HENDERSONVILLE The Pope John Paul II High boys basketball team blew open a tight game in the second quarter to down Kenwood, 80-57, on Saturday evening in the championship game of the 12th annual Post Brand Cereal Tournament at Hendersonville Christian Academy.

It was the second year in a row that PJP II has won the tournament championship.

The two teams were locked in a tight battle early in the game. Baskets by sophomores Mitchell Sorenson and Justin McMurry late in the first quarter gave the Knights a 16-15 lead entering the second period.

In the second stanza, PJP II (7-1) came out in a 1-2-2, full-court press that helped the Knights outscore Kenwood by a 23-10 margin in the quarter, building a 39-25 lead by halftime.

“We picked up our intensity,” PJP II head coach Kip Brown said. “We forced a number of turnovers. We picked up our intensity like we haven’t (done) all year.”

Brown pointed out that it started the night before, at halftime of PJP II’s 65-44 win over Smyrna in Friday’s semifinal victory. That contest was tied at halftime before pulling away.

“The last three halves of basketball, we’ve played really well,” Brown said.

Kenwood and PJP II were tied at 25 midway through the second quarter, but the Knights scored the next 14 points, with junior guard Jalon Cambridge and senior forward Ryan Hatten combining for 10 points during that stretch.

Pope John Paul II High senior Ryan Hatten dribbles maneuvers along the baseline during second-quarter action.

“We played hard and moved the ball around and got open shots,” Hatten – the tournament’s most valuable player – said. “We were putting the pressure on them with the press. We were getting layups and open shots.”

In the third quarter, Kenwood battled back to cut the lead to eight points at 46-38, but PJP II answered with a 7-0 run, finishing the quarter with a 54-42 lead.

Kenwood (5-2) cut the lead to 70-57 in the fourth, but the Knights scored the final 10 points.

“We wanted to be aggressive without being undisciplined,” said Brown, who noted that Kenwood returns most of the players from a team defeated PJP II in triple overtime last season.

Hatten added, “We handled their pressure.”

Hatten shared high-scoring honors with junior forward Matthew Galvin, with both producing 14 points.

Pope John Paul II High junior point guard Jalon Cambridge elevates for a second-quarter jump shot.

“He’s our anchor,” Brown said of Hatten. “He cleans up a lot of our mistakes.”

Brown also had praise for Galvin.

“This was his best game of the year,” Brown said. “He played really well tonight.”

Jalon Cambridge chipped in 12 points and his step-brother – sophomore forward Devan Cambridge – provided nine points.

“Devan, the last two games, has changed into the player we hoped he would be,” Brown said. “We knew it was going to happen. It was just a question of when. He was rebounding (well) and playing defense.”

Galvin, Jalon Cambridge and sophomore guard Jayson Brown joined Hatten on the all-tournament team.

Pope John Paul II High’s members of the Post Cereals Boys All-Tournament Team include: (L to R) junior guard Jalon Cambridge, sophomore guard Jayson Brown, senior forward Ryan Hatten and junior forward Matt Galvin.

Kenwood’s Matthew Norl led all scorers with 23, making three 3-pointers, and teammate Keith Dowlen provided 14 points.

PJP II plays at Goodpasture on Tuesday and then will host Franklin Road Academy on Friday.

KENWOOD (57) – Matthew Norl 23, Keith Dowlen 14, Andre Clifton, 6, Tariq James 5, D’andre Raddcliffe 4, Cameron Boykin 2, Lorico Hill 2, Shawric Martin 2.

PJP II (80) – Ryan Hatten 14, Matthew Galvin 14, Jalon Cambridge 12, Devan Cambridge 9, Jayson Brown 7, Justin McMurry 7, Mitchell Sorenson 6, Grayson Lang 4, Avishai Lowery 3, Trent Griffin 2, C.J. Laws 2.

Half: 39-25, PJP II. Three-point goals: Kenwood 4 (Norl 3, Dowlen 1), PJP II 2 (J. Cambridge 1, Galvin 1). Records: Kenwood 5-2, PJP II 7-1.

HENDERSONVILLE The Westmoreland High School girls basketball team used defensive pressure and patient passing that led to open shots, building a 20-point lead by halftime over Pope John Paul II High on its way to Saturday evening’s 53-41 victory in the championship game of the 12th annual Post Brand Cereal Tournament at Hendersonville Christian Academy.

The Lady Eagles took an 11-2 lead after the first quarter and stretched that to 29-9 at the half.

“I thought we got a lot of good looks from the inside out,” Westmoreland head coach Cherie Abner said. “They were packing it in on defense.

“When we hit our threes (3-pointers), we were able to get into our (full-court) press.”

Westmoreland High junior guard Gracie Oliver penetrates into the lane past Pope John Paul II sophomore Lindsey Semrow.

The pressure forced the Lady Knights into turnovers, which Westmoreland was able to convert into points.

“We made a couple of good runs,” Abner said.

In the first half, Westmoreland had runs of 7-0, 8-0 and 10-0 in building its lead.

Earlier in the tournament, Westmoreland (6-1) was getting the most production out of its post players, juniors Kaitlyn Norman – who was named the tournament’s most valuable player – and Karley Smith.

“Tonight, it was our guards,” Abner said.

PJP II (3-5) played a 2-3 zone that was packed tight to limit Westmoreland’s inside game.

“They forced us to shoot from the outside, and we were able to hit,” Abner said.

The Lady Eagles made five 3-pointers, all but one of which came in the first half. Senior Haley Braswell made four of those, accounting for all of her team-leading 12 points.

Westmoreland High senior guard Haley Braswell releases a second-quarter 3-pointer.

She credited the team’s point guards, juniors Lexie McCormick and Gracie Oliver, with helping to boost her offensive production.

“They got me open shots,” Braswell said.

The championship game was a bit of a break-out game for Braswell.

“I hadn’t really been hitting,” Braswell said. “I had to make an adjustment.”

The Lady Eagles built a 45-17 lead after three quarters, which gave Abner a chance to give her reserves some experience.

In the fourth quarter, as Westmoreland was trying to milk the clock, PJP II rallied behind senior forward Windee Johnson to cut the lead to 51-41 with less than a minute remaining.

Pope John Paul II High senior forward Windee Johnson shoots over the outstretched arm of Westmoreland junior Karley Smith during second-quarter action.

“We just dug ourselves too big of a hole early,” Lady Knight head coach Angi Puckett said. “We weren’t keeping our composure. Our spacing was bad. We made too many turnovers.

“We decided to play as intensely as we could, be more aggressive (in the second half).”

Johnson led all scorers with 23 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter.

Pope John Paul II senior guard Emily Galluzzi throws an entry pass in to senior forward Sophie Kolbe as Westmoreland senior Jesica Eppstein and junior Peightyn Gross (34) defend.

Norman backed Braswell’s production with 11 points.

Braswell, Smith and senior teammate Jesica Eppstein joined Norman on the all-tournament team, along with Johnson, PJP II senior guard Mercedes Smith and Lady Knight senior forward Sophie Kolbe.

Included among the members of the Post Brand Cereal Girls All-Tournament Team include: (kneeling, L to R) Pope John Paul II High senior Mercedes Smith, Pope John Paul II senior Windee Johnson, Pope John Paul II senior Sophie Kolbe, (standing) Westmoreland senior Jesica Eppstein, Westmoreland junior Karley Smith, Westmoreland junior Kaitlyn Norman (most valuable player) and Westmoreland senior Haley Braswell.

Abner said that winning the tournament championship was a good lead-in to the start of District 9-AA play on Tuesday, when Westmoreland hosts Cheatham County.

“This has really prepared us,” Abner said.

Braswell added, “It means a lot coming off a championship.”

Westmoreland improved to 6-1. The Lady Eagles had wins over Kenwood and Smyrna to reach the title game.

The Lady Knights picked up two wins in the tournament, over Stratford and Berean Academy, and their record now stands at 3-5.

Puckett hopes that the tournament wins will be a boost of confidence for her squad.

“If we play the right way, good things will happen,” Puckett said.

PJP II next plays on Tuesday at Goodpasture and at White House Christian on Thursday before hosting Franklin Road Academy on Friday.

WESTMORELAND (53) – Haley Braswell 12, Kaitlyn Norman 11, Jesica Eppstein 6, Gracie Oliver 6, Peightyn Gross 6, Darby Bowser 4, Karley Smith 3, Kailan Woodard 3, Lexie McCormick 2.

