HENDERSONVILLE The Beech High girls basketball team might not have done anything well, but it did things well enough for its second consecutive victory on Tuesday evening.

Beech High junior guard McCall Decker dribbles up the court as Springfield senior Adaria Shannon pursues during first-quarter action. Decker finished with three points.

The Lady Buccaneers didn’t trail after the 3:43 mark of the second quarter and weathered a late rally from visiting Springfield for a 36-27 victory.

Beech (4-5) shut the Lady Jackets (1-8) out in the third quarter, pulling out to a 28-14 lead entering the final period, but the Lady Buccaneers were outscored 13-8 in the final frame.

Free throws played a big role in the outcome as Springfield hit just 5 of 16 foul shots in the contest. Beech shooters connected on 11 of 21 attempts from the foul line.

“If (Springfield) had made their free throws, it would have been a different game,” Beech interim head coach Troy Carnes said. “It was enough for us to get it done.”

Senior guard Deja Smith led all scorers with 16 points, including a 6-of-8 performance at the free-throw line.

“We feel fortunate that (Springfield wasn’t) hitting most of their free throws, and they weren’t hitting most of their shots,” Smith said. “That’s what really helped us.”

Beech scored six unanswered points after Springfield had trimmed the Lady Buccaneer lead to five points (30-25).

“I thought, especially late, that we had some key buckets off of offensive rebounds,” Carnes said. “We have been having trouble scoring.”

Beech High sophomore Savannah Jarratt shields the ball from Springfield sophomore Sha’tyah Bowens during second-quarter action. Jarratt scored six points.

Second-chance opportunities hurt the Lady Jackets.

“Rebounding was a very important thing that we didn’t really do (enough),” Smith said. “We need to keep encouraging each other on the court. Maybe that’ll spark us up a bit.”

Beech led 8-7 after an opening quarter that saw just one field goal from either team over the first five minutes of the contest.

“I didn’t think our intensity was anywhere near where it needed to be to beat anybody,” Carnes said. “We never really got that going. We did some things late that I’m really proud of, that enabled us to win the game, but I think we came out flat and underestimated our opponent.”

Beech scored six of the last eight points of the second quarter to take a 16-14 lead at halftime. The Lady Bucs carried that momentum all the way through the third quarter.

However, Springfield’s defense applied pressure in the fourth quarter, helping cut the lead. When junior McCall Decker fouled out with 4:24 remaining, it took a key ball-handling option out of the Lady Buccaneer lineup.

“It hurt us that McCall Decker had foul trouble early,” Carnes said. “We need her ball-handling and her scoring. We need everything that she does, and it hurt not being able to put her in there.”

Beech High senior Deja Smith dribbles into the frontcourt during first-quarter action. Smith scored a game-high 16 points.

Smith and freshman Kendra Mueller made free throws over the final 90 seconds to help Beech put the game away.

Imani Collier led Springfield with eight points.

Beech is slated to participate in the Gatlinburg-Pittman Holiday Tournament beginning on Monday.

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

SPRINGFIELD (27) – Imani Collier 8, Sha’tyah Bowens 6, Marina Sherrod 5, Adaria Shannon 4, Ja’liyah Dotson 3, Sarah Duncan 1.

BEECH (36) – Deja Smith 16, Savannah Jarratt 6, Kendra Mueller 5, Destiny Tinker 4, McCall Decker 3, Gracie Hines 2.

Half: 16-14, Beech. Three-point goals: Springfield 2 (Dotson 1, Sherrod 1), Beech 1 (Decker 1). Records, Springfield 1-8, Beech 4-5.

Here’s a look at the all-region football teams and superlatives throughout the Midstate

Retro football

(NOTE: If your region has released its all-district teams and awards, and is not listed, please email them to mfmurphy@tennessean.com)

Nashville Christian senior Daniel Bituli

REGION 5-1A

MVP: Daniel Bituli, Sr., Nashville Christian

Offensive MVP: Mikey Chennault, Jr., Jo Byrns

Defensive MVP: Brant Lawless, Soph., Nashville Christian

Special Teams MVP: Tanner Lannom, Jr., Trousdale County

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Spencer Norrod, Jr., Monterey

Defensive Lineman of the Year: Jackson Jones, Sr., Jo Byrns

Skill Player of the Year: Mareio McGraw, Sr., Nashville Christian

Back of the Year: Parker Baxley, Sr., Jo Byrns

Coach of the Year: Scott Hughes, Monterey

Nashville Christian: Nathan Hargrove, Austin Shelton, Gunnar Pfeffer, Robert Brantley, Kyle Tidwell, Jaylon Jackson, Blake Barfield, Slater Howard, Jack Elliot.

