PHOTO BY JOEY MCQUEEN Following the game, the all-star forward took time to pose for a photo with his proud parents, Hilton and Demar Hopson. All-star games are not supposed to be about defense, but try telling that to Heath Hopson.

At the latest installment of the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Basketball Game, held at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin Monday night, Lampasas' most prolific scorer in school history had a point to prove.

"A lot of coaches said I wouldn't be good at defense," Hopson said. "I saw this as a chance to show off [my defensive skills]."

Badger fans needed little convincing, however.

They already knew the truth.

In addition to holding Lampasas' all-time scoring title (2,033 pts.), the 6-4 sharpshooter also set school benchmarks with 983 rebounds and 233 rejections over his four-year varsity career.

In the first quarter, Hopson did not even attempt a shot. Instead, the all-star crashed the boards, collected three rebounds and dished out an assist in just four minutes of work.

PHOTOS BY CATRINA RAWSON/KILLEEN DAILY HERALD Lampasas basketball star Heath Hopson wrapped up his high school career Monday night playing in the THSCA All-Star Game. Above: Hopson looks to get the ball to a teammate. Right: The former Badger begins his drive around the North's Jordan Ashmore, of 2A Spearman. Below: Hopson releases one of his three free-throw attempts of the evening. He connected on two en route to a nine-point performance, while grabbing five rebounds in 15 minutes. On a squad stacked with highoctane offensive players, the South starter expected his team would carry the scoring load.

Unfortunately, he was wrong.

The South connected on just four of its first 23 field-goal attempts, falling into a nine-point hole at 19- 10 by the end of the opening period.

Then Hopson's killer instinct took over.

He went on to score nine points (3-7 FG, 1-2 3FG, 2-3 FT), including the South's final bucket of the evening, a 3-pointer, to give the team its first lead of the game at 80-78 with 2:41 remaining.

But the South would not score again, and the North claimed an 81-80 victory.

Despite the loss, Hopson's mental approach to the contest impressed one of his biggest fans in the Erwin Center audience.

"The intelligence of him going in with a game plan, that's the part that really impresses me," Trinity University head coach Pat Cunningham said of his future player. "[He was] not just going out there and playing, but [he] was playing with a purpose.

"That, to me, says a lot about a kid."

Hopson recently committed to play at Trinity and begins organized team workouts on Oct. 15.

While the soon-to-be Tiger finished with five rebounds, an assist and a block in 15 minutes of action, Cunningham enjoyed seeing the intangibles.

"I was kidding with Ross Burt, my assistant, and I texted him that [Heath] took two charges and stopped several scores while he was out there," Cunningham said. "Ross texted me back and kiddingly said, 'That's two more charges than our team took in a lot of games.' "

All joking aside, the Tigers' head coach was certain he added a valuable piece to his team by recruiting Hopson.

"I knew he had skills, but watching his presence on the court and all the little things he does during the course of the game was fun for me to see in person. I'm really excited about his prospects."

Hopson also drew pre-game inspiration from his friendly rivalry with district foe turned allstar teammate Cory Jefferson.

After being named District 25- 4A MVP, Hopson was criticized by some who believed Killeen's Jefferson or Lake Travis' Jordan Jahr should have received the award. The Kangaroos and Cavaliers both cracked the Top 10 in the 4A state polls during the regular season and made deep runs in the playoffs, while the Badgers finished with an 8-24 overall record (1-9 district).

"A lot of people didn't think I deserved the MVP because I was overrated, but I think this proves a point that I wasn't overrated like they thought," Hopson said. "A lot of articles [after the all-star game] still mention how Cory Jefferson kind of got snubbed."

During the game, Hopson displayed why his MVP accolade was no fluke.

Jefferson's only baskets of the evening came during his trophyclinching performance in the halftime slam dunk contest. He finished the game with zero points, missing all four of his field-goal attempts (0-1 3FG) and a pair of free throws.

The soon-to-be Baylor Bear did lead the South with 10 rebounds, but he also committed three turnovers during his 20 minutes.

There are no hard feelings between the players, though.

"It's just great to be able to play next to him and feed off his energy," Hopson said of his fellow starter.

While the two battled for bragging rights, San Antonio Stevens product Brandon Thompson stole one of the contest's top honors with a 13- point, eight-rebound outing to claim the South MVP award. Caden Dickerson, of 3A Argyle, was the North MVP after scoring 21 points and grabbing seven boards.

According to Badgers' head coach Scott Harrelson, Hopson left no doubt about his MVP credibility.

"He showed that he is one of the best players in the state," Harrelson said after hearing about the game while vacationing in Colorado. "I believe he outplayed most everybody on his team, and I'm real proud of him.

"I have been [coaching] for 30 years, and I've had a Kodak All- American, but this is the first time I've had a high school player that ever played in the all-star game."

With his high school career officially behind him, Hopson feels certain he could not have obtained the same level of success without Harrelson.

"I couldn't have asked for a better coach. He was awesome," Hopson said. "He was a father to all of us, and it was great being able to learn from him.

"In basketball, you don't just learn to play, you have to learn the right attitude, and you gain character from the sport. It's great to look back now at my accomplishments and everything, but I can't wait to play at the next level in college and have fun there, too."