NATCHEZ — Senior Madelyn Cross’ season with the Trinity girls didn’t end as she hoped, but that didn’t stop her from saying it was a good year overall.

Saturday, Cross will get to play in one more high school basketball game after being selected for the South roster in the MAIS annual A.R. Smithers All-Star Basketball game.

“It’s a privilege to be able to be considered an All-Star,” Cross said. “When you’re little, you always want to be an All-Star, so this will be fun I think.”

Cross will be joined by fellow Trinity athletes Kent King and L.J. Trimble, who will both compete in the boys’ All-Star game. She said making the All-Star game wasn’t a focal point for her, but it didn’t totally slip her mind.

“I probably wasn’t thinking that far ahead at the start of the year, but it was probably one of the goals I had in the back of my mind,” Cross said.

The Lady Saints won their district and South State, but fell short to Delta Academy in the state championship game.

“It was a great season,” Cross said. “You couldn’t have asked for a better team or coach (in Richy Spears). We came up short again, but it’s still more than a lot of teams in years past have done here.”

And her teammates and coaches get all the credit for a great season, she said.

“It’s the last season I have in high school, and coach Spears has changed the whole dynamic for basketball here,” she said. “There’s more fan involvement and people wanting to come watch us play.”

King also said it was a great honor to be selected as an All-Star, but it also wasn’t the main goal he had going into the season.

“The main goal is winning a championship, and making the team is a bonus,” King said.

“The whole year, everything went well. We came up short in the state championship game, but not many can say they won a state championship in football and played for one in basketball. I’m thankful to be able to come to Trinity and be successful in multiple sports.”

Trimble said he wanted to thank his family, mentors and coaching staff for helping him make the All-Star team.

“It’s an honor. By the grace of God, he helped me become a better player and get ready for college,” Trimble said.

And God had a little help from Trinity boys coach David King.

“He always wants your best,” Trimble said. “He wants you to come out every day and play as hard as you can. He helped me become a better man, student and athlete — a better overall person.”

David King said senior Givonni Dent withdrew his name from consideration for the All-Star game.

“He wanted to concentrate on baseball and his studies, which I think is honorable on his part,” King said.

Spears will coach the Class A South girls team, and David King will be an assistant coach for the Class A South boys team. Centreville Academy girls coach John R. Gray will coach the South AA and AAA girls.