Pear-Cohn’s Ke\juan Vaughn battles for yards during a recent playoff game against Springfield. The Firebirds battle Knox Catholic in the 4A state title game Saturday.

In coach Tony Brunetti’s 14 years as an assistant and head coach at Pearl-Cohn, he’s helped guide the Firebirds to a combined 97-70 record, 11 postseason appearances, two quarterfinal finishes and four semifinal trips.

Thanks to Pearl-Cohn’s 27-14 triumph over Memphis East last week, Brunetti can now add a state championship appearance to an already impressive resume.

“We finally got over the hump just by sticking together,” said Brunetti, who served four seasons as defensive coordinator under former Pearl-Cohn coach Maurice Fitzgerald, now at Stratford. “We’re not the biggest team in the world, but we’re a scrappy bunch and we’re confident and we believe in each other. Guys are playing positions they’ve never played before and they’re just giving it up for the team.

“Just good team ball; that’s what got us here.”

The Firebirds (10-4), looking for their first state championship since the program won back-to-back titles in 1996 and 1997, will square off with Knoxville Catholic (10-4) in Saturday’s Class 4A championship.

Home-turf advantage? The BlueCross Bowl will all be neutral-field games.

Nashville Christian School, however, will have a slight advantage. The Eagles have already played a game at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium this season, a Region 5-1A contest against Monterey on Sept. 4.

The Eagles (13-1) will take on Greenback (12-2) at 11 a.m. Friday in the 1A state title game.

“We’ve been on that turf and in the stadium,” NCS coach Jeff Brothers said. “We just have to exercise the same mentality and focus. I don’t think it will be overwhelming or distracting. The best thing is that it might give them all a spark (having to play an early game). We will be staying in a hotel (Thursday night), so that will be different. I’m confident our leaders will step up and we’ll take care of business. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

A familiar sound: Audience members at the Mr. Football Awards Monday recognized the voice behind the podium as one they typically hear on Sunday afternoons.

For the ninth consecutive year, Mike Keith, voice of the Titans, emceed the Mr. Football ceremony.

Keith’s high school duties didn’t end Monday, however. He will once again be making the trip to Cookeville to call two of this weekend’s state championship games.

“I did 10 years of high school football and it just never gets old,” Keith said. “It’s a lot of fun. It reminds you of what’s really important about the game. You see the fans, you see the bands, the cheerleaders, mom, dad and grandma, the neighbors. It’s the best thing in the world.”

Five from Midstate win Mr. Football awards

Star power: The Titans and the TSSAA had a pleasant surprise for all of the contestants Monday. As Keith took the podium a wave of excitement washed over the crowd when he announced that Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, linebacker Brian Orakpo and kicker Ryan Succop were on hand to help hand out the hardware.

Winners and runners-up had their pictures taken with the three Titans after the awards were handed out for each class.

False alarm: For at least a few seconds, Independence wide receiver Nate Johnson thought he had won the Class 5A Mr. Football back of the year award Monday.

Johnson was announced as the 5A winner, but it was revealed that Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins was the winner, and that there had been an error in the script.

“It was just a mistype on the script that got overlooked,” TSSAA assistant executive director Matthew Gillespie said. “It’s very unfortunate and you feel for that family; that’s who you feel for most. We’re not pointing fingers at us or anybody else. It was just a mistake.”

The senior handled the incident gracefully and said while it was a tough pill to swallow, he couldn’t blame the voters for choosing Higgins.

“It was definitely a gut-shot,” Johnson said. “But the guy next to me, he deserved it. He worked just as hard as I did to get where he was and he came out with the Mr. Football Award.”

And he said coming up short won’t leave a chip on his shoulder as he heads into his first state championship game.

“This is just an accolade,” Johnson said. “I’m not really taking it as something I’m going to get mad about or that would make me play any different. I’m going to play the same.”

The Tennessean’s Sam Brown, Cecil Joyce and Michael Murphy contributed to this report.

HENDERSONVILLE Connor McCutcheon made a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer in the third quarter, but little did he know it would help ignite a frantic rally.

Merrol Hyde Magnet sophomore Connor McCutcheon releases a 3-pointer under pressure from Aaron Academy sophomore Gideon Boyd during fourth-quarter action. McCutcheon scored 20 points in the Hawks’ 64-59 victory on Monday evening.

The Merrol Hyde Magnet sophomore buried five 3-pointers in the second half, helping the Hawks overcome a 17-point deficit in a 64-59 victory over visiting Aaron Academy on Monday evening.

McCutcheon scored 20 points, 17 of those over the final 8:01. His third-quarter buzzer-beater sent Merrol Hyde Magnet (1-2) into the fourth period trailing by a 48-34 margin.

“I just needed to see one go in,” McCutcheon said. “The light just came on.

“Our (full-court) press did everything for us.”

The Hawks opened the final frame on a 10-2 run, trimming the Royals’ advantage to six points (50-44) with 5:33 remaining.

Head coach Kory Craighead’s plan was working as the Hawks applied full-court pressure for almost half of the final period.

“I just told the guys that we were going to start selling out more in the fourth quarter and pressing,” Craighead said. “Sometimes, seeing the ball go in once and having a couple of good, successful defensive possessions does a lot for your offense.”

McCutcheon hit two more 3-pointers near the midpoint of the fourth quarter, helping the Hawks outscore Aaron Academy 30-11 over the final eight minutes.

“Coach (Craighead), at the end of the third, said, ‘look, let’s make (the deficit) seven by the middle of the fourth and let’s see what we can do from there,’” McCutcheon said. “I think Jenord (Taylor) made a shot. Then, I missed. They got the ball back around to me, and I hit a shot. Once I saw it go through, that’s when it started clicking.”

The Hawks reeled off a 9-0 run to take a 56-54 lead with 2:09 to play.

Aaron Academy (3-2) tied the game seconds later on two free throws from senior Caleb Hodnett, who did all he could to keep the Royals in front.

Aaron Academy senior Caleb Hodnett drives to the basket as Merrol Hyde Magnet senior Zach Shonting defends during first-quarter action. Hodnett scored a game-high 33 points.

“He played hard,” Royals head coach Caleb Maxwell said of Hodnett. “We talked about defensive execution, with him and the team as a whole. You ask him to play hard, and he does a real good job of that.”

Connor Dunn put the Hawks ahead for good by providing the next four points.

“We’ve struggled all year long in high-pressure situations,” Maxwell said. “Instead of making a 5-0 run end there, we let it turn into a 15-0 run.”

Hodnett scored a game-high 33 points and hit three of the Royals’ seven 3-pointers. However, the Hawks limited him to four points in the fourth quarter.

“He’s an unbelievable player,” McCutcheon said of Hodnett. “He can hit jump shots. He can hit threes. He was unstoppable. We just had to adjust to him, cheat more on him and always know where he was on the court. We had our bench yelling out where he was on the court all the time.”

It was poor shooting that put Merrol Hyde Magnet in a hole in the first place. The Hawks shot 13 for 47 from the field over the first three quarters. In the fourth, Merrol Hyde Magnet made 10 of 16 field-goal attempts.

“We got a lot of looks that we wanted in the third quarter,” Craighead said. “We just could not hit anything. A lot of those were uncontested shots. We just weren’t hitting them.”

Senior Jenord Taylor scored 19 points for the Hawks, none more important than the two free throws he hit with 9.7 seconds to play. Classmate Connor Dunn scored 13 points.

Merrol Hyde Magnet junior Graceson Lawrence (25) grabs a rebound away from Aaron Academy senior Tim Lopez (5) during first-quarter action. Lawrence scored four points.

Fellow senior Zach Shonting – who was originally thought to be unable to play this season due to a cyst on his brain – has been in the lineup since opening night and scored four points on Monday. A second opinion early in November gave Shonting the clearance he needed to be on the floor.

“He got checked out again, and they told his family, him and all of us that he was 100-percent cleared to play,” Craighead said. “He got a second opinion and was simply told to keep a close tab on things.”

Sophomore Gideon Boyd scored 12 points for the Royals, while classmate Hayden Sadler scored 10.

The Hawks are slated to host Community on Tuesday evening, while the Royals play at Lighthouse Christian on Tuesday and visit Franklin Road Academy on Friday.

Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.

AARON ACADEMY (59) – Caleb Hodnett 33, Gideon Boyd 12, Hayden Sadler 10, Tim Lopez 2, Thomas Wooley 2.

