'We're not done yet': Haywood basketball makes first boys championship game since 2015

MURFREESBORO – Haywood coach Rodney Chatman wears a boys basketball state championship ring from the Tomcats' title eight year ago when he was an assistant.

He can get one as a head coach Saturday after the Tomcats survived a 57-51 win over Memphis Ridgeway on Thursday night in a Class 3A semifinal after holding the Roadrunners to one point the final 2:05.

"Wow, first time since 2015," said Chatman, whose son Tylon Chatman scored 20 points and was 10-of-10 from the free throw line in the win. "I was an assistant at the time. This is a great feeling. But like I said, we aren't done yet."

Haywood (30-5) plays Knoxville Fulton (31-5) in the Class 3A title game of the TSSAA BlueCross Boys Basketball State Championships at 11 a.m. Saturday at Middle Tennessee State's Murphy Center.

Fulton advanced to the championship game with a 72-32 rout of Nashville's M.L. King.

"I've been dreaming this since freshman year, even before that," said Tylon, a TSSAA Class 3A Mr. Basketball finalist this season. "It feels great, but we're not done yet. We still have a goal to accomplish."

Haywood center Janerus Snipe, a 6-foot-6 senior, dominated in the paint for the Tomcats. He finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and blocked two shots. He was 11-of-16 from the field.

"We had to keep feeding him," Rodney said. "Keep feeding the big guy."

Snipe said he's been "praying" for an opportunity to play for a state championship game for years. And now he gets to wrap up his Haywood career by playing on the final day of the Tennessee high school basketball season.

MIDDLETON IN FINALS:Middleton overcomes game with 47 fouls, ends defending state champion's season

HAYWOOD BEGINS STATE JOURNEY:'It's all they've been thinking about:' Motivated Haywood basketball rolls into TSSAA semifinals

"I've been wanting to do this since eighth grade, coming into high school," Snipe said.

Haywood and Fulton were the tournament favorites entering the Class 3A state tournament. Haywood was ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press statewide Class 3A poll of the regular season while Fulton was ranked second.

Haywood is making the program's fourth championship game appearance. Fulton is making its 10th appearance and first since 2019. Fulton last won the championship in 2016.

"Great team, they shoot a lot of midrange jumpers," Rodney said of Fulton. "The twins (Denaj and Taj Kimber), I can't tell them apart. But we know their numbers."

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.