Jo Byrns: Connor Cathey, Scottie Kendzierski, John Dowlen, Sammy Earheart, Luke Sower, Cole Head, Houston Cooksey, Jeffrey Emmons.

Trousdale County: Ricky Harrison, Colton Gammons, Isiah Harper, Chase Dallas, Matt Thomas, Q’Lon Maynard, Jake Gregory, Keyvont Baines.

Monterey: Braxton Tayes, Bradley Tayes, Corey Heiderich, Noah Mason, Caleb Phillips, Jesse Raines, Chase Smith, Dalton Beard.

MTCS: Joseph Peck, Nick Merritt, Trey Hickey, Tanner Green, Grant Pickard, Brayden Melton, Matt Swift, Sam Mathis.

Gordonsville: Koby Watts, Tyler Peyatt, Chris Edwards, Justin Vaden, Jay Vaden, Sheldon Harris, Jacob Lancaster.

Red Boiling Springs: Mason Hewitt, Ben Bravo, Billy York, Justin Bergdorff, Jordan Powell, Logan Hewitt.

Clay County: Wyatt Mabry, Seth Mackey, Dalon Smith, Noah Caldwell.

Pickett County: Dakota Tompkins, Noah King, Jared Conner, Evan Caudle

Watertown senior Luke Turner

REGION 4-2A

Most Valuable Player: Luke Turner (Watertown)

Co-Offensive Players of the Year: Darian Pride (Community), Seth Price (Watertown)

Defensive Player of the Year: Slayton Wild (Forrest)

Most Valuable Lineman: Boone Sweeney (Forrest)

Special Teams Player of the Year: Trent Sutton (Cascade)

Staff of the Year: Matt Kriesky, Lance Horton, Brent Johns, Kyle Stacey, Eli Stephenson

Cascade: Kris Kelso, Carter McAnnally, Brady Parker, Lance Stacey

Community: Jesse Farrar, Chris Joslyn, Jacob Kupczyk, Mike McClain, Braden Simmons

Eagleville: A.J. Garza, Tyler Griffin, Graham Hatcher, Chavalier Sutton, James Witt

East Robertson: James Coleman, Adrian Jarrett, Johnny Lyons, Nick Wooten

Forrest: Dave Andrews, Billy Clanton, Neyland Darnell, Jake Elkins, Jesse Pruitt, Tristan Sawyer, Payton Sisk

Jackson County: Zach Davidson, Jeremy Hodges, Colby Long, Caleb Wall

Watertown: Vonte Bates, Zack Grisham, Skylor Scales, Rusty Staats, Brady Swann, James Vaden

Westmoreland: Hunter Crowson, Jacob Harper, Lucas James, Bayle Kirk, Dylan Todd, Isreal Ward

CPA senior Zack Weatherly

REGION 5-3A

Most Valuable Player: Zack Weatherly, CPA

Defensive MVP: Jacob Phillips, East Nashville

Offensive MVP: Corey Simmons, Stratford

Most Versatile: Chip Omer, CPA

Coach of the Year: Maurice Fitzgerald, Stratford

Asst. Coach of the Year: Scott Ballard, White House Heritage

QB: Josh Trueheart, Stratford

RB: Kyle Fuhrer (White House Heritage)

TE: Danny Blake, Stratford

OL: Donre’ Ezell (East Nashville), Hunter Presley (Greenbrier), Caleb Stephens (White House Heritage)

DL: Will Scannell (White House Heritage), Khalil Jones (Stratford), Brad Smith (CPA), Malik Huddleston (Whites Creek)

LB: John Orr (CPA), Ryan Smith (White House Heritage), Dejuan Moody (East Nashville)

DB: DaVarius Cortner (East Nashville), Chris Rippy (White House Heritage), Cameron Grogran (Greenbrier), Winston Hooten (Stratford)

K: Tren Burian (White House Heritage)

P: Price Perdue (CPA)

RET: Wallace Barrett (CPA)

CPA: Coulson Lee, Jacob Webster, Andrew Howard, Spencer Hagan

White House Heritage: Thadd Baker, Anthony Tomarchio, Bryce Barlow, Owen Barry

Stratford: James McKibben, Greg Smith, Tre’Vaughn Hatcher

East Nashville: Deandre Gavins, John Brooks, Jayron Leatherwood

Greenbrier: Jacob Waffird, Bailey Edwards, Briley Hankins

Whites Creek: Justin Howard, Brandon Murdic

Goodpasture: Cameron Tokins, Tucker Barnes

All-Academic Team: John Orr (CPA), Ryan Smith (White House Heritage), DeVarius Cortner (East Nashville), Cameron Grogan (Greenbrier), Chris Anna (Whites Creek), James Gibbs (Goodpasture)

Fairview’s Ben Buttrey (20).

