MRA Spirit Book 2020-2021

RICHARD DUEASE Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach

Entering his 49th overall season, 39th at MRA, of coaching, Richard Duease has earned the respect of each member of the MAIS. His basketball teams are known for their hard work, toughness, and winning tradition. The Indianola native has recorded an overall record, girls and boys, of 1701 wins and 640 losses, which certainly says it all. Coach Duease is the all time winningest high school boys coach in the state of Mississippi with 1077 Boys victory. He has been named coach of the year 32 times. Coach

Duease, boys and girls combined, has won 39 state championships at MRA and 1 at Clarksdale Lee. They have played in the state championship game 26 of the last 35 games. Duease received his B.S. degree from Mississippi State. He is married to the former Kim Gibbs of Clarksdale. They celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary this year. They have one daughter, Anne Taylor Duease Lindsay of Pensacola, FL. STEPHEN FORCE Varsity Girls Basketball Head Coach

Coach Force graduated from high school at Southern Baptist Educational Center in Olive Branch, MS in 1990. He attended Northwest Mississippi Community College and the University MS from 1990 until the spring of 1993. In 1993, Coach Force transferred to Delta State and worked as an assistant coach at Indianola Academy. After two years at Indianola, Coach Force became and assistant coach for the Delta State Lady Statesmen. In 1996 he helped the lady Statesmen to a 4th place finish in the Division II

National Tournament. He received his Masters Degree in Education from Delta State in 1996. From 1996- 2002 Coach Force served as the women’s head coach at Starkville Academy. In 2002, Coach Force came to MRA. He is beginning his 17th season at MRA in which he has won two Overall, two State AAA, and five Div-I State titles. He has a 24-year career record of 632 wins and 259 losses. He and his wife Laurie have two girls, Lanie (20) and Macie (11). MARK ALEXANDER Varsity Boys Basketball, JV Basketball Coach

Mark Alexander is entering his 15th year in the coaching profession, and seventh at MRA. He serves as the head junior high boys basketball coach and lead high school assistant. In addition, he is the head golf coach and Sports Information Director. Alexander has been a part of eight State title teams and three Overall championship teams on the varsity level during his tenure at MRA. He has compiled an 83-13 record in four seasons as the junior high head coach, guiding his teams to three regular season championships, two tournament championships and a tournament runner- up finish. The Patriots were 23-0 last season. The Jackson native played basketball

at Belhaven for one year before transferring to Mississippi State, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Sports Communication while also serving as a manager for the men’s basketball team for three seasons. Alexander was a sports writer for 15 years, and also dabbled in sports radio and basketball color analyst roles prior to joining the coaching ranks. He was the athletic director and head girls and boys basketball coach at now defunct Tennessee Temple Academy in Chattanooga, TN., and also held the position of varsity head boys basketball coach at Manchester Academy and Starkville Academy prior to his arrival at MRA. PAT LOVITT Assistant Varsity Girls & Head Junior High Girls Basketball Coach

Pat is beginning his 6th season as the boy’s and girl’s cross country coach at MRA. He also coaches distance in track for both the girls and boys in Jr High and High School, is the head coach of the 7th, 8th, and 9th grade girls basketball teams, and assistant basketball coach for the varsity girls team. His cross country teams have won two North State championships in each the boys and girls divisions, and the girls team has captured three Overall championships and finished state runner-up three times.

Pat is married to Jennifer Lovitt and they have two daughters, Tavyn and Kayla, that both graduated from MRA. Tavyn is now teaching and coaching cross country in San Jose, California. Kayla is a past Don Souder award winner for MRA and MAIS all-star in basketball. She is entering medical school at UMMC in the fall.

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