 passes for 1,586 yards and 15 touchdowns and led MRA to its third consecutive MAIS Class 6A state championship as a senior. He caught a Mississippi record 388 receiving yards against Jackson Prep as as senior. Davis also was a starter on MRA’s Overall championship basketball team as a junior.

Dalton’s grandfather, Jackie Dalton, played basketball at Northwest Mississippi Community College and Mississippi College and was as high school basketball official for 50 years.

Mississippi Scoreboard selects a boys basketball player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by sending a text to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276. 

PREVIOUS WINNERS 

WEEK ONE: Jeff Flanagan, Madison Central 

WEEK TWO: Sam Funches, Germantown

WEEK THREE: Lazabian Banks, Lanier 

WEEK FOUR: Braxton Ward, Callaway 

WEEK FIVE; Austin Richards, Jackson Academy

WEEK SIX: DeShawn Dillon, Northwest Rankin 

WEEK SEVEN: Marcus Goodloe, Jackson Academy

WEEK EIGHT: Jeff Flanagan, Madison Central

WEEK NINE: Joe Anthony, Madison St. Joseph

WEEK NINE: EJ Dampier, MRA