PJP II (41) – Windee Johnson 23, Mercedes Smith 8, Sophie Kolbe 6, Lindsey Semrow 3, Emily Galluzzi 1.

Half: 29-9, Westmoreland. Three-point goals: Westmoreland 5 (Braswell 4, Woodard 1), PJP II 1 (Semrow). Records: Westmoreland 6-1, PJP II 3-5.

White House

HENDERSONVILLE The Hendersonville Christian Academy boys basketball team picked up its first victory of the season in convincing fashion on Saturday morning, rolling to a 47-26 win over Lancaster Christian Academy in the two teams’ final game of the Post Brand Cereal Tournament at HCA.

The Crusaders outscored the Knights in all four quarters, leading 22-15 by halftime and 30-20 entering the fourth quarter.

HCA (1-7) limited Lancaster Christian to six points or fewer in three of the four periods.

Junior forward Dillon Andress led the Crusaders offensively with 11 points, followed by Jalen Cole (9 points), Peyton Shoulders (7), Joseph Mussnug (5), Andre Hambrick (4), Emilio Quemada (4), Blake Smith (3), Joey Fragnoli (2) and Tanner Sturgis (2).

Shoulders also had a team-high five assists.

Quemada was named to the all-tournament team.

Senior guard Tad Brown led the Knights offensively with a game-high 17 points.

>> A slow start hindered the Hendersonville Christian girls squad in its 54-39 loss to Stratford in Saturday morning’s fifth-place game.

The Lady Crusaders (1-5) trailed 13-1 after one period of play, 27-12 at halftime and 47-28 entering the fourth quarter.

Wooley led HCA offensively with 10 points, followed by Mierop (9), Silva (7), Turc (6), Batey (5), Munson (1) and Thornton (1).

Lady Spartan junior Lamontazia Blair poured in a game-high 26 points.

Lady Devils pick up first victory

WHITE HOUSE The White House High School girls basketball team outscored visiting Springfield by a 29-18 margin in the second and third quarters, helping the Lady Devils to a 47-42 victory on Saturday evening.

It was White House’s first win this season.

The Lady Devils (1-4) trailed 10-6 after one period of play but led 22-21 at halftime and 35-28 entering the fourth quarter.

White House sophomore guard McKenzie Vaughn and junior forward Hailee Ellis scored 10 and nine points, respectively, followed by Lauren Felts (7), Stephanie Palmer (7), Bryanna Allen (6), Alyssa Armstrong (4) and Bailey Hutchison (4).

Sophomore forward Sha’tyah Bowens led the Lady Jackets offensively with a game-high 24 points.

>> The Blue Devil boys suffered a 66-60 loss to Springfield.

White House (4-3) led 29-28 at halftime and trailed by just two points (48-46) entering the fourth quarter.

Blue Devil junior forward Malik Morgan scored a game-high 18 points, and junior guard Bradley Cole and senior point guard Luke Hopkins scored 13 points each.

White House senior Gavin Herrell and freshman Jared Ward provided eight and seven points, respectively, and junior teammate Zach Baldwin scored one point.

Junior forward Dalaino Walker led the Yellow Jackets offensively with 17 points.

Westmoreland boys fall

HENDERSONVILLE The Westmoreland High School boys basketball team fell behind early on in Saturday afternoon’s 67-44 loss to Berean Christian in the fifth-place game of the Post Brand Cereal Tournament at Hendersonville Christian Academy.

Westmoreland (3-4) trailed 15-7 after one period of play, 25-19 at halftime and 41-31 entering the fourth quarter.

Berean Academy made nine 3-pointers and 23 of 27 free-throw attempts.

Senior guard Dalton Leath led Westmoreland offensively with 10 points, followed by Lucas Garrison (9), Caleb Graves (8), Dylan Duffer (5), Landon Dunigan (5), Colton Pippen (4), Landon Graves (2) and Zeke Webb (1).

Guard Rylie Walker scored a game-high 19 points to lead Berean Christian, and Jordan Long and Jabari Hayes produced 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Independence coach Scott Blade guided his Eagles to a 15-0 record and 5A state title.

What a coach or player has to say after a tough football game can be both insightful and entertaining. Here’s a list of some of the best quotes during the 2015 high school football season.

”My goodness, he’s had a great year. I can’t say enough about him. He played terrific tonight.” – Independence coach Scott Blade on senior quarterback Andrew Bunch, who threw for 313 yards and 5 TDs in the 5A title game and finished the season with more than 3,300 yards passing despite missing more than four games with an injury.Read more

“Not a lot of people said this rematch would even happen, but these kids played their guts out. These 36 (seniors) refused to have their senior season defined by what they did as juniors.” – Ravenwood coach Will Hester, whose squad upset Maryville 26-17 in the 6A title game, ending the Rebels’ 44-game winning streak. The Raptors lost to Maryville by a point in the 6A title game a season ago.Read more

“They got momentum and you can’t give Independence momentum. We talked about just staying together as a team, staying with C.C.C. — courage, commitment and character. That’s what we tried to do, but hats off to Independence for kicking our tails.” — Centennial senior standout Tyrel Dodson, a Texas A&M commitment, after the Cougars’ second loss to Independence this season, 56-15, in the Class 5A semifinals. Read more

Ravenwood Head Coach Will Hester led his squad to the 6A state title.

“I was going to punt the ball, he came up and grabbed me by the arm, and said, ‘Coach, I feel like I’ve got it.’ I said, ‘Do it, dude, do it,’” — Ravenwood coach Will Hester, on placekicker Crews Holt’s career-long 55-yard field goal that aided a 20-13 win over Whitehaven in the 6A semifinals. Read more

“We knew he was a special player. We thought if we could just get one stop we could really put some pressure on them with our offense. But every time we got them in a position to make a stop, he bailed them out. Just a heck of a player.” — South Pittsburg coach Vic Grider, referring to Columbia Academy wide receiver Taylor Thompson. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Thompson, who will make an official visit to Wisconsin in two weeks, had 167 yards and three touchdowns for the Bulldogs. Read more

Friday night (high)lights: Top performers of 2015

“He’s pretty tough. He’s like Larry Csonka back in the day.” — Stratford coach Maurice Fitzgerald on CPA running back Chip Omer, who rushed for 198 yards and 2 TDs and had an 82-yard kickoff return for a score in a 31-12 win.  Read more

“They’re as good as advertised.” — Hendersonville coach Bruce Hatfield on unbeaten Independence, which beat the Commandos 38-7. Read more

Hendersonville coach Bruce Hatfield.

“Maryville, that’s all I’ve heard about since I began playing high school football. I’m glad I finally get to play against them.” — Blackman running back Taeler Dowdy, whose 288 yards rushing in a win over Siegel helped the Blaze advance to play nationally ranked Maryville in the 6A quarterfinals. Read more

“It was a pretty emotional win. That was probably one of the most emotional wins I’ve ever been a part of. We videoed us singing, and sent it to them. That was big for our kids to be able to do that.” — Siegel coach Greg Wyant, whose squad pulled a 6A playoff upset over Bearden on the birthday of Baylor Bramble, who suffered a head injury during a game earlier in the season and has been hospitalized since. After recently being able to go off a ventilator for a week, Bramble will be transferred to Atlanta’s Shepherd Center, which specializes in brain injuries, this week, according to a tweet by his father, David. Following the win over Bearden, the team sang “Happy Birthday” and sent it via video to the Bramble family (Nov. 6).Read more

“This is the second week in a row that we’ve gotten out butts kicked. We’ve gotten hit in the mouth and I hope it woke us up because we have a very good Stratford team to get ready for next week.” — Whites Creek Coach Tyrus Ward, whose squad fell at White House-Heritage 47-8 (Oct. 16). Read more

2015 Nashville area prep football review: Top moments

“It’s kind of like pulling a pickle out of a jar. Once you get that first one, hopefully it will be easier after that. This wasn’t easy.” — Oakland coach Kevin Creasy, whose squad won its third straight Battle of the ‘Boro (and Creasy’s first) with a 43-14 victory over Riverdale (Oct. 16). Read more

“We were driving and, shoot, I made a bad call. I shouldn’t have called that play, and it turned the momentum around.” — MBA coach Marty Euverard, whose squad fell to Brentwood Academy 48-14. An interception in the second quarter helped change momentum (Oct. 9). Read more

