Last stop before Murfreesboro: 4 matchups highlight final round before state
The high school boys’ basketball scene has been dominated by two teams over the last three years – Haywood and South Side.
South Side is coming off of back-to-back trips to the Class AA state championship game with a state title in 2014.
Haywood went undefeated through the regular season last year, and the Tomcats have not lost to a team from the state of Tennessee this year.
But only one of these teams can reach the state tournament this year, as the two play in a Class AA sectional on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
South Side-Haywood highlights four sectional matchups in West Tennessee – Ripley at Lexington, Trinity Christian Academy at Union City and Humboldt at Mitchell.
South Side at Haywood, 7 p.m.
With what should be a standing room-only crowd, the stars will prevail in this matchup in Brownsville.
South Side senior Chris McNeal helped lead the Hawks (19-9) to the state championship last year, and even after losing everyone else in the starting lineup, McNeal has South Side still playing well.
McNeal is a Class AA Mr. Basketball finalist this year.
Haywood (31-2) has two seniors that stand out with 2014 Class AA Mr. Basketball finalist Jordon Varnado and Kyler Douglas.
The two have helped the Tomcats dominate in the postseason thus far.
Haywood’s two losses have come against Velma Jackson (Miss.) and Simeon (Ill.).
South Side also needed to win some key games to get to this point like winning the District 14-AA championship and a one-point win over Fayette-Ware in the region semifinals.
The Hawks don’t have the superstars like last season, so they have to rely on team defense and team scoring. Terrikous Smith, Terrandous Smith and Geordan Reed will need to aid McNeal’s output for South Side to be successful.
Haywood also has some other players that can score and take over the game like Alandis Delk, Dedric Boyd and James Davidson.
Ripley at
Lexington, 7 p.m.
These two teams met over the Thanksgiving break with Ripley coming away with a six-point win.
Nick Marshall and David Fraser did not play in that game for Lexington, so the Tigers will have a new look to show Ripley this time around.
Lexington (23-5) is a team that has gotten better as the season has progressed.
Marshall and Tariqious Tisdale have asserted themselves around the basket. And added to that, Lexington has three strong guards in Dillon Smith, Jordan Branch and Fraser.
When all five are playing at the top of their game, the Tigers are hard to beat.
Lexington can’t get caught up in the moment though. The Tigers have never hosted a sectional game, and the town of Lexington will be out in support. The focus will have to be on the game, not on the hype.
Ripley boasts one of the top scorers in West Tennessee in Chad Culbreath. Culbreath can put up 30 points a game with ease.
Lexington coach Andrew Hicks will have a plan ready to guard Culbreath and keep up from reaching his average – 28 points per game.
Class A
TCA at
Union City, 7 p.m.
This is the third time in four years TCA (25-9) has played in a sectional game, but the Lions are yet to win and advance to the state tournament.
This year will be another tough test.
Union City has been ranked in the top two in Class A all season and finished the season in the No. 1 spot.
Not many Class A schools have challenged the Golden Tornadoes. Union City has many offensive weapons led by Class A Mr. Basketball finalist Marcus Deberry. Malik Stockdale is a solid player also.
The Lions have been a team in recent years to peak at the right time. TCA has been a tough team to eliminate in the district and region tournament.
This year’s team is led by six seniors, and they have been in the Lions’ program for a long time.
TCA has balanced scoring, and that will again be necessary and will need to happen with multiple players in double digits in scoring.
Ryan Smith has picked up his play in bigger games, and he has the ability to defend, post up to score and hit outside shots.
The Lions will also need some shooters like Alex Northcut, James Bond and Tyler Garrott to hit some outside shots.
TCA will also try to put some pressure on Union City with its defense.
Humboldt at Mitchell, 7 p.m.
This is a matchup of the last two Class A state champions. Humboldt won in 2013, and Mitchell is the defending state champion.
Mitchell is loaded with talent and the favorites to repeat as the Class A state champions, so the Vikings (21-10) have a tough task at hand.
The Tigers boast a Class A Mr. Basketball finalist in Jeremiah Martin, and he has signed to play college basketball at Louisiana Tech.
But Martin has some weapons around him that can also score.
Humboldt will have to have its best defensive effort of the season in this one to have a chance. Mistakes could be very costly.
The Vikings do have weapons that can score in double figures on any occasion.
Senior Troy Agnew was in the starting rotation the last two years as Humboldt made runs in the postseason. His leadership will be important for the team in this one.
Kaylon Thomas, Octavious Ferguson and Jaylon Strayhorn are also key scorers with Jarred Walker distributing the ball.
Michael Odom, 425-9754
South Side at Haywood
The defending state champions must win to keep their season alive. Two Mr. Basketball finalists will be showcased in this one – Haywood’s Jordon Varnado (2014) and South Side’s Chris McNeal (2015).
Ripley at Lexington
Lexington needs to keep the momentum it picked up in the region tournament. The Tigers have multiple weapons on offense that have been scoring in double figures, and they will need that again.
Humboldt at Mitchell
The Vikings must travel to the defending Class A state champions for a chance to advance to the state tournament for the second time in three years. Humboldt must contain Mitchell’s Jeremiah Martin.
TCA at Union City
The Lions are trying to make program history and advance to the state tournament for the first time. Union City has been ranked No. 1 in the state most of the season and tough place to play.