MERROL HYDE MAGNET (64) – Connor McCutcheon 20, Jenord Taylor 19, Connor Dunn 13, Graceson Lawrence 4, Zach Shonting 4, Kyle Richardson 2, Ollie Talmadge 2.

Half: 28-23, Aaron Academy. Three-point goals: Aaron Academy 7 (Hodnett 3, Boyd 2, Sadler 2), Merrol Hyde Magnet 8 (McCutcheon 6, Taylor 2). Records:  Aaron Academy 3-2, Merrol Hyde Magnet 1-2.

HENDERSONVILLE The Merrol Hyde Magnet girls prep basketball team had a game plan on Monday evening, but visiting Aaron Academy wouldn’t let the Lady Hawks execute it the way they intended.

Aaron Academy freshman Dailyn Hannah elevates to shoot under pressure from Merrol Hyde Magnet sophomore Lauren Buchanen during third-quarter action.

The Lady Royals cranked up the defensive pressure in the second half, turning a five-point lead at halftime into a 47-26 victory.

Aaron Academy (1-2) limited the Lady Hawks (0-3) to nine points in the second half, primarily through full-court pressure.

“Mostly, we just had to make sure they weren’t committing silly fouls and executing,” Aaron Academy head coach Jen Tenut said. “Other than that, they did well.”

Fouls were a problem for the Lady Royals in the first half, especially with only six players available.

Sophomore Erika Baker, who had seven of Aaron Academy’s first 12 points, committed three fouls in the first quarter and missed much of the second period. Baker finished with nine points.

“I was very worried (about the foul situation),” Tenut said. “At halftime, I said, ‘don’t foul and no slapping (at the ball),’ and that was pretty much it.”

It didn’t change the Lady Hawks’ approach, which was to attack inside when possible.

Merrol Hyde Magnet freshman Gabrielle Steiner releases a shot over Aaron Academy junior Erin Fuqua (15) and sophomore Abbie Conner (33) during first-quarter action.

“We were trying to get in the lane and kick it (out for an open shot),” Merrol Hyde Magnet head coach Kelley Graham said. “When we got in the lane and kept it under control, we did that. But we panicked so many times and let the frenzy of the press control us, especially in the second half.”

Junior Cameshia Brown led the Lady Royals with 14 points, though she and Baker had to play much of the fourth quarter with four fouls. Neither player fouled out, despite the aggressive nature of Aaron Academy’s defensive attack.

“We were playing smart and aggressive,” Brown said. “We were just cutting off their vision to the next pass and making sure to keep our hands up and not foul.”

Freshman Grace Riley led the Lady Hawks with eight points. Classmate Gabrielle Steiner scored seven points but saw limited time on the court due to a hamstring injury.

“Gabrielle’s injury really affected us in the second half,” Graham said. “She couldn’t play half of the third quarter, and that’s when (Aaron Academy) built that lead.”

Freshman Caroline Riley filled in at point guard when Steiner was on the bench.

Aaron Academy junior Cameshia Brown releases a jump shot over Merrol Hyde Magnet freshman Gabrielle Steiner during third-quarter action. Brown scored 14 points in the Lady Royals’ 42-26 victory.

“As she goes, the rest of the team goes,” Graham said of Steiner. “She’s so good at dishing the ball to who it needs to go to. When she’s not in there, somebody who isn’t normally doing it has to step up. I thought Caroline did a good job, but she got tired too.”

The Lady Hawks scored the game’s first six points but watched their early lead disappear when the Lady Royals went on a 9-0 run over less than three minutes midway through the first quarter.

Aaron Academy led 22-17 at the half, then outscored the Lady Hawks by a 14-3 margin in the third quarter and 11-5 in the fourth period.

Junior Alex Lloyd led the Lady Hawks with nine rebounds, while junior Kayla Rainey tossed in 12 points for the Lady Royals.

The Lady Hawks play at Clarksville Academy on Monday. Aaron Academy plays at Franklin Christian Academy on Dec. 14.

Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.

AARON ACADEMY (47) – Cameshia Brown 14, Kayla Rainey 12, Erika Baker 9, Erin Fuqua 7, Dailyn Hannah 3, Abbie Conner 2.

MERROL HYDE MAGNET (26) – Grace Riley 8, Gabrielle Steiner 7, Kendall Frisbee 3, Alex Lloyd 3, Caroline Riley 3, Lauren Buchanen 2.

Half: 22-17, Aaron Academy. Three-point goals: Aaron Academy 3 (Baker 1, Fuqua 1, Rainey 1), Merrol Hyde Magnet 0. Records: Aaron Academy 1-2, Merrol Hyde Magnet 0-3.

La VERGNE The La Vergne High School boys basketball team started hitting its shots in the fourth quarter to pull away from Pope John Paul II, handing the Knights a 57-48 victory.

Pope John Paul II High sophomore guard Jayson Brown elevates to shoot a perimeter jump shot. Brown scored five points in the Knights’ 57-48 loss at La Vergne on Tuesday evening.

The Wolverines (4-2) scored 28 points in the fourth quarter.

Both teams struggled shooting from the field until the Wolverines started scoring, and it allowed them to go on a 9-1 run to start the fourth quarter. The Knights (4-1) couldn’t recover.

La Vergne’s Gulecy Buni scored nine of his 11 points in the second half, and Maleik Gray and Darius Sparks scored 10 points each.

“We got our practice habits going in the game, and that’s what made us successful,” Buni said.

The Wolverines made 10 of 16 shots from the field in the fourth quarter, after only connecting on 12 of 35 through the first three quarters.

By hitting the shots during the 9-1 run, La Vergne’s shooting forced the Knights to change their defense, and that gave the Wolverines fast-break opportunities which they took advantage of as they pushed the ball downcourt.

“We were trying to play fast,” La Vergne coach Jeremy Moore said. “It’s just hard when the shots don’t go in. I thought our kids kind of persevered. We didn’t have a great shooting night, but we just kind of stayed the course. Eventually, we were able to get some things in the open floor, and we were able to finish them and grow our lead.”

Pope John Paul II also struggled to score and missed open shots. The Knights finished 17 of 48 from the field and only 12 of 24 from the free-throw line.

Junior guard Jalon Cambridge and senior forward Ryan Hatten led PJP II offensively with 14 and 13 points, respectively, and Knight sophomore guard Justin McMurry provided 10 points.

Pope John Paul II High junior guard Jalon Cambridge dribbles along the perimeter while looking over the La Vergne defense. Cambridge scored 14 points in the Knights’ 57-48 loss on Tuesday evening.

“It was so tight the whole game, and they went on a mini run,” PJP II head coach Kip Brown said. “For three quarters, neither team was scoring, and in the fourth quarter, it was going back and forth. We just could never get caught back up. I don’t know how many (free throws) we missed. We missed about 10, but we’ve got to shoot better from the line.”

PJP II (48) – Jalon Cambridge 14, Ryan Hatten 13, Justin McMurry 10, Jayson Brown 5, Devan Cambridge 2, Matt Galvin 2, Avishai Lowery 2.

LA VERGNE (57) – Gulecy Buni 11, Maleik Gray 10, Darius Sparks 10, O’Shea Benjamin 8, Marquis Davis 6, Vincent Helms 5, Reid Harvey 3, Carlos Bryant 2, Chris Myers 2.

Half: 21-19, La Vergne. Three-point goals: PJP II 1 (J. Cambridge 1), La Vergne 4 (Bumi 1, Davis 1, Harvey 1, Helms 1). Records: PJP II 4-1, La Vergne 4-2.

PORTLAND The Portland High School girls basketball players received a bit of an attitude adjustment at halftime on Tuesday evening.

It seemed to pay dividends in the second half as the Lady Panthers pulled away en route to a 67-40 victory over visiting White House.

“It was intensity,” Portland second-year head coach Miranda Cravens said of her squad’s first-half issues. “I came in the locker room and yelled at them. I wanted some fire. We had no pep in our step. We were missing wide-open layups, because we didn’t have any intensity.”

Portland High junior forward Mackenzie Trouten maneuvers inside as White House junior Bailey Hutchison defends and as Lady Devil sophomore McKenzie Vaughn looks on. Trouten scored a career-high 22 points in the Lady Panthers’ 67-40 victory on Tuesday evening.

The Lady Panthers (2-2) led by just four points at halftime.