MBA coach Marty Euverard

“Really, it doesn’t help us. I’m sure it wasn’t on purpose and something inadvertent. I’ve had it happen to me. I feel for those guys up there. I know they’ve worked hard and nobody wants to see that. In my mind we lost that game by one point.”  — Station Camp coach Shaun Hollinsworth, whose squad earned a forfeit win over Clarksville, which used an ineligible player in a 21-20 win over the Bison earlier in the season. (Oct. 9). Read more

“We’re everybody’s homecoming. I’m most proud of the fact that despite all the adversity that our kids have had this year, they fought. When you’ve been as low as we have been over the last four or five years, you don’t have problems getting a game; everybody wants a game with you.” — Hunters Lane first-year coach Thomas McPhail, following a 12-0 win over Glencliff on the Colts’ homecoming. It was the first win for the Warriors this season (Sept. 25). Read more

“I fired everybody after last week, to be honest with you. We needed the change. We hadn’t been really good at stopping the run. I thought we did really good at stopping the run tonight.” — Rossview Coach Ron Lambert, joking about his defense. The Hawks forced seven Dickson County turnovers in a 12-7 Rossview win (Sept. 25). Read more

“He’s never rushed it that many times. He wanted it. He kept telling the backups to stay on the sideline.” — MBA coach Marty Euverard, on running back Ty Chandler, who rushed 41 times for 270 yards and four touchdowns in a 33-27 overtime win over McCallie (Sept. 18). (Read more)

“I think our guys played their everlasting rear ends off. But, we had some penalties that caught us at certain times, and a time or two we turned the ball over. We turned it over twice and almost did it twice more. Against a good football team like Lipscomb, you just can’t do that.” — Northwest coach Vernon Wright after a 21-19 loss to Lipscomb Academy (Sept 4). Read story

“We’re just at the point now in Week 2 where it is painfully obvious to us that we have to go back to square one.” —Centennial coach Brian Rector. following a 49-6 loss at Independence (Aug. 28). See story

Independence’s Scott Blade was named the Tennessee Titans high school football coach of the year Thursday, less than a week after helping the Eagles capture their first football state title in school history.

Independence coach Scott Blade was named the Tennessee Titans coach of the year for the second time in his career Thursday.

“I am humbled and honored to receive this award,” Blade said in a statement. “I am blessed to have had the opportunity to work with a tremendous coaching staff and support group. The team came together and played like no other I’ve coached. I will forever remember this group of guys as a team that was all in.”

Blade led Independence to a dominant 15-0 season, helping the Eagles capture the Class 5A state title with a 49-14 win over Sevier County last Friday.

He helped established a dominant offense that outscored opponents 641-171 and a stingy defense that gave up 20 points or more just once on the season.

Thursday marked the second time Blade was named the coach of the year. He received the honor in 2008 when he helped lead Hillsboro to the Class 4A state title.

He is the only coach to receive the honor twice.

Blade will be recognized on at Nissan field on Dec. 27 when the Titans host the Texans.

Longtime football coach Bruce Lussier decided to hang up his whistle Thursday.

“I’ve been in it 42 years and it just seems to be a good time to (retire) for everyone involved,” said Lussier, who spent the past 11 seasons at Father Ryan.

Lussier took over the Father Ryan program in 2005 after a six-year stint at Oak Ridge (where he compiled a 62-14 record and reached the state semifinals twice). He began his head coaching career in 1979 at Halls High in Knoxville.

Lussier led Father Ryan to the Division II-AA state semifinals in 2007 and 2009.

He said it wasn’t an easy decision to call it quits.

“You get to this point and you think about all the players you’ve come into contact with and touched their lives somewhere along the road,” Lussier said. “It’s a sad day.”

But his decision to retire was not hastily made.

“When you’re in it as long as I am and you’re getting up there in age that crosses your mind every year,” the 64-year-old coach said. “The last several years I’ve been not necessarily contemplating it, but I’ve been giving it some thought.”

Lussier, who has a career coaching record of 130-88, will resign control of the team effective immediately, but will continue to teach for the remainder of the year.

Father Ryan football coach Bruce Lussier retired Thursday.

Southwest Airlines is offering extra flights for college football fans who just can’t bear to miss the University of Tennessee play against the Northwestern Wildcats in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., at 11 a.m. on Jan. 1.

Southwest Airlines is offering extra flights from Nashville to Tampa on Dec. 31 and from Tampa to Nashville on Jan. 1.

The new flights added are Dec. 31 from Nashville to Tampa and Jan. 1 from Tampa to Nashville. The airline already offers nonstop flights to Tampa and vice versa but two nonstop flights are already sold out, according to its website.

As of Thursday night, two nonstop flights are available to Tampa on Dec. 31, yet if flyers don’t mind one stop per flight in various locations, five other flights are still available. Prices for Dec.31 flights range from $247 to $400. All flights, including nonstop, returning from Tampa to Nashville on Jan. 1 are still available at prices ranging from $103 to $400.

For more information, visit southwest.com.

Gallatin High officials announced Friday that the school’s gymnasium will be named in honor of former boys basketball coach Jerry Vradenburg.

The gym at Gallatin High will be named in honor of former boys basketball coach Jerry Vradenburg.

A ceremony for the official naming will take place on Jan. 8 during halftime of the Gallatin girls game against Wilson Central.

Vradenberg, 78, was inducted into TSSAA Hall of Fame in 2007.

The East High and Belmont graduate coached at Gallatin from 1966 to 1988 and led the Green Wave to the 1973 state championship and three other state tournament appearances.

Vrandenburg’s career-coaching record was 559-296.

He also served as the athletic director at Gallatin, coached the boys and girls golf teams and served as an assistant football coach.

Vradenberg also is a member of the Nashville Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame and the Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame.

There will be a reception for all former Gallatin athletes, coaches and managers following the ceremony on Jan. 8.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 and on Twitter at @MikeOrganWriter. 

Jackson Morris

Pope John Paul II High senior football standout Jackson Morris recently signed a letter-of-intent to continue his education and playing career at the University of Tennessee.Pictured at the signing are: (seated, L to R) Jackson’s mother Tina Morris, Jackson Morris, Jackson’s father Matthew Morris, (standing) Jackson’s grandmother Tommie Jaco, Jackson’s sister Kelsey Morris and PJP II head football coach Justin Geisinger.

Pope John Paul II High senior football standout Jackson Morris recently signed a letter-of-intent to continue his education and playing career at the University of Tennessee.

He will be a preferred walk-on, giving him a a place on the roster. The roster is limited to 105 players between the start of fall camp and the first game (or the start of school, whichever comes first), but he will not initially be a scholarship player.

“I’m very excited to play for the Volunteers next year, and I hope to be able to do what I can in the kicking game to help improve the program,” Morris said. “I love that school, and I can’t wait to be up there playing with some of the best football players and coaches in the nation.”

Morris already has his sights set on earning playing time as a freshman.

“I hope to win the kickoff job next year and give the Vols an extra tool to help win a national championship,” Morris said.

Former Tennessee placekicker James Wilhoit – a Hendersonville High alum – has been working with Morris during his career through private lessons and camps.

“James has been a great mentor and also a great coach,” Morris said. “He taught me the best possible technique, and without him, I would not be where I am today. I want to thank him for everything he has done.”

Morris made 6 of 10 field-goal attempts and 29 of 31 point-after touchdown (PAT) kicks during his senior year.

He made four of his six field-goal attempts of distances of 40 yards and further.

Morris also averaged 29.3 yards per punt, five of which resulted in an opponent’s field position inside the 20 yard line.

His longest punt covered 58 yards.

Tennessee currently has an 8-4 record and will face 12th-ranked Northwestern (Ill.) University in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1.

Morris will join three other Sumner County products on the Volunteer roster – current sophomore tailback Jalen Hurd, sophomore wide receiver Josh Malone and freshman long snapper Riley Lovingood. Senior defensive back David Priddy – a Hendersonville High product – is graduating.

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

Basketball in Hoop

Ravenwood’s boys found their groove in the second half during the “Battle of the Woods” Friday en route to a 57-42 win over visiting Brentwood.

basketball

Both teams struggled early offensively as Brentwood (3-7, 0-1 11-AAA) took a 10-5 lead after one quarter.

“I thought it was a good time to break a clipboard,” Ravenwood coach Patrick Whitlock said. “I think the reality of it was we were a little too jacked up. You can be too hyped to play, and that can affect you.”

