Germantown ends DeSoto Central’s playoff run

Photo: DeSoto Central’s Hunter Avant (1) is defended by Michael Johnson of Germantown during Thursday’s 7A quarterfinal contest. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)

Key Points

• Historic Season Ends: DeSoto Central’s postseason run concluded Thursday in the MHSAA Class 7A state quarterfinals.
• Simpson Leads Jags: Senior Langston Simpson scored a team-high 20 points in his final appearance for the Jaguars.
• Comeback Falls Short: A late 14-point deficit was cut significantly by a high-intensity fourth-quarter press before Germantown pulled away.

ITTA BENA, Miss. – The historic 2025-2026 campaign for the DeSoto Central boys basketball team reached its conclusion Thursday night as the Jaguars fell 63-51 to Germantown (Madison) in the MHSAA Class 7A state quarterfinals at Mississippi Valley State University.  

Despite a furious fourth-quarter rally that saw the Jaguars use “chaos and intensity” to force turnovers, the early deficit proved too much to overcome. Germantown utilized a 9-0 run to start the third quarter, stretching their lead to 20 points and forcing DeSoto Central (25-5) to play from behind for the remainder of the contest.

“It’s disappointing,” said Jaguars head coach Blake Ormon. “We started a little timid and a little slow. Credit to them, they’ve got some really good players, especially number 32 (Samuel Funchk IV), but I’m really proud of our effort in the latter half of the game. This team never quits.”

Funchk finished the contest with a game-high 22 points.  

Simpson shines in finale

DeSoto Central senior Langston Simpson capped off a stellar season with a 20-point performance. Simpson, who Ormon praised for “biding his time” behind last year’s senior class, led the Jaguar offense alongside Caleb Smith, who finished with seven points.

Shaun Banger added five points in his final game, while Cameron Smith and Kayson Moore each contributed six.

Physicality and officiating

The Jaguars struggled early with the size disparity in the paint, finding more success from the perimeter as Germantown’s interior defense limited high-percentage looks. The game was also marked by officiating that hampered DeSoto Central’s attempt to match Germantown’s physicality.

“We were trying to create a little physicality and it was called very tight,” Ormon said. “It made it a much taller task for us.”

Looking ahead

While the loss ends this particular season, the foundation appears solid for the Jaguars. Though losing key seniors like Simpson and Banger, Ormon expressed optimism about the “really good young corps” returning to the hardwood next season.

DeSoto Central scoring: Langston Simpson (20), Caleb Smith (7), Cameron Smith (6), Kayson Moore (6), Shaun Banger (5), Blake Price (3), Hunter Avant (2).