Central boys’ basketball coach Rick Rogers wore a purple hooded sweatshirt to what he deemed a “dress rehearsal” for Monday night.
Brainerd toppled Rogers’ Purple Pounders 68-60 in the Region 3-AA championship game Thursday night at East Ridge, but both teams have more they’d like to accomplish this season.
“I hope we get to see them again,” Rogers said of the Panthers. “We could be the two best teams in the state in Class AA.”
But they’ll both have to win in Monday’s sectionals to advance to the state championship tournament in Murfreesboro. Central will travel to York Institute, the Region 4-AA champion, while the Panthers will host Upperman.
“Getting back to state isn’t the goal,” Brainerd coach LeVar Brown said. “We want to win it.”