As Houston High School’s baseball team received its trophy after defeating Newton County High School in the MHSAA Class 4A state championship in May, Jacob Edwards stood near the home dugout at Trustmark Ballpark in Pearl.

Understandably, the loss stung. But even in defeat, the outgoing senior remained gracious as he congratulated Houston players with a series of handclaps as tears rolled down his cheeks.

If anyone can speak to Edwards’ character, it’s Newton County head coach Wyatt Tullos, who has instructed and mentored the shortstop for the past five years.

“He obviously has a lot of athletic ability and is a very good player, but he is a high-character guy,” Tullos said of Edwards. “I think that’s going to carry him far on the field, and eventually when he’s done playing, off the field. He’s a high-character individual, and he handles his business like a man.”

Newton County’s dynamic duo led the Cougars to Pearl and a spot in the state title series, and now they are The Meridian Star’s 2016 All-Metro Coach and Player of the Year.

“I guess hard work really does pay off,” Edwards said. “It’s an incredible honor. I give God the glory, and I thank all my coaches: Coach Tullos, Coach (Matt) Boone and Coach (Robert) Westbrook. I thank my parents, too, for always pushing me.”

Edwards finished the season with a dazzling stat line that earned him a host of postseason awards. He batted .450 to go along with seven home runs, 13 doubles, 28 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. At Newton County’s baseball banquet Tuesday night, Edwards walked away with the Captain Award and the team’s Best Offensive Player and Best Defensive Player Awards.

Despite his personal achievements, Edwards is quick to deflect his recognition to Tullos, as it becomes clear that there is a mutual respect between the two.

“He’s a great guy,” Edwards said of his high school coach. “He demands a lot out of us. He really pushed me — I guess he saw the potential he had with me, and he just always got after it and never skipped a beat. There were no days off. He’s just a hard-working man.”

If you spend even just a few minutes at a Newton County baseball practice, you quickly see that integrity and personal responsibility are important tenets of the two-time state championship (Newton County and Lake High School) coach’s philosophy.

“There’s a lot of accountability with him,” Edwards said. “With him, it’s not always about baseball, but more like about life and becoming a man. From junior high to high school — growing up and maturing.”

Tullos said coaching players with Edwards’ maturity and baseball acumen makes his job a lot easier.

“More than anything else, he brought hard work, determination, hustle and just that mindset every day to the field and to practice,” Tullos said. “He’s a great leader. Obviously, we’re going to miss him, and we wish him the best. I know he’ll do well, and all those attributes will carry him far in everything he does, not just baseball.”

Tullos has been at Newton County for 15 seasons, and in the five years of the Tullos-Edwards era, the tandem went 123-48. Tullos, who said he is a fan of Mike Krzyzewski, has adopted one of the Duke basketball coach’s mottos as one of his own.

“(Coach K) talks about getting on the bus with the right people, you know, and I just feel like I’ve been really blessed to get on the bus with some really good people,” Tullos said. “(Jacob) is one of the ones who I’ve had the privilege to get on the bus with.”

Edwards will play baseball at East Central Community College next season. And while he’ll gain a new coach and teammates, he said he won’t forget the lasting friendships and memories he made at Newton County.

“I’ve been playing with them for my whole life,” he said. “I know they’re just my friends, but I’ve been around them so long that they’re like my brothers. I’ll miss playing in front of all of our fans, which is something I dreamed about since a kid. Playing for Coach Tullos, Boone and Westbrook, they’re great guys, and I really enjoyed playing for them.”

Tullos lives in Newton County with his wife, Holly, and the couple has four children: Marilyn, Josie, Erin and Wyatt III.

Edwards is the son of Matt and Tammie Edwards.