ptguard12

I believe Greenfield will be very tough this year. They are definitely one of the top teams in Class A. Randolph and McMullen (much improved when I saw her this summer) will control the paint, which will allow Galey to do most of her damage from the wing. She is very difficult to guard on the perimeter because of her size and her ability to both shoot the "3" and score off the dribble. Greenfield won't be as deep as they were last year, but their top five or six will be able to play with anyone. I wouldn't be surprised to see Greenfield in Murfreesboro this year.

District 12A Preview 1. Wayne County 2009 – 2010 Record: 22–10, 9–1 12A Regular Season: 1st 12A District Tournament: Champions Returning Starters: 4 Predicted Starters: Kelsey Risner 5-8 PG (Jr.), Liz Daniel 5-3 G (Sr.), Tori Reed 5-5 F (Jr.), Samantha Bell 5-11 F (Sr.), Carly Daniel 6-2 C (Sr.) Other Notable Players: Taylor Ann Skelton 5-4 SG (Sr.) Season Outlook: The Lady Cats will look to build on last season’s success which ended with a first round State Tournament loss to Moore County. Four starters return from last year’s team, including the imposing inside game of 6-2 Belmont-commit Carly Daniel. Daniel is not Wayne County’s only offensive weapon, however. Kelsey Risner, a scoring point guard, is fully capable of being a go-to player, and she proved it by hitting multiple big time shots last season down the stretch. While Daniel and Risner are the stars, there are many solid role players who do their jobs very effectively. Samantha Bell is a solid rebounding forward who can score when needed, and Tori Reed (the most underrated player in 12A) does all of the little things for Wayne County. The Lady Cats are a very experienced and deep bunch this year, and all signs point towards a return trip to Murfreesboro for Coach Byrd’s bunch. The only question mark is the 2-guard spot, because while there are numerous girls who can fill that spot, none of them are particularly strong and much of a threat. If Wayne County has an “Achilles’ Heal,†that’s it. 2. Loretto 2009 – 2010 Record: 13–13, 5–5 12A Regular Season: T-3rd 12A District Tournament: 3rd Returning Starters: 4 Predicted Starters: Becca Curtis 5-8 PG (Sr.), Elizabeth Hemmen 5-8 G (Jr.), Abby Laws 5-11 W/F (Sr.), Hayley Farrington 5-8 W/F (Jr.), Makenzie Childress 5-9 F (So.) Other Notable Players: Becca Brodie 5-8 SG (So.) Season Outlook: The Lady Mustangs return everyone of importance from last season, including the reigning District 12A MVP, Abby Laws. Laws, a versatile 5-11 W/F, is one of the toughest players to guard out of 12A mainly due to her ability to just play over everyone with her length. Her ability to shoot the “3†(though not always consistently), score off the dribble, and post up in the paint makes her a major offensive weapon for Coach Tipps. Surrounding Laws is a good supporting cast who has done a good job of recognizing that the ball belongs in Laws’s hands most of the time. 5-8 PG Becca Curtis is a solid point guard and 5-8 G Elizabeth Hemmen is also capable of putting points on the board when teams focus their attention on Laws. Also making Loretto much tougher this season is a surplus of talented players through transfers (e.g. Hayley Farrington from Lawrence County) and incoming freshmen, most of which will be able to contribute some minutes (though they are inexperienced). Loretto will be fine so long as Laws is able to stay on the floor. If she gets in foul trouble or has to come out for any reason, then Loretto becomes a very average team. 3. Summertown 2009 – 2010 Record: 16–12, 6–4 12A Regular Season: 2nd 12A District Tournament: Runner-Ups Returning Starters: 5 Predicted Starters: Sommer Smith 5-4 PG (Jr.), Karlie Harville 5-4 CG (Jr.), Morgan Long 5-8 SG (So.), Courtney Grooms 5-7 F (Jr.), Sarah Graham 6-3 C (Jr.) Other Notable Players: Claire Franklin 5-7 G (Jr.), Megan Kilburn 5-10 F (So.) Season Outlook: The Lady Eagles made a surprise run all the way to Sub-State last year behind their solid team play and excellent coaching. While Summertown returns all of their players from last season, they might have incurred a greater loss than any other team with the departure of Coach Willard. Summertown’s overachievement last season can be directly attributed to his coaching genius, and now that they are under the guidance Coach Morris (former coach of Collinwood), one knows that in terms of coaching, Summertown took a major hit. Regardless, the Lady Eagles have solid players at all positions, and while there are no real stars, there are also no real weaknesses. Summertown will boast one of the deepest benches in 12A this season with Lawrence County transfer Claire Franklin being eligible to play, making Summertown about eight deep this year (which is excellent for a Class A team). Summertown has struggled with both Wayne County and Loretto in the past, and with Willard gone, I am just not sure that they can take them down during this year of transition. It will be interesting to see just how well Morris can keep this group together while implementing his own style of coaching. 