REGION 6-3A

Player of the Year: Deshawn Brown, Camden

Offensive MVP: Jacob Stone, East Hickman

Defensive MVP: Ben Buttrey, Fairview

Athlete of the Year: Bailey Baker, Sycamore

Coach of the Year: William Blow, Sycamore

Asst. Coach of the Year: Michael Jackson, Fairview; Joey Jackson, Stewart County

QB: Hunter Zimmerman, Fairview

RB: Jake Beathard, Fairview

WR: Austin Kinney, Stewart County

TE: Nick Batts, Cheatham County

OL: Ashton Krantz, Sycamore

DL: Marco Morrow, Cheatham County

LB: James Meeks, Harpeth

DB: TC Newton, Harpeth

K: Jeff Perez, Fairview

P: Darius James, Sycamore

KR/PR: Drake Fulton, Harpeth

Special Teams MVP: Darius James, Sycamore

Managers: Matt Witt (Sycamore), Cassandra Fink (Harpeth, Kiely Jenkins (Harpeth)

Fairview: Josh Ortiz-Derrick, Hunter Cladwell, Daniel Conrad, McKenzie Viau, Sam Sanborn

Sycamore: Zach Divinney, Zach Sullivan, Kyle Spurlock, Chase Hamilton

Cheatham County: Reagan Barber, LaMarco Petty Johnson, Johnny Henry, Matt Horton

Harpeth: Tim Kosinski (Harpeth), Bradley Baker (Harpeth), Connor Adams (Harpeth)

East Hickman: Mike Irwin, Jake Smith, Sam Hudson

Stewart County: Taeton Wink, Jacob Macdonald

All-Academic team: Andrew Warren (Fairview), McKeznie Viau (Fairview), Jacob Baker (Fairview), Blake Lankford (Fairview), Max Cole (Fairview), Brett Beamer (Cheatham County), Carl Strader (Sycamore), Tim Kosinski (Harpeth), DJ Capps (Harpeth), Walker Weatherly (Harpeth), Connor Barber (Harpeth), Jacob Stone (East Hickman), Jay Colon (East Hickman), Lenny Watts (East Hickman), Tony Capps (East Hickman), Brandon Ford (Stewart County)

Livingston Academy’s Dylan Linder

REGION 3-4A

Coach of the Year: Mark Wattenbarger, Stone Memorial

Offensive Coordinator of the Year: Jonathan Eaves, East Hamilton

Defensive Coordinator of the Year: Clarence Holloway, Stone Memorial

Most Valuable Player: Dylan Linder, Livingston Academy

Offensive MVP: Cody Wyllins, Stone Memoerial

Defensive MVP: Frankie Campo, East Hamilton

QB: Nic Woods, East Hamilton

RB: Justin Johnson, Stone Memorial

WR: Peter Hollars, Livingston Academy

TE: Garrison Padgett, Livingston Academy

OL: Brody Gregory, Hixson

DL: Eli Beard, Sequoyah

LB: Michael Bush, East Hamilton; Kolby Cox, Cumberland County; Jonathan Robinson, Livingston Academy

DB: Chandler VanNatter, Stone Memorial

P: Austin Slifko, Hixson

K: Aaron White, Sequoyah

KR/PR: Jeffrey Coleman, East Hamilton

Chattanooga Central: James Walker, Taven Spann

Hixson: Miles Ratliff, Elijah White, Brett Garden, Justin Nicholson

Cumberland County: Mikey Miller, Daniel Richards, David Kutchley, Jeremiah Baird, Nathan Blaylock

East Hamilton: Kevin Cason, Will Scarborough, David Whiteside, Evan HorbinskiHunter Greg, Colby Woods

Sequoyah: Jordan Bell, Grant Watson, Lucas McCall

Stone Memorial: Austin Helton, Nathan Stine, Shade Foster, Jamie Nichols, Keith Sadula, Ethan Pierce, Bend Kindred, Ronnie Wyllins, Ben Tollett, Rylin Morgan