“She got on to us,” Portland sophomore forward Taylor Cole said. “I really didn’t want to have a bad practice (on Wednesday). I said, ‘let’s kick it into gear. Let’s run now instead of tomorrow.’”

Cole found her highest gear so far, coming off of the bench to score a career-high 11 points.

White House High senior guard Lauren Felts (3) is pressured by Portland sophomore Taylor Cole. Felts scored six points.

“She wants me to pick the team up,” Cole said. “I want to score, to make a difference, to pick the team up.”

Cravens added, “She had a really great game. We been needing that from her. I’ve known she had it in her. She can do that for you.”

Despite being in foul trouble for much of the contest, junior teammate Mackenzie Trouten also produced a career-high point total, pouring in 22 points.

“They came out in the third quarter and best us to the ball,” Lady Devil head coach Jeff Bennett said. “The 3-pointer the big girl (Cole) hit broke our backs, and (Trouten) played really well in the last quarter.

“They got more offensive rebounds. They picked up loose balls. They did a good job.”

White House (0-4) scored the final seven points of the first quarter, with sophomore McKenzie Vaughn converting a short, turnaround jump shot in the lane to give her squad a 13-11 lead.

White House High sophomore guard McKenzie Vaughn grabs a second-quarter rebound. Vaughn scored three points.

The game’s sixth and final tie came at 22-22 when Lady Devil junior forward Bailey Hutchison sank a free throw with 3:07 remaining in the first half, but Cole drove down the lane and converted a runner before senior teammate Al Chatmon converted on an offensive putback. Those baskets gave the Lady Panthers a 26-22 lead at halftime.

“We tried to escape a little foul trouble,” Bennett said. “We were only down four with people sitting on the bench.

“(Junior forward Hailee) Ellis played really well for us. I thought she held us in with (senior guard Lauren) Felts in foul trouble.”

Baskets by Trouten and senior Cristina Herrera were followed by sophomore Rachel Jennings’ free throw to open the second half, quickly extending the lead to nine points.

The margin was 11 points (43-32) entering the fourth quarter, and Portland (2-2) scored 16 of the first 19 points in the fourth quarter to create a 24-point margin. Trouten provided 10 points during that surge.

Portland High sophomore point guard Rachel Jennings dribbles into the lane during second-quarter action. Jennings scored five points.

In addition to Trouten and Cole’s production, Chatmon scored 16 points.

“It was White House, a rival of course,” Cole said. “I wanted to make a difference.

“It’s a very big deal. We have the (Beat White House) T-shirts. Last year, we beat them 80 to 30-something (80-31). We wanted to keep that going. We beat them in football this year. We wanted to keep the streak going.”

Ellis and senior point guard Alyssa Armstrong scored eight points each for the Lady Devils, and junior teammate Stephanie Palmer provided seven points.

White House High junior forward Hailee Ellis dribbles to the basket during third-quarter action as Portland sophomore Rachel Jennings pursues. Ellis scored eight points.

Portland opens district play by hosting Gallatin on Friday evening.

White House hosts Springfield on Saturday evening before traveling across town for its district opener next Tuesday, facing rival White House Heritage.

Reach Craig Harris at charris@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7138. Follow him on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.

WHITE HOUSE (40) – Alyssa Armstrong 8, Hailee Ellis 8, Stephanie Palmer 7, Lauren Felts 6, Bailey Hutchison 6, McKenzie Vaughn 3, Bryanna Allen 2.

PORTLAND (67) – Mackenzie Trouten 22, Al Chatmon 16, Taylor Cole 11, Cristina Herrera 8, Rachel Jennings 5, McKenzie Fletcher 3, Erica Keen 2.

Half: 26-22, Portland. Three-point goals: White House 0, Portland 2 (Cole 1, Trouten 1). Records: White House 0-4, Portland 2-2.

PORTLAND In one week’s time, the Portland and White House boys prep basketball teams had significantly different performances.

However, the end result was the same for both teams as the visiting Blue Devils rallied in the fourth quarter for a 49-48 victory.

“When the fourth quarter kicked in … our crowd feeds off of us,” White House junior forward Malik Morgan said. “We feed off of each other.

“We love it. It’s the best (rivalry). Getting up and crazy like that, there’s nothing like it.”

White House High junior forward Malik Morgan elevates for a fourth-quarter shot over Portland senior Eric Kirk. Morgan scored eight of his 13 points during the third quarter of the Blue Devils’ 49-48 victory on Tuesday evening.

The Panthers (1-3) led for the first 11 minutes of the second half, but turnovers proved costly during the Blue Devils’ late surge.

“It’s part of the (maturation) process,” Portland head coach Chris Carney said of his squad’s inexperience. “We played seven guys. Five were J.V. (junior varsity) guys from last year, and four were 10th-graders.

“The great thing is that we get to play Westmoreland again and White House again. I’m excited to see their growth.”

A layin by senior Eric Kirk and two free throws by classmate Caelum Utley gave the Panthers a 23-22 lead at halftime.

Portland High senior guard Eric Kirk dribbles to the basket during third-quarter action as White House senior Gavin Herrell defends. Kirk scored nine points.

The margin swelled to as much as seven points when Utley made a 14-foot jump shot with 2:53 remaining in the third period.

“We underestimated them,” Morgan said. “We came in and beat Gallatin (in a 94-83 win last Tuesday) in a good way.

“The coaches told us that we couldn’t come into this game lackadaisical … we did.”

The lead was at six points entering the final period, and Utley’s one-handed dunk created a three-point margin with 5:27 remaining.

Portland High senior forward Caelum Utley elevates for a third-quarter shot over White House senior Logan Trimmer. Utley scored a game-high 21 points.

However, Blue Devil freshman Jared Ward made his fifth and final 3-pointer 10 seconds later.

“They’re special shooters,” White House head coach Gary Smith said of Ward and fellow freshman Cole Pond. “We’re not afraid to go to them. They have the green light.”

The White House full-court press forced a turnover seconds later, leading to junior Bradley Cole’s go-ahead 3-pointer that placed his squad in front to stay.

Blue Devil senior point guard Luke Hopkins also made two of his four 3-pointers in the final period. White House sank 10 3-pointers.

“Finally, we started hitting some shots,” Morgan said. “It got us going.”

Morgan scored eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, with his back-to-back baskets creating a 44-39 lead.

His one-hander at the 2:02 mark made it a six-point margin.

However, Portland sophomore guard Bryce Keith responded by hitting a 3-pointer 21 seconds later. Keith scored seven of his career-high 15 points in the final period.

“He had some shades of that in our first game,” Carney said. “That was his type of game. He’s quick. He can get to the rim. I’m super proud of the way he played. It was a big lift.”

The Panthers had opportunities to get closer but missed the front end of a bonus situation at the free-throw line and then misfired on a 3-pointer.

Kirk’s deflection led to a steal with less than 20 seconds remaining, and Utley – who finished with a game-high 21 points – tossed in a 5-footer with nine seconds left to create a one-point margin.

Hopkins missed the front end of another bonus situation with 5.8 seconds remaining, and Portland quickly pushed the ball up the left sideline. However, a pass was mishandled, and the ball rolled out of bounds as time expired.

“It didn’t surprise me that this was a one-point game,” Smith said. “We don’t go anywhere else where they have Beat White House T-shirts. There’s some (strong) feeling here.”

White House (4-2) produced almost half as many points as it did in the win over Gallatin, due in part to the slower pace. That was partially due to the zone defense that Portland employed.

White House High junior guard Bradley Cole passes to senior forward Logan Trimmer (31) as Portland senior Jay Crutchfield (23) defends.

“We haven’t seen a zone early (in the season),” Smith said. “We knew what to expect. We worked on it. I thought we did a pretty good job. We just didn’t finish, and we didn’t shoot it well from outside (early on).”

Morgan added, “We practiced against it all week. We knew they were going to do it. It’s frustrated the heck out of us. It’s always tough for us to slow it down. We can score against the zone, but we have to find a way. It’s frustrating when we are trying to run (the floor) hard. We have to be the aggressor. Tonight, we weren’t the aggressor. We have to keep working. It’s good for us to have these (close) games. Our potential is to the sky.”

Ward scored a team-high 15 points, and Hopkins provided 14 points.

Carney felt that his squad play significantly better than in its previous contest, a 57-42 loss at Westmoreland.

“This is the way we have to play, the way we played tonight,” Carney said.

