With seven local area teams playing in Monday night’s TSSAA boys’ basketball sectional round for a chance to advance to the state tournament, here are five things to know ahead of big games for Chattanooga Prep, Brainerd, Red Bank, Walker Valley, Tyner, South Pittsburg and Bradley Central.
1. Six at once
Six is the most area boys’ basketball teams to ever make the TSSAA state tournament in one season. That feat occurred in 2007 when Arts & Sciences, Tennessee Temple, Howard, Baylor, McCallie and Bradley Central all made the big dance. Temple won the Class A state title that season with Seth Skogen scoring 25 points in the title game over CSAS. This was one of only three state title games to ever pit a pair of Chattanooga area teams. Led by Anthony Roberts and Frank Jones, Chattanooga Riverside won 60-53 over Howard in the 1972 title game. Cleveland defeated Brainerd 87-79 in 1997 with Vincent Yarbrough and Del Baker combining for 50 points to upstage a big 34-point performance from Brainerd’s Harris Walker.
2 Forty-five teams
Since the first state boys’ basketball champion was crowned in 1921, there have been 45 Chattanooga-area programs reach the state championship game. Winning the ultimate prize is certainly tough, as local teams have gone 17-28 in the title games. Four teams are locked in a tie for the most state championships from our area as Chattanooga Riverside, Brainerd, Bradley Central and Tennessee Temple all have three apiece. The 1969 Riverside championship team, led by the legendary Richard Fuqua, was one of only two Chattanooga boys’ basketball programs to ever have an undefeated season.