Raymond boys basketball coach Tony Tadlock, center, is pictured with the MHSAA Class 4A state championship trophy, his third title in five seasons coaching the Rangers. Pictured with him are his assistant coaches, Jason Claxton, left, and Richard Caston.

When Tony Tadlock left Meridian High School to take his first head coaching job at Raymond, he told people his goal was to have the best boys basketball program in Mississippi.

“Some people laughed at that, Tadlock admitted.

No one’s laughing now, though, as Tadlock and the Rangers are coming off a 29-5 season and another MHSAA Class 4A state championship, their third one in Tadlock’s five-year tenure. Raymond also finished the season ranked No. 1 in the state in the SBLive Mississippi Power top-10 boys basketball poll. The Rangers edged out Class 6A state champion Clinton, whom they defeated 52-51 on Dec. 3.

“We were preseason No. 1 and finished No. 1 in the poll that actually matters,” Tadlock said. “That’s unique, especially at a school like Raymond. We can’t control the number of students we have, but we want to be known as the best program, and playing for six straight championships definitely puts us in that conversation.”

Tadlock was an assistant at Meridian from 2011-17 under head coaches Randy Bolden and Ron Norman. He took over Raymond’s program prior to the 2017-18 season, when the Rangers were coming off a Class 4A state title. Tadlock led the Rangers to two more state championships in his first two seasons and also made the Class 4A state title game in 2020 and 2021, losing both before rebounding to win state again this season.

“After finishing runner up for two years, I didn’t have to motivate the guys as far as the (summer) workouts and weight room,” Tadlock said. “They took it upon themselves to get that bad taste out of their mouths. All season long our motto was having unfinished business, and we were able to finish this year.”

The 2021-22 Rangers had no trouble scoring points, but what set them apart this year was their extra focus on defense, Tadlock said. Raymond didn’t give up more than 50 points the entire playoffs, with the highest opposing point total coming in the championship game against Clarksdale, which Raymond won 67-46.

“I believe this team was one of the tougher teams we’ve had, and we took pride this past offseason in becoming tougher, which started in the weight room,” Tadlock said. “The leaders of the team led that every day, and we knew we had talent offensively, but it wouldn’t matter if we couldn’t stop anyone. We finished allowing 48 points per game, and that’s special, especially with the schedule we played.”

Hopes are already high for next season, and Tadlock said he’s excited about the group they bring back.

“We have a good nucleus of guards who have waited their turn and have a chance to be really good,” Tadlock said. “We have EJ Paymon, the top sophomore in the state, and a lot of high-character guys. We’ve actually already started lifting weights and going through drills.”

Meridian is often a non-divisional opponent for the Rangers, and Tadlock said he still has friends in Meridian and tries to keep up with the school’s basketball teams. He was especially happy to see the Meridian girls win their first state championship in program history earlier this month.

“I still have a lot of love for Meridian,” Tadlock said. “I’m proud of Coach Faulkner and what she’s been able to do with the program. I remember a lot of those girls from when they were back in middle school. As they say, once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.”