Reggie Buckner
Second Time Around
Tigers In Title Game For Second Year Straight
With the score tied 9-9 with 3:30 left in the game, the Grace Baptist Golden Eagles had to be feeling good about their chances but Manassas didn’t sweat it as they went on a 9-2 scoring run to end the 1st quarter, 18-11. Junior Shaq Walker went off glass for a jumper plus the foul to start the second quarter as Manassas jumped out to their biggest lead of the game at that point. Grace Baptist started the quarter out slow missing their first 4 attempts but the Tigers lead was only 5 after Cory Nelson nailed a jumper at the 2:30 mark of the 2nd. A steal by the Tigers put them up 9 before Patrick Shaunessy ended the half with a put back for a 29-22 lead for Manassas. With the game being close, that old cliché of basketball being a game of runs became true for the blue and gold Tigers. Back to back 3-pointers forced a Grace timeout at the start of the third with one of those being by sophomore Joe Northington who had 7 points in the game. To make matters worse for Grace, 6’0 Patrick Shaughnessy picked up his 3rd foul. A runner by Marcus Holloway who was briefly hurt in the game put Manassas up 17, 41-24 at the 4:21 mark but Manassas wasn’t done. As Grace continued to struggle for points, the Tigers went up 20 off another 2 by Northington on a steal, 48-28. The Tigers never looked back as Grace shot a dreadful 27 percent from the field going on to win 60-48.
Leading the Tigers was Reggie Buckner with 19 points and 13 rebounds with Kendall Woodard adding 13 and 10 boards. Up next for Manassas, the state championship game tomorrow at 2:00 pm.
Tigers In Title Game For Second Year Straight
With the score tied 9-9 with 3:30 left in the game, the Grace Baptist Golden Eagles had to be feeling good about their chances but Manassas didn’t sweat it as they went on a 9-2 scoring run to end the 1st quarter, 18-11. Junior Shaq Walker went off glass for a jumper plus the foul to start the second quarter as Manassas jumped out to their biggest lead of the game at that point. Grace Baptist started the quarter out slow missing their first 4 attempts but the Tigers lead was only 5 after Cory Nelson nailed a jumper at the 2:30 mark of the 2nd. A steal by the Tigers put them up 9 before Patrick Shaunessy ended the half with a put back for a 29-22 lead for Manassas. With the game being close, that old cliché of basketball being a game of runs became true for the blue and gold Tigers. Back to back 3-pointers forced a Grace timeout at the start of the third with one of those being by sophomore Joe Northington who had 7 points in the game. To make matters worse for Grace, 6’0 Patrick Shaughnessy picked up his 3rd foul. A runner by Marcus Holloway who was briefly hurt in the game put Manassas up 17, 41-24 at the 4:21 mark but Manassas wasn’t done. As Grace continued to struggle for points, the Tigers went up 20 off another 2 by Northington on a steal, 48-28. The Tigers never looked back as Grace shot a dreadful 27 percent from the field going on to win 60-48.
Leading the Tigers was Reggie Buckner with 19 points and 13 rebounds with Kendall Woodard adding 13 and 10 boards. Up next for Manassas, the state championship game tomorrow at 2:00 pm.
White Station Tames The Lions Of Red Bank
Jackson and Hall Combine For 49 points
Confidence is something that the Spartans surely don’t lack especially against a team that they played last year in the state, winning 77-59, but lying down and going down easily was not in the Lions of Red Bank minds. Senior Nick Ross of Red Bank was hot early hitting 6 straight points early 1st quarter as the Lions found themselves up 16-13 going into the second quarter. 6’8 senior forward, Ferrakhan Hall put together some of his best basketball this year in the second quarter scoring 6 quick points including a dunk as White Station went up 22-18. Ross was there again for his team as the Red Banks looked to keep close to the Spartans but White Station had other plans. A 10-0 run by the White Station including a pretty 1-2 crossover move that excited the crowd pushed their lead to 37-26 going into the half. As expected the much smaller Red Bank squad started to feel the talent of White Station as Hall and Jackson began to have their way with the Lions. The play of the game came when Joe Jackson took off from the right wing throwing it down with authority but picking up a technical for taunting Bradley Britt of Red Bank. A once very competitive game quickly turned into a romp for White Station as they got up to a 25 point lead late in the game thanks to 57 percent shooting . Too much Hall, Jackson and overall just too much talent as the Spartans quest for a state began with an 80-63 win.
