Brookhaven Academy senior Ethan Nations said from the time the team started practice in late 2017, he knew the goal was winning a state championship. Nations is MVP of The Daily Leader’s All-Area Basketball Team.

The senior made good on that goal, as the Cougars went 20-3 this season and won the state championship with a 33-30 victory over Marshall Academy.

“We knew that we had the talent to win the state championship,” Nations said. “We worked really hard.”

Nations said there was a game in particular when he knew that the Cougars were the best team in the state.

“We beat Greenville St. Joe in triple overtime in the semi-finals, and that’s when I knew that we could do something special,” Nations said. “We were both good teams, but we just refused to lose that game.”

Nations scored 18 points in the contest and averaged 16 points throughout the playoff run for the Cougars. He was the leading scorer for the Cougars this season.

“I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates,” Nations said. “They did a great job of driving the basketball and setting me up for some open shots. All of the credit has to go to them.”

Gene “Moochie” Britt has been a long-standing fixture in Lincoln County basketball, and the 2017-2018 season was his last as Britt decided to retire. Britt is The Daily Leader’s pick for All-Area Boys’ Coach of the Year.

“I’ve had a lot of good moments here, and I’m proud of everything that we accomplished on and off the court,” Britt said. “I was so proud when we were able to get to the Coliseum and play in the state championship tournament.”

Britt coached both the boys’ and girls’ teams throughout his tenure at Loyd Star, and he’s had success in both realms.

Britt won the district with the boys’ basketball team this season and advanced to the first round of the playoffs.

“We had a lot of good moments at Loyd Star, and the kids were great,” Britt said. “We had a good year with the boys. I wish we could have advanced further in the playoffs, but I was really proud of us being able to win the district championship.”

All-Area Boys Team

Most Valuable Player:  Ethan Nations

Nations averaged 16 points per game in the Cougars’ playoff run and led his team to the state championship in his senior year.

Coach of the Year: Gene “Moochie” Britt

Britt’s Hornets won the district championship and advanced to the first round of the playoffs.

JD Allen, Wesson

Allen averaged 18.9 points per game for the Cobras this season.

Shemar Dickerson, Wesson

Dickerson put up 17.9 points per game for Wesson in the 2017-2018 season.

Richard Marshall, Brookhaven

Marshall scored 12.7 points per game for the Panthers this season while pulling down 3.3 rebounds per game.

Lafollette Bogan, Brookhaven

Bogan averaged 16.6 points per game this season while shooting more than 50-percent from two-points range on the year.

Reggie Statham, Lawrence County

Statham averaged five rebounds per game while putting up nine points per game for the Cougars.

Darrell Newsom, Lawrence County

Newsome averaged 9.6 points per game while pulling down almost five rebounds per game for the Cougars, as they went undefeated in district play.

Malik Richardson, Bogue Chitto

Richardson was a walking double-double for the Bobcats this season, as he put up 22.1 points per game and averaged pulling down 12 rebounds per game.

Brandon Lewis, Bogue Chitto

Lewis scored nine points per game and was a workhorse down low, pulling in six rebounds per game for the Bobcats.

Dane Smith, Loyd Star

Smith put up 17 points per game and averaged seven rebounds per game while leading the Hornets to a regular season district championship.

Titus Sims, Loyd Star

Sims pulled down 5.7 rebounds per game while averaging 8.3 points per game for the Hornets this season.

Adam Martinez, West Lincoln

Martinez scored 14 points per game for the Bears this season while pulling down five rebounds per game. Martinez shot more than 60 percent from two-point range this season.

Ledarrius Jones, West Lincoln

Jones averaged 10 points per game for West Lincoln this season while shooting more than 30 percent from three-point range.

Cade Feltus, Enterprise

Feltus averaged 14.6 points per game this season for the Yellow Jackets.

Cade Brown, Brookhaven Academy

Brown had his best performances in the postseason, putting up 15 points in the Cougars’ semi-final victory over Greenville St. Joe.