The Panthers open district play by hosting Gallatin on Friday evening.

The Blue Devils host Springfield on Saturday evening.

Reach Craig Harris at charris@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7138. Follow him on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.

WHITE HOUSE (49) – Jared Ward 15, Luke Hopkins 14, Malik Morgan 13, Bradley Cole 7.

PORTLAND (48) – Caelum Utley 21, Bryce Keith 15, Eric Kirk 9, Jay Crutchfield 3.

Half: 23-22, Portland. Three-point goals: White House 10 (Ward 5, Hopkins 4, Cole 1), Portland 2 (Crutchfield 1, Keith 1). Records: White House 4-2, Portland 1-3.

Between running the football, catching passes and lighting it up in the return game, there’s not much Ravenwood senior Chris Rowland can’t do on the football field.

Rowland has hauled in a team-leading 44 receptions for 918 yards and nine touchdowns and racked up 744 yards rushing and nine scores on 98 carries. The 5-foot-9, 170-pounder is averaging 49.6 yards per kick return and 18.6 yards on punt returns, taking a combined five back for touchdowns.

Still, colleges haven’t seemed to take interest in the versatile-but-undersized speedster.

Ravenwood’s Chris Rowland (23) eludes defenders during a recent game. The Raptors battle Maryville for the 6A state title Saturday at 7 p.m.

“Not yet,” Rowland said. “The recruiting process has been frustrating this whole year, but that’s been a chip on my shoulder. I’m just waiting for someone to give me a chance.”

Rowland will have one more chance to dazzle college coaches on Saturday as the Raptors take on Maryville in the Class 6A championship game for the second straight season.

Good mentoring: Nashville Christian senior quarterback Kyle Tidwell has been an instrumental part of the Eagles’ offensive success.

In a run-heavy offense, Tidwell has passed for more than 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for more than 500 yards and 12 more TDs.

He credited Coach Jeff Brothers with much of his progress.

Vanderbilt’s Jeff Brothers returns a kick during a 1992 game. Brothers, a former college quarterback, will lead his Nashville Christian squad in the 1A state title game Friday.

“I’ve never had a better coach. We can talk about anything,” said Tidwell. “As far as quarterbacks coach, it’s special to have a guy who played at Brentwood Academy and in the SEC coaching you. I can go to him on the sideline and ask him anything. He’s been there and done it.”

Brothers was a standout at Brentwood Academy in the late 1980s and was a quarterback for Vanderbilt in 1990-1991 before switching to defensive back his final two seasons.

Tidwell, Brothers and the Eagles will face Greenback at 11 a.m. Friday in the Class 1A championship game at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium.

Glimpse of the future: Of the 17 players who took home a Mr. Football award Monday, there’s a good chance at least one will be donning an NFL uniform in a few years.

While they will have to wait until that day to call themselves professional athletes, Monday they got a taste what that might feel like.

The 2015 Tennesseee Titatns Mr. Football Award winners on the Nissan Stadium Titans football field gather for a photograph in their own personalized Titans jerseys.

Each Mr. Football winner was directed to a locker in the Titans’ locker room that featured a custom nameplate that looked just like the ones the pros see when they come in to play on Sundays.

They also got a feel for what it would feel like to dress like an NFL athlete. Hanging in the lockers was a Titans jersey with each player’s name and number on them.

The players put on the jerseys, then proceeded to the field to have their picture taken on the turf at Nissan Stadium.

Quick turnaround: The defending Division II-AA champion Brentwood Academy boys basketball team has been short-handed.

That’s because seven Eagles players — junior Jeremiah Oatsvall, sophomores Gavin Schoenwald and Camron Johnson and seniors Trent Taylor, Chris Hopkins,  Jack McDonald and Bryce Mathews — are still tied up with trying to win the school’s 11th state football championship.

Basketball coach Hubie Smith won’t have to wait too much longer, though.

Regardless of the outcome in Thursday’s Division II-AA title game against rival Montgomery Bell Academy, those seven two-sport athletes will be at basketball practice Monday and are set to take part in Tuesday’s game against visiting Nashville Central Christian.

Football bloodline: Battle Ground Academy quarterback Clayton Beathard captured the Division II-A Mr. Football back of the year award in 2014, but he came up just short of a repeat Monday, finishing runner-up to St. George’s quarterback Chase Hayden.

Clayton’s older brother and BGA alum C.J. Beathard has a chance to help his team finish the season with a shot at the College Football Playoff as his No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes (12-0) take on No. 5 Michigan State (11-1) on Saturday in the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis.

Clayton Beathard and his parents are planning on attending the game.

“It’s awesome,” Beathard said of his watching his older brother play on national television. “It always gives us something to do. Fridays my parents get to watch us play and Saturdays we get to root on my brother, then on Sundays we get to watch NFL football and wonder what CJ will do next and if maybe he’ll go to one of those teams.”

Independence Head Coach Scott Blade is a finalist for the Tennessee Titans High School Coach of the Year award.

The Tennessee Titans announced the seven finalists for the team’s annual High School Coach of the Year award Thursday, and they include four from the Midstate.

Independence coach Scott Blade, Brentwood Academy’s Cody White, Pearl-Cohn’s Tony Brunetti and Nashville Christian’s Jeff Brothers are among the seven finalists.

The award was created to recognize high school football coaches who continuously demonstrate hard work and dedication to their football programs and focus on the safety and character of their players. The team’s regular and postseason performance is also taken into consideration.

All seven finalists have their squads in this weekend’s BlueCross Bowl state championship games.

Blade’s Eagles have rolled into the 5A championship game with a 14-0 record and an average margin of victory of more than 31 points. Independence plays Sevier County in Friday’s 7 p.m. championship game at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium.

White’s Brentwood Academy squad is 11-1 entering Thursday night’s DII-AA title match against rival MBA (7 p.m.).

Brothers has led Nashville Christian to a 13-1 mark and is seeking the school’s first team state title in the 1A game  against Greenback (11 a.m.) Friday.

Brunetti’s Firebirds are 10-4 and play Knoxville Catholic in the 4A BlueCross Bowl Saturday (3 p.m.). The Firebirds haven’t won a state title since back-to-back championships in the 1990s.

Peyton Manning to speak at Middle Tennessee awards event

Other finalists include former Riverdale coach Gary Rankin, whose 13-1 Alcoa squad plays CPA in the 3A title game Friday (3 p.m.); George Quarles, whose unbeaten Maryville team takes on Ravenwood in the 6A championship Saturday (7 p.m.) and Trezevant’s Telli White, who will lead his 11-3 squad into the 2A BlueCross Bowl Saturday (11 a.m.) against Marion County.

The award winner will be announced following the conclusion of the 2015 BlueCross Bowl and will receive a grant of $2,000 to benefit his program.

The award is an extension of the team’s High School Game of the Week and Coach of the Week program. Each Coach of the Week received a $1,000 grant from the Titans to benefit his school’s football program.

Through the Coach of the Week program, the Titans have donated more than $180,000 in grant funding to high school football programs across the state.

Nashville Christian running back Mareio McGraw (12) celebrates with tackle Robert Brantley (54) after McGraw scored a touchdown during a 1A state quarterfinals win over Wayne County.

Being a bridesmaid instead of the bride is a position no football team wants, particularly in consecutive seasons.

The Nashville Christian School football team would have just liked to have been in that position the previous three seasons.

Having lost in the state semifinals three straight years (2012-14), the Eagles finally “got over the hump” this season, reaching the Class 1A BlueCross Bowl state championship game.

“We had leadership in front of them (seniors) that was strong, and they were determined to extend that leadership,” said NCS coach Jeff Brothers. “Leading up to spring and summer you could see a bond forming. The seniors shared it with the team. We have underclassmen with a lot of experience, and there’s a shared unity among all four classes.

“The experience of coming so close and coming up short, the guys have searched for validity for their hard work, and it’s good to see how humble they remain.”

Nashville Christian (13-1) will play Greenback (12-2) on Friday at 11 a.m. at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, the first of six Division I BlueCross Bowl games over a span of two days.

Peyton Manning to speak at Middle Tennessee awards event

Prior to Brothers’ arrival in 2010, Nashville Christian hadn’t been to the playoffs since 2000 and was a combined 7-23 the three seasons before he took the helm. His 2010 squad had around 30 players.

Since his arrival, the Eagles have gone 62-16 and reached the playoffs — at least the second round — each season.