Jackson led White Station with 25 points but Hall was only one point behind with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Next up for the Spartans, Northeast who knocked off the state’s number one team, Bearden.
BTW and Raleigh Egypt both won as well with the Warriors defeating Carter High and Raleigh getting past a tough Beech team by 6 points. Anthony Jones and Tank Brown tied for scoring leads with 13 points a piece. Raleigh will play Walker Valley on Friday and BTW will take on Fulton who knocked out Sheffield in their first round matchup on Wednesday. Manassas also plays on Friday with a game against Grace Academy.
Jackson and Hall Combine For 49 points
Confidence is something that the Spartans surely don’t lack especially against a team that they played last year in the state, winning 77-59, but lying down and going down easily was not in the Lions of Red Bank minds. Senior Nick Ross of Red Bank was hot early hitting 6 straight points early 1st quarter as the Lions found themselves up 16-13 going into the second quarter. 6’8 senior forward, Ferrakhan Hall put together some of his best basketball this year in the second quarter scoring 6 quick points including a dunk as White Station went up 22-18. Ross was there again for his team as the Red Banks looked to keep close to the Spartans but White Station had other plans. A 10-0 run by the White Station including a pretty 1-2 crossover move that excited the crowd pushed their lead to 37-26 going into the half. As expected the much smaller Red Bank squad started to feel the talent of White Station as Hall and Jackson began to have their way with the Lions. The play of the game came when Joe Jackson took off from the right wing throwing it down with authority but picking up a technical for taunting Bradley Britt of Red Bank. A once very competitive game quickly turned into a romp for White Station as they got up to a 25 point lead late in the game thanks to 57 percent shooting . Too much Hall, Jackson and overall just too much talent as the Spartans quest for a state began with an 80-63 win.
Jackson led White Station with 25 points but Hall was only one point behind with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Next up for the Spartans, Northeast who knocked off the state’s number one team, Bearden.
BTW and Raleigh Egypt both won as well with the Warriors defeating Carter High and Raleigh getting past a tough Beech team by 6 points. Anthony Jones and Tank Brown tied for scoring leads with 13 points a piece. Raleigh will play Walker Valley on Friday and BTW will take on Fulton who knocked out Sheffield in their first round matchup on Wednesday. Manassas also plays on Friday with a game against Grace Academy.
TSSAA State Tourney Coverage Page 2
Travis Bridges and Larry McGhaughey
BT-WWW
Warriors Pound The Panthers
It’s a long way home from South Memphis but the Warriors looked more than comfortable as they took on the Brainerd Panthers out of Chattanooga. Booker T. Washington was in the semi-finals for the first time since 2001 when they won the state. The Panthers appeared to have grease or sweat or something on their hands as BTW went up 18-3 thanks to two deep treys from Larry McGaughy early in the first half. The only thing that was going well for Brainerd was that senior Fred Sturdivant was playing well scoring his teams first 7 points of the game. The Warriors shooting started to fail them a little as they only shot 29 percent from the field in the first half off setting Brainerd’s 16 first half turnover keeping the Panters hopes alive. With the score 26-13 to start the second half of play, Brainerd had to feel good to only have a small deficit but that changed quickly as the Warriors scored 12 straight points not missing a shot on 6 possessions as their lead grew to 25 points, 38-13. The Warriors pressure caused headaches for the Panthers guards the entire game causing them to turn the ball over 28 times. BTW’s cigar moment of the game came on a James Duffie dunk as they went on to a 61-36 beat down of the Panthers. Tomorrow’s state championship final, the Fulton Falcons against our own BT-WWW as the Warriors fans proudly say.