Ravenwood (5-4, 1-1) jumped ahead 11-10 after starting the second quarter on a 6-0 run, then strung together a 7-0 run at the end of the quarter to take a 20-16 lead at halftime.

“I thought we got off to a good start,” first-year Bruins coach Greg Shirley said. “Then we kind of got away from what we do.”

The Bruins came out in the second half looking for a spark, but it was the Raptors who started the half on another 7-0 run to push the lead to 27-16.

Brentwood finally ended the run with a Ben Bautista runner, but Ravenwood responded with a 9-0 run to outscore the Bruins 16-3 in the third quarter.

“Thought we had some things fixed at halftime, but we missed a couple easy shots during that run,” Shirley said. “They came down and answered.”

Senior forward Case Bouldin led the way for the Raptors with 13 points.

The Bruins scored 23 in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.

Linden Hardee was the Bruins’ biggest threat, posting a team-high 12 points.

Ravenwood girls 51, Brentwood 40: Ravenwood (6-2, 1-0) held a narrow 16-15 lead at halftime, but the Lady Raptors nailed 5 of 6 three pointers in the third quarter, including a buzzer-beater by Kiera Downey to increase their lead on Brentwood (5-4, 0-1)

Downey led the way with a game-high 22 points.

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

Centennial’s Tyrel Dodson tackles East opponent DeAndre Delaney during Friday’s East-West All-Star game in Cookeville.

West quarterback Andrew Bunch (Independence) fires a pass during Friday’s East-West All-Star Game in Cookeville.

COOKEVILLE — Several Midstate players likely made good impressions on potential college suitors Friday night in the Toyota East vs. West All-Star Classic.

The West squad made a huge rally in the second half, but it wasn’t enough in a 19-17 East victory.

The East jumped out to a 16-0 halftime lead and held off the late West surge.

Independence quarterback Andrew Bunch — coming off a stellar six-touchdown performance last Friday in the Class 5A state championship — overcame a tough first half as he led the West on a second-half comeback. His 7-yard scoring pass to Rossview’s Muncie Prater trimmed the deficit to 19-17 with 6:13 left in the game.

The West defense gave the offense one more chance with a stop, but East punter Brandon Nickle pinned the West deep with a 74-yard bomb to the 4-yard line.

On the next play, Riverdale’s Marquise Cantrell — playing for the East team — picked off a Bunch pass to help his team clinch the victory.

“I was eager to make a play,” Cantrell said. “I was just being patient, because I knew my time would come.”

Bunch finished 11-of-26 passing for 196 yards and two touchdowns and an interception after going 1-for-11 for 13 yards in the first half. He threw a 77-yard pitch-and-catch to Pearl-Cohn’s Rontavius Groves in the third quarter for the West’s first points, trimming the East lead to 19-7.

“I’d been trying my best the whole game,” Groves said, “and I just got (the East defensive back) one time on the stutter, and that was it.”

Ravenwood’s Chris Rowland finds running room on a kick return for the West team during the East-West All-Star Game Friday in Cookeville.

Groves had a big game, as he finished with six catches for 140 yards and the score and was named the West’s offensive MVP. Centennial’s Tyrel Dodson — a Texas A&M commitment — was named the West defensive MVP after finishing with 12 tackles.

West kicker Bryce Gilmore booted a 20-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to make it 19-10.

In addition to Cantrell, the East team also had Midstate representation in the form of Blackman running back Taeler Dowdy and offensive lineman Matthew Leifheit. Dowdy ran 11 times for 36 yards.

The East started fast, as DeAndre Delaney ran for a 23-yard score in the first quarter and Nickle booted a 42-yard field goal. Austin Pope added a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter for a 16-0 halftime lead.

East running back Taeler Dowdy (Blackman) spins out of a tackle during Friday’s East-West All-Star Game.

Beech High sophomore Savannah Jarratt looks to pass as she is pressured by Gallatin junior Sha’Mari Johnson during second-quarter action. Jarratt scored six points in the Lady Buccaneers’ 46-24 victory on Friday evening.

HENDERSONVILLE The Beech High School girls basketball team limited visiting Gallatin to five field goals, overcoming a slow start in Friday evening’s 46-24 victory.

“We just picked up and played the way we should have been playing in the beginning,” Lady Buccaneer junior Joslyn Brinkley said. “We got our momentum and intensity up and built up from that.”

Beech High freshman forward Kendra Mueller dribbles to the basket as Gallatin junior Tiera McDermott pursues during second-quarter action. Mueller scored nine points.

The two teams combined for just five first-quarter points, and the Lady Wave actually led for much of the first half.

“I believe we were just rushing our shots, trying to get some shots up, not concentrating and focusing on how we were supposed to play,” Brinkley said.

However, Beech (3-5 overall, 2-1 in District 9-AAA) scored seven of the final eight points in the first half, with freshman forwards Kendra Mueller and Destiny Tinker providing baskets during that stretch to give the Lady Bucs a 14-11 lead at halftime.

“In the first half, defensively – and for the most part in the third quarter – I was pleased with our defense,” Gallatin first-year head coach Malcolm Montgomery said. “We contested baskets. We blocked out. We just couldn’t score.

“If you hold anybody to 14 points in a half … I will be smiling. You expect to be leading by double figures if you do that. We just didn’t score at all.”

Gallatin High junior guard Grace Pincock dribbles to the basket as Beech junior Joslyn Brinkley and senior Deja Smith defend. Pincock scored three points.

Beech scored the first six points of the second half, four of which came from junior guard McCall Decker, to extend the lead to nine points.

However, Green Wave senior point guard Rene’ Hudson responded by reeling off five consecutive points to pull her squad back to within five points at 23-18.

Hudson produced a game-high 16 points.

The margin was 29-20 entering the fourth quarter, and Gallatin (3-6, 0-3) produced just four points in the final period.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” Montgomery said of the offensive struggles. “It’s about the girls being comfortable in a new system. We’re running a motion offense. That gives them more freedom.

“I think they’re thinking a little too much instead of reacting, but it will get better.”

Gallatin High senior forward Grayson Pryor releases a first-quarter 3-pointer.

Brinkley’s second 3-pointer came early in the final period, and the Lady Bucs repeatedly cashed in on trips to the free-throw line.

“We have to be patient,” Brinkley said. “When we calm down and know what we need to be doing, we get a better idea of how to play the game.”

Beech senior guard Deja Smith scored 11 of her team-high 14 points in the second half, and Mueller provided nine points.

The Lady Buccaneers host Springfield on Tuesday.

Gallatin High junior guard Grace Pincock dribbles to the basket as Beech junior Joslyn Brinkley and senior Deja Smith defend. Pincock scored three points.

The Lady Wave face visiting White House on Monday.

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

GALLATIN (24) – Rene’ Hudson 16, LaMonica Mintlow 3, Grace Pincock 3, Sha’Mari Johnson 2.

BEECH (46) – Deja Smith 14, Kendra Mueller 9, Joslyn Brinkley 7, McCall Decker 6, Savannah Jarratt 6, Gracie Hines 2, Destiny Tinker 2.

Half: 14-11, Beech. Three-point goals: Gallatin 1 (Hudson 1), Beech 2 (Brinkley 2). Records: Gallatin 3-6 overall, 0-3 in District 9-AAA; Beech 3-5, 2-1.

HENDERSONVILLE The Beech High School boys basketball team played without one of its top players on Friday evening but managed to overcome that thanks in part to the play of sophomore point guard Ty Dean.

Dean poured in a game-high 18 points as the Buccaneers held off a furious rally from visiting Gallatin in a 57-54 victory.

Beech High sophomore point guard Ty Dean elevates to shoot a first-quarter jump shot over Gallatin sophomore Zyun Mason. Dean scored a career-high 18 points in the Buccaneers’ 57-54 win on Friday evening.

“My teammates opened up the floor for me,” Dean said. “Aggressiveness is something I have been worrying about. Last year, I was passive.”

Dean played 31 minutes on Friday and made 10 of 13 free-throw attempts, in addition to four field goals on drives into the lane.

“He’s obviously young,” Beech head coach Darrin Joines said. “He makes mistakes, but he’s getting better. He seems to be calm under pressure.”

The Buccaneers dropped their previous two district contests, a 62-51 loss to visiting Station Camp and Tuesday’s 60-49 setback to visiting Wilson Central. Buhrow suffered a concussion in Tuesday’s game, forcing him to miss Friday’s contest.

“We need this a lot,” Joines said. “It’s a long season, and you don’t have to win them all … but it does impact your psyche.”