4. Perry County 2009 – 2010 Record: 13–16, 5–5 12A Regular Season: T-3rd 12A District Tournament: 4th Returning Starters: 4 Predicted Starters: Alycia Simmons 5-6 CG (Sr.), Carson Trull 5-5 G (Sr.), Kandra Starkey 5-10 W/F (Sr.), Nina McCaig 5-8 F (Sr.), Sara Monroe 5-10 C (Sr.) Other Notable Players: BJ Warren 5-7 SG (Fr.) Season Outlook: The Lady Vikings will be the only team in 12A to start all Seniors, which is a rarity in this district. While they did lose a four-year starter in Brooke Warren (Wallace State) to graduation, the majority of their offensive power returns. Leading the way for Perry County is 5-6 CG Alycia Simmons, who is expected to take over the point guard duties this season. Simmons’s ability to score from anywhere as well as her willingness to create and dish off to her teammates make her very dangerous as a PG. Also returning of note is 5-10 W/F Kandra Starkey, who is one of the most versatile players in the district. When she commits to giving 100% on both ends of the floor, she is one of the best players in 12A. If the remaining starters have worked on their games and improved since last season, then Perry County may be a huge sleeper out of 12A and could possibly end up much higher than 4th come tournament time. If not, then with the type of schedule Perry County is playing, it could be a very long year for them. 5. Collinwood 2009 – 2010 Record: 17–10, 5–5 12A Regular Season: T-3rd 12A District Tournament: Eliminated 1st Round Returning Starters: 2 Predicted Starters: Abby Hill 5-5 G (Sr.), Jessie Parker 5-5 SG (Sr.), Nikki Robertson 5-7 F (Jr.), Alexus Haddock 5-7 F (So.), Hanna Littrell 6-3 C (So.) Other Notable Players: Season Outlook: No other team had quite the tumultuous season that the Trojanettes had last year. Issues between administration and the coaching staff got the season started off on the wrong foot, and Collinwood was never really able to rebound from that with their season ending early at the hands of Loretto in the 1st round of the District 12A Tournament. Collinwood’s top three scorers all graduated, leaving only five varsity players at the conclusion of the year. Returning for the Trojanettes this season is a couple of solid guards in Hill and Parker, and a versatile W/F in Robertson. Hanna Littrell, the 6-3 post at the center of the preseason drama last season, is back and appears to be the go-to player for the girls in green this season. Littrell’s size is a huge advantage for Collinwood, but they will need some quality guards that are capable of getting her the ball inside (assuming she’s not going to roam around the 3-point line like she did during the summer). It just doesn’t seem at the present moment that Collinwood has the tools or experience necessary to take down any of the big four ahead of them. 6. Frank Hughes 2009 – 2010 Record: 0–23, 0–10 12A Regular Season: 6th 12A District Tournament: Eliminated 1st Round Returning Starters: 4 Predicted Starters: Megan Tinin 5-5 PG (Sr.), Hannah Haddock 5-2 G (Jr.), Lydia Riley 5-6 G (So.), Macy Stricklin 5-8 W/F (So.), Ashley Bumphus 5-8 F (So.) Other Notable Players: Incoming Freshman Class Season Outlook: The Lady Lions will look to build on their winless season from a year ago. They should benefit greatly when the middle school season is over as Frank Hughes has a solid group of eighth graders coming up that should add some depth to bench. Look for 5-8 F Ashley Bumphus to shoulder much of the offensive load, as she actually has the potential to be one of the best players to come out of Frank Hughes is a very long time. Overall, 12A is a deep as it has ever been and is possibly the toughest district in the state this year. The top four teams are all very experienced and can play with just about anyone. It will be very tough for 11A to compete with 12A this year once the Region 6A Tournament rolls around. Then again, a lot can happen between now and then. The District 12A MVP will probably be one of the following three players: Abby Laws (Loretto), Alycia Simmons (Perry County), or Carly Daniel (Wayne County). All three of those young ladies are preseason favorites for a Class A Miss Basketball nomination this season as well and should easily be on the Class A All-State Team at the end of the year. This should be an excellent year of basketball in 12A.

