Girls' state tournament delayed a day

Inclement weather, which was the reason for several region basketball tournaments in the area to be pushed back last week, caused the girls' state tournament to be postponed Thursday.

Icy roads led the TSSAA to decide not to play any of the scheduled games, including McMinn Central's Class AA quarterfinal matchup against Craigmont. That game will be played today at 4:45 EST.

"There is no way that we are willing to put any student-athlete's life in jeopardy in order to try to play a basketball game," TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress said. "To us, the safety of the student-athletes, coaches, fans and anyone attending or participating in the state basketball tournament is first and foremost."

The tournament, which is being played at Middle Tennessee State University's Murphy Center, will resume today at 11 a.m. EST to allow extra time for road conditions to improve. Each round of the tournament consequently has been moved back a day, meaning the semifinals will be played on Saturday. Those will start at 1:30 p.m. due to the MTSU women's game scheduled for 10 a.m.

The championship games will be played Sunday.

A perennial state contender, McMinn Central (28-5) is making its 14th appearance in the state tournament but its first after a two-year absence. The Chargerettes won the 2011 state championship and were runners-up in 2010. Craigmont, conversely, is making only its second appearance in the state tourney, and first since 2004.

Shelton to Ridgeland

Jalyn Shelton's transfer request to Ridgeland from McCallie has been approved and the freshman two-sport athlete is ready to contribute, according to Ridgeland baseball coach Scott Harden.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder will assume a spot in the Panthers' pitching rotation when their much-delayed season starts. He'll also likely earn playing time next fall with the football team after playing this past season for the Blue Tornado.

"He gets a one-time transfer from a private to a public school," Harden said. "He was here in middle school and said he just wanted to come back. He'll make a difference with us, and he's really a good football player as well. He's left-handed and has been clocked at 86-88 miles per hour. It's great to have him back."

Southeast's Case resigns

Just a couple of weeks after guiding the Southeast Whitfield boys' basketball team to the Class AAAA state tournament, coach Jim Case has resigned.

The Raiders ended an 11-year tournament absence and finished the season 11-15 after a 72-44 loss to Johnson of Gainesville in the first round. Case, a longtime assistant coach at Dalton High School, went 18-34 in two seasons at Southeast.

Southeast athletic director and assistant principal Mark Lentych said a search for Case's successor is ongoing and that the school hoped to make a hire soon to keep the program's momentum going. The next coach will be the program's third in six years and sixth in 12 years.

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