There are players with more accolades, but none is more responsible for leading his team to this year’s high school state basketball tournament than Tennessee Temple junior Jeremy Sexton.
When the Crusaders tip off against top-ranked Union City today at 11:30 a.m. EDT in a Class A quarterfinal at Middle Tennessee State University, Sexton is expected to play a large factor in the outcome. After leading Temple in scoring, assists, steals and blocked shots during the regular season, the 6-foot-1 Sexton has taken an even more active role, improving his averages in each of those categories in six postseason games.
“He knew we needed him to do a little more once the postseason began,” Temple first-year coach Caleb Marcum said. “We have put a lot on Jeremy’s shoulders, and he’s carried us this far. Just having him on the floor seems to calm our other players.
“I’m sure Union City has seen film of what he does for us. That’s why we have to have other guys step up and make shots. We know Jeremy can’t do it all.”
Temple (23-9) is the only state champion back to defend its title, and Sexton is not only the lone returning starter but is also the only Crusader with any state tournament experience. He has scored 20-plus points 25 times this season and proved himself capable of carrying the Crusaders against a tough opponent early on when he had 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals and no turnovers against a Cleveland team that would advance to the AAA sectionals.
In Temple’s sectional game against Westmoreland, Sexton was held to six first-half points and the Crusaders fell behind by eight. Feeling his team’s need for a spark, he scored 22 second-half points and Temple pulled away for a nine-point win.
“In the district, region and sectional, there were times I thought nerves were creeping in, so I felt I had to step up,” said Sexton, who is averaging 26 points and eight rebounds in the postseason. “My teammates help take a lot of pressure off me, but I know I’m the only one who has been in that atmosphere before.
“I try to talk to them about staying calm at the state tournament, because when you get nervous you play back on your heels. We have to be ready to answer when they get on a run.”
Union City (34-0) is the state’s only unbeaten team, and its depth and up-tempo style have led to 14 wins of 30-plus points. Eight of the Golden Tornadoes average at least 12 points per game, led by Mr. Basketball finalist M.J. Brown. He averages 20 points, six assists and four steals per game.
“I’m pretty sure a lot of people didn’t want to play them in the first round, but the way I see it you might as well get it out of the way,” Sexton said. “A lot of us wanted to play them just for the challenge.”
Stephen has covered high school sports in the tri-state area since the early 1990s, starting at the News-Free Press as a 19-year-old reporter. He has been with the Times Free Press since its inception and has been an assistant sports editor for more than seven years. Stephen is among the most decorated writers in the TFP’s newsroom, winning numerous state and regional awards for his writing on high school athletics. He has two children, Riley ...
