Greenville the Class of the IMAC

[IMACJack]

My prediction Greenville will finish first in the IMAC with or without Shumate. Best coach and team in IMAC by far. Toughest schedule by far helps them in the tournament. They are ready and almost pulled one off against SH, who they can beat. Cant say the same for the rest of the IMAC. Both Morristown teams will go down to defeat in the first games of the district. Which will leave Cherokee Cocke County and Jeff County. Jeff may be tough as they almost beat SH and also play tough schedule. Well coached and prepared for the tournament. Shumate will be back in time for the regionals to beat SH. In the meantime I say we dont need him to beat the weak IMAC teams. Rest him and let him get better.

[SportsDude05]

I can see JCHS pulling an upset over M'Town West...but Cocke County will fall and fall hard to M'town East.

 

With no Camichael, the Cocks have just one bullet - Buckner.

 

The 'Canes by 15.

[BlMed]

My prediction  Greenville will finish first in the IMAC with or without Shumate. Best coach and team in IMAC by far. Toughest schedule by far helps them in the tournament. They are ready and almost pulled one off against SH, who they can beat. Cant say the same for the rest of the IMAC. Both Morristown teams will go down to defeat in the first games of the district. Which will leave Cherokee Cocke County and Jeff County. Jeff may be tough as they almost beat SH and also play tough schedule. Well coached and prepared for the tournament. Shumate will be back in time for the regionals to beat SH. In the meantime I say we dont need him to beat the weak IMAC teams. Rest him and let him get better.

825572788[/snapback]

 

Hey Jack here is a more balanced view. I sure hope you guys can produce as well as you talk. Reminds me of the Science Hill arrogance.

 

 

 

 

I-MAC Tournament time means time to throw out the records

 

 

 

 

By: STEVE WILHOIT, Tribune Sports Writer February 18, 2005

 

 

 

 

It's time to toss the records aside as the prep basketball post-season is upon us.

The District 2-AAA Tournament tips off on Saturday at Cherokee High School. Two boys teams and two girls squads have already earned first round byes and, in the process, cemented spots in the following week's Region 1-AAA Tourney at Bristol.

 

Game two on Saturday seems destined to be a good one as the much-improved fourth-seeded boys from West High take on the dangerous fifth-seeded Jefferson County squad.

 

The Trojans have made plenty of noise in the second half of the season with team chemistry jelling nicely. The team's only senior, six-foot-four jumping jack Jeremy Smith averages close to a double-double with 15.6 points and 9.9 rebounds a game. Dustin Guthrie finished the regular season strongly and is now picking up 12.9 points a game. Darius Ewing picks up 8.8 boards a game and has shown the ability to have games with twice that rebounding number. Brent Osgood leads a nice group of support players with 8.1 ppg.

 

"We started 1-5 in the conference then got back to .500 which equaled out pre-season goal; now we want to win a tournament game to achieve another goal and go from there," Trojans head coach Larry Hurst said.

 

The Jeff County Patriots continually played good teams close early in the season without a win to show for it but broke through in the second half, collecting key victories including a tourney seeding-altering victory over Morristown East last Friday. Jason Deering hit for nearly 13 points per game this season with Zach Smiley and Steven Solomon adding good support with close to eight a night.

 

It's been a rough, sickness-riddled week for Pats head man Rick Sinard leading up the district tournament. Assistant coach Claude Chafin is "cautiously optimistic" about Jeff's chances. "We're young (started four sophomores against East) but we've definitely gotten a lot better," he said.

 

In the third game of the Saturday session, it's yet another Morristown East/Morristown West pairing.

 

The third-seeded Lady Trojans look to be a team with a chance at upsetting the apple cart in the coming week. The West ladies finished well with several solid wins in the second half. Included in the equation was an overtime victory against a strong Tennessee High team out of District 1. Bryan College signee Ashley Gray had another solid season (14.7 ppg and over five assists per contest).