BTW was led by 2 seniors, McGaughy with 14 points and Douglas “Wolf” Rosser with 15 points.
Warriors Pound The Panthers
It’s a long way home from South Memphis but the Warriors looked more than comfortable as they took on the Brainerd Panthers out of Chattanooga. Booker T. Washington was in the semi-finals for the first time since 2001 when they won the state. The Panthers appeared to have grease or sweat or something on their hands as BTW went up 18-3 thanks to two deep treys from Larry McGaughy early in the first half. The only thing that was going well for Brainerd was that senior Fred Sturdivant was playing well scoring his teams first 7 points of the game. The Warriors shooting started to fail them a little as they only shot 29 percent from the field in the first half off setting Brainerd’s 16 first half turnover keeping the Panters hopes alive. With the score 26-13 to start the second half of play, Brainerd had to feel good to only have a small deficit but that changed quickly as the Warriors scored 12 straight points not missing a shot on 6 possessions as their lead grew to 25 points, 38-13. The Warriors pressure caused headaches for the Panthers guards the entire game causing them to turn the ball over 28 times. BTW’s cigar moment of the game came on a James Duffie dunk as they went on to a 61-36 beat down of the Panthers. Tomorrow’s state championship final, the Fulton Falcons against our own BT-WWW as the Warriors fans proudly say.
BTW was led by 2 seniors, McGaughy with 14 points and Douglas “Wolf” Rosser with 15 points.
Pharaohs Wash Away Walker Valley
4 Players In Double Figures For Raleigh
After watching last night’s game, many people said that White Station was clearly the favorite for the state championship but a big time statement was made by Raleigh Egypt on Friday, we want a championship. Gentry Hines came out firing hitting 2 3-pointers as Raleigh Egypt jumped up 8-3 at the 6:20 mark in the first quarter. Senior David Ware of Walker Valley wanted to show he was a player in his own right with a 3 of his own but Anthony “AJ” Jones threw down a vicious one hand dunk on Brice Sharp putting a damper on the momentum that the Mustangs were trying to build. Ware who had talked with Hines almost the entire 1st quarter received a tech for taunting Hines after he made a 3-pointer in the 2nd quarter. Raleigh went up 20, 35-15 with 3:05 left in the half. The 3rd quarter started out well for the Mustangs as they appeared more poised, making shots and getting into more of a groove but so were the Pharaohs. Jones hit a 10 ft jumper, Rashad Harris hit a long 2 and Tank Brown who scored a game high, 20 points on 7-8 shooting was hitting everything as Pharaohs continued to build their lead.
4 Players In Double Figures For Raleigh
After watching last night’s game, many people said that White Station was clearly the favorite for the state championship but a big time statement was made by Raleigh Egypt on Friday, we want a championship. Gentry Hines came out firing hitting 2 3-pointers as Raleigh Egypt jumped up 8-3 at the 6:20 mark in the first quarter. Senior David Ware of Walker Valley wanted to show he was a player in his own right with a 3 of his own but Anthony “AJ” Jones threw down a vicious one hand dunk on Brice Sharp putting a damper on the momentum that the Mustangs were trying to build. Ware who had talked with Hines almost the entire 1st quarter received a tech for taunting Hines after he made a 3-pointer in the 2nd quarter. Raleigh went up 20, 35-15 with 3:05 left in the half. The 3rd quarter started out well for the Mustangs as they appeared more poised, making shots and getting into more of a groove but so were the Pharaohs. Jones hit a 10 ft jumper, Rashad Harris hit a long 2 and Tank Brown who scored a game high, 20 points on 7-8 shooting was hitting everything as Pharaohs continued to build their lead.
When the 3rd quarter was over, Walker Valley found themselves down nearly 30 points as Raleigh Egypt’s size and overall superior talent took them out of their game completely. Is this Raleigh’s year, we will find out tomorrow as they picked up a convincing win, 82-59.
