CLINTON — Madison Ridgeland Academy senior guard Andrew Howell had a simple answer to describe Hinds AHS forward Kenderek Washington.

“Stud. He’s a stud. He was just leaping over our guys,” Howell said after Washington led his top-ranked and unbeaten War Dawgs past MRA 62-55 Monday afternoon in a battle of No. 1 ranked teams as part of the six-game Rumble in the South Classic at Mississippi’s College’s A.E. Wood Coliseum. “He is the most athletic player we’ve played against and we went out to Colorado for four games.”

Washington, who played in the Mississippi High School All-Star game in July in a losing cause, was a much different beast Monday. He dominated against a taller MRA front line with a game best 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots to earn Most Valuable Player honors.

“We just did what Coach (Williams) told us. We had to stay on their shooters in No. 11 (Howell) and No. 5 (Matthew Berry),” Washington said. “With us working as teammates I think this shows we can make it to the Big House. But we also know a win like this puts a big target on us.”

Hinds, ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, remained unbeaten at 21-0. MRA, the defending Mississippi Private School’s Overall Champion and current No. 1 in the MPSA, fell to 20-5. This was the first meeting between the two schools and was made possible by a decision reached last year by the MHSAA to again allow intra-association games.

“I saw MRA last year, because I like basketball, and those two kids (Howell) and No. 33 (Ryan Goolsby) can flat out play. They have a good athletic bunch,” Hinds coach Keith Williams said. “We did what we needed to do to win the game but there were some aspects that I wasn’t pleased with. We became undisciplined a bit at the end and we again didn’t shoot it very well.”

What the War Dawgs did show was speed. And they showed it early, forcing the bigger and more deliberate Patriots into five turnovers on their first five possessions. Hinds capitalized by sprinting out to a 10-1 lead capped by Washington’s posterizing dunk off a steal over Goolsby, MRA’s returning 6-foot-5 senior center.

“The first one was the best,” Washington said of his two first half dunks. “I could see it and all I had to do was go up strong.”

MRA coach Richard Duease was surprised by the War Dawgs.

“We thought they’d be athletic, but we didn’t expect them to be as athletic as they are,” Duease said. “Their first step was so quick and they get to the rim so fast. And we just don’t see a player like Washington. Even when we were in Denver, playing against 5A schools, we didn’t see anyone like him.”

MRA settled itself by going to a zone. Then Hinds’ Keeslee Stewart dropped two 3-pointers to build the lead to 22-10 just a minute into the second quarter.

Stewart nailed his fourth trey to make it 35-24 before a length of the floor drive by Fraser Adams made it 35-26 at the half.

Goolsby, who was hit with three first-half fouls, got untracked in the third quarter and Howell bombed in a deep 3-pointer to pull MRA to within four at 44-40 late in the third. Then Hinds got two steals and layups from Erik Burks and JaCorey Wright to take the lead to 50-40. Wright finished with eight steals, seven assists and eight points.

“The pressure defense was the difference,” Wright said. “We just want to build on this and it will help our confidence.”