Page running back Michael Roberts (left)

Player of the Year: Michael Roberts, Page

Coach of the Year: Thomas Osteen, Marshall County

Offensive Player of the Year: Ashton Posey, Marshall County

Defensive Player of the Year: Payton Hood, Marshall County

Lineman of the Year: Steve Clemons, Marshall County

Athlete of the Year: Jordan Tucker, Giles County

QB: Michael Magochy (Page)

RB: Dontae Smith (Spring Hill), R’Kell Reed (Giles County), Kameron Liggett (Marshall County)

WR: Connor Morss (Page), Jay Howard (Marshall County), Tre Crutcher (Marshall County), Tanner Holley (Giles County)

TE: Dre Smith (Spring Hill), Rafe Erisman (Page)

OL: Chris Dahl (Page), Eric Carlton, Terrell Nunn (Spring Hill), J.C. Bryant (Lawrence County), Jared Roberts (Giles County), Jonathan Johnson (Marshall County)

DL: Noah Farmer (Page), Daniel Callicoate (Page), Tata Lyttle (Marshall County), Jared Turpen (Lawrence County), Caleb Tarrance (Spring Hill)

LB: Kennedy Ross (Spring Hill), Nick Cramer (Page), Boone Gibson (Giles County), Adrian Berry (Lawrence County)

DB: Daniel Johnson (Spring Hill), JQ Haislep (Marshall County), Curtis Keiler (Marshall County), Trevor Johnson (Lawrence County), Hunter Smith (Lawrence County), Jay Coop (Tullahoma)

K: Caleb Estes (Marshall County), Brent Cemaglia (Page)

P: Colby Deuchlem (Lawrence County)

RET: Dillon Myers (Page)

Spring Hill: Noah Williams, Zack Frye, Darrin Johnson, Justin Oden, T.J. Ennis

Giles County: Will Turner, Caleb Clem, Wesley Hamlett, Josey Green, Griffin Birdsong

Page: Andrew Metkler, Noah Greene, Cruze Kerrigan, William Rathbone, Will Pierce

Lawrence County: Jason McAnally, Cole Tucker, Zach Coleman, Corey Robbins

Marshall County: Peyton Brown, Josh Franklin, Steven Dangerfield, Blair Conger, Hayes Crosslin, Prentice Davis, Tanner Clark

Pearl-Cohn senior quarterback Jimmy Ferrell

REGION 5-4A

Most Valuable Player: Jimmy Ferrell, Sr., Pearl-Cohn

Coach of the Year: Tony Brunetti

Offensive MVP: Rontavius Groves, Sr., Pearl-Cohn

Defensive MVP: Antwon Malone, Jr., Pearl-Cohn

Most Versatile: Logan Trimmer, White House

QB: Seth Carlisle, Macon County

RB: Isiah Bigbee, Springfield; Ke’Juan Vaughn, Pearl-Cohn

WR: Talirico Cogshell, Springfield; Darius Hunter, Pearl-Cohn

TE: Kyler Beerman, Springfield

OL: Jaelin Fisher, Pearl-Cohn

DL: Markeith Lawson, Springfield

LB: Gage Smith, Maplewood

DB: Deshawn Johnson, Maplewood

LS: Tanner Clearly, Macon County

P: Bryan Hayes, Springfield

K: Dakota Carlisle, Springfield

KR/PR: Jimmyrious Parker, Pearl-Cohn

Pearl-Cohn: Jonathan Howse, Charles West, Niles Harris, Ja’Isaiah Osborne, Jermaine Simmons, Tony Graves, Greg Hancock, Michael McCutcheon

Springfield: Chris Cato-Ellis, Daniel Lawson, Thomas Lewis, Dewayne Buckner, Dayron Johnson, Jerry Dismukes, Diante Barbee

Maplewood: Anthony McLin, Corey Adams, Yusuf Ali, Damon Dartis, Jerron Waters, Roshawn Pointer

Portland: Ethan Brummett, Chalres Ring, Dylan Parker, Hunter Felts, Patrick Campbell, Emmanuel Johnson

White House: Luke Hopkins, James Whitby, Denis Schaffer, Steven Rakin, Austin Hoffman