However, the semifinals had been a huge roadblock for NCS. In 2012 the Eagles went 11-3, falling to Huntingdon 35-7. The next two seasons Brothers’ squad went into the semis unbeaten before falling to eventual champion Union City (42-34 in 2013, 35-0 in 2014).

“After last year when we got beat, the next week we all said, ‘That can’t happen again,’” said NCS senior center/linebacker Nate Hargrove, who is a four-year starter.

“We worked to get bigger, faster and stronger. Once we got together for practice, we said, ‘This is our year.’ We were motivated. We’ve believed since the beginning of the year.”

Midstate has 4 Titans Coach of Year finalists

Added NCS senior quarterback Kyle Tidwell, “Having to deal with a (35-0) loss to Union City, we had the entire offseason to think about it, how we managed just 29 yards in that game. We conditioned hard and worked hard in the weight room to get better.”

Union City graduated a bulk of its starting lineup after last season’s 1A title, but NCS faithful still felt the road to the team’s first BlueCross Bowl appearance would have to go through the Tornadoes.

Union City, however, suffered a 28-24 loss to Peabody in the second round of this season’s playoffs. Peabody ultimately reached the semifinals, where Nashville Christian rolled to a 42-7 victory that propelled the Eagles to their first state title game appearance.

“I wanted to play Union City,” said Nashville Christian senior standout linebacker/running back Daniel Bituli, a Tennessee commitment and Mr. Football 1A Lineman of the Year winner. “We felt we could play any team and beat them. But, after Union City lost, we just had to get ready for Peabody.”

Nashville Christian is 62-16 since Coach Jeff Brothers took the helm in 2010.

Balanced offense has been a key to Nashville Christian’s success. The Eagles have scored 34 points or more in 12 of their 14 games, topping the 40-point mark in 10 of those (surpassing 60 twice).

“No team can game plan for just one player,” Tidwell said. “We have four running backs who can all get it done. Mareio (McGraw) is one of the fastest backs in the state, and Daniel (Bituli) is one of the biggest backs in the state. We have a good mixture of size and speed. Our wide receivers have played well all year and they’re sure-handed. We know they can catch anything up in the air.”

However, Greenback could be a tough matchup. The Cherokees have posted four shutouts and held opponents to single digits in seven of 14 games.

Greenback all but shut down arguably 1A’s most explosive offense in Columbia Academy, defeating the Bulldogs 21-14 in the semifinals. Prior to the loss, Columbia Academy had topped the 40-point mark in all but one game and had scored 159 points in its previous three playoff games.

“They had a great plan for Columbia Academy and they executed it well,” Brothers said. “They were physical up front. They stayed patient in their offensive schemes. They’re a good team, no question.”

Added Tidwell, “They’re a physical team. They beat a good Columbia Academy team that many expected to get to the championship game. They play hard — they never quit. They’re here for a reason, but we’re here for a reason, too. We expect this to be a 48-minute game.”

However the outcome, Nashville Christian has put itself in an unfamiliar position, one that the Eagles were so close to reaching the last three seasons.

“We’ve felt some pressure, but we’re ready to take it on,” said Bituli, whose team has the opportunity to win the first team championship in any sport at NCS. “We know what this means to the Nashville Christian community.”

Added Tidwell, “We think we’re capable of beating anybody in the state. The last few years have been tough. We’re just glad to get over the hump.”

NASHVILLE CHRISTIAN (13-1)

Matchup: 1A title game vs. Greenback (12-2), 11 a.m. Friday

Top players: Daniel Bituli (Sr. RB/LB), Kyle Tidwell (Sr. QB), Mareio McGraw (Jr. RB/DB), Nate Hargrove (Sr. C/LB)

Points scored: 612 (43.8)

Points allowed: 135 (9.6)

Playoff results: Def. Clarksville Academy 64-8, Huntingdon 34-7, Wayne County 34-21, Peabody 42-7

St. George’s players celebrate their 50-20 victory Thursday.

COOKEVILLE — Ben Glass threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more, leading St. George’s to a 50-20 victory over Northpoint Christian in the Division II-A championship game Thursday at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium.

Glass completed seven of 10 passes for 209 yards and ran 13 times for 43 yards to earn the game’s offensive MVP honor.

Corey Jones caught five passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Chase Hayden also ran for a touchdown and 266 yards for St. George’s (13-1), which won its third state championship by piling up 517 yards of total offense.

Noah Pope recorded a BlueCross Bowl-record four sacks in winning the defensive MVP award. Pope also had 14 tackles, including 12 solo stops and 5¹/₂ tackles for loss.

Christian Saulsberry led Northpoint Christian (13-1) with 162 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Nelso Fabrizius also ran for a score.

A powerful offense has been a major reason for Independence’s 14-0 record and run through the 5A state playoffs with relative ease.

The Eagles, however, will face a potent offense in Friday’s BlueCross Bowl.

Senior standout quarterback and Vanderbilt commitment Deuce Wallace will lead Sevier County (12-2) in hopes of thwarting Independence’s unbeaten season and attempt at a first state championship when the teams square off at 7 p.m. at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium in Cookeville.

Despite an average margin of victory of 31 points this season, the Eagles are staying grounded heading into their second trip to the state championship game, and first since 2007, where they fell to Smyrna 46-20.

Peyton Manning to speak at Middle Tennessee awards event

“We try not to be overconfident,” senior standout quarterback Andrew Bunch said. “But we’re definitely confident in our ability and we’re confident in what we’re doing because of what we’ve put into work.”

Bunch, who has passed for more than 3,000 yards despite missing more than four games with an injury, said a shot at making school history has provided extra motivation for the Eagles.

“The first state title for our school would be an exciting thing to be a part of when we leave Independence,” he said. “To have that piece of history, being the first team to win a state championship, that’s helping us stay focused.”

“All the way through it’s been one game at a time knowing there’s a lot of checkpoints along the way and that we could be doing something for the first time in school history,” added third-year Eagles’ coach Scott Blade, who won a state title in 2008 with Hillsboro.

For an Independence team that has never won more than 11 games, a state title would be the cherry on top of what has already been the winningest season for the school, which opened in 2004.

“This year has been a special year in a lot of ways,” Blade said. “Starting a year ago today (Monday), we started our offseason workouts and the previous year didn’t go quite like we wanted.”

Battle of the arms

To obtain the goal they reinforced in their heads through their offseason workouts, the Eagles will have to win a matchup of high-caliber quarterbacks.

While most Midstate football fans are well aware of Bunch’s talents, Sevier County will bring its own golden arm in Wallace.

“We’ve got a couple of heavy hitters at quarterback going head-to-head,” Blade said.

Both quarterbacks have put up impressive numbers this year and have rolled through the playoffs.

Independence will attempt to win its first state football title Friday evening when the Eagles play Sevier County in the 5A BlueCross Bowl.

Bunch completed 22 of 32 passes last week with five touchdowns and one interception, picking up 51 more yards on the ground, while Wallace threw six touchdowns in the Smoky Bears’ 42-28 win over Rhea County in the semifinals. Bunch has passed for more than 1,150 yards and 11 TDs in the playoffs while Wallace has passed for 776 yards and 14 TDs during that stretch (3,246 yards and 35 TDs total this season).

“He’s a Division I quarterback,” Blade said. “It’s going to be hard to get him contained or rattle him.”

Both playcallers benefit from similar styles of play.

“There’s a lot of similarities,” Blade said. “They both like to throw it around a lot and both of them do it extremely well. This will probably be, from an offensive standpoint, two really high-powered offenses going head-to-head.”

Wallace, who wears No. 2, said he prefers to stay in the pocket more than Bunch, but both possess play-making ability.

“Their offense has a couple more quarterback runs than what we do, but we’re very similar when it comes to throwing the ball,” Wallace said. “We can both extend plays with our feet and be pretty accurate on the run and in the pocket.”

He added that he thinks they may need to score a lot of points to counteract the Eagles’ high-powered offense.

“They’ve got a very explosive offense,” Wallace said. “A lot of great receivers and a lot of great athletes that he can get the ball to, and he does a really good job with that.”

A special bond

Bunch has had great success getting the ball to several of his receivers this year, but wideout and fellow senior Nate Johnson has been his undisputed go-to man.

Bunch went down with an elbow injury in Week 2 and missed 4-1/2 games, but in 10 games together this season the two have connected 64 times for 1,149 yards and 20 touchdowns, including all five of Bunch’s TD passes in last week’s 56-15 rout of Centennial.