 

Summer Phipps was 10-10 from the floor in a win last Friday at Cocke County. Phipps is close to a double-double in productivity with 11.1 points and just under 10 rebounds a night. Katie LaMarr is good for 8.9 points a game. Several good role players also dot the roster.

 

Lady Trojans head coach Johnny Galyon said he likes the team's recent level of play. "Our kids are starting to peak at the right time and we're excited about this time of year, but we need to give a good effort against East as it's always a rivalry game."

 

The Lady Hurricanes, the sixth seed, are coming off a recent confidence-building win plus a competitive loss to Rutledge this week, a game which was decided in the closing seconds. No one averages in double figures but freshman Tasha Morrell has been a team sparkplug at the point and Lindsey Ely has bumped her scoring average to over seven points a game, just in back of Morrell's eight-plus. Anna Branner can be a factor on the glass. The team has dealt with some roster changes this month, as far as personnel availability.

 

"We played them a good half last time," Lady 'Canes head man Terry Livesay commented. "We've got to execute and make our shots and rebound better to have a chance at being there at the end."

 

The final match-up on Saturday pits the boys third seed, the East High Hurricanes against the sixth seed, the Big Red of Cocke County.

 

East has featured a versatile, well-balanced unit in 2004'-

05 with a handful of gut-wrenching losses entering the overall mix down the stretch. The Hurricanes were the only team to knock off top seed Greeneville in district competition this season. Sophomore Kent Basile and junior Cory Shaw provide a solid one-two punch with 15.2 and 13.7 points a game, respectively. Dustin Farthing (64-percent from the floor), Daniel Deaderick, and Chase Goins also score in the seven to eight point range on average. Basile picks up six rebounds a game while Deaderick averages 5.9 boards and a team-best 4.5 assists a game.

 

Hurricanes head coach Calvin Decker said he likes his team's chances of being very competitive. "We didn't get the particular seed we wanted but expect to go in and do quite well," he stated.

 

"We've got to make our free throws, but I believe our youth has something to do with the misses we've had in late-game situations; it's not been for a lack of effort on our players' part."

 

The Fighting Cocks are carried by senior standout Korian Buckner (20.8 ppg, 9 rpg, 50.1 fg pct.). The CCHS team has been searching for point production to support Buckner this month with its second-leading scorer having departed. Other than reliable senior Jake Allen (9 ppg), who mixes three-point marksmanship with the ability to penetrate, no one is averaging more than 4.5 points per contest.

 

"I know we'll play hard on defense and hopefully we'll have an opportunity to win our first-round game," said Big Red head man David Whaley. "East has a very fine team and we need to step up."

[PTSportsWriter]

Greeneville should win; but the I-MAC isn't all its cracked up to be on the boys side I'm afraid.

 

East showed they could beat GHS

 

Cherokee played tough with GHS as well.

 

As a side on Cocke County, their biggest man, Birdsell, is no longer on the team either.

[doubleplay96]

No other team compares because the IMAC suks! Greeneville isnt even that good and there still way above everybody else in the IMAC.

[noonesfool]

GHS is the best team and we do have the best Coach, but our schedule is a stinker. Not very good. Check the coacht schedule ratings, about 76/111. I edited because we have moved up the last few weeks from 104/111.

Edited February 19, 2005 by noonesfool

[Surf4life]

Doesn't matter how good Greeneville is in the IMAC. They lost both regular season matches to SH. Too bad

[noonesfool]

surf you are good guy but don't jinx your self

[IMACJack]

surf you are good guy but don't jinx your self

825574405[/snapback]

 

 

After the sad play of Morristown teams tonight I am even more sure they will go down early. Both teams looked so bad even winning. Greenville should get out of the IMAC. We dont deserve the bad rep. Look at how SH laughs at the IMAC except for us. Jeremy Smith and Basile both scored against weak teams but will be shut down tuesday night. I thought both would lost but did not think the refs would play favorites which they did big time.