The following games (all of which should be competitive) are ones to keep a close eye on Saturday: Greenfield vs FRA Wayne County vs Lake County Loretto vs Westview Calloway County (KY) vs Creek Wood

District 12AA 1. Lewis County – The Lady Panthers lost a very solid group of Seniors, most notably their 3 to 4 year starting point guard, Jessica Hinson (Jackson State). However, they do return their best overall player in 5-10 Senior W/F Kenley Crowell, who is a matchup problem with her size and versatility. 5-5 Senior Chynna Helton should transition to the PG spot after spend the last few seasons at the 2-guard. Their only decent post threat is 5-10 Junior F Haylee Trull, who’s improvement over the course of the season was the burst they needed to finally get them to Murfreesboro. While last year's Cinderella run to the State Tournament was nice, it likely won’t happen again this year, especially with the depth and talent that Waverly Central and Creek Wood has in District 11AA. Not to mention the fact that if they were to get through the region that they would have to beat CPA, Macon County, or Sycamore (all of whom who are strong, if not stronger, than last year) in Sub-State. 2. Page – For the first time in a long time, the Lady Patriots have a team that their fans can be excited about. Everyone of significance is back from last year’s team including the tough Sophomore duo of Bria White and Cat Taylor, who were the main scoring threats for Page last season as Freshmen. This duo, along with the inside play of senior post, Kaitlin Schnittjer, should give Page a shot at the 12AA crown. If they can find some depth to support their starting five, they very well may have enough to at least give Lewis County a scare. 3. Hickman County - The Lady Bulldogs graduated District 12AA MVP Kelsey Wright as well as two other strong players who have extended their ball careers past high school, Kayla Hutcherson (Martin Methodist) and Jessica Conder (Columbia State). Returning for the Lady Bulldogs is their main outside threat in 5-7 Senior SG Kaylee Pickard, a solid slashing 5-7 Senior W/F in Katie Ladd, and a decent post in 6-0 Junior F Jada Brown. While those three are capable of putting points on the board, none of them are go-to type players. Also questionable for Coach Barrett this year is his point guard play. With Conder and Hutcherson gone, so goes most of his ball handling and smart decision making. There are some freshmen (keep an eye on incoming 5-6 PG Ginger Conder) and sophomores who have shown the potential to play that position, but inexperience will hurt them early on. Barrett is good though, and you know he will have the Lady Bulldogs ready come tournament time. 4. Giles County – The Lady Bobcats return all three of their top scorers from last season in 5-4 Senior G Alexis Braden, 5-6 Junior G Kendall Greene, and Senior F Joelne Patterson. Giles County is very undersized and will be very guard oriented. Look for 5-4 Sophomore Shante McNairy to take over PG duties allowing Braden and Greene to do most of their damage from the wing spots. If Giles can find a consistent scoring threat inside to help aid Patterson, then the Lady Bobcats could advance to the Region 6AA Tournament for the first time since the 2007-2008 season. 5. Marshall County - The Tigerettes graduated their leading scorer from last season, Artavia Bryant, as well as the athletic O’Neal twins. While that is quite a bit of talent to lose, the Tigerettes cupboard is not bare. They do have 5-11 Junior F Keyerra Allen, who showed signs of being a go-to force down low last season, as well as 5-3 Senior G Marina Harwell, the team’s second leading scorer from a year ago. While those two are good enough to carry Marshall past the three teams below them, they’ll need some other players to step up and help them on both ends of the floor for this team to crack into the top four. 6. Spring Hill – The Lady Raiders will likely start five seniors this season, making this one of the most experienced teams they have had in recent years. 5-9 Senior G/W Atlanta Westbrook has always had the raw athletic ability, but has never developed the fundamentals necessary to be a dominating player in this district. If she has improved from last season and 5-11 C Kasie Perry desides to return for her last season to provide some size and scoring ability inside, then Spring Hill should at least be competitive with mostly everyone in the district. 7. Fairview – The Lady Yellowjackets lost the only real scorer they have had for the past two seasons in Allison Nutt. The graduation of Nutt, and second leading scorer Rosalyn Moseley, leaves Fairview in search of some much needed offense and leadership. The points this season could potentially come from a pair of Seniors in Chelsea Grishaber and Taylor King. Solid perimeter play, depth, and leadership all have to be concerns of Coach McGowan as he heads into this season. 8. East Hickman – The one-win Lady Eagles from last season find themselves in the last spot despite returning all starters from last year. East’s main problem last season was that they were a terrible second half team. If they can find a way to be competitive for all four quarters, they should get a few more wins this season (and possibly not finish last in the district). East Hickman will be led by a pair of Senior guards in Grace Brady and Brittany Stone, both of whom will be relied heavily on not only to score points, but to handle the ball and limit turnovers. 12AA is actually better overall as a whole from last year. However, none of the teams are anywhere near as strong as Lewis County and Hickman County were last season. As far as Region 6AA goes, both districts are fairly even. Waverly Central is probably the team to beat in the region, and Creek Wood is going to be very strong this year as well despite losing Sarah Collins inside. Outside of Lewis County, every other 12AA team would have a difficult time matching up with the top 11AA teams. As for the District 12AA MVP, it will likely come down to Crowell (Lewis Co.), Helton (Lewis Co.), Taylor (Page), and Braden (Giles Co.). However, a breakout year from anyone, like Wright of Hickman County last season, could make for a surprise 12AA MVP.

