Chattanooga area has five finalists for Tennessee Mr. and Miss Basketball awards

In the 39-year history of the TSSAA awarding Mr. And Miss Basketball winners, the Chattanooga area has never been more represented on the girls’ side.

Four girls and one boy from the area were included during Thursday’s announcement of the 36 finalists for the prestigious state honors. There are three Mr. Basketball and three Miss Basketball finalists in each of the TSSAA’s six classifications, and all 12 winners will be announced March 12 at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center.

The girls’ finalists include Bradley Central sophomore Kimora Fields (Class 4A), Signal Mountain junior Carlee Lowry (Class 3A), Chattanooga Christian School eighth grader Kamora “Momo” Moore (Division II-AA) and Silverdale Baptist Academy senior Kelsie Johnson (Division II-A).

For the first time, CCS has two finalists in the same year as senior Zundra “Dre” Jackson is a Mr. Basketball contender for the Chargers in DII-AA.

“This is a great day for our programs,” said Wes Moore, who is an assistant for the CCS girls and the head coach for the Chargers. “You don’t get an individual award without great teammates and a great program. This is great for Dre and Momo. They are both very special talents who have put in the work to get here.”

Jackson has per-game averages of 24 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 3.6 steals this season. His standout games include performances of 38 points against McCallie, 36 points against Arts & Sciences, 34 points against Baylor, and 27 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals against Brentwood Academy, which is led by fellow Mr. Basketball finalist Tyler Tanner.

“Dre is a special offensive talent, and his stats show that,” Coach Moore added, “but if you watch him and the way he guards and competes on the defensive end, that is what really makes him a special and complete player. He is a true point guard who plays very well in an up-tempo pace.”

Lady Chargers star Moore is Chattanooga’s youngest Miss Basketball finalist ever. She has averaged 23 points and nearly four assists and four steals while making nearly three 3-pointers per game and shooting 80% from the free-throw line.

“Momo is a relentless competitor and worker,” Coach Moore said. “She is always in the gym. She busted onto the high school scene, and she did what I think a lot of people were anticipating her to do, but what she has done is still very, very, very impressive to still be in middle school going up against high school varsity competition.”

Bradley Central’s Fields has been on a mission for the state-ranked No. 1 Bearettes. After being named state championship MVP as a freshman, the 6-foot post has averaged 23.5 points, eight rebounds, 2.8 steals, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks this season while shooting an incredible 72% from the field.

“Kimora is a very deserving finalist,” Bearettes coach Jason Reuter said. “Her numbers show that. We are 37-2 since she got here and have won a state championship. Of course, none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for teamwork. I am proud to coach her.”

Signal Mountain’s Lowry is another dominant post player who has garnered the state’s respect. The 5-11 Lady Eagles standout has averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds (six offensive) this season while shooting 60% from the field. Lowry has scored at least 30 points in eight games this season.

“Carlee is a quality student-athlete who plays year round, and you just like to see good people get rewarded for the time that they put in,” Signal Mountain coach Kendra Bell said. “We have had a lot of success with our girls’ basketball program, and we are at the point now where you get rewarded in a special way. We give Carlee the ball a lot and have a very unselfish team that moves the ball around the floor very well.”

Johnson is Silverdale Baptist’s first Miss Basketball finalist since Laney Bone in 2019. The senior shooting guard for the state-ranked No. 2 Lady Seahawks has averaged nearly 18 points, six rebounds, a pair of steals and assists and nearly three 3-pointers per game.

“This is a huge accomplishment for our school and basketball program,” Silverdale coach Victor Underwood said. “We are extremely proud of Kelsie. She has put in a lot of unseen hours for this recognition and been a phenomenal team leader this season. She has been focused all along on helping our team perform its best at the end of the season.”

Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.