Edited February 20, 2005 by IMACJack

[PTSportsWriter]

After the sad play of Morristown teams tonight I am even more sure they will go down early. Both teams looked so bad even winning. Greenville should get out of the IMAC. We dont deserve the bad rep. Look at how SH laughs at the IMAC except for us. Jeremy Smith and Basile both scored against weak teams but will be shut down tuesday night. I thought both would lost but did not think the refs would play favorites which they did big time.

825574642[/snapback]

 

It's Greeneville's choice, at least in football, un-sure if they play up in sports other than Football or not?

 

But it was just a couple of years ago, the I-MAC was knocking folks off in the regional with Cocke County making a run with Lindsey, Jones, McCoy, Moore and Styles leading their team in 2002 (Upset SH? or DB? before losing in the Semi-finals @ Jefferson County). Carmichael led the team to a decent showing against TN High the next season.

 

Then the wheels fell off last year, with the I-MAC Getting swept right out of the event in the 1st round.

 

It's an up and down cycle, as one D1-AAA poster on the girls side pointed out, just a couple of years ago, D1 was dominating D2, now, its possible that D2 girls will sweep D1 girls..

[noonesfool]

GHS has 840 students and plays up in all sports

[JKennedy250]

Greeneville should win; but the I-MAC isn't all its cracked up to be on the boys side I'm afraid.

 

East showed they could beat GHS

 

Cherokee played tough with GHS as well.

 

As a side on Cocke County, their biggest man, Birdsell, is no longer on the team either.

825572873[/snapback]

 

See the comments by Cocke County Coach.He is right. IMAC refs should not ref IMAC games in tournament.

 

 

 

 

Four teams live to play another day in IMAC Tournament

 

By: Steve Wilhoit, Tribune Sports Writer February 20, 2005

 

 

 

Email to a friend

 

ROGERSVILLE - The Morristown West Lady Trojans pulled away in the second half for a 55-39 win over city rival Morristown East on Saturday in the opening round of the District 2-AAA Tournament at Cherokee High School.

West (16-9), the tourney's third seed, now secures a regional berth as well as a spot in the event's semi-finals against the second-seeded Greeneville Lady Devils at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.

 

A 21-4 third period blitz by the West girls turned a nip-and-tuck contest into a Lady Trojans victory by night's end. East High (3-22), the sixth seed, led the contest after a quarter 14-12 and trailed just 27-22 at the half.

 

"It was a survival game for us and I'm just happy to advance," stated Lady Trojans head coach Johnny Galyon afterwards. "I don't think we played our best basketball except for one quarter (the third) but East had a lot to do with that.

 

West High's Summer Phipps approached another double double performance with 19 points and nine rebounds. Her teammate, Ashley Gray had 13 points and eight boards from her guard spot, as well.

 

Brittney Furches tossed in 12 points for the Lady 'Canes and Anna Branner of East pulled down a game-high 11 boards.

West won the battle of the boards, 45-33.

 

"We played a good first half but it was a typical third quarter," said Lady 'Canes head coach Terry Livesay. Coach Galyon did a good job of switching his defense and we were too small to shoot over it; we didn't make the shots and they did in the third quarter."

 

"I hope for better things for the team next season," he continued.

 

Lady Red survives

 

Senior Megan Lindsey's driving shot with 17 seconds left lifted the fourth seed, Cocke County (8-19) to a 38-37 win over the host school, fifth-seeded Cherokee in the tourney's opener.

 

The Lady Chiefs (7-20) had taken a 37-36 lead on two free throws from freshman Ashlee Price with just 26.6 ticks remaining before Lindsey's heroics.

 

A pair of Cherokee free throws rimmed out with 5.9 left as the Lady Red held on, advancing to an 8 p.m. match-up on Monday against top-seeded Jefferson County.

 

"It was a hard-fought win and Cherokee wanted it just as badly as we did," said Lady Red head coach Patrick O'Neil.

