Arts & Sciences began the high school basketball season with state-tournament expectations, while Tennessee Temple wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
Tonight the 2007 Class A state finalists again have the chance to earn state berths, and if recent history is any indication, both could be making return trips to Murfreesboro next week.
Along with Howard and McMinn Central in Class AA and Red Bank and Cleveland in AAA, Temple and CSAS will be playing in TSSAA sectional games, with the winners advancing to the state tournament March 12-15.
Chattanooga has been well-represented in the Class A tournament this decade, with a local team finishing first or second in six of the past seven years. When a young CSAS team pulled an upset on the road against Pickett County last season, it marked the second time the Region 3 winner and runner-up both defeated their Region 4 sectional opponents.
After being upset by Temple in last week’s 3-A final, the Patriots (27-5) must go back on the road tonight to face 4-A champion Jackson County at 8 p.m. Eastern.
“This is all we’ve ever known,” CSAS coach Mark Dragoo said. “We’ve made it to the sectionals five times and played five road games, but it’s worked out pretty well for us.
“I believe this is the first time Jackson County has been to the sectionals in 10 or 20 years. Our guys have been there three of the last four, so we’ll see if that experience pays off.”
Temple (22-9) will host 4-A runner-up Westmoreland at 7 p.m. at Tennessee Temple University, the site of the two upset wins that put the Crusaders a game away from the state tournament despite graduating most of last year’s championship team.
“This means a lot,” said Temple junior Jeremy Sexton, who scored 31 points in both the District 5 and Region 3 title games. “A lot of people didn’t think we would make it this year, so we had to believe in ourselves and prove everybody wrong.”
In Class AAA, Red Bank earned its first region championship last Thursday with a win over Cleveland, and also will host a sectional for the first time when White County plays the Lions (24-7) tonight at 7 p.m.
“We have a great student section,” Red Bank junior wing Bradley Britt said. “I believe it will be full Monday night.”
Red Bank coach John Cherne said the turning point of the season came in the form of a running session after a loss at Chattanooga Christian left the Lions 6-7. They’ve lost once since, and had their season-opening loss to Cleveland (9-25) reversed.
The Blue Raiders, who had to forfeit 16 victories for playing an ineligible player, will visit Region 4 champion Siegel at 8 Eastern.
“We’re back to 0-0,” Cleveland coach Jason McCowan said. “We’ve got one game to focus on. Region runner-ups have won the state tournament before.”
Howard will try for a second-straight trip to the Class AA state tournament tonight when the Hustlin’ Tigers host White House at 7. Region 3 runner-up McMinn Central travels to face Livingston Academy at 8 Eastern.
The McMinn Central and Cleveland girls’ teams qualified for this week’s state tournament with sectional wins on Saturday. The TSSAA held the drawing to determine state pairings Sunday afternoon, and announced that McMinn Central will play Austin-East on Thursday at noon Eastern.
In AAA, Cleveland will face Smyrna on Thursday at 6:30. The state tournament begins Wednesday at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center, with the AA and AAA semifinals on Friday.
