Clay Martin hasn't had time for the nerves to set in. Yet.
The Arts & Sciences girls' basketball coach has been too busy preparing for the next opponent to realize the magnitude of the game. But he knows the butterflies will come today for him and the Lady Patriots players as they step on the court at Middle Tennessee State University's Murphy Center at 2 p.m. EST for their Class A quarterfinal game against Scotts Hill.
"Honestly, it's just now starting to sink in," Martin said Tuesday. "I was in Murfreesboro for the tournament draw on Sunday, then watched film that night and we've been practicing ever since, but we took some time to discuss the differences of playing at MTSU and how nerves affect teams.
"I've been there as an assistant a couple of years ago, so I have somewhat of an idea of what to expect. Everything is totally different than what high school teams are used to, and it really hits you when you walk up the tunnel into that big arena."
Also today, in the Class AA portion of the tournament, Polk County opens against South Greene at 6:30. The Wildkittens are in the state tournament for the first time since 1984.
Both CSAS and Scotts Hill are making their state tournament debuts. Scotts Hill has just one senior, Brittany Montgomery, who scored half of her team's 52 points in Saturday's sectional win.
The Lady Patriots' end-to-end pressure defense has helped them dominate each of their Class A opponents by double digits this season, including last Saturday against Red Boiling Springs, when they built a 40-point lead. CSAS has four players averaging double-figure scoring, led by seniors Kayla Kelly (15 ppg), Alexis Anderson (13 ppg) and Charia Gordon (11 ppg), each of whom has more than 1,000 career points.
"Those three mean everything to us," Martin said. "Our seniors have decided they're not done playing. You can see a different look in their eye. You just feel they're determined to go out and take care of business.
"I'm really excited to see our girls play on the big floor. We should be able to spread everybody out and use our speed a lot more to attack. I think our style of playing quick and playing crazy will help calm the nerves, because a lot of times you can get quick, easy buckets off turnovers and rattle the other team.
"The good thing is they're just as inexperienced at the state tournament as we are."
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 ...
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