Macon County: Matt Austin, Evan Perrigo, AJ Simpson, Tyler Swindle

Kenwood running back Antwuan Branch

REGION 6-4A

MVP: Antwuan Branch, Kenwood

Defensive MVP: Rutger Reitmaier, Lipscomb

Offensive MVP: Payton Delvendahl, Montgomery Central

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Sam Jackson, Lipscomb

Defensive Linemen of the Year: Hunter Harris, Montgomery Central; Desmond Ruffin, Northwest

Returner of the Year: Jahnal Browne, Northwest

Punter of the Year: Eli McCorkle, Hillwood

Kicker of the Year: Mitchell Hosea, Montgomery Central

Linebacker of the Year: J.J. Walker, Kenwood

Wide Receiver of the Year: Jonathan McCloud, Creek Wood

Quarterback of the Year: John Matt Merritt, Lipscomb

Coach of the Year: Brian Beaubien, Kenwood

Creek Wood: Peyton Gibbs. Derek Sutton

Hillwood: Jamal Kirklen, Terron Smith, Jordan King, Deshawn Kinzer, Malik Bowers

Kenwood: Willie Sanders, Justin Monk, Shanon Tarbox, Keith Reynolds, Curtis Clark, Coreon Jackson, Qua-mir Reeves.

Lipscomb: William Phillips, David Floyd, JT Paul, Griffin Smiley, Clayton Pickens, Chad Newby

Montgomery Central: Chris Newman, Austin Lane, Tyler Hill, Alec Cowan

Northwest: Zach Dixon, Jaylen Jackson, Goldberg Johnsrud

Honorable Mention: Breden Dickens (Creek Wood), Quinton Poole (Creek Wood), Chris Warfield (Hillwood), Nelson Arent (Hillwood), Trent Johnson (Kenwood), James Williams (Kenwood), Turner Forcht (Lipscomb), David King (Lipscomb), Nate Bumpus (Montgomery Central), Brady Maynard (Montgomery Central), Micah Bennett (Northwest), Dylan Carney (Northwest)

Independence senior Nate Johnson

REGION 5-5A

MVP: Nate Johnson, Independence

Offensive Players of the Year: Andrew Bunch, Independence; Mason Cunningham, Shelbyville

Defensive Player of the Year: Xavier Schlueter, Lincoln County

Special Teams Player of the Year: Cynterius Lyons, Stewart County

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Pete Dorsten, Independence

Defensive Lineman of the Year: Chris Beavers, Independence

Kicker of the Year: Grayson Pantall, Independence

Coach of the Year: Scott Blade, Independence

Independence: David Demke, Hunter Dupree, Cole Hunter, Seth Huner, Jordan Pope, Kylan Stribling, Jacob Stoney, Adam Swayze, Daniel Wright

Shelbyville: Treaven Bailey, O.J. Davis, Michael Eddings, Corvin Giles, Tre Kelso, Darius Young

La Vergne: Elijah Barbour, Gulecy Buni, Maleik Gray, Drew Howard, Aaron Jones

Stewarts Creek: Tre Bailiez, Marcus Clemons, Malik Reynolds, Clay Griggs

Summit: Tai Carter, Tyler Palmer, Christian Snyder

Columbia: Orrin Delk, Jaylen Joyce

Franklin County: Andrew Harrison, Jai Kinslow

Centennial senior Tyrel Dodson

REGION 7-5A

Offensive Player of the Year: Lukas Reynolds, Henry County

Defensive Player of the Year: Gunner Osbron, Henry County

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Eli Katina, Centennial

Defensive Lineman of the Year: Ahmad Arnold, Brentwood

Specialist of the Year: Quinton Cross, Northeast

Punter of the Year: Tucker Day, Brentwood

Kicker of the Year: Haidar Zaidan, Henry County

Centennial: Nathan Wilkinson, Chandler Stump, Warren Jones, Peyton Pisacane, Devious Christmon, Re’Sean McLemore, Greg Drewery, Mondu Sawyers

Henry County: Brevin Odom, Luke Reed, Justin Burton, Tanner Beasley, Jaylen Kendall, Matthew Counce, Cody Bates

Brentwood: Carson Croy, John Robertson, Seth Coggin, Spencer Schwartz, Garrett McChristian, Jackson Hill

Northeast: Sebastian Bacino, Devonte Anderson, Gus Antoine, Benji Burchwell, Kaci Davis