District 11A 1. Cornersville - The Lady Bulldogs are a little down from year's past after graduating three starters in Nelms (5-year starter and 2,000 point scorer), Wheeler, and Cook. They do return 5-11 F Haley Fagan and 5-8 PG Makenzie Hopkins, both of whom will shoulder most of the offensive load this season. The problem with that is that I saw little improvement in Fagan from her Sophomore to her Junior season last year (which could probably be attributed to her focus on softball) and Hopkins has never been a main scoring option (though she has always been capable). However, they both have the athletic ability and necessary skill set to overmatch any of their opponents in 11A. There isn't much surrounding these two in terms of notable players, but in this district a couple of high quality players like Fagan and Hopkins is all it really takes to get to the top. They will be down from the last couple of years, but they will still be good enough to take the top spot in 11A. 2. Santa Fe - The Lady Cats graduated do-it-all G/F Bobbi Dodson who is now at Martin Methodist. However, they return just about everyone else, including their anchor in the middle in 6-0 C Jensen White. White has already shown some improvement from last season though her mobility and ability to score over post players her own size are still major question marks. Luckily for her (and her team), few teams in 11A have anyone that can handle her size and frame. Her presence inside should force opposing teams to key in on her leaving Santa Fe's other returning guards a look at outside shots that they must knock down this year. Hemphill, Warf, and Thompson will all have to be consistent from the outside for Santa Fe to be successful. If they stand any chance of taking down Cornersville, they will have to find another inside threat to replace the one they lost to transfer as well as a capable point guard that can handle the full court pressure (which Dodson did for them last season when needed). If they can get those things in place, then the Lady Cats should at least finish 2nd, and might even give Cornersville a run for their money. 3. Columbia Academy - The Lady Bulldogs lost their leading scorer in Lacey Hayes, as well as two other seniors who were significant contributors in Emily Crane and Emily Holmes. However, the young ones that were suppose to bring Columbia Academy back to the top are now moving on up to upperclassmen themselves, and if there ever was a year to really make a push for the top, this is it. CA will return a solid all-around player in Sophomore Merrianne Patterson, who I fully expect will be the team's main go-to player. Also capable of providing some offense for the Lady Bulldogs is Junior G Morgan Thomasson and Junior G/F Hanna Earl. If CA can find some type of inside play (an improved Hargrove perhaps) to counteract the inside play of Fagan (Cornersville) and White (Santa Fe), then Columbia Academy might just finish in the top two. However, without a dependable inside game, I don't see how they can take down either of the teams above them. 4. Richland - The Lady Raiders faithful endured what was a extremely long and disappointing season last year. The head coach from that team is gone, and this once youthful and inexperienced bunch, should have matured and developed over the past year. Richland will rely heavily on their guard play as they have little size inside. Senior W/F Kim Lovell will probably be relied on to play some inside, which is a major conflict for her coach considering her outside shooting ability can really break open a game if team's do not close out on her. Returning with Lovell this season is a group of decent guards in Lee, Holley, and Summers, all of whom will need to do more on both ends of the floor this season than last. Lastly, Kim Lovell's twin, Ashley, will probably be relied on even more heavily to play multiple positions because of her versatility, though she is not quite as skilled as her sister. While Richland returns all but one player from last season, they just don't appear to have the speed, depth, or size to really challenge the three above them on a nightly basis. 5. Mt. Pleasant - I believe the Lady Tigers lost the Frierson girls to Columbia Central, and I was told that other guards who played some minutes last year have not returned. While Mt. Pleasant showed improvement last season, I don't know if they have enough fundamental players to really challenge any of the top four. Look for Emily McNeece and Tiara Hughes to provide most of the offense (though it won't be much). With the Frierson girls, they would probably have little trouble finishing 5th, but if they are gone, then both Culleoka, and even possibly Hampshire, could beat them. 6. Culleoka - The Lady Warriors are very young with only one returning Senior in Kayla Kizer. Their youthfulness may not be the biggest obstacle this season, however, as a couple of freshmen, especially Hayley Foster, could provide some much needed offense for this struggling team. If Cully's coach can find a way to mix some of the younger girls (who have potential) with some of his older girls, without causing an uproar with both the players and parents, then Culleoka might just be able to fight their way up into that fifth spot. However, I don't see them challenging any of the top four teams, at least not this year anyways. 7. Hampshire - The Lady Hawks graduated their top three scorers from last season, and really don't return much offense. This team has no experience, little size, and no depth, which is not a combination for winning basketball teams. With Booker, Boyd, and Baker all gone, the Hawks will need more players to step up in a hurry (possibly Clyde and Kennedy). If not, Hampshire could very well be looking at only a one or two win season and a last place finish in 11A. As for MVP, Fagan is most definitely the favorite, especially since you will see her be more of the go-to player this year for Cornersville with the departure of Nelms. Hopkins would be a distant second, while White at Santa Fe will probably also have her name in the mix by the end of the year.

