By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

JACKSON — As action once again tips off here at The Big House this week for the annual Overall State Basketball Tournament, seven “Gold Balls” will be handed out for the first time by the Mississippi High School Association.
And one local squad hopes not only to be in attendance when the inaugural Class 7A state championship trophy is presented, but it hopes to make a huge statement in the annals of prep basketball history in the state of Mississippi as well.
Both the St. Martin girls and the Pascagoula boys are still alive in the chase to create history, as no boys or girls prep basketball team from Jackson County has ever won a state championship.
In fact, no girls team has ever even played in the title tilt, and only two boys teams have made it to the final game of the year.

The MHSAA and its predecessor The Mississippi High School Literary and Athletic Association has been handing out state championship hardware since 1922.
And Jackson County, almost incredibly, is 0-101 over the past century in hoops.
Even Agricola High School won a girls state championship on the basketball court. As has Shady Grove, Beat Four, Ponta and something called Vimville. Even Hickory has won several state titles on both sides of the court, and neither Norman Dale or Jimmy Chitwood were a part of it.
“We are well aware of what’s at stake this week,” Pascagoula head coach Lorenzo Wright said. “We know about the history involved.”
The last boys team to make it was Pascagoula, and that came 47 years ago in 1977 when Barry Bargainer led the Panthers into the title game against Florence High. Florence, led by Greg Grim, stopped the Panthers state title hopes with a 77-59 decision behind Grim’s 37 points. Grim, who went on to Mississippi State and was an All-Southeastern Conference performer several years later, then scored 40 against Utica in the Grand Slam Tournament to give the Eagles the overall state title as well.
Bargainer scored 28 points in his last game at Pascagoula, but it wasn’t enough.

The only other team from Jackson County to play for a state hoops title was Ocean Springs in 1961. The Greyhounds fell to Starkville in close fashion 70-66. Ocean Springs enjoyed one of the best seasons in school hardwood history that season, going 32-10 led by head coach Tommy Glass guards Tommy Jones and Jack Bennie Hughes and 6-foot-6 center Travis Normand.
Meanwhile, St. Martin is attempting to become the first-ever girls hoops squad from Jackson County to even appear in a state title tilt.
Pascagoula meets Ridgeland in the Class 6A Final Four semifinal round Wednesday night at 8:30, while St. Martin plays Thursday morning in the Class 7A Final Four semifinal round at 10:30.