"Megan saw a crease down the middle and that's what a senior is supposed to do," he remarked.

 

Cocke County outrebounded Cherokee, 29-17 (21-7 in the first half). Shawna Ball led the winners on the glass with nine boards to go with her nine points.

 

Lindsey led CCHS with 15 points while Price scored a game-high 19 for the Lady Chiefs (12 in the fourth quarter).

 

"We played hard but they hurt us in rebounding," commented a disappointed Lady Chiefs head coach Mitzi Price. "You can't have a quarter (the second) where you score two points but our girls do have a lot of heart."

 

Trojans hold off Pats

 

It all looked to be going the way of the fourth-seeded West High boys with a double digit lead after each of the first two periods and a nine-point spread going to the fourth. Not only that, the Patriots leading-scorer on the year fouled out with 1:39 left in the game's third quarter.

 

"Not so fast, my friend," as the ESPN analyst Lee Corso, is prone to saying.

 

The Trojans closed out the win to advance to next week but had to withstand a furious Jeff rally in the process, as the West cushion dipped to 48-46 with just over a minute remaining in the game.

 

Dustin Guthrie dropped in four clutch free throws in the game's final minute as Morristown West (13-14) captured a 52-46 win over the Patriots (5-21).

 

"We had a good game plan with the triangle-and-two which did the trick until we had to adjust when Deering fouled out," said Trojans head man Larry Hurst. "We had to make a couple of other adjustments from that point on until the man-to-man starting working for us."

 

"Overall, I feel our boys played well and we managed to gather our composure at the end; coach (Rick) Sinard just does such a good job."

 

Jeremy Smith rifled home 23 points for West and Guthrie added 14. Darius Ewing had yet another huge game on the boards with 16 caroms collected.

 

Alex Coughlin and Zach Smiley helped fuel the late Jeff charge, finishing with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Deering also fired in 11 markers. Smiley did all of his offensive damage in the second half.

 

"I'm very proud of my team as that's a lot of pressure on sophomores and we did make a couple of sophomore mistakes on the last two possessions (which resulted in turnovers)," stated Sinard. "We were ready for the defense they played but just didn't make shots," he said.

 

"Our kids knew they had to step it up when the fifth foul was called on Jason and they did; Zach just plays on pure guts. I felt it was a gamble to leave Jason in the game when he got his fourth but also felt it was a gamble to take him out at that point."

 

It was a cleanly played contest as both squads finished the evening in single digits in the turnover category.

West now plays the top seed, the Greeneville Greene Devils at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

 

Hurricanes get past Big Red

 

The East High 'Canes (20-8) managed to hold off an undermanned but determined charge by Cocke County (11-19) in taking a 74-62 win in the day's late game.

 

East, the tourney's third seed, won with a solid finish after a Fighting Cocks rally early in the fourth. CCHS, the sixth seed, lost the services of the Inter-Mountain Athletic Conference's second-leading scorer, Korian Buckner, with 5:21 remaining in the third as a technical followed his fourth personal foul, ending his night's work and prep career.

 

Despite the loss of Buckner, the Big Red rallied to within four in the fourth before the 'Canes rebuilt a double-digit lead, enough of a cushion to offset every CCHS charge down the stretch.

 

"It's survive and advance," said Hurricanes head coach Calvin Decker. "I was pleased with our execution in the fourth quarter after they closed in and it was against a team that played very hard."

 

"Basile is hard to guard and East is a really good team but we never gave up," said Fighting Cocks head coach David Whaley. "That was a tough way to lose Korian and I want to say that I would rather see officials from a neutral association in tournament play."

 

Basile again came up big with 26 key points and Cory Shaw was strong in support with 17. Daniel Deaderick chipped in with 13 points and nine rebounds.

 

The 'Canes move on to a 6:30 p.m. date on Tuesday with the second seed, Cherokee.

 

He is right. IMAC refs should not ref IMAC games in tournament.