The last time the Bogue Chitto boys’ basketball team lost to a Region 7-2A opponent was in the 2023 tournament championship game at West Lincoln.

That night, a BC team led by a group of sophomores lost a franticly paced ball game 63-60 to an East Marion squad they’d blown out by 23 during the regular season.

On Friday at Loyd Star, Bogue Chitto checked off a second straight 7-2A tournament title and a second straight season of going unbeaten against their region competition with a 63-42 win over Loyd Star.

Those sophomores lost to East Marion but rebounded to make the final four of 2A later that same season. As juniors last year, they were one of the best 2A teams in the state and finished the season as state runners-up after a 48-46 loss in the title game to Ingomar.

Those sophomores of 2023 are now the seniors of 2025 and they lead a talented team that can play fast, physically, and above the rim.

A team that has its sights squarely locked on finishing first when the state tournament culminates later this month.

After the win over Loyd Star, the Bobcats (21-3) and coach Marc Howard rightly racked up the region’s individual awards.

Senior point guard Devonta “Bam” Thompson was named Region 7-2A Most Valuable Player.

Senior wing Noah Magee was named Region 7-2A Offensive MVP.

Senior wing Shakell Jenkins was named Region 7-2A Defensive MVP.

Senior forward Randy Crisler was named All-Region, but if there were an award for it, the bruiser who works in the paint for the Bobcats would be named the Region 7-2A Hustle MVP. Jenkins, Magee, and junior forward Tripp McCaffrey were also named All-Region.

Thompson finished with 20 points. Crisler scored 12 points.

Magee scored 19 points, with nearly all of them coming on  made 3-pointers or dunks.

Bogue Chitto led 37-20 at halftime and Loyd Star had a brief moment in the second half where they got that lead down to under 10 points, but the game was sped up when that happened and the Bobcats are most comfortable playing at that speed.

That meant the advantage quickly bent back into a large lead for Bogue Chitto through much of the late going.The 21-point loss for Loyd Star was the closest any Region 7-2A had come to beating Bogue Chitto this season.

The Bobcats won their eight regular season region games by an average margin of 36 points this season. They defeated Wilkinson County by 45 points on Tuesday in the tournament semifinals.

Senior guard Xavier Vaughn led Loyd Star with 16 points. Junior Anthony Humphrey added 10 points for LS head coach Rusty Newman.

Loyd Star (13-10) will host Puckett (8-14) on Tuesday in the MHSAA 2A State Tournament. The winner of that will play the winner of Richton (19-7) and Lake (9-9) in the second round.

Vaughn, Ethan Smith, and Eli Thornton were named All-Region for Loyd Star after the game.

Bogue Chitto will host Raleigh (5-17) on Tuesday in the first round of the 2A tourney. If the Bobcats win, they’ll host either Heidelberg (13-13) or Scott Central (10-11) in the second round.

A win there would put the Bobcats into the 2A quarterfinals for a third straight year, likely against Pelahatchie (25-2).

Pelahatchie’s losses this season have come to Magee High and Pearl High, while the Bobcats suffered defeats against Jackson Prep, Oak Forest Academy, and Franklin County.

If Bogue Chitto and the Pelahatchie Chiefs were to meet in the quarterfinals, that game would be played on the campus of Jackson Statue University on Feb. 21.