The last time the Vicksburg Gators met the Starkville Yellow Jackets it was for all the marbles.

The Gators were the ones beaming after they surprised the Travis Outlaw-led Yellow Jackets to win the 2003 Class 5A boys championship.

The two teams meet up again tonight in a Class 5A North State satellite game, but this time under adverse conditions for the Gators. Not only is Starkville (27-3) one of the three best teams in the state, they will be at home.

&#8220I know they will be fired up for us,” Vicksburg coach Dellie C. Robinson said of the Yellow Jackets, who slipped past Grenada 53-45 to win the Division 2-5A crown Friday night.

Vicksburg, on the other hand, lost in its division final to Madison Central Friday at Greenville-Weston. Not enough offense was the Gators problem in a 53-49 loss and it’s something that could prove even tougher to overcome against a loaded Starkville club.

&#8220I know they’re pretty tough. They are as big as Madison Central but with better play from the guards,” Robinson said. &#8220We’re just going to have to a find a way to make some shots.”

Vicksburg’s junior guard Jonathan Phelps had another terrific outing against Madison Central when he led all scorers with 29 points. But the other seven Gator regulars made just six field goals combined.

&#8220That’s right, somebody else has got to step up and make some shots for us,” Robinson said.

Starkville is led by Latavious Williams, who fired in 19 points to beat Grenada Friday. The Yellow Jackets trailed 23-17 at the half in that game but came back with a 15-4 third quarter surge to turn back the Chargers.

For the second straight year the St. Aloysius boys are at home for a Class 1A South State satellite game, but this time the Flashes (21-8) are celebrating as tournament champions.

The Flashes won the Division 7-1A Tournament Friday night at Salem beating top seed West Lincoln 52-51.

Four different Flashes had at least one double-figure scoring game in their three division tournament wins. Chase Smith was in double figures in all three, and averaged 18 points per game in the tournament.

&#8220The boys played hard. And I think they wanted it more than West Lincoln did,” said first-year St. Al coach Penn Majors. &#8220We went up one with 20 seconds left and then West Lincoln missed its last two shots. I think its the first time in 35 years the boys have won the district tournament.”

Tonight, the Flashes will meet Pisgah, the No. 4 team from Division 6-1A. Pisgah lost to Lake 69-58 in the division tournament consolation game Friday in Edinburg. They are led by Albert Morgan, who scored 22 points against Lake.

&#8220They have an athletic team with one real good shooter in (Morgan),” Majors said.

If the Flashes can win tonight, they’ll join their girls team in the South State tournament. It would be the first time in school history that both teams have advanced that far in the same season.

Elsewhere, Hinds AHS (28-4) will be home in Utica against Bay Springs, which lost its Division 7-2A consolation game against Taylorsville.

Port Gibson (18-14) lost its Division 6-4A title game to Mendenhall 46-33 Friday but the Waves will be at home tonight against St. Martin.