Sequatchie Valley basketball girls have close race going

Friday, January 1, 1904

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

Girls' basketball in the Sequatchie Valley is generally among the best in the area. This year has proven to be no different, and the competition there is tight.

With only a couple of weeks left in the regular season, the top three teams in District 7-AA -- Grundy County, Sequatchie County and Bledsoe County -- are within one game of one another. Grundy's Lady Yellow Jackets are 6-1 in league play, while Bledsoe is 6-2 with a win over Grundy and the Lady Indians are 4-1.

Chattanooga Christian sits within striking distance of the Valley trio with a 4-4 mark. With higher seeded teams hosting every game of the district tournament, gaining the highest seed possible is a top priority.

Things seem a little more clear-cut in some of the other area girls' district races.

  • District 5-AAA: Bradley Central, ranked fifth in the state, is the clear No. 1 team, as the Bearettes have proven to be 20-plus points better than their nearest competitor, Cleveland. The Lady Raiders have caught fire as of late and are 6-2 in the district, but Ooltewah played them to a two-point game in their first meeting and had a chance to tie in the final seconds.

  • District 6-AA: Brainerd and East Hamilton each has a chance to claim the regular-season district title, which means a little more to Brainerd's 8-0 Lady Panthers since they can't play in the postseason. The two teams play tonight at East Hamilton. Tyner and Red Bank each has five league wins.

  • District 6-A: Whitwell and Sale Creek are a step ahead of Van Buren County. The Lady Tigers and Lady Panthers still have one more meeting before the postseason, and the first meeting was a nine-point victory for Whitwell on the road.

  • District 5-A: Technically, Silverdale Baptist is in first place, but the Lady Seahawks have played only one league game and have seven remaining. Arts & Sciences is 4-1 with Copper Basin 3-1 and Grace Academy 2-2.

  • District 5-AA: Typically McMinn Central controls this district, and that has held true this season for the defending Class AA state champion Chargerettes, who sit at 6-0. Meigs County, Sequoyah and Polk County are within two games of each other in battling for the second spot.

  • Division II-AA: Second-ranked GPS is 2-1 in the region after suffering a loss to Ensworth recently. Baylor is 2-2.

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6311. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/gh3sports.