Willie Powers soars to the goal while his trusting coach, Dellie Robinson, sits tight. Powers averaged 11 points and 9 rebounds as the Gators finished 23-9.(The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)

[03/31/02]Vicksburg High’s Willie Powers became known as a high-flyer this season, but playing in one of the toughest divisions in the state kept the Gators grounded during the postseason.

Still, that didn’t keep Powers and VHS coach Dellie Robinson from winning The Vicksburg Post’s boys player and coach of the year awards.

It’s Robinson’s third straight year to win the award, his fifth overall, and the third year in a row that VHS swept the boys’ awards.

Playing in a division that featured nationally recognized players such as Vasshun Newborne of Natchez and Jarekus Singleton of Clinton, Powers rose above them all at times literally.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound senior’s leaping ability reached mythical proportions this season as he averaged 11 points and nine rebounds per game to lead Robinson’s revamped Gators to a surprising 23-9 finish.

Even Robinson, a defensive-minded disciplinarian, can’t help but get animated when he describes some of Powers’ dunks especially one against Clinton in a tournament early in the season.

“The ball bounced up off the rim and he came out of nowhere and slammed it in … he was a foot above everyone else,” Robinson recalled, laughing.

Then there was one in practice just last week.

“He jumped from the free-throw line and dunked it,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “I never had a kid that can jump as high as Willie Powers. He had so many spectacular dunks.”

The results were spectacular for the Gators much of the season before running into Clinton, one of the top teams in the state, in the first round of the division tournament. The top two division teams, Clinton and Natchez, made it to the state semifinals, where the Arrows lost to eventual champion Gulfport.

It was a bitter end to what had been an unexpected exciting season for VHS. The Gators recorded big victories over McComb and Yazoo City. The one that stands out to Robinson was an overtime win against Clinton. The Gators overcame a six-point deficit with 20 seconds left in regulation to force the extra period.

“That one let the kids know they could beat a team like Clinton,” said Robinson, who is 190-129 in 10 years at VHS, 376-277 overall, including stints at Canton and Velma Jackson.

That was a valuable lesson for a young team whose top two scorers graduated or ran out of eligibility and whose football players missed much of the season while the gridiron Gators were still playing, Robinson said.

He’s reluctant to call the season a success, though.

“If you look back at the players we had lost, we played hard and we won some close ballgames,” he said. “We did a good job to be as inexperienced as we are … But anything short of the Coliseum is a disappointment.”

Next season, expectations will be higher, Robinson said.

“The next two years look bright,” he said.

There will be a big void without their overachieving small forward.

Point guard Devin Jones said he was spoiled by Powers’ hops, especially on their trademark backdoor alley-oops.

“You can underthrow it, overthrow it … you can throw it up there any kind of way and he can go get it,” Jones said. “We never messed it up.”

Jones helped send Powers out in style, feeding him two crowd-pleasing alley-oops against Brandon on Senior Night. Even the players, in games and practice, are “just amazed sometimes,” watching him, Jones said.

But Powers’ biggest leap may have been the one he made from his sophomore year, when he was a B-team player, to his senior year, when he became a star.

“He just made himself a basketball player,” Robinson said.

The only one who doesn’t seem to be in awe of Powers is Powers. Even with all of his in-your-face dunks, he never trash talks or stares down opponents.

“He’s just not that type of player,” Robinson said. “He’s a great kid and a great athlete.”

But he hasn’t received much attention from college coaches, even though he has qualified academically. That’s because he was a late bloomer he was on the B-team as a sophomore plus, this was his first year to approach the game as a scorer.

“I was a defensive player last year,” Powers said. “I had to change my mindset.”

Powers said he will likely go to Meridian Community College, “then see what options I have.”

That’s a good move for him, Robinson said.

“His name’s not out there on a lot of (recruiters’) lists, but there are few players out there that are better,” he said. “He’ll get recognized there. You’ll see him playing Division I in two years.”

Powers said that track and cross country helped him improve on the court.

“Running built up my energy to play whole games,” he said.

Powers said he has never measured his vertical leap, but he can touch the top of the square on the backboard. He long-jumps 21 feet and he triple-jumped 46-9 last week. He’ll do the high jump in division meets this year after clearing 6-4 in practice.

Though his leaping ability is his most eye-catching attribute, Robinson said Powers worked hard to become a complete player this season.

“He handled the ball against tremendous pressure, especially against Warren Central,” he said. “He plays hard and smart. He’s a warrior.”