Beech (5-3 overall, 1-2 in District 9-AAA) never trailed as early baskets by senior forwards Caleb Walton and Noah Chatman were followed by Dean’s pull-up jump shot, resulting in a 7-0 lead.

Beech High sophomore guard Nelson Smith dribbles to the basket during first-quarter action as Gallatin junior Nigel Black defends. Smith scored three points.

The margin was 26-21 at halftime, but it quickly extended as a series of Green Wave turnovers helped the Buccaneers score the first nine points of the second half.

“It was turnovers, empty possessions, and (Dean) whipped us on (dribble) penetration,” Gallatin head coach Bobby Luna said. “He played well. Give him credit. He’s getting better for Darrin. He broke us down and got us in a scramble.

“We have to get better guard play on the defensive end.”

The margin swelled to 16 points on Walton’s basket just 20 seconds into the fourth quarter, and it was still at 14 points with less than five minutes remaining.

However, Gallatin (1-8, 1-2) stormed back as junior guard Marlon Mitchell scored seven consecutive points for his squad to cut the lead to single figures with 4:11 remaining.

Beech made just 18 of 33 free throws, aiding the Green Wave comeback.

Gallatin sophomore guard Zyun Mason made a pair of 3-pointers over the final 74 seconds, and classmate Collin Minor also sank one.

Gallatin High junior guard Nigel Black is fouled by Beech senior Caleb Walton while elevating for a second-quarter shot. Black scored a team-high 13 points.

Zyun Mason was fouled on a desperation heave from the right corner with 9.2 seconds left and made all three free throws, creating a two-point margin.

“We made some stupid mistakes at the end,” Dean said. “They fought hard. We fought hard, but we had some silly fouls.”

After Walton made one of two free throws at the other end of the court, the Green Wave’s 3-pointer in the final seconds was off target, allowing the Buccaneers to hold on.

“This team is willing to scrap and fight,” Luna said. “Unfortunately, we continue to talk about knocking on the door (coming close to winning before dropping close games). So, we are walking away disappointed.

“There was fight. There was no quit. We just need to eliminate individual mistakes. When you have three guys making three mistakes apiece, it’s not a lot individually. Collectively though, it’s a lot. We have to play well to win. We can’t say we played well. We only played well for about four minutes.”

Chatman and Walton backed Dean’s offensive production with 16 and 14 points, respectively.

Green Wave junior guard Nigel Black scored a team-best 13 points, and Mitchell finished with 11 points. Both Jordan Mason and Zyun Mason provided nine points each.

Gallatin High junior forward Jordan Mason (30) grabs a second-quarter rebound in front of Beech sophomore A.J. Robertson. Mason scored six of his nine points in the second half.

“It was real big (to win),” Dean said. “Coming off of two losses where we didn’t play well, this week, we talked about, ‘let’s go get it. Let’s keep fighting.’ This was real big. We know teams are going to come out strong in district games. We came out strong too.”

Gallatin hosts White House on Monday.

Beech hosts Springfield on Tuesday.

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

GALLATIN (54) – Nigel Black 13, Marlon Mitchell 11, Jordan Mason 9, Zyun Mason 9, Collin Minor 8, Dakota Bailey 4.

BEECH (57) – Ty Dean 18, Noah Chatman 16, Caleb Walton 14, A.J. Robertson 3, Nelson Smith 3, T.J. Downing 2, Heath Pentecost 1.

Half: 26-21, Beech. Three-point goals: Gallatin 6 (Z. Mason 2, Minor 2, Black 1, Mitchell 1), Beech 1 (Robertson 1). Records: Gallatin 1-8 overall, 1-2 in District 9-AAA; Beech 5-3, 1-2.

Former Father Ryan kicker Luke Streble is now a starter at Air Force.

Columbia State’s Braxton Bonds, a transfer from Tennessee, scored 28 points in a game earlier this week.

Former Christ Presbyterian Academy star Braxton Bonds is making at impact at Columbia State after transferring from Tennessee.

Former Christ Presbyterian Academy star Braxton Bonds, who transferred from Tennessee, is making at impact at Columbia State.

Former MTSU coach Andy McCollum, now an assistant at Georgia Tech, is believed to be a finalist for the Austin Peay coaching position.

Former Christ Presbyterian Academy star Braxton Bonds is making at impact at Columbia State after transferring from Tennessee.

Former Christ Presbyterian Academy star Braxton Bonds, who transferred from Tennessee, is making at impact at Columbia State.

Former Vanderbilt interim head coach Robbie Caldwell, right, with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. The No. 1-ranked Tigers are headed to the College Football Playoff as the top seed.

Former Vanderbilt interim head coach Robbie Caldwell, right, with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. The No. 1-ranked Tigers are headed to the College Football Playoff as the top seed.

Robbie Caldwell has developed sort of a grim take on his profession.

“I coached all my life for nothing and then when you start making some money, you get a little age on you and they think you can’t cut the mustard no more,” he said.

That might be the case for some programs, but one that believes Caldwell, 61, still has what it takes to coach football is Clemson.

That’s No. 1-ranked Clemson, which is headed to the College Football Playoff as the top seed with a 13-0 record to play No. 4 Oklahoma.

Caldwell landed as the Tigers’ offensive line coach after spending the 2010 season as Vanderbilt’s interim head coach.

He went from being unceremoniously dismissed at Vanderbilt (the administration announced he would not be retained prior to the final game) to spending a few weeks in limbo before being hired over the phone and without an interview by Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

“Vanderbilt didn’t even want me to coach that last game; didn’t want me to shake the seniors’ hands or nothing, and I never could figure that one out,” Caldwell said. “But anyway, I was unemployed there for a little bit and didn’t know what I was going to do.”

Caldwell had served as the Commodores’ offensive line coach under Bobby Johnson the previous eight years.

During that time, he had developed a friendship with former South Carolina coach Brad Scott, who would come to visit his son John, a medical student who was doing his residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Scott was coaching the Clemson offensive line at the time.

“Brad was ready to retire from the field, and he put in a word with Coach Swinney for me,” Caldwell said. “And then there was (Clemson associate athletic director for football administration) Woody McCorvey, who I had crossed paths with quite a few times in our careers, and so he put in a word for me.”

Such strong recommendations made it easy for Caldwell to reach out to Swinney.

“When I called Coach Swinney and asked him for a chance to talk to him about the job, he just said, ‘Hey, don’t worry; you’re here,’” Caldwell said. “It was pretty good.”

Since Caldwell arrived on the staff, Clemson has gone 55-11 and had four Top 25 final rankings with another guaranteed to come this year.

“I’m having so much fun right now I feel like I’m 18,” Caldwell said. “I don’t know I’m old until I look in the mirror. As Coach Swinney always says, ‘The fun is in the winning.’ ”

While his time at Vanderbilt might not have ended the way he would have liked, Caldwell said being on the Commodores staff was beneficial.

“It gave you a great sense of pride about the pure student-athlete,” Caldwell said. “At Vanderbilt, we weren’t intimidated by the academics. That gave me a hunger for the academic side of it. And then when it came to coaching, we had to develop players. You had to take some diamonds in the rough. You find a lineman that’s tall and lean and develop them and grow them, and you saw it pay off.”

Caldwell is still close to Johnson, who is on the College Football Playoff selection committee.

“We talk about once a month,” Caldwell said. “I try not to bother him at this time of the year because he’s so busy with that playoff committee.”

Caldwell admits to being surprised when he looks back on Johnson’s decision to retire just before the 2010 season. That is what led to Caldwell taking over the program on an interim basis.

“I knew he wouldn’t coach much longer, and I was scared to death he might be in bad health and that’s why he did it,” Caldwell said. “I was really glad that wasn’t the case. Coach Johnson always said he was not going to coach until he was so old he couldn’t do anything else. He enjoyed golf and fishing and hunting. None of us really knew when he would do it. He had three years left on his contract and we didn’t think he would probably fill that, but didn’t know it was going to happen quite as fast as it did.”

UT hoops transfer shining at Columbia State

Tennessee transfer Braxton Bondsalready has made a big impact at Columbia State.

The former Christ Presbyterian Academy star played all 40 minutes and had 28 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a 93-86 win over Southwest Community College this past week.

Bonds, the nephew of seven-time National League MVP Barry Bonds, left UT in the summer after sitting out last season because of NCAA rules. He originally enrolled at Liberty.

