Shivers, Book headed to all-star game|Prep basketball

Published 12:00 am Saturday, March 6, 2010

In the distant past — say, six months ago — Tallulah Academy used to be known as a football school.

Thanks to players like Jes Shivers and Katie Book, that’s starting to change.

Shivers and Book, both point guards, will play in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools’ basketball all-star games Saturday at Mississippi College.

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Both Shivers and Book will play for the North in the Class A all-star game. The girls’ game starts at 11 a.m. and the boys play at 12:45 p.m.

It’s a rare all-star doubleheader for Tallulah, whose boys’ basketball team won only two games in the 2008-09 season. Behind Shivers, who averaged 21.2 points, seven rebounds and three steals per game, the Trojans won 18 this season.

Book averaged 14 points, six assists and three steals per game as the Lady Trojans advanced to the Class A South State tournament for the fourth consecutive season.

“It’s a nice thing. I didn’t set out to do it and it was a surprise when it happened,” Book, a four-year starter, said of the all-star selection. “It was a good group that came along. We played together since the fourth or fifth grade and we had good chemistry.”

The all-star experience is becoming old hat for Shivers. He was also selected to play in December’s MAIS football all-star game. Although he figured to be selected for that one after leading the Trojans to a second consecutive playoff appearance as their quarterback, getting the nod in basketball wasn’t a goal at the start of the season.

Right up until the selections were announced, Shivers thought his teammate John Robert Fortenberry would be picked over him. Both players contributed mightily to Tallulah’s turnaround.

Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com