By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GULFPORT — The Gulfport boys’ basketball team just enjoyed its best regular season in over a decade, since winning the state championship in 2014.

Also, for one of the first times since that season 11 years ago, the home-standing Admirals both hosted and went on to win their region tournament.

This season, after recently sweeping its way to the Region 4-7A tourney title at home in the friendly confines of Bert Jenkins Gym, Monday night the Admirals will take the court at “The Bert” to open the Class 7A South State playoffs against defending state champion and perennial state power Meridian.

And Gulfport will do so with one of its most treasured possessions adorning one wall of its home venue.

Since 2018, the “Board of Champions” has been firmly in place on the south side wall at Bert Jenkins Gym, which is the main entrance. The board reflects the winning team and coach for all 41 years of action in what is considered one of the most prestigious in-season prep basketball tournaments in the state of Mississippi, the annual “Admiral Hardwood Club Holiday Classic”.

The board was the brainchild of Gulfport High graduate and former longtime Admiral head coach and then Athletics Director Bryan Caldwell.

“Our gym lobby is like a museum,” Caldwell said. “It’s common to see people walking through it looking at the team pictures and championship trophies. We’ve always taken a lot of pride in our history and tradition.”

Caldwell came up with the idea after taking one of his teams to play in a holiday tournament over in New Orleans at Newman High School, home of the famous football playing Manning clan.

Around a decade ago, Caldwell mentioned what he saw at that event in the Big Easy to another GHS grad and then Admiral head coach Owen Miller. Caldwell’s squad won that tourney in 1997.

“Owen had an old tournament program from the Holiday Classic, and he also had the only copy of all the results from previous years,” Caldwell continued. “We were afraid of losing the history of the tournament. I remembered the Newman board and decided to steal a good idea. The Newman Invitational is a very old and prestigious tournament. I’ve always been proud to have my name on the Newman list and figured we could replicate it in our gym.”

So thanks to the work of that duo, the board was completed and erected on the wall almost eight years ago. Every year, even during regular season games, playoff contests and especially the annual holiday tournament that takes place the week between Christmas and New Year’s, the board brings back floods of memories for those who take time to check it out.

Gulfport has won nine state titles overall, in what is still considered one of the most tradition-rich prep basketball programs in the state.

Jenkins, the namesake of the GHS gym, won seven of those titles while Caldwell and Miller each joined that prestigious club as well winning one crown apiece.

Caldwell updates the board with the most recent info each season right before another campaign on the hardwood tips off. And he plans to continue doing so for as long as he can.

“As long as I’m breathing, it’ll be updated,” Caldwell concluded.