Familiar coaches still in the mix at Austin Peay

Former McGavock football standout Walt Wells and former Middle Tennessee State coach Andy McCollum are believed to be among the finalists being considered for the Austin Peay coaching position.

Wells and McCollum both played for the Governors.

Austin Peay received about 100 applicants for the position after Kirby Cannon was fired Nov. 23.

Wells was the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Eastern Kentucky where coach Dean Hood was fired at the end of this past season.

McCollum, who was the coach at MTSU (1999-2005), is the linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at Georgia Tech.

Former Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow, Chattanooga passing game coordinator and receivers coach Will Healy and Delta State coach Todd Cooley also are believed to still be in the mix.

Austin Peay athletics director Ryan Ivey plans to name a new coach by Dec. 21.

Heavy interest in Tennessee Tech position

The search for a new football coach at Tennessee Tech is not as far along as Austin Peay’s, but there appears to be just as much interest.

I spoke with Tech athletics director Mark Wilson on Thursday and told him Austin Peay had about 100 applicants.

“I don’t know exactly how many official applications we have right now, but I can tell you in terms of phone calls and emails, if everybody follows through with those, we will have significantly more than that,” Wilson said.

Watson Brown retired Dec. 2 after nine years at Tech.

Wilson said a committee has been appointed to assist in the search.

After the finalists are brought in for interviews, Wilson and president Philip Oldham will decide whom to hire.

Wilson said ideally a new coach would be on board by Christmas, but that is not a firm deadline.

Wilson confirmed that acting head coach Dewayne Alexander, an assistant head coach on Brown’s staff, has expressed interest in the position and is being considered.

Alexander was the coach at Wilson Central and Cumberland University before arriving at Tech in 2013.

MTSU professor is track athlete of the year

William Yelverton, a music professor at MTSU, was named the USA Track and Field Athlete of the Year (50-59 age group).

Yelverton, 55, won the national title in the 400-meter dash (55.29 seconds). And he posted a time of 24.48 seconds in the 200-meter dash. Both times were the third-best in the world.

Yelverton also won four medals at the World Masters Athletics Championship in Lyon, France, in August. That was the most medals by any American in his age group.

Pair of holes-in-one made by same group

Holes-in-one were made by two different players in the same threesome on Wednesday at Country Hills Golf Course.

Ron Pruitt aced the 145-yard, No. 2 hole using a 5-iron, and Ken McDuffie aced the 150-yard, No. 14 hole using a 9-iron.

James Lamberson, the other player in the threesome, witnessed both shots.

Pruitt, McDuffie and Lamberson are members at Country Hills who play nearly every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Stratford football great dies

Stratford football great Doug Harris died Tuesday after battling cancer. He was 67.

As a senior, Harris was captain of the 1965 Spartans football team, the fourth in the school’s history, under coach Herschel Moore.

Harris was a scrappy, hard-nosed defensive guard who, as a junior, helped Stratford beat Franklin-Simpson (Ky.) in the Portland Strawberry Bowl.

He went on to become an avid Vanderbilt fan and also was active in Stratford’s athletic alumni association.

MTSU track great Yarbrough hired at Cumberland

Former Hunters Lane track star Linnie Yarbrough, who became an All-American at MTSU in 2006, was hired Thursday as an assistant on the new track and field program at Cumberland.

Yarbrough holds the Blue Raiders records in the 55-meter hurdles (7.20) and 110-meter hurdles (13.67).

In 2006, he signed to run professionally with Nike and was an Olympic qualifier in the hurdles in 2008.

Yarbrough began his coaching career at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla.

Cumberland will begin competition in track and field in 2016-17.

Scholarships available for baseball players

Tuesday is the deadline for high school senior baseball players to apply for scholarships from the Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association.

The group has provided nearly $350,000 to scholarship recipients over the past 17 years. Applications can be downloaded at otbaseball.com.

For more information, call Bart Leathers at 615-586-0352, Farrell Owens at 615-269-7348 or Rip Ryman at 615-319-8459.

Austin Peay 2016 inductees announced

Rowdy Hardy (baseball, 2003-06), Stephanie Champine (volleyball, 2008-11), Carrie Burggraf (track and field, 2007-10) and Paul Aaron (basketball, 1946-49) will be inducted into the Austin Peay Athletics Hall of Fame during halftime of the Governors basketball game against UT Martin on Feb. 13.

If you have an item for Midstate Chatter, contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.

SPORTS ON NASHVILLE TV

The top five ratings for local sporting events on television for Nov. 30-Dec. 6.

1. NFL: Titans-Jaguars, 22.0 rating

2. College football: SEC Championship (Ala.-Fla), 18.6 rating

3. NFL: Panthers-Saints, 15.2 rating

4. NFL: Packers-Lions, 14.0 rating

5. NFL: Colts-Steelers, 12.3 rating

SEC Network ratings not available. Each rating point is equal to 9,902 Nashville homes.

Source: Mark Binda, WTVF-5 programming & research director

It appears Independence’s Nate Johnson is bound for the Big Ten after all.

Independence senior Nate Johnson committed to play football at Michigan on Saturday.

After originally committing to Purdue in late July before withdrawing his pledge to the Boilermakers just over three months later, Johnson, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound wide receiver and four-star prospect according to 247Sports, announced his intention to play football at the University of Michigan on Saturday.

“After talking it over with my family I’ve decided to make the decision to commit to The University of Michigan!!! #GoBlue,” Johnson tweeted while on an official visit to Ann Arbor, choosing the Wolverines over other Division I schools, including Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

Johnson, a Class 5A Mr. Football semifinalist, finished his senior season with a Midstate-leading 87 receptions for 1,713 yards and 27 touchdowns, helping lead the Eagles to a perfect 15-0 record and a Class 5A title — the first in program history.

“Somebody just texted me literally a minute ago so I don’t know anything about it,” Independence coach Scott Blade said. “He took a trip there and he’s only got five of those to spend, and if he’s going to take a trip up there it was obviously in the top tier … That’s one of the top teams in the country. It’s an honor to even have them come down and look at him.”

As a junior, Johnson made 62 grabs for a team-leading 1,290 yards and 17 touchdowns.

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

The Gallatin High School girls basketball team didn’t look like the same team on Monday as it did last Friday.

As a result, the Lady Wave didn’t get the same result.

Gallatin built a double-digit, first-quarter lead and never trailed in a 65-41 victory over visiting White House.

“We’re ready to win after we lose, especially after the way we played on Friday (in a 46-24 loss at Beech),” Lady Wave senior forward Grayson Pryor said. “That was embarrassing.

“We look at our faults from the last game and use them for the game we are playing now.”

Gallatin High senior forward Keile Hale releases a first-quarter shot. Hale scored six points.

Friday’s 24-point output was a season-low for Gallatin.

“Sometimes, we can kind of be Jekyll and Hyde,” Lady Wave first-year head coach Malcolm Montgomery said. “We looked for each other. We shared the ball better tonight.

“With us, it’s going to be like that all year. We are learning to win. We’re going to have good nights. We’re going to have bad nights, but we have to stay together. We needed a win like tonight.”

The win snapped Gallatin’s five-game losing streak.

The Lady Wave scored 15 of the game’s first 17 points, with Pryor making two perimeter jump shots and junior Sha’Mari Johnson coming off of the bench to sink the first of her two 3-pointers.

Gallatin High junior forward Katie Whitefield releases a first-quarter jump shot. Whitefield scored four points in the Lady Wave’s 65-41 victory over visiting White House on Monday evening.

Lady Devil junior forward Stephanie Palmer scored four consecutive points late in the first quarter, pulling her squad to within nine points. However, that’s as close at White House was able to get.

The margin was 19-8 after one quarter of play and 26-13 at halftime.

“We just came out flat,” Lady Devil head coach Jeff Bennett said.

White House (1-7) pulled back to within 11 points twice in the third quarter, lastly following sophomore guard McKenzie Vaughn’s free throw in the final seconds of the period.

White House High junior guard Bryanna Allen releases a left-handed shot in the lane over Gallatin junior Katie Whitefield (20), junior Grace Pincock and senior Kelie Hale (42). Allen scored four points.

“We played hard,” Bennett said. “They just made shots. We got after them in the second half, but they made shots.”

However, senior guard Rene’ Hudson banked in a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the third quarter, and she made two more 3-pointers over the first 2:16 of the final period, extending the lead to 18 points.

