NATCHEZ — He may have been selected as The Natchez Democrat’s 2010-11 All-Metro coach of the year, but David King certainly wasn’t satisfied with this past season.

The Trinity Episcopal Day School boys basketball coach is used to winning state championships in football. Even though he got his basketball team to the state title game Feb. 19, the 54-53 loss to Greenville Christian Academy still stings.

“We set out and had very high goals and didn’t quite make our goal of a state championship,” King said. “I’ve just been so close in basketball and just can’t quite get us over that championship hump.”

Even with the disappointment of coming up just short, King said he was honored to be recognized for the team’s season, and didn’t downplay what the Saints were able to accomplish on the court.

“We had a great year,” King said. “What a great basketball team I was able to coach. There were a lot of talented players, and we were just one shot short of a dream season.”

King’s desire to win a state championship in every sport he coaches stems from wanting his players to experience winning it all in at least one sport, he said.

“I just tell our boys, every year in every class that we’re in, someone’s going to win a state championship,” King said.

“That’s our ultimate goal. We want to be that team, and we’re going to fight, claw, work and scheme for every bit that we’ve got. You’re not going to always win it, and that’s just a fact, but when you put yourselves in position like we’ve been able to do in football and basketball, it sure makes you feel good.”

Football and boys basketball weren’t the only two sports at Trinity that excelled during the 2010-11 school year. The Trinity girls also came just short in the Class A state title game 39-37 against Delta Academy in double overtime. King, who serves as Trinity’s athletic director, said his supporting cast has allowed Trinity athletics to excel.

“We’ve got an administration that backs me as an athletic director and has confidence in me to make decisions,” King said.

“(Girls coach) Richy Spears and I coach football together, and we’ve both assisted each other on our basketball teams, so that was special. Richy’s like me, he’s demanding, and the kids know when they first start out it’s going to be a grind.”

And that demand rubs off on both of their athletes, King said.

“If they’ll work as hard as Richy and I will work, good things are going to happen, and that’s what these kids do,” King said.

“We’ve got a very fine basketball program to go along with an outstanding football program, and I couldn’t be prouder.”