JACKSON — Hinds AHS gave Callaway all it could handle.

But in the end, they could not stop two of Mississippi’s best players, senior point guard Julysses Nobles and sophomore Deville Smith.

The Charger pair rallied Callaway from a six-point halftime deficit to beat the War Dawgs 72-63 in the Grand Slam championship game at the Mississippi Coliseum on Saturday.

Hinds, which won the Class 2A title last week, defeated two other state champions in its run to the Grand Slam championship game against Callaway, the state’s 4A champion. They end the season with a gold ball and a 34-3 overall record.

“We fought hard all year. Our guys were relentless. We may be small in stature, but we’re big in heart,” Hinds coach Keith Williams said. “What separates these guys from most is that they play as a team.”

Callaway coach Wayne Brent knew his team would be in for a battle.

“I’ve had many great games against Coach Williams when I was at Piney Woods. I knew they’d be no quit in those guys. He does a great job with them.”

Callaway (32-5) won its last six games en route to the 4A title and the Grand Slam crown. None until Saturday’s struggle with the War Dawgs were close. Ironically, the Vicksburg Gators played a big hand in the Chargers’ run to the top.

“The defining moment of our season was when Vicksburg beat us in our gym at North State,” Brent said. “Vicksburg’s locker room was right next to ours and I wanted my team to stay quiet and listen to them celebrate in our gym. We were a different team after that.”

Down 37-31 at the half, the Chargers showed why, with Nobles hitting a pair of 3-pointers. Keeslee Stewart, who had 19 to lead Hinds, hit a 3-pointer to put Hinds in front 43-37 with 5:24 left in the third.

From there, Callaway took over, tying the game at 45 and then took the lead for good on Smith’s 3-pointer with a 2:08 left in the quarter to make it 50-47.

Down 56-51, Hinds was hurt by two key charging calls that went against the War Dawgs. One wiped out a made basket by Trevis Thomas that would’ve made it a three-point game.

“I thought the two charges were real questionable. It was definitely big because we could’ve gotten the lead back. Instead we stay down five,” Willams said.

“I think the refs hurt us more than Callaway,” Hinds’ Erik Burks, who was limited by committing three of his four fouls in the first half, said. He finished with 12 points.

Stewart made his final basket of the game, a scoop shot in the lane, to make it 65-61 with 3:02 left. Nobles, who had 23 points, then countered by setting up Smith for an open 15-foot shot to put the lead back to six at 67-61 with 1:37 left.

Derek Burks, Erik’s twin brother, had a solid game with 14 points and 10 rebounds and limited Callaway’s 6-foot-7 center Jeverik Nelson to just two points.

Smith ended with 21, including 12 off four 3-pointers.

Callaway came out hot, hitting 10 of its first 13 shots, including four straight from 3-point range. Deville Smith hit three in the opening quarter and Jonathan Jenkins’ 3-bomb from the corner with a second left gave the Chargers a 25-16 lead after one quarter.