As stated earlier, Brown had 20 points with Fondren behind him with 14 points off the bench. Jones and Hines tied for 10 points a piece. Tomorrow’s tip off is at 6:00 pm for the state championship game.
As stated earlier, Brown had 20 points with Fondren behind him with 14 points off the bench. Jones and Hines tied for 10 points a piece. Tomorrow’s tip off is at 6:00 pm for the state championship game.
Anthony Jones defends
All Memphis State Final
Jackson Leads The Way With 22
Every other Memphis team had taken care of business on Friday and now it was time for the Spartans but their game would not be as easy as their home town counterparts. With Northeast having good size in their line up with at 6’9 and 6’, rebounds would be fought for on every possession. There is something about Andre Hollins, he starts every game for the Spartans with quick early points as Station got out to a 6-0 score and the Eagles couldn’t buy a basket. Joe Jackson hit his first 2 on a long jumper but he only ended the half with 8 points, good for most players but for Jackson, not his normal. The Spartans found themselves with a cozy 17-7 lead but Northeast kept battling and battling. Feeding off their crowd’s energy, they came back on the play of senior Eagles guard, Telvin James who fed his teammates including a nice bounce pass to Patrick Offor for a basket. His biggest shot of half a 3 ended the half, 20-18 giving the Eagles their first lead of the game. Jackson hit a corner 3 to start the second half of the game but Northeast was still riding their momentum from the 1st half. Jamarious Alderson hit a hanging bucket off the glass, plus the foul as his team went up 27-21. The Spartans had been in this position before though in Memphis fighting hostile crowds. With the 3rd quarter ending the Spartans still were down by 3 but they took the lead on a Jackson 2 then another pretty crowd pleaser a spin move by Jackson put his team up, 37-34, with 5:22 in the game. Northeast just couldn’t get a basket to fall but what was interesting was Coach Cooper’s decision to sit a 6’6 and 6’9 player on the bench in the last quarter. Andre Hollins hit 4 big free throws down the stretch putting the game away in the final minute as Station held on, for a 44-36 win.
The Spartans leading scorer was Jackson with 22 points. It’s an all Memphis final for the second time in 2 years in Triple A.
Jackson Leads The Way With 22
Every other Memphis team had taken care of business on Friday and now it was time for the Spartans but their game would not be as easy as their home town counterparts. With Northeast having good size in their line up with at 6’9 and 6’, rebounds would be fought for on every possession. There is something about Andre Hollins, he starts every game for the Spartans with quick early points as Station got out to a 6-0 score and the Eagles couldn’t buy a basket. Joe Jackson hit his first 2 on a long jumper but he only ended the half with 8 points, good for most players but for Jackson, not his normal. The Spartans found themselves with a cozy 17-7 lead but Northeast kept battling and battling. Feeding off their crowd’s energy, they came back on the play of senior Eagles guard, Telvin James who fed his teammates including a nice bounce pass to Patrick Offor for a basket. His biggest shot of half a 3 ended the half, 20-18 giving the Eagles their first lead of the game. Jackson hit a corner 3 to start the second half of the game but Northeast was still riding their momentum from the 1st half. Jamarious Alderson hit a hanging bucket off the glass, plus the foul as his team went up 27-21. The Spartans had been in this position before though in Memphis fighting hostile crowds. With the 3rd quarter ending the Spartans still were down by 3 but they took the lead on a Jackson 2 then another pretty crowd pleaser a spin move by Jackson put his team up, 37-34, with 5:22 in the game. Northeast just couldn’t get a basket to fall but what was interesting was Coach Cooper’s decision to sit a 6’6 and 6’9 player on the bench in the last quarter. Andre Hollins hit 4 big free throws down the stretch putting the game away in the final minute as Station held on, for a 44-36 win.
The Spartans leading scorer was Jackson with 22 points. It’s an all Memphis final for the second time in 2 years in Triple A.
Hall Shines for The Station