I wasn't aware that Popp was the one who had transferred. If so, you could possibly drop Cascade another spot, but I don't see Spencer letting his girls drop that far, regardless of what players he has on his team.

The list of approved Hall of Fame games has finally been posted on the TSSAA website. It is not a complete list, but many of the match-ups are on there.

District 9A 1. Moore County – The Raiderettes lost their senior point guard, but with the talent that still remains, don’t look for Moore County to struggle much. They are far-and-away the clear favorites in District 9A, and are, in my opinion, the preseason favorite to bring home the Gold Ball come March. The Raiderettes will be led 5-11 F Heather Vann (Sr.), who is a potential Class A Miss Basketball nominee. Also returning is 5-9 CG Rachel Garland (Jr.), who is one of the more versatile players in the state, and 5-10 F Sarah Raby (So.), who may end up being one of the best players ever from Moore County when her career is over. The Raiderettes top three are plenty talented, and the rest of the bunch is capable of coming in and playing quality minutes. The only real question marks for Moore County is of course their point guard play (who will it be? Garland, who has done it in the past? Kight, who has no experience in that position? Camp? Thomas?) and just how well will these girls mesh with the hard-nosed, no excuses, my way or the highway attitude of their new coach, Bruce Slatten. Slatten has had great success on the boys’ side of the game, but this is his first rodeo coaching girls, and there is a vast difference between the two. I’ve said all along that he could make or break this team, and only time will tell. 2. Forrest – The Lady Rockets lost a ton of talent from last year, the most notable being 2010 Class A Miss Basketball Beth Hawn. At times last year, Hawn literally carried Forrest, who were not nearly the balanced team they had been in the past. Regardless, Forrest is still a very high quality team as they continue to develop strong, well-rounded players in their system. Look for the senior Curtner twins, Christina (5-8 CG) and Anna (5-6 SG), to take the leadership roles for this team. I expect that Christina Curtner will be the go to player for Forrest this year, which will mark the first time in many years (since before Gaby Bussell) that their go-to player for the Lady Rockets will not be an interior player. Forrest should still be very tough defensively and well rounded enough with quality guards like 5-9 Hannah Phifer (So.) and 5-7 Alyson Patton (Sr.) to stay in this second spot. 3. Middle Tennessee Christian School – The Lady Cougars will still be a tough team to contend with despite this being somewhat of a transitional year for them. They graduated their two main go-to players in four-year starter Katie Mullins and main outside threat Alex Martin. However, MTCS should bring in the most talented freshman class after their middle school team went undefeated last season. Look for Senior PG Sara Sims to provide the leadership while most of the offensive production comes from athletic post Julia Howard (Jr.) and many of those stellar freshmen, such as Adams and Peters. If MTCS is able to overcome the lack of experience and is able to utilize all of the young freshman and sophomore talent (assuming that all of them still go to MTCS), then they could surpass Forrest for the second spot, and just possibly, give Moore County a scare somewhere down the road. 4. Huntland – If memory serves me correct, then the Lady Hornets had no seniors last season, meaning, they return everyone for the 2010-2011 season. Huntland had moments last year where they looked like a quality team (remember: wins over both MTCS and Loretto were impressive). However, there were other times when they looked like typical Huntland. With everyone returning, including leading scorer, and main outside threat, Senior SG Chelsea Clark, as well as capable post play from Alexis Smith (So.) and Lindsey Knoer (Jr.), this could just be the year for Huntland to pull even more upsets. Keep an eye on 6-0 incoming Freshman C Nancy Schwartz, who if she has improved since middle school last year, could provide Huntland with even more