“We played way better as a team than we did on Friday,” Pryor said. “If you haye teamwork, it works so much better. That’s going to make the difference.”

Hudson scored 14 of her game-high 18 points in the second half.

Ten different players scored for Gallatin, which improved to 4-6.

“It’s good,” Pryor said. “Every player has a role. I like playing with everybody on the team. I enjoy playing like that.”

Montgomery added, “Everybody did something good. Our bench was into it. We were talking on the floor. We made a step in the right direction.”

Palmer led the Lady Devils offensively with 10 points.

White House High senior point guard Alyssa Armstrong releases a second-quarter jump shot over the outstretched arm of Gallatin sophomore LaMonica Mintlow. Armstrong scored eight points.

White House hosts Cheatham County for a District 9-AA contest on Friday evening.

The Lady Wave host Springfield on Friday evening at 7 in the BodyGuard Sports Medicine Christmas Classic, and they will face Clarksville Northeast in the final game of the two-day event on Saturday evening at 6:30.

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

WHITE HOUSE (41) – Stephanie Palmer 10, Alyssa Armstrong 8, Hailee Ellis 7, Bryanna Allen 4, Lauren Felts 4, Bailey Hutchison 3, McKenzie Vaughn 3, Allyson Trimmer 2.

GALLATIN (65) – Rene’ Hudson 18, Grayson Pryor 12, Savannah Link 8, Keile Hale 6, Sha’Mari Johnson 6, Grace Pincock 4, Katie Whitefield 4, Anastasia Blakemore 3, Tiera McDermott 2, LaMonica Mintlow 2.

Half: 26-13, Gallatin. Three-point-goals: White House 1 (Ellis 1), Gallatin 8 (Hudson 3, Johnson 2, Pryor 2, Link 1). Records: White House 1-7, Gallatin 4-6.

Certain members of the starting five for the Gallatin High School boys basketball team got the hint on Monday evening.

The Green Wave substituted some of its seldom-utilized players in the first quarter, and though it took a while to achieve the desired the result, Gallatin rallied in the second half for a 66-65 victory over visiting White House.

“The second string came in and played good,” Green Wave junior guard Marlon Mitchell said. “They gave the starters a little motivation to come out and play a little harder.”

Gallatin High sophomore guard Collin Minor dribbles to the basket during second-quarter action as White House freshman Jared Ward pursues. Minor scored 12 points in the Green Wave’s 66-65 victory on Monday evening.

Gallatin head coach Bobby Luna inserted sophomores Zach Allen, Zool Kueth and Masion Terrell into the game after White House built a 13-7 lead.

“I had seen enough,” Luna said. “I was at the end of my rope. I said, ‘we’ll try somebody else,’ and they held their own.

“It was a time to say, ‘enough is enough.’ We’re 1-8 (record wise). I’ve been patient. We’ve been positive. It was a time to not be patient and positive. If we are busting our tail, that’s one thing, but that wasn’t the case. They (White House) got way too many offensive rebounds.”

The two teams played in White House on Nov. 24, with the Blue Devils capturing a 94-83 win.

White House’s freshmen – guards Cole Pond and Jared Ward along with center Cameron Baldwin – played a significant factor in Monday’s rematch. They combined for 11 of the Blue Devils’ 16 first-quarter points.

White House High freshman center Cameron Baldwin elevates for a first-quarter shot. Baldwin scored three points.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from junior Nigel Black and Allen tied the contest at 13, but Pond responded by sinking a 3-pointer to give his squad a 16-13 lead.

Baskets from sophomore Zyun Mason, junior Jordan Mason and Mitchell comprised an 8-0 run in the second period, pulling the Green Wave back to within three points.

However, Ward’s four-point play and Pond’s second 3-pointer quickly extended the margin to 10 points.

Ward was in the starting lineup, and Baldwin and Pond come off of the bench.

“They have to play,” White House head coach Gary Smith said of the freshmen. “This is a long way from the county middle school championship.

“They are two of our top subs (substitutes).”

White House High freshman guard Cole Pond scored 11 points in Monday evening’s 66-65 loss at Gallatin.

Gallatin (2-8) stormed back in the third period, forcing a series of turnovers that led to transition opportunities.

“They turned it up a notch,” Smith said. “We knew they were going to.

“It turned into a physical game, and they were more physical. We threw some passes up for grabs, which was disappointing, and we didn’t finish a couple of times at the rim … but we still had a chance to win at the end.”

Mitchell caught Black’s kick-out pass and made a 3-pointer in the final seconds of third quarter, giving his squad a 48-46 lead.

“It was just the mentality that we wanted to win,” Mitchell said of the comeback. “We coached each other when we came out of half that we needed to step up our defense. That’s what we did.”

Junior forward Malik Morgan attempted to keep his squad’s hopes alive in the final period, scoring eight of his game-high 21 points over the final eight minutes.

However, the Blue Devils (5-5) never led in the fourth quarter.

Black and Mitchell sank four consecutive free throws to create a seven-point margin with 1:15 remaining.

However, Morgan’s layin and a 3-pointer from senior point guard Luke Hopkins pulled White House back to within two points with 30 seconds remaining.

Both Mitchell and sophomore teammate Collin Minor made two free throws to help seal the win.

Mitchell finished with a career-high 17 points, and Zyun Mason and Minor provided 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Gallatin High School sophomore guard Zyun Mason elevates for a first-quarter shot over White House senior Logan Trimmer. Mason scored 14 points in the Green Wave’s 66-65 victory on Monday evening.

Hopkins and Pond joined Morgan in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

“We know we’ve had a lot of close games,” Mitchell said. “We knew we had to fix a couple of mistakes to be over the top instead of being a little behind. We fixed a couple of mistakes so that we could come out ahead.”

The Green Wave host Glencliff on Friday evening at 8:30 in the BodyGuard Sports Medicine Christmas Classic, and Gallatin will host Clarksville Northeast at 5 p.m. on Saturday’s final day of the tournament.

White House hosts district foe Cheatham County on Friday evening.

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

WHITE HOUSE (65) – Malik Morgan 21, Luke Hopkins 12, Cole Pond 11, Jared Ward 7, Logan Trimmer 5, Bradley Cole 4, Cameron Baldwin 3, Gavin Herrell 2.

GALLATIN (66) – Marlon Mitchell 17, Zyun Mason 14, Collin Minor 12, Jordan Mason 9, Nigel Black 7, Zach Allen 3, Mark Brummett 2, Anthony Woods 2.

Half: 38-29, White House. Three-point-goals: White House 8 (Hopkins 2, Morgan 2, Pond 2, Ward 2), Gallatin 3 (Allen 1, Black 1, Mitchell 1). Records: White House 5-5, Gallatin 2-8.

BodyGuard Sports Medicine Christmas Classic

Hosted by Gallatin High School

Friday’s games

4 p.m.   Bledsoe County girls vs. Clarksville Northeast

5:30 p.m.             Hendersonville boys vs. Clarksville Northeast

7 p.m.   Gallatin girls vs. Springfield

8:30 p.m.             Gallatin boys vs. Glencliff

Saturday’s games

2 p.m.   Westmoreland boys vs. Hendersonville

3:30 p.m.             Westmoreland girls vs. Bledsoe County

5 p.m.   Clarksville Northeast boys vs. Gallatin

6:30 p.m.             Clarksville Northeast girls vs. Gallatin

Brian Rector resigned as head football coach at Centennial on Monday.

Less than a month removed from leading Centennial High School to its best-ever postseason finish, Brian Rector has resigned as Cougars head football coach.

Rector, who led Ravenwood to a state title in 2005 before arriving at rival Centennial in 2011, compiled a 41-20 record in five seasons with the Cougars (65-36 overall), culminating with this season’s Class 5A semifinal berth — a first for the 19-year-old program.

“I discussed it with my wife and it’s been on my mind for several weeks, even before the season was over, but I tried to concentrate on having as good a 2015 as we possibly could,” Rector said.

Centennial, led by Class 5A Mr. Football Lineman of the Year Tyrel Dodson, racked up a program-best 12 wins this fall. Both of the Cougars’ losses were against eventual Class 5A champion Independence.

“It’s an honor to be a part of his last team at Centennial,” said Dodson, a senior Texas A&M commitment. “He did amazing things here, and whatever he does next, he’s going to do great things there as well.”

Father Ryan football coach Lussier retires

Rector wouldn’t talk about his future plans, but there are a handful of coaching openings in Middle Tennessee, including at Division II-AA school Father Ryan, where Bruce Lussier resigned last Thursday after 11 seasons.