“That’s just us,” said Johnson. “We come in and we work hard. We run our route tree a lot, and I guess you could say we connect through that. We do well in that and it just translates out onto the game field.”

Andrew Bunch has passed for 1,156 yards and 11 TDs during the playoffs.

Bunch said the duo owes their chemistry to the work they put in over the summer, and Blade believes the two have found success in an offensive system that exploits favorable matchups.

“Our offense is not really a system of a scheme, we’re more looking for matchups,” Blade said. “Every facet of the offense is, ‘Where’s our matchup advantage?’ And in doing that, there’s a lot of matchups that work in our favor when Nate’s out there and we like to go to him. They’ve done a great job of understanding that, creating those advantages and working through it.”

And the success the two have had together this year helped Johnson be selected as the runner-up for the 5A Mr. Football Back of the Year.

“He’s earned it,” Bunch said. “He’s worked at it and he’s really become an unbelievable athlete and huge playmaker for us. Having him on the team is just a blessing.”

Reach Sam Brown at 615-259-8232 and on Twitter @SamBrownTN.

INDEPENDENCE (14-0)

Matchup: 5A title game vs. Sevier County (12-2), 7 p.m. Friday

Top players: Andrew Bunch (Sr. QB), Nate Johnson (Sr. WR/ATH), Daniel Wright (Sr. RB/LB)

Points scored: 592 (42.3)

Points allowed: 157 (11.2)

Playoff results: Def. Cane Ridge 49-1, Hendersonville 38-7, Hillsboro 28-20, Centennial 56-15

The third time will be the charm for either Christ Presbyterian Academy of Alcoa on Friday.

CPA entered last year’s state title game vs. Alcoa with a sour taste in its mouth after falling to the Tornadoes 25-7 in the 2013 Class 3A state championship.

CPA quarterback Zack Weatherly will hope to lead the Lions to their second straight Class 3A state title.

The Lions prevailed in 2014, taking home the 3A title with a 7-0 shutout, and now it’s Alcoa that’s determined to settle the score.

“We’ve played them three years in a row,” CPA senior quarterback Zack Weatherly said. “It’s definitely going to be a grudge match.”

CPA (13-1) and Alcoa (13-1) meet at 3 p.m. Friday in the BlueCross Bowl at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium in Cookeville.

Both coaches insist that past two years won’t matter.

“We don’t talk about anything that goes on in the past,” Alcoa coach Gary Rankin said. “We always talk about the seniors. That’s why it’s special to me. I may get this chance next year or the year after, who knows, but it’s their last time to play, and it’s pretty important to them.”

Peyton Manning to speak at Middle Tennessee awards event

CPA coach Ingle Martin said it’s hard to classify Friday’s game as a rematch due to the teams’ different personnel this season, but he does think the past experiences give the Lions a lot on which to build.

“I think it’s so different year-to-year because you have different kids,” Martin said. “For us, I don’t think it makes it easier or harder, but I think the experience of being there in the game helps as much as anything.”

A strong core

Experience has been a large factor for the Lions all season long.

CPA sees a majority of its offense and a majority of its stops on defense come from its core group of 26 seniors.

Weatherly is the Lions’ leading passer, senior running back Chip Omer is their leading rusher, senior wide out Price Perdue is the No. 1 receiver and Omer and senior Wallace Barrett are two of the top defensive stoppers.

The seniors work together well, and most of them have been friends for a long time.

“The big thing about our senior class is that I think eight of the 11 starters have been here since kindergarten,” Weatherly said. “We’ve been going to school for 13 years now together, so we’re all best friends and we just know each other so well.”

Almost all of the seniors began playing football together at CPA as soon as that was an option.

“It’s pretty awesome that most of us have been playing since fifth grade together,” Barrett said. “It’s a lot of fun sharing that bond on the field.”

And that bond is easy to see when the Lions play.

“It does a lot just because we do everything together,” Weatherly said. “On the field we care about each other so much. There’s no tension between anybody on our team because we all love each other so much.”

Deep-ball duo

One of the strongest bonds on the team may be between Weatherly and Perdue.

That combo has hooked up on 43 passes this year for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I think we’ve just got a combination of a really good quarterback and a really good receiver,” Martin said. “Zack does a great job of putting the ball where Price can make a play on it, and Price does a good job of making a play on it.

“Price definitely gives us what we feel is an advantage outside. We’re excited to hopefully have that connection happen a couple more times.”

It’s the Lions’ running game that opens things up for the Weatherly-Perdue combo.

“We run the ball, run the ball, then we play-action,” Weatherly said. “And that gets the safeties up and leaves (Perdue) open over the middle.”

Weatherly and Perdue have hooked up for touchdowns of more than 50 yards on a somewhat regular basis.

In CPA’s last two games against Liberty Tech and White House-Heritage, the duo connected for three touchdowns of 50 yards or more, and the week before against Startford they hooked up on one from 49 yards out.

“I just throw it as far as I can and he goes and gets it,” Weatherly said.

Defense digging in

While the seniors have the offense running smoothly, CPA is looking to its defense to step up like it did in last year’s BlueCross Bowl shutout.

The Lions have found a defensive groove in the playoffs, allowing just 33 points in its four playoff games, including only 19 allowed by the starters.

“I think our defense right now is peaking at the right time,” Weatherly said. “We shut out a really good Liberty Tech team and they’re incredible. That’s big for us. Our defense has really stepped up.”

With a veteran offense and a defense that’s clicking, CPA hopes to break the current BlueCross Bowl tie with Alcoa.

“It’s all starting to come together,” Barrett said.

Reach Sam Brown at 615-259-8232 and on Twitter @SamBrownTN.

CPA (13-1)

Matchup: 3A title game vs.Alcoa (13-1), Friday, 3 p.m.

Top players: Zack Weatherly (Sr. QB), Chip Omer (Sr. RB), Price Perdue (Sr. WR), Wallace Barrett (DB).

Points scored: 519 (37.1)

Points allowed:  204 (14.6)

Playoff results: Def. Cheatham County 41-0, Stratford 31-12, White House-Heritage 55-21, Liberty Tech 21-0

MBA takes on Brentwood Academy in the Division II-AA championship.

2015 BlueCross Bowl

Live coverage of the Division II-AA state football championship between Montgomery Bell Academy and Brentwood Academy from Cookeville.

Montgomery Bell Academy’s Ty Chandler is held out of the end zone by a mass of Brentwood Academy defenders in the BlueCross Bowl DII-AA state title game on Dec. 3, 2015, in Cookeville.

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MOBILE USERS: Click here for live coverage from the MBA-BA game. 

Brentwood, MBA ready for rematch
BlueCross Bowl previews and picks

HENDERSONVILLE The Pope John Paul II and Westmoreland boys prep basketball teams combined for 61 fouls and shot a total of 78 free throws on Thursday afternoon.

The Knights managed to sink just enough of their charity tosses in the final seconds, emerging with a 70-66 victory in the two teams’ Post Brands Cereal Tournament opener at Hendersonville Christian Academy.

“We’re still filling our roles,” PJP II sophomore guard Jayson Brown said. “We’re a young team. We’re playing a lot of sophomores.

“When we get a lead, we have to push it (out) more and not let them come back in the game.”

Pope John Paul II High sophomore forward Devan Cambridge elevates for a second-quarter layin. Cambridge scored three points.

The Knights were whistled for 32 fouls, and each team had two starters to foul out.

The Eagles did a better job of cashing in on the ensuing free-throw opportunities, making 28 of 35 as opposed to 27 of 43 for the Knights.

“We talked at halftime about having to play smarter, adjusting to how the game was being called, moving our feet and trying to beat them to spots,” PJP II head coach Kip Brown said. “We did a little better job of it in the second half.

“We have to play smarter and have more intensity on the court. We want to play aggressive but be smart about it.”

Jayson Brown added, “I had two fouls (in the first half). I didn’t want to have to sit down (due to foul trouble). We just tried to stop putting our hands on them and play straight up.”

The Knights built a seven-point lead after sophomore guard Justin McMurry made a free throw with 3:08 remaining in the first half, but Westmoreland junior forward Lucas Garrison converted a pair of three-point plays during the ensuing 10-0 run.

The Eagles led 32-31 at halftime.

