Jonathan Phelps was hoping his proudest moment in a Vicksburg High uniform would be lifting a Class 4A State Championship trophy.

In reality, the gifted offensive machine will have to settle for a special senior night and repeating as the Vicksburg Post’s Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“I would say my best moment of my career was senior night when I hit for 40,” Phelps said of his last regular season game against Pearl in the VHS gym.

Phelps also accomplished his main team goal, getting the Gators back to the Mississippi Coliseum.

Unfortunately, he was unable to suit up after getting taken out in the first quarter of the 4A North State Championship game against New Hope with a knee injury. New Hope then went on to win the 4A title, thanks in part, because the Gators were beaten in the state quarterfinals by Moss Point without its 23.7 points a game scorer.

Last week in Tupelo, Phelps got to see many of the New Hope players, including the one who crashed into him after blocking one of his baseline drives.

“I had nothing but love for them. You can’t stay mad at something like that. Still, I think it should’ve been us,” Phelps said in stating the Gators were good enough to win the state title had he been healthy. “It was our goal and I wanted a ring. But at least we did make it to the Coliseum.”

Until that point, Phelps was racking up Phelps like numbers through the postseason. He averaged 28 points in the Division 3-4A Tournament and then had 26 per game during the North State playoffs. The Gators finished 29-8, the best season since they won the Class 5A championship in 2003.

As for Phelps’ fearlessness in attacking the basket, he says he can credit his dad, Michael, for that. Michael Phelps led the Gators to the overall basketball title in 1980 and then went on to enjoy a career in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics.

“A lot my shots that I used in games came from practicing in my backyard with my dad. For years, I worked on every shot,” Phelps said.

And he wasn’t shy about taking shots.

“Nah, I felt like I would make them all,” he said with a grin.

As for now, there will be no basketball for Phelps until late April. His knee ligaments were repaired during a surgery just four days after the Gators lost to Moss Point in the state tournament. He was unable to play in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic which was played Thursday in Pelham, Ala.

“I’m just trying to get ready for college, trying to get my leg strong enough for the next season,” said Phelps, who is undecided about college. “It’s still wide open. I have a lot of good junior college teams interested. From Texas to Florida. There are some really good places in Texas and I’ve heard a good bit from a coach at Okaloosa-Walton down in Florida,” he said.

By Sean P. Murphy

During a Warren Central boys basketball game against Class 5A state champion Provine High School, Warren Central girls coach Donny Fuller spotted a University of Connecticut assistant coach.

He was there watching one of his signees, Scottie Haralson of Provine. Fuller made sure the coach saw another player that night.

“I told the coach he better go tell (Connecticut women’s coach) Geno (Auriemma) about a player and if he didn’t, I was going to call Coach (Pat) Summitt because I know Pat and Geno don’t like each other,” Fuller said of his star junior, Sha’Kayla Caples. “I thought that would be the best way to get his attention.”

Whether the message got through is unknown, but don’t be surprised if coaches from the perennial power Connecticut women’s team finds its way to Warren Central next year. They certainly will have company as Caples enters her senior season having won three straight Vicksburg Post Player of the Year honors, and seemingly having no one standing in the way of a fourth top player honor.

She is that good. And to many coaches’ chagrin, she keeps getting better.

Caples easily distanced herself from the field this year snagging this newspaper’s top honor in similar dominating fashion as she won the first two.

The 5-foot, 10-inch Caples averaged a team-best 22.6 points and 13.3 rebounds per game for the 15-12 Lady Vikes. She also blocked 48 shots, had 74 steals and 58 assists. She shot 52 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line.

“I just think I have gotten better since I won that first one,” Caples said. “I played a lot outside the gym.”

Caples is scheduled to play in the Mississippi All-Star Classic, a juniors-only event, with teammate Karnina Bunch on July 14 at Mississippi College.

Her senior year is expected to be a whirl-wind. In addition to getting WC back to the state tournament, she surely will be inundated with mail and coaches’ phone calls. She said she doesn’t have a favorite choice and is not close to making a college decision yet.

Louisville has been sending letters daily and Louisiana Tech, LSU and Ole Miss have recruited her hard.

“She is the only player I have had that got a scholarship offer as a sophomore,” Fuller said.

Still. she needs work.

“She still has areas she needs to get better at,” Fuller said. “I tell her all the time she is the worst practice player in America and she has to play better defense.

“Part of the reason I think she is a bad practice player is there is no one to challenge her. She can just go through the motions and do better than the second and third teams.”