depth and size in the post. 5. Cascade – The Lady Champions lost do-it-all guard M.K. Potts to graduation last season. They do, however, return a fairly strong sophomore class that got a lot of playing time last season as freshman. While there are no stars on this team and no one even close to the skill level that Potts was at, there are some solid players that should keep Cascade near the middle of the pack. Look for most of Cascade’s offensive production to come from the post, as 5-10 F Jessica Popp (Jr.) should become the go-to player on the offensive end. Surrounding her should be some capable sophomore guards, led by 5-3 SG Elora Skeuce and 5-4 PG Haley Edmundson. 6. Eagleville – The Lady Eagles only lost one starter last season, but it was a huge loss for them. The graduation of 6-0 C Jennilee Lenker will be felt greatly this season, as she has literally carried this team for the past three years. She was the Lady Eagles leader in just about every statistical category outside of assists per game, and there is no replacing that this season. Eagleville does have one solid player at the PG spot in Julia Adomowicz (Jr.). Adomowicz will be looked at to carry this team offensively, which is sometimes difficult to do when you are the point guard. She will need for players like Junior C Kelsey Barnes and Junior guards Hannah Mays and Lindsey McRee to have developed stronger fundamental games and become offensive threats, if Eagleville stands any chance of competing this season. 7. Community – In terms of offensive production, no one probably lost more last season than the Viqueens. The girls from Unionville graduated their top three scorers in Aubrey Boyce, Megan Busbee, and Courtney Vassar. Replacing that kind of offensive production and experience will be tough for head coach Allison Layne. I expect that much of the offensive load will be placed on the shoulders of Katie and Brittany Leverette. Each of them showed at times last season that they could score when needed. Megan Smith (So.) could provide some much needed scoring as well, and Megan Busbee’s younger sister, Hannah, will need to step up her game to help keep Community in the hunt this season. 8. F.C. Boyd Christian – Poor F.C. Boyd should seriously look into going into Division II or just playing as an independent. It is very hard for such a small private school as them to compete in any sport, let alone girls’ basketball. Expect another long year the Lady Broncos. Moore County is definitely the favorite. Forrest and MTCS could challenge them on any given night, but I don't know if either have the tools to beat them. Expect highly competitive games between Forrest and MTCS for that 2nd spot, as that could go either way. Huntland is the dark horse, and I feel they may just have enough this season to really be a pain to a couple of the teams above them. Cascade could slide into the top four if those freshmen have improved from last season, but my gut says their fifth. Everyone else is stuck at the bottom.

CPA should still be the favorite despite the losses of Mitchell and Thurley. They will have balanced guard play with sophomore sharpshooter Meredith Roman and do-it-all junior wing Emily Boyd. Inside play should be solid with the sophomore tandem of 6-1 Lauren Thompson, who showed great improvement over the summer with her club team, and 5-11 Faith LeGate, who is the coach's daughter. Throw into the mix a pretty deep bench with numerous players that can give quality minutes and CPA should be the favorite for the District 10AA title. Obviously you can never count out Lipscomb, as you know they will have quality guard play. East Lit should be down after graduating Cowan and that large senior class. Hume-Fogg, MLK, and Pearl-Cohn should all be solid, but I don't know if they have enough to take down CPA. Regardless, it should be an interesting year in 10AA.

I know, I am a little shocked myself. I have had it confirmed by three different sources, but it is still very hard to believe. I was trying to think back to how long ago it was that Willard went from being Byrd's assistant at Wayne County to coaching at Summertown. I want to say he has been at the school for around 12 - 15 years, but I'm not exactly sure.

