TONIGHT'S BOYS' STATE SECTIONALS(All times EST)Class A -- Red Boiling Springs at Arts & Sciences, 7; Grace Academy at Friendship Christian, 8Class AA -- York Institute at Tyner, 7; Howard at Livingston Academy, 8Class AAA -- Columbia at Cleveland, 7; Ooltewah at Siegel, 8
Considering the boys' high school basketball teams heading into state sectionals have played somewhere around 30 games already, bruised bodies and fatigue can be an issue for some. For Howard, senior wing Reginald Hemphill helps see to it that bench play is a team strength.
The Class AA Hustlin' Tigers are among six local TSSAA Divison I teams with their seasons in the balance tonight. They play at Livingston Academy at 8 EST. Tonight's winners will advance to the state tournament March 17-20 at Middle Tennessee State's Murphy Center in Murfreesboro. The season is over for the losing teams.
Howard is 25-4 to date and has built that ledger without having a prototypical go-to guy. Hemphill is among the eight different Tigers that have led or shared the team lead in scoring in a game at least once. Although he rarely starts, he's played in every game and scored in 27 of them on the way to averaging 7.4 points per game.
"I look for him to give us that lift, that extra spark," Howard coach Walter McGary said. "I've told him that the sixth player is just as important as a starter. His abilities fit the role."
Hemphill, who has started five games this season, said he's learned to accept his role as a substitute and tries to do his best with it. He said while sitting on the bench he focuses on the nature of each game and devises his plan of attack for when he gets in.
Four times Hemphill has wound up as the Tigers' leading scorer. His 23 points in a 72-30 home victory over East Ridge on Feb. 9 is Howard's individual high-point total in a game this season.
"Of those 23 points against East Ridge, none of them were forced," McGarysaid. "They all came within the flow of the offense."
More recently Hemphill's 16-point effort sparked the Tigers past Brainerd 48-35 in a Region 3 semifinal in which Howard trailed nearly the entire first half. McGary said even though Hemphill may not start regularly, he finishes regularly when it's a close game.
"I'd rather be in there at the end of the game than the start," Hemphill said. "I want to be in there at crunch time."
Tight situations late in games can be more prevalent this time of year given the caliber of competition remaining. The Tigers know they're entering a hostile environment at Livingston Academy, but Hemphill thinks that could work in their favor.
"It's going to be loud and everybody's going to be against us," Hemphill said. "I think that's going to make us play harder. It really can help bond a team to be in a tough situation together. All year we've faced adversity. This will be sort of a test for us.
"We'll have to play solid defense. We definitely have to get rebounds and block out. We just need to do what we've been doing all year."
What the Tigers have done most of the year is win. They'll need to do that four more times and in succession in order to bring the top prize back to South Market Street.
"I've loved my career at Howard," Hemphill said. "It's been exciting for me. I really don't want it to come to an end right now. I'd like to win a state championship before I leave."