Five area teams look to become state champions

One week in Murfreesboro down, one more to go. After girls basketball took center stage in Middle Tennessee State’s Murphy Center last week, it is the boys turn this time around.

Five teams from the PrepXtra coverage area will compete for a chance at a state championship, with three of them beginning their hunt on Wednesday while the other two wait until Thursday. In anticipation of the first-round games, here are some things to watch for each team:

Finish No. 1: Catholic High School had been on the verge of playing for a spot in Murfreesboro in the two years before this season’s berth. In both instances, a loss to Fulton in the Region 2-AA semifinals kept them out of the Class AA sectionals.

Throughout the year, those two losses were the Fighting Irish’s motivation.

“Every day at practice (those past two years have motivated us),” Catholic head coach Mike Hutchens said. “Whenever we got tired, we just started talking about those semifinals (losses). That was totally our motivation. The consistency we’ve had this year is because our kids are so even-keeled. They are the same every night.”

In a season that was “state or bust” according to Hutchens, the Irish (29-1) accomplished the former, making it to the state tournament for the first time since 2006. Now the motivation stems from living up to the ranking next to their name. Twenty-six consecutive wins have placed Catholic atop the Tennessee Class AA boys basketball AP poll for the majority of the season and made them one of the favorites to leave the Murphy Center as state champions.

The journey to the Gold Ball begins with a quarterfinal matchup against Macon County (29-4), which is making its first tournament appearance since 1986 — the Tigers have never won a game at state — at 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

End the drought: Fifty-four years have passed since the last time Oak Ridge (30-2) won a state championship, and it has not been because of a lack of getting there. This season marks the 23rd time the Wildcats have made it to the state tournament in program history.

If any team is going to end that drought, this one has as good a chance as any. Led by Class AAA Mr. Basketball finalist Tajion Jones, Anthony Gibson and Tee Higgins, No. 2 Oak Ridge has won 18 consecutive games to reach the tournament. The first step in ending that drought would be a win over Brentwood (26-8) at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Future is now: Bearden will step into the Murphy Center for the first time since 2011, but it may be their first of several upcoming trips. With only one senior — Drejean Dave-Tucker — on the roster, the Bulldogs have relied on youth to get to this point, especially from the likes of sophomores Trent Stephney and Ques Glover, who combined for 49 points in a Class AAA sectional victory over Science Hill.

The future is bright, but so is the present. A victory over Independence (23-10) at 11 a.m. Wednesday would be Bearden’s 13th in its last 15 games, with those two losses coming against Catholic and Oak Ridge.

Against the best: Grace Christian (27-8) drew the short straw. Humboldt (31-1) enters the state tournament having won 18 games in a row with an average margin of victory of 21 points, and it is the Rams who will face the unanimous No. 1 team in Class A in the quarterfinals at 2:15 p.m. Thursday.

Over that span, Humboldt has scored more than 70 points 13 times. No. 5 Grace Christian, making its second consecutive trip to the state tournament, has allowed more than 70 points just eight times this season.

Watch the throne: In its first state tournament appearance since 2010, No. 9 Harriman (30-6) will be tasked with facing the defending Class A champions in No. 6 Mitchell (27-7) at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Tigers enter the tournament having won nine in a row, with a double-digit margin of victory in each win. On the other hand, the Blue Devils have yet to lose a game by double digits this season.