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Also named to the DL's Dream Team were Marcus McGee of Brookhaven, Ashton Fox and Glenn Thomas of Loyd Star, Aaron Collins of West Lincoln and Jake Reed of Brookhaven Academy and Austin Everett of Enterprise.
The Dream Team was selected by members of the DL sports staff, with input provided by area high school and community college coaches.
Watts has had Roberts on the varsity for three years and recognizes his value to the team. "Blaine has always been an excellent perimeter shooter. This year what stands out the most is that he stepped up his game in other areas. His stats might have gone down some because of the adjustment.
"We moved him from shooting guard to point guard because we wanted the ball in his hands," Watts added. "He was willing to sacrifice and that speaks well of him."
The Cougars advanced to the quarterfinals of the MPSA Overall Tournament before losing to Jackson Academy. Roberts was limited in his shooting due to a fractured bone in his left, non-shooting hand. For games the hand was wrapped tightly with gauze and tape.
The injury happened at the end of the regular season in a game at Copiah Academy. Roberts crashed to the floor and onlookers feared a concussion.
"I knew Blaine took a hard fall against Copiah," said Watts. "I knew he was hurt but I was worried more about his head because he took a hard lick."
Roberts was examined by doctors and x-rays revealed the fracture in his hand. He still wanted to play basketball as the Cougars entered the state playoffs.
"Blaine played with that injury during the whole playoffs," said Watts. "I think he re-injured it in the state championship game when he took a couple of falls. He showed a lot of courage."
Roberts is an all-around athlete, competing in track and basketball. "He has great jumping ability and he's a smart guy," said Watts. "He made a 30 on his ACT."
Roberts considered John R. Gray Gymnasium as his second home. He spent countless hours honing his shooting skills.
"We talk about gym rats," said Watts. "His grandfather would come and get the keys to gain access to the gymnasium. He would meet Blaine at the gym, because an adult had to be present. They spent countless hours there."
Roberts had surgery on his hand the Monday after the MPSA all-star game. He wants to play basketball in college, either at Co-Lin or Southwest.
Asked about the injury, Roberts said, "The scathoid bone in my left hand that leads to my thumb."
Reflecting on the Cougars' 30-10 record and fifth consecutive state title, Roberts said, "Our whole team worked together and did a good job. Any time we needed somebody to do something, they would step up."
Roberts said he enjoyed the all-star game and had fun associating with the other all-stars.
Asked bout a future career, Roberts said, "I haven't decided which one yet. I'm thinking about becoming an anesthesiologist."
He said he doesn't have any favorite player in college or the NBA, but, "My whole family is Ole Miss people."
Playing for Watts requires dedication and devotion to basketball. Roberts said, "Coach Watts was tough but he taught me a lot. He stressed defense in practice. We would practice without a ball and just work on basic fundamentals. He would point a direction and we would just push-step."
He said BA's state title was special. "This state championship was the best for me because it was my senior year."
An all-around athlete, Roberts is a member of BA' track team. He competes in the high jump, long jump and triple jump.
Aaron Collins, a 6-2 senior guard, averaged 12.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game for Coach Lane Young's West Lincoln Bears who finished 19-11 and were runners-up in the Division 8-1A Tournament.
"Aaron is as good a one-on-one player as I've had," said Young. "He handles the ball well and he has long arms. He shot the ball pretty good for us this year."
Marcus McGee, a 6-5 junior guard, averaged 9.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 rebounds per game for the Brookhaven Panthers who finished 12-16 and advanced to the Class 4A state playoffs.
BHS coach Ronald Hinds says, "Marcus has good size and he's aggressive and can move well. He's a 6-foot-5 guard who can handle the basketball."
Ashton Fox, averaged 20.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.5 steals per game for the Hornets as they posted a 25-4 record, advancing to the Class 2A state playoffs. They finished runners-up to Hinds AHS in the Division 6-2A Tournament.
Loyd Star coach Gene Britt says, "Ashton is an excellent ball-handler. He can penetrate or step back and shoot the threes. He's very quick and has good hands."
Austin Everett, a 6-6 junior center, averaged 11 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2 blocked shots for the Yellow Jackets.
Enterprise first-year coach John Knight says, "Austin has improved and become more than just a scorer. He has a good work ethic and he's a smart kid."
Glenn Thomas, a 6-1 junior guard, averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals per game for the Hornets who got off to a 20-0 start this season.
"Glenn is a hard-nosed player who really drives to the goal," said Coach Britt. "He can leap and rebound, too."
Jake Reed, a versatile 6-3 junior guard who can crash the backboards, averaged 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game for the Cougars.
Coach Watts says, "Jake became our go-to player. He's a very versatile kid. We have played him everywhere from point guard to the post."
"Jake can play the game," Watts pointed out. "When we had to have two points, we would try to find a way to get him in position. He had a lot of games with double-doubles."
HONORABLE MENTION
Bogue Chitto: Justin London, Javier Gee, Seth Avants.
Brookhaven: Rajavian Stewart, Fred Fairman, Chad Hall, Donaldmetric Blue.
Brookhaven Academy: Josh Winborne, Jamison Powell, Jeremy Foster, Sidney Chaffin.
Enterprise: Kevin Perry, Russell Perry, Jamie Smith.
Loyd Star: DeAndre Butler, McKinley Hamilton, Joseph Shelby.
West Lincoln: Micah Bivens, Jeremie Richardson, Brett Rushing.
