MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Chattanooga Prep steamrolled to a state title repeat Saturday, routing Hillcrest 77-50 in the TSSAA Class 1A final to tip off the last day of this year’s BlueCross Basketball Championships.
The Sentinels (29-8) set a program record for wins in their fourth season of varsity competition, and they became the first boys’ basketball program from Chattanooga to win back-to-back state titles since Tennessee Temple in 2002-03.
A year after outscoring its three opponents at the state tournament by a combined 22 points, coach Christian Collins’ team — with just two seniors on the roster and none in the starting lineup — was 73 points better than its competition across the quarterfinals (84-44 against Santa Fe on Wednesday), the semifinals (65-59 against Humboldt on Friday) and the final at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center.
“I told my guys before the game today that this state championship game would not be a game of skill but a game of will,” said Collins, who was in his second season as head coach of the Sentinels. “Our boys’ max effort was through the roof. They played defense the way I wanted them to all year. They played together, and their energy was through the roof. Our motto is: One big family. We all stick together.”
Chatt Prep junior Joel Bulis had a double-double in the championship game with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and he also blocked two shots and collected a pair of steals, one off an inbound pass that he quickly took to the hoop to score despite being fouled by the Vikings (28-4).
In no time at all, it seems, the Sentinels have gone from being an unknown group to a team on the rise to the program everyone else is trying to knock from the top of the mountain in Class 1A’ boys basketball.
“We had a target on our back this season,” said the 6-foot-7 Bulis, who shot 10-of-14 from the field in Chatt Prep’s three state tournament games while compiling 27 points and 26 rebounds. “We stayed composed and executed what we have been taught in practice all season. The key to winning our second straight state title was to stay disciplined.”
Demarion Bowman led the Sentinels with 15 points for the second straight game — he made half of his 10 shots from the field and all five of his free throws Saturday — while fellow junior Derrick Roberson added 10 points (including a pair of dunks in the second half) and two blocks on his way to being named the Class 1A tournament MVP for the second straight season.
Roberson’s dunk with 48 seconds left in the third quarter came on an alley-oop pass by 6-3 senior Jaydan Parker, who was soon after repaid by an assist from Roberson as Parker completed a three-point play to build a 55-33 lead with 25 seconds left in the period.
“To repeat as state champions means a lot,” said Roberson, who had tournament totals of 38 points on 16-of-27 shooting, 20 rebounds, eight blocks and seven assists. “We all started from sixth grade playing here at Chatt Prep. As the years went by, we all stayed together and never switched up. We just put in the work, and it all has come to fruition.”
Parker led an electric effort from the Sentinels’ bench as the two-sport star, who was also a standout wide receiver and safety on the football field, made all five of his field-goal attempts and lone free throw for 11 points in the championship game. Parker also had two steals and a block, and he matched sophomore Austin Jones and Roberson as each had three of Chatt Prep’s 17 assists against Hillcrest.
Parker was one of two team captains this season along with senior guard Ta’suade Williams who provided a major spark in the second quarter by stripping the ball away from a Hillcrest player to assist a fast-break layup by Parker. Less than 25 seconds later, Williams drilled a 3-pointer to build a 26-14 lead with 2:11 to go before halftime.
“Jaydan and Ta’suade are my team captains for a reason,” Coach Collins said. “They may not have gotten a lot of minutes, but with the time they earned on the court, as you could tell, the energy was through the roof. Those are the big brothers. They held their little brothers down on and off the court all season.
“Our two seniors have played a huge part in the success of our program. They have been here since sixth grade with my brother, and my hats go off to them. They both have been accepted to 10 to 12 colleges already and have a bright future.”
All five Chatt Prep starters were named to the all-tournament team, with Bowman, Bulis, Jones and Roberson joined by freshman point guard Cadence Collins, who scored 24 points in the quarterfinal victory to get the Sentinels off to a strong start in their third straight state tournament appearance.
Hillcrest senior J’acoby Lewis, who scored a game-high 26 points while shooting 5-for-15 from the field and 15-of-24 at the foul line in the title game, was also named to the all-tournament team, along with Vikings junior Alex Morgan. The only Hillcrest player besides Lewis to reach double figures in points Saturday was senior Cornell Watson with 11.
The Sentinels outscored their postseason competition 597-341 in eight victories, and they finished the season on an 11-game winning streak and with a second straight gold ball trophy in hand.
Chatt Prep has now won 85 games over the past three seasons, each of which came to a close on the Murphy Center floor. And after a semifinal loss in 2023, the past two seasons have been capped by the ultimate thrill in prep sports.
“The adversity they have handled to repeat as state champions this year with a different team is a testament to their hard work and willpower,” Collins said. “We lost an all-state guy last year and one of our best defensive players. Joel didn’t play a lot because he was hurt for most of last season, while Cadence and Austin played sparingly. Demarion didn’t even get to play in the state tournament and didn’t get many minutes at all last year.
“I applaud these guys. We give all the glory to God. We are Chatt Prep strong.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.