NATCHEZ — Adams County Christian School’s Josh Day can take two big steps down the court and he’s already at the other end.

For such a skilled athlete, Rebels coach Richy Spears likes to take note of some not so obvious attributes.

“What impressed me more about Josh was his rebounding ability,” Spears said. It wasn’t just how explosive he was on the floor or how strong he was. He would get 10 to 12 points a night off of offensive rebounds.

“He could get to the goal, certainly, but people in the community also talk about what a good kid he is. That means more than anything — more than any athletic ability.”

As Day could run from basket to basket, he was never short of efficient. He ended the season averaging a double-double — 24.2 points and 10.6 rebounds a game.

Day led the Rebels to a third-place finish in MAIS Class AAA and a trip to the MAIS Overall Basketball Tournament to be named The Natchez Democrat’s 2017-18 Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“It’s good to know I have an impact on people by the way I carry myself,” Day said. “I learned how to become a leader and overcome all kinds of obstacles like fans, other players and referees.”

Right behind the senior MAIS All-Star selection was Spears, who balanced a team filled with depth and experience to be named The Natchez Democrat’s 2017-18 Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.

For the honor, Spears gives all the credit to his players.

“I’m happy with how we competed every night,” he said. “I’m happy with the effort. We had way more experience this year. I just thought the intensity was there.”

Depending on the day, Spears said, you never knew who was going to have a good night.

“It seemed like every game that when someone was down, someone else stepped up,” he said. “I really felt like it was a combination of guys.

“With the seniors, you kind of knew what you were going to get. As far as the underclassmen go, one day it would be Dawson (Parker.) Then it would be Wes (Stockstill) and then (Andrew) Merritt and Tyler Lindsey. Some of them really stepped up and gave us some good minutes.”

Just like Day, Spears watched closely as the Rebels were taught to always do the right thing.

“It’s not all about scoring,” Spears said. “Most people don’t see that, but as a coach I look for the little things.”

ACCS never backed down from its furious season, notching multiple wins over MAIS Class AAAA schools while ending as the MAIS District 5-AAA Champions. The Rebels (18-8) fell in their final game to Copiah Academy by just one point, 47-46.

“We competed against everybody,” Spears said. “Some of those wins really propelled us through the rest of the year.

“But, the next best thing to winning a state championship is hearing feedback from the community. When you get someone telling you that your kids play hard and they hustle all the time, it makes you feel good.”

For Day — a Copiah-Lincoln Community College baseball signee — holding on to basketball for one more year was nothing short of special.

“I grew up around basketball,” he said. “My family is a basketball family — uncle, dad, everybody. It would be hard to just throw it away like that. It was a lot of fun.”