Coach Philip James guided championship girls’ basketball programs for 32 seasons at Moselle High and South Jones High in Ellisville. A native of Ovett, Coach James was a three-year letterman in football, basketball, and baseball at Waynesboro High. He earned his college degrees at Southern Miss and William Carey as he entered the coaching ranks in 1960. Philip started his career at Moselle High where he led the girls’ basketball program for 5 years to moderate success. Coach James arrived at West Jones in Ellisville in 1965 and developed a basketball juggernaut. His West Jones Mustangs won 12 Conference titles, 11 district crowns, had 16 appearances in South State, had 8 appearances in the state tournament, had two state runner-up finishes, and won the 1988 state championship with a squad that finished a perfect 37-0. Coach James had 10 girls selected to play in All-star games, 13 girls selected to All-state teams, 7 players in college basketball, and one player in pro basketball in Europe. Overall, his West Jones girls’ teams won 691 games with 286 losses out of 946 games played for a winning percentage of 71.3%. From 1966 to 1988, Coach James received 8 different coach of the year awards with 6 conference honors and 1988 Coach of the Year accolades from the MAC and the Clarion Ledger. Philip coached the South All-Star girls in the 1968 Mississippi High School All-Star game. He has been a longtime member of the MAC who has participated in numerous coaching clinics and was also a member of the National Association of Coaches.