WEBB — When the Cleveland Central High School basketball teams visited West Tallahatchie High School Saturday, it was not just another game day.
It was, for all intents and purposes, the homecoming of Bernard Berryhill, arguably the most accomplished coach in West Tallahatchie history.
Berryhill, a West Tally alumnus who coached boys’ basketball for the Choctaws for 16 years before leaving after the 2016-17 season, was making his first appearance at the Webb school as head coach of the opposing team.
“I was excited about the opportunity of returning, but I was unsure of how I would respond emotionally,” Berryhill said in a text message to The Sun-Sentinel Tuesday.
“Once I entered the building, I felt the buzz of energy in the air, as if others had longed for this day as well. It felt like a reunion, like a family gathering,” he continued. “The turnout made my heart smile, knowing that I had something to do with this event. Prior to the game, I took a minute to observe the capacity crowd. I was reminded of how supportive they have always been. It was a humbling experience.”
At the final buzzer, Berryhill’s Wolves had defeated the Chocs 84-63 to improve to 13-3 on the season. The West Tally boys fell to 5-7 in their first season without him.
Still, Berryhill said the game “was very competitive,” adding, “Both teams played very hard and should have some positives moving forward. The fans were loud and created an atmosphere similarly to when I was on the home bench.”
For the record, Cleveland Central’s girls edged West Tally’s girls 48-46 Saturday.
Berryhill was head coach of the Choctaws’ 2015-16 Class 2A state championship team, which finished the regular season 27-0 before running the table to win the program’s (and Tallahatchie County’s) first-ever basketball state crown. West Tally’s 34-0 record that season made them the state’s first undefeated boys’ basketball team in any class since 1985.
For his team’s success, Berryhill was awarded with several statewide “Coach of the Year” honors.
The 2016-17 Choctaws turned in another strong performance, making it to the 2A semifinals — just one win shy of a second straight state title game appearance — before losing a 55-54 heartbreaker on a last-second, near half-court trey and finishing with a 28-6 record.
From 2013-2017, Berryhill’s Choctaws had been very special, posting a cumulative won-lost mark of 97-26 and placing the West Tally coach on a short list of top-drawer candidates for lead openings elsewhere.
It had been one of the worst-kept secrets in Tallahatchie County that during this time of unparalleled program success, Berryhill had also clashed, both personally and professionally, with certain members of school administration.
While he never addressed the issue on the record, in a March 2017 postseason interview with The Sun-Sentinel, Berryhill mentioned “challenges that I have had to endure” and hinted at the possibility of leaving by saying that he would entertain coaching offers from other schools.
“I don’t know if I’m wanted back at West Tallahatchie,” he added, declining to elaborate.
He accepted an offer to become the first boys’ basketball head coach at Cleveland Central, created by the consolidation of Cleveland and Cleveland East Side high schools.
In the final analysis, Berryhill called Saturday’s return visit “therapeutic” for him, adding, “It provided the end of a roller-coaster ride.”
IN THE PHOTO: Bernard Berryhill is pictured at the Class 2A State Basketball Championships in Jackson on March 11, 2016, while he was head coach of the West Tallahatchie High School Choctaws. (Sun-Sentinel file photo by Clay McFerrin)
