The high school basketball season in Warren County came to a disappointing end when most of our local teams lost early in the state tournament.

It wasn’t that long ago, however, that we had teams competing for state titles and playing into March. A few reminders of those glory years are still around, and will be on display this weekend in Clinton when the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Region XXIII tournament is contested at Mississippi College.

The tournament features eight teams from Mississippi and Louisiana competing for a berth in the national tournament. Some of the best players of recent vintage from Warren County will factor into the outcome.

For Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Ted Brisco has emerged as a pivotal player off the bench. He led Porters Chapel Academy to the MAIS Class A championship and was The Vicksburg Post’s Player of the Year in 2013.

Brisco went to Gulf Coast as a walk on. This year he helped it finish 19-6 and reach the MACJC state tournament semifinals.

Brisco only started two games, but averaged 8.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He’s scored in double figures in eight of his last 12 games. Brisco is a true underdog success story worth rooting for.

Of course, he’s not the only one. Holmes Community College has almost half of the 2014 Vicksburg Post All-County team on its roster.

D’Angelo Richardson and Edward Davis, once teammates at Vicksburg High, both start for Holmes and led them to an 18-6 record this season. Richardson — the Post’s Player of the Year in 2014 — is scoring 13.2 points per game, while the point guard Davis has averaged 2.1 assists. Former Warren Central star Gerald Glass is also on the Bulldogs’ roster, and usually comes off the bench.

Holmes plays Northeast Mississippi in the first round Thursday at 2 p.m. Gulf Coast plays East Mississippi tonight at 6. The semifinals are at 6 and 8 p.m. Friday, and the championship game is at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Junior college basketball in Mississippi often takes a backseat in support and attention to both football and baseball, so head over to Clinton and support our local guys if you can. They’re making us proud.

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Ernest Bowker is a sports writer for The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at ernest.bowker@vicksburgpost.com

NJCAA Region XXIII men’s basketball tournament

At Mississippi College, Clinton

Thursday, March 3

Jones County vs. Northwest Mississippi, Noon

Holmes County vs. Northeast Mississippi, 2 p.m.

Mississippi Gulf Coast vs. East Mississippi, 6 p.m.

Southern-Shreveport vs. Pearl River, 8 p.m.

Friday, March 4

Semifinals, 6 and 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 5

Championship game, 8 p.m.