NATCHEZ — When players strive to get better, like All-Metro Player of the Year Tommy McCoy, coaching becomes a lot easier for All-Metro Coach of the Year Edwin White.

Coaching can at times be as hard as the surface teams play on, but because White’s Trinity boys basketball team provided constant effort throughout the season, White experienced the most fun he’s had in 15 years.

“My thing is this—if you have kids that will listen and they give you all they have on the floor, win or lose, you can deal with it,” White said. “When you have kids that don’t listen and are hardheaded, that makes your job frustrating on all avenues.”

This past season has been less of the latter, and an undefeated regular season was the result of attentive ears, willing bodies and heavy hearts. Despite being limited to seven players halfway through the regular season, White and his team finished the regular season 22-0 and appeared in the MAIS Overall Tournament.

And even though the season ended with a 60-50 loss to Madison-Ridgeland Academy in the tournament, the Saints excelled on the court this season because of their unselfishness, White said.

“The difference between last year’s team and this year’s team wasn’t the talent,” White said. “I had reserves last year, but I didn’t have the unity. The kids liked each other and gelled as a team. It’s all about team concept.”

White’s journey as a coach began 22 years ago in a public school’s gymnasium. White served as an assistant boys coach at Ferriday High School before accepting a role as head girls’ coach at Wilkinson County for 10 years. Before becoming Trinity’s head coach two years ago, White served as Huntington High School’s last boys’ head coach.

“It’s been a long time coming,” White said. “A lot of people think private school basketball is easy and you can take one or two players and win it all. That is the farthest from the truth.”

White said he needed a strong nucleus to form a playoff team. He found it in Arzell McCoy, Tommy McCoy, Quinton Logan, Michael Whitley and Wyatt Boothe, who all stepped up when Trey Hall, arguably one of Trinity’s best players, left the team due to academics.

One player in particular, Tommy, became the team’s new anchor. Tommy, who averaged 15 points per game as a sophomore in 2013, upped the ante in 2014. He became a better distributor with the basketball while increasing his points per game average to 22.

“When Trey Hall left, I knew I had to attack the basket more,” McCoy said. “He was a good leader, so I knew I had to step up.”

Step up he did. Tommy’s older brother, Arzell, who was the cornerstone for the 2013 team as a junior and averaged 18.5 points per game as a senior in 2014, passed the torch to his little brother this season.

The biggest glaring difference from his sophomore to junior campaign was the rise in Tommy’s maturity, White said.

“The leadership he exhibited on the floor influenced the other players,” White said. “I think he transformed into the ball player he should be. You will be hearing a lot about him in the future.”

Thomas said he grew into his comfort zone and with his bigger brother out there with him the chemistry was natural.

“We know each other’s game,” McCoy said. “When we got into a heated spot, we knew what play we wanted to run because we would practice at home. The chemistry was with the whole team, because we were together in football season.”

White and McCoy said the unity not only made playing more fun in 2014, but it allowed them to soar on the floor, rising above the competition more often than not.

For McCoy, winning and spending more time with teammates in 2014 was pleasing, but for White, watching his team stand united on the basketball court conquered all. At the end of the day, that’s success in the eyes of the coach of the year.