HIGH SCHOOL

Catholic coach Hutchens nearing 500th win

Troy Provost-Heron
USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

Now that the district tournaments are over, teams are setting their sights on state. Sixty-four teams in each classification are still in the running to make it to Murfreesboro, but after the first round of the boys region tournaments on Saturday, that number will be trimmed in half. In anticipation for Saturday’s 7 p.m. games, here are five things to watch for around the area:

Aiming for Another Milestone: With a 70-54 victory over CAK on Tuesday, Catholic head coach Mike Hutchens led the Irish to their first district title since the 2005-06 season. That victory was also the 499th for Hutchens during his tenure at Catholic, putting him on the threshold of yet another milestone. He will get the opportunity to grasp win No. 500 when Catholic hosts Union County in the opening round of the Region 2-AA tournament. The Irish enter Saturday’s matchup in possession of a 22-game winning streak, while the Patriots have lost four of their last six.

Catholic's Brock Jancek, center, dribbles against the CAK defense on Friday at Christian Academy of Knoxville.

Let’s Go Again: For the third consecutive year, Maryville and Karns will face off against each other in the first round of the region tournament. Back in 2014, the Rebels downed the Beavers 63-58 en route to a Class AAA State Quarterfinal appearance. Last season, Karns got its revenge, beating Maryville 60-54 for its first step toward a sectional visit. The Rebels come into this third matchup fresh off a 75-70 loss in the District 4-AAA title game against Bearden — their third loss in their last four after winning 18 in a row. Karns suffered a 70-57 loss to Powell in the District 3-AAA semifinal, but bounced back to beat Clinton 106-96 in the consolation game.

Fourth Time’s a Charm?: The season started extremely well for Powell and poorly for Hardin Valley. A 41-point steamrolling of the Hawks by the Panthers was the first of three defeats Powell handed Hardin Valley during the regular season. The Hawks, however, will try to reverse their fortune in the Region 2-AAA tournament. If they do, it’ll be the first time Hardin Valley has made it to the semifinals of the region tournament. Powell is trying to get to the semifinals for the second consecutive year.

Figure It Out: It has been an up-and-down month for Alcoa. A talented roster has had to deal with Jaylen Myers leaving the team and Tykee Ogle-Kellogg getting suspended. The result has been a 4-4 record over the final month of the season. Alcoa will try to get back on track against Carter, which has lost three of its last four, in the Region 2-AA tournament.

Keep It Going: Grace Christian Academy drained a pair of free throws in the final seconds to claim the District 3-A championship against Harriman on Wednesday. The Rams extended their winning streak to six games. Grace open the Region 2-A tournament against Oakdale, which lost both of its District 4-A games after winning 10 of its last 11 heading into the tournament.