“We were down in the first half and were in foul trouble, and we ended up taking the lead at halftime,” Westmoreland head coach Jason Graves said. “We were in foul trouble, and Colton (Pippen, the team’s junior forward) was hurt. But we made a run.”

Westmoreland High junior forward Colton Pippen elevates to shoot a third-quarter shot in the lane as senior teammates Griffin Garrison (21) and Caleb Graves (13) defend. Pippen scored two points.

PJP II (5-1) responded by scoring nine consecutive points in the third period, with senior Nick Nixon and junior Jalon Cambridge converting on interior opportunities.

The lead swelled to 12 points when sophomore Mitchell Sorenson made a 3-pointer 14 seconds into the final period.

“We were trying to feed the post more,” Jayson Brown said. “We couldn’t do that against La Vergne (in a 57-48 loss on Tuesday).

“Our two posts fouled out, so the guards felt like they had to do more. We just kept taking it to the basket. We just had to make our free throws.”

Eagle senior guard Zeke Webb made a 3-pointer seconds later, and free-throwing shooting helped Westmoreland (2-3) gradually chip away at the lead, pulling back to within two points three times (lastly when senior guard Dalton Leath produced an interior basket with 40 seconds remaining).

Westmoreland High senior guard Dalton Leath elevates for a third-quarter shot as Pope John Paul II senior Nick Nixon defends. Leath scored a game-high 21 points.

“They were hurting us at the post,” Jason Graves said. “I went to a smaller lineup, and we spread the floor. They were calling picky fouls.”

However, Jayson Brown made two free throws, and Cambridge made another in the final seconds to seal the win.

“We’re going to take wins,” Jayson Brown said. “We can improve and not have these close games to the end. It’s just (a matter of) working harder in practice and being in better shape.”

Kip Brown added, “It’s another step in the process. Winning close games is good for you. You have to learn how to win those close games. At some time, you have to put the game away. We were up by 11 or 12. It’s getting stops and making free throws. We haven’t done that consistently.”

Brown finished with a career-high 16 points, and Cambridge and junior forward Matt Galvin scored 15 and 12 points, respectively.

Pope John Paul II High junior forward Matt Galvin elevates for an interior shot as Westmoreland junior Lucas Garrison defends. Galvin scored 12 points in the Knights’ 70-66 victory on Thursday evening.

Ten different Knights scored.

“We have a lot of depth,” Kip Brown – whose squad has been utilizing a 12-man rotation – said. “We just have to get productive minutes off the bench. It’s certainly good to have the depth.”

Leath scored 10 of his game-high 21 points in the first quarter, and both Garrison and senior guard Caleb Graves provided 13 points.

“We’re still having too many careless turnovers,” Jason Graves said. “Dylan Duffer came off the bench and gave us good minutes. Lucas had a good game and Landon (Dunigan). There’s not a lot of drop-off with our subs (substitutes), and that’s a good thing.”

Reach Craig Harris at charris@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7138. Follow him on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.

WESTMORELAND (66) – Dalton Leath 21, Lucas Garrison 13, Caleb Graves 13, Dylan Duffer 7, Zeke Webb 7, Landon Dunigan 3, Colton Pippen 2.

POPE JOHN PAUL II (70) – Jayson Brown 16, Jalon Cambridge 15, Matt Galvin 12, Ryan Hatten 8, Avishai Lowery 4, Nick Nixon 4, Devan Cambridge 3, Grayson Lang 3, Mitchell Sorenson 3, Justin McMurry 2.

Half: 32-31, Westmoreland. Three-point goals: Westmoreland 3 (Leath 2, Webb 1), Pope John Paul II 3 (Brown 1, J. Cambridge 1, Sorenson 1). Records: Westmoreland 2-3, Pope John Paul II 5-1.

HENDERSONVILLE Senior forward Windee Johnson poured in 23 points to lead the Pope John Paul II High School girls basketball team to a 48-33 victory over Stratford on Thursday afternoon in its opening game of the Post Brands Cereal Tournament at Hendersonville Christian Academy.

The Lady Knights limited the Lady Spartans to three points in the first quarter and just 11 in the first half.

Windee Johnson

Johnson scored 13 of her 23 points in the second half.

Senior guard Sophie Kolbe backed Johnson’s offensive production with nine points, followed by Mercedes Smith (7 points), Callie Ryan (5) and Emily Galluzzi (4).

Junior Lamontazia Blair led Stratford offensively with 16 points, 10 of which came in the second half.

Westmoreland girls knock off Kenwood

HENDERSONVILLE The Westmoreland High School girls basketball team limited Kenwood to four points in the first quarter en route to a 44-34 victory on Thursday evening in its Post Brands Cereal Tournament opener.

Westmoreland High junior forward Peightyn Gross looks for an open teammate during second-quarter action as Kenwood freshman Kimia Carter defends.

The Lady Eagles led 13-4 after one period of play, 24-14 at halftime and 35-28 entering the fourth quarter.

Westmoreland held on despite making just 5 of 14 free throws in the final period.

Junior forwards Kaitlyn Norman and Karley Smith led the Lady Eagles with 17 and 16 points, respectively, followed by Jesica Eppstein (6), Haley Braswell (3), Lexie McCormick (1) and Gracie Oliver (1).

Lady Knight freshman Kimia Carter scored 12 of her team-high 16 points in the second half.

HCA squads fall

HENDERSONVILLE The Hendersonville Christian Academy boys prep basketball team opened its Post Brands Cereal Tournament with a 77-42 loss to Smyrna on Thursday afternoon.

The Crusaders were outscored in all four quarters as the Bulldogs gradually pulled away, leading 39-25 at halftime and 55-30 entering the fourth quarter.

Senior Emilio Quemada and junior Andre Hambrick led HCA offensively with 14 and 11 points, respectively, followed by Jalen Cole (6), Blake Smith (4), Joseph Mussnug (3), Dillon Andress (2) and Mark Myers (2).

Bulldog senior guard Trey Wilder scored a team-high 14 points.

>> The Lady Crusaders suffered a loss to Berean Academy in their tournament opener on Thursday morning.

Longtime coach Terry Anderson was inducted into the Metro Coaches Hall of Fame Thursday.

The Metro Nashville Football Coaches Association announced its 2015 Hall of Fame inductees Thursday, with three new members being elected.

Each year, a new class of inductees is nominated and elected by a committee of past Hall of Fame Inductees, coaches and board members.

Administrator

Henry Merriwether: Honored for his service as an administrator and athletic director at Pearl High, Bellevue High School, Hillwood, Stratford, and Pearl-Cohn.

This award is given to an administrator who has demonstrated a significant contribution to the game of football.

Assistant Coach

Tommy Wilson: Honored for his service as an assistant coach at Pearl-Cohn and Glencliff.

This award is given to an assistant coach who has contributed in sportsmanship and has a strong relationship with players and other coaches.

Head Coach

Terry Anderson: Honored for career of 31 years as a head coach at Antioch, Hillsboro, and Overton.

This award is given to the most outstanding coach eligible for the award in a given year.

The Metro Football Coaches Association also honored:

-Steve Andrus/Marcus Fentress Award (best offensive or defensive lineman): Malcom Swann, Hillsboro

-Coca Cola Most Valuable Player of the Year Award: Jimmy Ferrell, Pearl Cohn

-Warren Dunn Coach of the Year Award: Maurice Fitzgerald, Stratford

Peyton Manning to speak at Middle Tennessee awards event

PORTLAND The Portland High School girls basketball team took control with a 28-5 run in the first half, rolling to a 60-39 victory over visiting Gallatin in the two teams’ District 9-AAA opener on Friday evening.

“Coming into the game, Coach (Miranda) Cravens wanted us intense from the beginning,” said Lady Panther senior guard Cristina Herrera. “We just kept that up and worked as a team.”

The Lady Wave actually jumped out to an 8-3 lead, but a series of turnovers hindered Gallatin as Portland took control.

Lady Wave senior forward Anastasia Blakemore had a pair of early baskets, helping her squad to the five-point advantage.

However, Herrera made four 3-pointers over the final 10:09 of the first half.

Portland High senior guard Cristina Herrera releases a first-quarter jump shot. Herrera scored a game-high 17 points.

“I definitely like seeing a zone (defense), especially when I’m on,” Herrera said.

Gallatin actually mixed its defenses, playing both zone and man-to-man.

