As Upperman players raised their arms in the air in the final seconds of Monday’s 61-50 win at Tyner in a TSSAA Class AA boys basketball sectional game, the reality of defeat struck the Rams after falling a win away from reaching the state tournament.
“I told my seniors I love them,” said Tyner coach E’Jay Ward, whose senior class helped accumulate a record of 85-26 over the past four years. “I am just thankful they got to play in this pandemic and had a full season. We are hurting. We always have the goal to make it to the state tournament, but my job here as a coach at Tyner is to prepare them for the fifth quarter as well – life.”
Senior Trent Gresham was the last to leave the court for Tyner, which finished the season with a stellar 20-3 record. The guard had several people come to his side in support, including ,an Upperman player who showed respect for a hurting opponent.
Gresham’s tenacious defense was again on display on his home floor, while fellow senior Melique Hambrick fired away, making four of his five 3-point attempts. Junior guard Keilan Holloway added 15 points and assisted on a corner three by Keelan Jackson to cut the deficit to 39-36 in the closing moments of the third quarter.
“We have a lot of things to be proud of,” Ward said. “My guys played hard all season. They won a district and region championship. We just fell short. Every loss is a lesson. Life is all about how you bounce back and move forward. These guys will do that. I know they will.”