“I would never comment on something like that, but I do know that I want to continue coaching and whatever happens, happens,” Rector said. “Obviously as Christmas break gets here that’s the perfect time for a coach in high school to kind of reflect, think and discuss things of that nature.

“At this point I really don’t know; nothing is ruled in and nothing is ruled out.”

Centennial star glad to see Texas A&M in Music City Bowl

Centennial athletic director Wade Privett said he hopes to have Rector’s replacement in place by “the beginning of February.”

“At this point it’s really too early for us to put together any kind of a list,” Privett said. “We are going to open up the search as broad as we need to in order to find the best candidate to move forward. … We hate to lose (Rector) under any conditions, but if it had to be under any condition, it’s always best for a coach to go out on his own terms.”

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports. Reach Sam Brown at 615-259-8232 and on Twitter @SamBrownTN.

Hendersonville guard Carleigh Short drives to the basket during the first half of Tuesday’s matchup with White House-Heritage.

White House Heritage guard Chris Rippy scored in the final seconds of overtime on Tuesday, lifting the Patriots to a 54-53 win over Hendersonville.

HENDERSONVILLE — The White House-Heritage boys basketball team received a much-needed boost of confidence of confidence from Tuesday’s game with Hendersonville

For the host Commandos, however, it was more of the same.

“We had our opportunities,” Hendersonville coach Kerry West said after his team’s 54-53 overtime defeat. “We took the lead twice late and somehow found a way to give it back.”

The Commandos (1-6), who’ve now dropped six straight since capturing a season-opening win over Westmoreland, claimed a one-point edge on a pair of Austin Kirby free throws with nine seconds left in overtime.

The lead didn’t last long, though, as Patriots guard Chris Rippy quickly spoiled things at the other end.

“I think we were just ready for a win,” said Rippy, who banked in the game-winning bucket with a little more than a second to play. “I was going to pass it off, but I saw the open lane and just took it up.”

“We didn’t get matched up great in transition off the free throw, and they made a tough shot,” West added. “It’s a tough one.”

Caleb Stephens and Bransom Kramm each tallied 16 points to lead the Patriots (2-6), who snapped a four-game losing streak. Nick Desmaris added 15 for Heritage, while Rippy finished with four.

“We’ve struggled with maturity and mental toughness, and tonight they decided they weren’t going to quit and weren’t going to let it bother them,” White House-Heritage coach Mike Petrone said. “It could have, but we hung in there and did what we had to do.”

Kirby finished with a game-high 22 points for Hendersonville, while teammate Preston Brown added 17.

“It was great to get it done,” said Rippy, one of several White House-Heritage football players to recently rejoin the team. “We’ve been on a losing streak these past few games, and I think this win will help us out the rest of the season.”

Hendersonville forward Peyton Sheehan drives during the first half of Tuesday’s matchup with White House-Heritage.

Hendersonville girls 59, WH-Heritage 25: The Lady Commandos ended their three-game losing streak.

Peyton Sheehan started the game 4-for-4 from the field for Hendersonville (4-3), which included a pair of first-quarter 3-pointers, to spot her team an early advantage.

That lead swelled to 29-12 after two quarters, and the visiting Lady Patriots (5-4) never recovered.

Carleigh Short finished with a game-high 13 points for Hendersonville and Brooke Long added 12 points.

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

The yearly Thanksgiving festivities at my house begin with a long lunch inspired by a visit to Chateau Thivin in the Beaujolais. Our family is far flung. When we manage to get everybody under one roof, we like to spend as much time eating, drinking and celebrating as possible.

A lunch at Chateau Thivin is an extraordinary event set in the subterranean hearth room of their historic 16th-century chateau.  There, Evelyne Geoffray, a chef of some renown, lays out an enormous array of expertly prepared foods. Plates of cheese, the most amazing fresh vegetable salads you could imagine, perfectly light, savory quiche and slices of marvelous jambon cru fill a U-shaped table that takes up most of the room. The sights, smells and flavors of the meal are at once comforting and exciting. The first time I sat at that table, I knew this was something I wanted to do for my family.

Bottles of wine recommended by Jason Zuliani for Thanksgiving meals.

As the afternoon unfolds, Evelyne’s husband Claude uncorks bottle after bottle of Thivin Brouilly. It is difficult to come up for air when partaking in a bacchanal of this sort. I did once. For that brief moment, I marveled at the wonderful versatility of these wines. They seemed a perfect, effortless match for such a wide array of foods. Even more intriguing, each of the wines Claude passed around the table maintained its presence despite all of that gustatory pressure. The wines of Chateau Thivin, easily the most beautiful of all of the bottlings from Brouilly that I have enjoyed, are wines of their terroir. That terroir is not so easily masked in the Brouilly “Reverdon” or Thivin’s Côte de Brouilly.

The “Reverdon,” from the mostly granitic soils of the Reverdon section of Mont Brouilly, is a wine of surprising freshness and finesse; with black fruit aromas against a wonderfully saline backdrop. It is a wonderful accompaniment to those salads and the ham. The Côte de Brouilly is a whirl of fresh bright red fruit and mineral aromatics that seems to peel off in waves of complexity that make it a slightly more meditative wine. A slice of quiche, a glass of Côte de Brouilly… heaven.

A recent email from a colleague served as a reminder of the meal’s finale: Evelyne’s butter tart. This simple delicacy is a phenomenon that exceeds my descriptive abilities. In my memory, it was a wonderful companion to my last glass of Brouilly; but after such a meal who could be sure?

Well, Evelyne’s son generously shared the recipe with my friend. He had this to say about it: “Moreover, we confirmed that it does indeed do something to a glass of cold Beaujolais that is beyond imagination.” I have included the recipe below. With the holidays approaching, I plan to drink quite a bit of Beaujolais  — much of it from my personal stocks of Chateau Thivin’s wines. I also plan to finish up our lunch with a slice of Evelyne’s tart and a cold, refreshing  glass of Brouilly.

That long Thanksgiving lunch is a prelude to our Thanksgiving dinner. After a nap and a brisk afternoon walk, we get down to the business of the bird and all of its traditional accompaniments. It’s not wise to mess with a good thing, so we stick with Beaujolais. We just up the ante a bit in terms of the depth and power of the wines at the table.

We generally have a full complement of cru wines from the likes of Foillard, Lapierre and Thevenet; each delicious in its own right (we have yet to find an unfinished bottle among the evening’s casualties).  The wine I most look forward to opening is  the Morgon “Vieilles Vignes” made by Guy Breton. A sleek, plush wine, it offers up an expansive range of aromatic complexity that begins with ripe red fruit but always includes wonderful elements of earth, baking spices and fresh herbs. This wine’s aromatic intensity and remarkable freshness can be traced directly back to Breton’s 80-year-old gamay vines. Planted to granitic soils, these old vines produce exceptional fruit which gives Breton’s Morgon the kind of lift that would make many winemakers from the Cote d’Or blush with envy.

It goes without saying that the Morgon “Vieilles Vignes” pairs with turkey, stuffing and all the traditional foods that fill our table. Every family makes its own traditions. One of ours is the addition of a cauliflower and caramelized onion tart to the Thanksgiving table. A few moist slices of turkey, some gravy and a slice of that tart, all washed down with Breton’s Morgon — easily the highlight of the meal for me.

The cauliflower tart recipe is an easy one. It was published in an old issue of Bon Appetit. Google it, or make your own traditions. I’m sure whatever you come up with will pair nicely with Beaujolais.

2014 Brouilly “Reverdon,” Château Thivin  — $24.99

2014 Côte de Brouilly, Château Thivin — $24.99

2014 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes,” Guy Breton — $33.99

Butter tart from Evelyne Geoffray

Dough

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

2 eggs

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup milk

⅓ cup soft butter

1 pinch of salt

Crème topping

⅓ cup crème fraiche

½  cup granulated sugar

Thinly sliced butter to top

Put the flour and the yeast in a large bowl, make a pit and pour in the 2 eggs, the milk and the sugar. Mix all together, add the butter and the salt and knead well.

Cover and let rise for 30 to 40 min.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Form two round flat tarts with the dough and put them on a baking tray. Let rise for 15 minutes. Mix the crème fraiche and sugar together and pour on both tarts. Top with butter slices and bake the tarts for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy with some fine Beaujolais wine, preferably chilled.