“That’s one area we’ve matured in, making adjustments and not collapsing when they make two or three shots,” Cravens said. “In practice, we worked against man and a 2-3 (zone). We knew we may see them both.”

The Lady Panthers (3-2 overall, 1-0 in District 9-AAA) made six of their seven 3-pointers before halftime.

“It took them a minute to get adjusted to the (full-court) press and get in rhythm,” Cravens said. “Once they got adjusted, they executed the game plan and what we worked on pretty well.”

Portland High senior forward Al Chatmon maneuvers past Gallatin senior Grayson Pryor. Chatmon scored 13 points in the Lady Panthers’ 60-39 victory.

The Lady Wave (3-4, 0-1) didn’t get any closer than 17 points in the second half.

The lead swelled to as much as 25 points on Herrera’s putback with 6:12 remaining.

Herrera finished with 17 points, and senior forward Al Chatmon and junior forward Mackenzie Trouten provided 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Senior guard Rene’ Hudson led Gallatin offensively with 10 points, and junior teammate Savannah Link scored eight points.

Gallatin High junior guard Savannah Link looks to pass under pressure from Portland senior Erica Keen. Link scored eight points.

Portland plays at Station Camp on Tuesday evening, while Gallatin hosts Mt. Juliet.

Reach Craig Harris at charris@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7138. Follow him on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.

GALLATIN (39) – Rene’ Hudson 10, Savannah Link 8, Anastasia Blakemore 6, Veronica Varoz 6, Sha’Mari Johnson 2, Tiera McDermott 2, Grace Pincock 2, Grayson Pryor 2, LaMonica Mintlow 1.

PORTLAND (60) – Cristina Herrera 17, Al Chatmon 13, Mackenzie Trouten 10, Rachel Jennings 8, Taylor Cole 6, Erica Keen 6.

Half: 35-16, Portland. Three-point goals: Gallatin 3 (Hudson 2, Varoz 1), Portland 7 (Herrera 5, Chatmon 1, Jennings 1). Records: Gallatin 3-4 overall, 0-1 in District 9-AAA; Portland 3-2, 1-0.

PORTLAND The Gallatin High School boys basketball team has lost four games by single-figure margins.

However, on Friday evening, the Green Wave found a way to win a close contest.

Gallatin captured its first victory, a 44-37 win at Portland in the two teams’ District 9-AAA opener.

“It feels good to actually come out with a win,” Green Wave sophomore guard Zyun Mason said. “Everybody on the team is happy.

“We can’t let this win overcome us though. We’re glad we won tonight. Now, we have to focus on the next one.”

Gallatin High junior guard Anthony Woods makes an entry pass into the post area as Portland’s Luke Jones defends.

Gallatin (1-6) took the lead late in the first half and maintained it.

“They needed it a lot,” Green Wave head coach Bobby Luna said. “They’re excited. They’re so young and full of energy. The effort has been good.

“Hopefully, one win will springboard you to getting more.”

There were seven lead changes and one tie in the first half.

Panther senior guard Jay Crutchfield made a 3-pointer with 1:29 remaining in the half to give his squad the lead, but 22 seconds later, Zyun Mason caught a kick-out pass from Jordan Mason and made a 3-pointer to place his squad in front to stay.

Gallatin junior guard Marlon Mitchell drove into the lane for a layin in the final seconds of the half to give his squad a 24-20 advantage.

Portland High senior Eric Kirk looks to pass out of the trap of Gallatin junior Marlon Mitchell (00) and sophomore Zyun Mason during second-quarter action. Kirk scored four points.

The margin fluctuated between four and six points in the third quarter, but Portland (1-4) pulled to within five points on three occasions in the final period, twice after baskets from senior forward Caelum Utley.

Utley was the focus of Gallatin’s defensive effort.

“We gave great effort,” Luna said. “We created fatigue, but we didn’t force (many) turnovers.

“We were pretty good on Utley. He was still their leading scorer, but he worked really hard.”

Zyun Mason added, “We were watching film on him. We tried to eliminate his right hand, stop his drive and beat him to spots he’s good at. We were focused on trying to stop him from scoring 20 or 30 points.”

Portland High senior forward Caelum Utley releases an interior shot over Gallatin junior Mark Brummett. Utley scored a game-high 16 points.

Utley scored a game-high 16 points.

“I thought they might have done the best job of Caelum of anybody we’ve played so far, and he still scores 16,” Panther head coach Chris Carney said. “Jay played pretty well.

“With the turnovers we had, somebody else had to step up. It was just tough.”

Green Wave junior guard Nigel Black made four consecutive free throws over the final 89 seconds to help seal the win.

Gallatin High junior guard Nigel Black dribbles past Portland senior Eric Kirk during third-quarter action. Black scored six points in the Green Wave’s 44-37 victory on Friday evening.

“You have to look at the positives,” Carney said. “We gave ourselves a chance to win, even though Caelum had four fouls and Bryce (Keith, a starting guard) had four fouls. We were still in position to win.

“It’s tough to win when you have that many turnovers and give up 10 offensive rebounds. Both teams were hungry. It was just turnovers and second chances.”

Zyun Mason scored a team-high 12 points, and Mitchell finished with nine points.

Crutchfield backed Utley’s production with 10 points.

“This was good,” Zyun Mason said. “We still have a lot of work to do, but we practice hard every day.

“Coach was telling us to forget about the past. He said, ‘it starts Friday.’ When he said, ‘it starts Friday,’ that’s when it turned on in our heads.”

Gallatin hosts Mt. Juliet on Tuesday, while Portland plays at Station Camp.

Reach Craig Harris at charris@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7138. Follow him on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.

GALLATIN (44) – Zyun Mason 12, Marlon Mitchell 9, Mark Brummett 7, Nigel Black 6, Collin Minor 6, Dakota Bailey 2, Jordan Mason 2.

PORTLAND (37) – Caelum Utley 16, Jay Crutchfield 10, Bryce Keith 4, Eric Kirk 4, Luke Jones 3.

Half: 24-20, Gallatin. Three-point goals: Gallatin 4 (Z. Mason 2, Minor 2), Portland 2 (Crutchfield 1, Jones 1). Records: Gallatin 1-6 overall, 1-0 in District 9-AAA; Portland 1-4, 0-1.

Blue Cross Bowl

COOKEVILLE — After losing to Fulton in last year’s Class 4A title game, Trezevant rebounded well in 2015, capturing the Class 2A state title Saturday with a 40-35 shootout win over a 13-win Marion County team.

Cordarrian Richardson ran for 342 yards and three touchdowns on 41 carries, and he also threw a touchdown pass for Trezevant.

Richardson was named the game’s most valuable offensive player. The running back threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Tywon Johnson in the third quarter.

Jutarian Malone also rushed for a touchdown, while Justin Swift also had a receiving TD for the Bears (12-3).

Marion County tied the game at 34 with Jacob Saylors’ 2-yard touchdown run. Christian Stephens put the Warriors (13-2) up 35-34 with the PAT at 8:08 remaining.

Richardson then broke off a 48-yard run with 6:45 left to retake the lead.

Marion County’s Logan Walters threw for 108 yards and a touchdown on 8-for-15 passing and ran for a touchdown. Hunter Zeman also had a rushing score, while Bryce Massengale caught the lone receiving score.

The Warriors’ Alex Kirkendoll was the game’s most valuable defensive player with nine tackles, including one tackle for loss.

Pearl-Cohn senior Rontavius Groves closed one chapter on Saturday at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium, but not long after the Firebirds’ 48-8 Class 4A championship loss to Knoxville Catholic, the two-way standout revealed where his next chapter would play out.

Pearl-Cohn’s Rontavious Groves (5) hurdles over a Knoxville Catholic defender during the Class 4A BlueCross Bowl Saturday.

Groves, a 2014 All-Midstate first-teamer ranked sixth on the Tennessean’s 2015 Dandy Dozen, announced his intentions to play football at North Carolina, choosing the Tar Heels over multiple offers.

“After long consideration with close family and friends I’ve decided to take my talents and further my education at the University of North Carolina!” Groves tweeted. “Officially apart of the Tar Heel family.”

Groves, who helped lead Pearl-Cohn to its first state championship appearance in 18 seasons, finished 2015 with a team-leading 55 receptions for 1,061 yards and 14 touchdowns.

As a junior, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound wide receiver/cornerback made 48 catches for 1,223 yards and 19 scores for the 2014 semifinalist Firebirds.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.