Heard from a reliable source today that Coach Morris has been moved up to the head coaching position at Summertown High School. Coach Willard left his beloved Lady Eagles to coach the Wayne County boys! This is a major shake-up in 12A....

Cannon County looked real good at MTSU, but you know Livingston and Upperman are both going to push Cannon for the top spot.

This is either going to be a recipe for greatness or a recipe for disaster. No in-between.....

Coaches (since they are suppose to be the adults) should be able to control their players and their teams. I don't necessarily think that you can put that responsibility off on the TSSAA or referees, because coaches should be able to manage their players' behavior (and the good ones do). As for using TSSAA referees for camps: the university run team camps (i.e. MTSU, Belmont, ect.) and some select larger high schools with large numbers of teams attending camp typically use certified officials (or those who are training to be referees) during camp. However, most high school run camps typically do not because the coaches and administrators want to make as much money as possible off of these camps to help fund their teams. The high school camps do typically tend to cost less, simply because they don't have to pay for referees or pay the school for use of classrooms if teams need to stay overnight. If you want TSSAA refs (not that having them would prevent immature behavior by players and teams), then you have to come up with the money to go to some of the more expensive camps at some of the major universities or larger high schools. As the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for...."

It is going to be extremely interesting in 8AAA this year.....

It will likely be a very long year in Collinwood. 12A is loaded this year with Wayne County, Summertown, Loretto, and Perry County all having very experienced teams. Collinwood has little to no experience, and despite what a couple of relatives in the stands may think, there is no real go-to player either. Finding a quality coach will be difficult for Collinwood because what top-tier coach would want to go there when administration just ran off a very good coach.....

I highly doubt either of them are interested in a Class A coaching job. Plus, in order to coach at Moore County you have to be willing to listen to the other coaches in the bleachers and neither of those two would do that. The community has a lot of input on the girls team there, and it has worked for them so far, so I don't see that changing. Really and truly, Helton should just do it (he coaches them in the summer and he coaches them from across the gym during high school season anyways so go ahead and put him on the bench), and they probably wouldn't miss a beat. Regardless of who gets it, they have a legitimate shot at a Gold Ball this year.

Class A All-State Beth Hawn (Forrest) Molly Heady (Clarkrange) Laken Leonard (Jackson County) Alexis Anderson (CSAS) Kayla Kelly (CSAS) Kelli Reed (Clarkrange) Terrah Garner (Pickett County) Layce Colter (Red Boiling Springs) Keta Robinette (Marion County) Sara Nelms (Cornersville) Heather Vann (Moore County) Dakota White (North Greene) Brinika Shepherd (Westwood) Emily Bowman (Jackson County) Sharon Morgan (Middleton) As usual, some voters didn't do their research... Personally, I would agree with 10 of these...

AA All-State Hollie German (Polk County) Jenna Adams (McMinn Central) Madison Lee (McMinn Central) Heather Butler (Gibson County) Chassidy Fussell (Obion County) Taylor Mills (Gibbs) Aubrey Reedy (Gibson County) Heather Griffin (Gibson County) Artavia Bryant (Marshall County) Chynna Helton (Lewis County) Amber Rechis (Westview) Emily Sissom (Cannon County) Erica Ousley (Fairley) Alesa Hammaker (CAK) Bre Hall (Fulton) For the most part, a very good list. However, there are a couple of very interesting choices.....

I think the large majority of people who follow 12A have known since the beginning of the season that Morris wasn't coming back after this last year, which is probably why no one felt the need to post about it. Regardless of who coaches this team, I don't foresee them getting out of district.

Bigster, If you are referring to the teams in my post, those are not who I think the top teams will be next year (though a couple of them will be some of the best in the state). Those are the teams that stand in Moore County's way of getting back to state (district opponents and sub-state opponents). Calm down, everyone knows that Lake County is a threat to get to Murfreesboro next season.

