McCOMB — Travion Jones scored 20 points to go along with 11 rebounds and Ja’Quorias Stewart had 16 points and five assists as the Wilkinson County Wildcats topped one of the top teams in Class 4A, Poplarville, 69-65 Wednesday in the McComb High School tournament.

“It was a good game,” Wilkinson County head coach Julius Anderson said. “We controlled the game the whole way through, until turnovers in the fourth allowed them to narrow the score some.”

Anderson said he saw a new flare to his team, something he hadn’t been seeing recently when they came out.

“They came out with aggressiveness that we didn’t have in the first game,” he said. “The kids wanted to prove again that they aren’t flukes. They win with a purpose — to make a statement.”

Anderson credited a lot of the early success for Wilkinson County (9-3) to the junior class.

“Travion has taken up that leadership role I expected, and Ja’Quorias has stepped up a lot,” Anderson said. “The junior class has come to play and the seniors are helping lead them on the way.”

With the win, Wilkinson County matched its win total from last season, something Anderson said is great to do so early on.

“Our team is coming together heading into district and with matching our win total, that is a step in a positive direction,” he said.