MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The Walker Valley boys’ basketball program is headed to the TSSAA semifinals for the first time since 2009, and the Mustangs are moving on thanks in part to a player who was born that year.
Zach Davis, a bouncy, 6-foot-1 junior guard, scored a game-high 21 points, and his older brother Ashton added 12 points, five assists and a pair of steals in a 76-58 victory over Farragut in Thursday’s second Class 4A quarterfinal at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center.
“Our mindset and our preparation helped us come in here and play with confidence,” said Zach, who shot 8-of-12 from the field (making both of his 3-point attempts) while adding seven rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal. “We were here last year and didn’t play the best. This year it is the complete opposite. We played a lot better. Having that experience under our belt really helped us. We had our minds right coming in for the game.”
Walker Valley (30-3) reached the 30-win mark for the second straight season, but while last year’s 60-39 quarterfinal loss to Oak Ridge made for a short stay in Murfreesboro, this time the Mustangs will continue with the chance to add a 31st victory. They’ll play again at 5 p.m. Eastern on Friday against Memphis program Whitehaven (29-8), which took down Blackman 71-41 in Thursday’s first quarterfinal.
Friday’s second semifinal is between Bartlett (33-4), which advanced with a 65-56 win over Brentwood, and Bearden (33-2), which defeated Beech 55-52.