Moore County will be even stronger next year, as they return two versatile posts in Vann and Raby to go with a whole slew of capable guards. I would imagine that Garland will return to the point with Taylor graduating, which might take away from her scoring a little bit. She started out at the PG as an eighth grader, but she appears more comfortable on the wing than at the point. Moore County also has a 6-2 post that will be a freshman, and if Jodie Brown returns they will have another 6-2 post, which will make them the deepest Class A team to come through in a very long time. Their inside game would be nearly unstoppable as you could pretty much counter any defense that is thrown at you with that combination of players. I do look for Vann to move out to the wing next year with all of the low-post players that Moore County has on their roster. Moore County should be back next year, but the road will be anything but easy. In fact, the South Middle section of Tennessee will be the toughest area to come out of next year in Class A. 9A and 12A return the most talent of any two districts in Tennessee (though 7A and 14A will be right in the mix, as usual). Moore County will have to get through Forrest (will reload with the Curtner twins becoming go-to players), Cascade (a very young team that lost only one starter), and MTCS (a team with an exceptional Freshman class coming in) in District 9A. The Region 5A Tournament will look exactly as it did this year with those four teams battling it out. Then they will have to play a Sub-State game against either Wayne County (only lost one senior; has a lot of size with Daniel and Bell in the post and a real star in Risner at the PG spot), Summertown (returns everyone from a very young team that played Moore County to a four point game in Sub-State), Perry County (senior-laden starting lineup led by the best guard in 12A in Simmons), or Loretto (returns all starters, including D-12A MVP Forward Abby Laws). Moore County is definitely the favorite of all those teams to return to Murfreesboro. If they make it back, they will be extremely battle-tested once they get there. Congratulations to Moore County on their run this year and their silver ball. I have a feeling there will be a lot more hardware going in the trophy case over the next 2 to 3 years.

Hawn was a great choice for the Class A Miss Basketball. She earned it with her extraordinary level of play this season, as she was the most complete and dominating player in Class A this year. She is going to be another weapon in UTM's arsenal next year that will help lead them to an eventual OVC Championship ( possibly four in a row ).

Congratulations to all three winners yesterday. The Miss Basketball awards went down exactly like I thought they would. Beth Hawn absolutely deserved the Class A Miss Basketball based on her play this year, because she was absolutely stellar all year long. Had Forrest not been upset by MTCS in the Region Semifinals, I think everyone would have seen just how much better Hawn is this year from last year. She was a great player last year, but she was an unbelievable player this year, and she deserved the award. She looked genuinely surprised that she won it, which made for a great moment. Chassidy Fussell is a worthy recipient of the AA Miss Basketball. She is one of the greatest scorers this state has ever seen. Unfortunately, she was never able to get to the State Tournament because of the more complete teams in her district. Butler would have been just as good of a choice, and even after sitting in the Murphy Center yesterday and watching her performance in the "greatest comeback" I have ever witnessed in a State Tournament Championship Game, I found myself hoping that she would get it. I knew the student section was going to "boo" if anyone other than Butler go the award, and I am pretty sure that the girls knew it was coming to. It probably isn't something that Fussell wanted to happen when she was accepting the greatest individual award given to a girl basketball player in the state of Tennessee, but I have a feeling that it didn't bother her that much. Throughout her entire career, Taylor Hall has been an impressive scorer and defensive player with great size. She has a college-ready body and with a 6-1 frame, she will make a great guard at Chattanooga next year. Of the three nominated, I felt that she was probably the most complete player of the three, though she did struggle during the State Championship Game yesterday. I think next year you can book Shacobia Barbee of Riverdale and Caya Williams of Mt. Juliet as AAA Miss Basketball candidates. As good as Barbee was the last time I saw her, which was this past summer in AAU, she was even more impressive and dominating yesterday than I have ever seen her. She, and Williams, will play in the SEC or some other major conference, because they are both scary good at their age.

A great start to the TSSAA State Tournament. The fans for the Class A schools were out in force today. Scotts Hill has to be the winner for the most fans at the tournament today. I have been to Scotts Hill, and let me tell you, there probably wasn't a single person in Reagen, TN, today, because they were all at the Murphy Center. It is always great to see the community support that the smaller schools get, and how those fans live and die with every shot. The atmosphere for the Class A games was exceptional. Not to be outdone, Gibson County fans were out in force today as well. A good crowd for both sides in the Gibson/CPA (which was a much better game than the score indicates). Polk had a great crowd, but the South Greene crowd looked a little thin. I thought the entire day ran smoothly, and TSSAA seemed to be right on top of everything. The officiating was strong, and I don't think anyone had any real issues or complaints about officiating. The day got off to a great start with the Middleton/North Greene game, and though the Jackson County/Coalfield game was a little bit of a snore after the first quarter, the rest of the games were all entertaining. Heather Butler gave the performance of the day with her 33 point output against a CPA team that showed little to no fear of Gibson County, but did exhibit some nerves about being on the State Tournament stage. I'm looking forward to another great day tomorrow.