Chattanooga: Howard, Grace on hot start Two undefeated teams in Best of Preps tourney

Howard’s Walter McGary and Grace Academy’s Jon Mattheiss are the only two high school boys’ basketball coaches who can claim to have led their team to a Times Free Press Best of Preps tournament championship.

They’re also the only two who will bring an undefeated squad into the fourth-annual event that starts today at Arts & Sciences and Chattanooga Christian.

Two-time defending champion Howard will play the night’s final game at 8:30 p.m. against host CSAS after Grace takes on Baylor at 5:30. Girls’ and boys’ consolation games and semifinals will be held Friday at Arts & Sciences, with the championships set for 5:30 and 7 on Saturday.

“We're looking forward to the tournament, and to the competition,” McGary said. “It's kind of the best of Chattanooga. If we play great defense and play with some enthusiasm, I think we can do pretty good.”

Howard reached the Class AA state semifinals after winning the Best of Preps championship last season, but McGary is having to replace five players, including three starters, from that team. Despite their lack of experience, the young Hustlin’ Tigers still have managed to start the season with a 5-0 record, thanks in part to the efforts of senior point guard Jahron Reynolds and juniors Calvin Ross and Chris Deloney.

“We're in a rebuilding year, but things are falling in place about like I thought they would,” McGary said. “We’re working on team chemistry, playing together, and really just being enthusiastic about playing basketball.”

A 7-0 start has given Grace Academy reason for enthusiasm, as the Golden Eagles try to prepare for another run to the Class A state tournament. Mattheiss’ team finished as state runner-up in 2006 after claiming the Best of Preps title earlier that season.

“This is one of the highlights of the year for us,” he said. “We always look forward to it because the competition is so good. It's a really good measuring stick. If you have weaknesses, they’re going to get exposed in this tournament, so it helps you prepare for the second half of the season.”

With the quickness of junior guards Brandon Herman and Terrell Church complementing 6-foot-9 Charleston Southern signee Patrick Shaughnessy inside, the Golden Eagles have averaged nearly 80 points a game so far this season and outscored their opponents by an average of 40.

“This will be the strongest competition we've faced to date this year,” Mattheiss said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how we compete against some AA and D-II schools. One of the exciting things about this tournament is that it brings together a lot of different teams that don’t normally get a chance to play each other.”