Rossview: Blake Estep, Jordan Justice, Muncie Prater, Isaiah Phillips

Dickson County: Collier Wolcott, Jacob Murphree, Dylan Dunnagan, Jack Sensing

West Creek: Cyrus Whitted, James Kehoe

Clarksville: Rakavia Poydras, Brevon Johnson

Ravenwood’s Chris Rowland

REGION 3-6A

Coach of the Year: Will Hester, Ravenwood

Player of the Year: Chris Rowland, Sr., Ravenwood

Offensive MVP: Demontez Carlton, Sr., McGavock

Defensive MVP: John Thompson, Sr., Ravenwood

Special Teams MVP: Crews Holt, Sr., Ravenwood

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Tamim Aldarawcheh, Sr., Overton

Defensive Linemen of the Year: Jordan Moore, Sr., Ravenwood; Nick Haddock, Sr., McGavock

Wilson Central: Tyler Bowes, Jordan Hooper, Ray Coggins.

Mt. Juliet: Justyce White, Kalani Smith, Dominick Jamison, Aidan Raines.

Antioch: Blake Wiggins, Kelvin Bofah, Jordan Hardy.

McGavock: Kendall Johnson, Evan Gowdy, Terron Henderson, Jalen Byars, Isaiah Montgomery.

Overton: Kimlee North, Taverius Travis, Elijah Pankey.

Lebanon: Jarren Stewart, Justin Brown, Mo Al-Geda.

Ravenwood: Connor Jeffries, Andrew Lutgens, Sean Spence, Brad Bloedorn, Nate Stoner, Grayson Linde, Andrew Rappe.

Franklin: Lannom Craddock, Caden Williams, Mitch Rossi, Kyle Evans, TeShawn Jenkins, Conner Palk.

Davidson Academy quarterback Kyle Gilbert (10)

DII-A EAST/MIDDLE DISTRICT 2

MVP: Kyle Gilbert, Sr., Davidson Academy

Offensive MVPs: Clay Beathard, Sr., BGA; Spence Jones, Sr., FRA

Special Teams MVP: Ryan Clark, Sr., FRA

Coaches of the Year: Bill Whittemore, FRA; Jonathan Quinn, Davidson Academy

FRA: Larry Wilhoite, Sam Harvin, Thomas Fortune, Ben Jackson, Sam Wheeler, Will Tansil, Woody Weicker, Watson Tansil

Davidson Academy: Zach Swinea, Xavy Corcino, Hayden Hollingsworth, Jackson Broadwell, Caleb Russell, Ian Kane

BGA: Terrell Webster, Marcus Cawthorne, Joseph Pasley, Glenn Young

Ezell-Harding: Malik Ruffin, Hunter Spence

Honorable mention: Adrian Roper (FRA), Christian Drake (FRA), Eli Breece (Davidson Academy), Dakota Malatche (Davidson Academy), Jaylen Frierson (BGA), Campbell Parker (BGA), Jaron Puckett (Ezell-Harding), Bailey Phillips (Ezell-Harding)

Academic All-District: Woody Weicker (FRA), Sam Wheeler (FRA), Dakota Makatche (Davidson Academy), Logan Dorris (Davidson Academy), Tyler Starling (Davidson Academy), Harrison Fuller (BGA), Jarrett Bristol (BGA), Paul Bousquet (BGA), Kenton Gentry (Ezell-Harding), Ethan Shutes (Ezell-Harding)

Montgomery Bell Academy’s Ty Chandler

DII-AA EAST/MIDDLE

Player of the Year: Ryan Parker, Sr., Baylor

Offensive MVP: Ty Chandler, Jr., MBA

Defensive MVP: Brandon Adams, Sr., Brentwood Academy

Special Teams MVP: Victor Ulmo, Sr., Baylor

Academic MVPs: Henry Moore (Baylor), Brock Schoenwald (Brentwood Academy), Brett Barnett (Ensworth), David Doran (Father Ryan), Grant Green (MBA), Patrick Davis (McCallie), Chris Byrne (Pope John Paul II).

QB: Wil Austin (Baylor), Jeremiah Oatsvall (Brentwood Academy), Zach Pfeifer (Father Ryan), Robert Riddle (McCallie), Ben Brooks (Pope John Paul II)

RB: Darius Morehead (Ensworth), Nicky Clifton (Ensworth), Shawn McColley (McCallie)

WR: Camron Johnson (Brentwood Academy), Bryce Vickers (Father Ryan), Chapman Malone (MBA), Rico Dozier (McCallie)

TE: Parker Bryan (MBA)

OL: Cooper Reiniche (Baylor), Isaiah Strawter (Baylor), Bryce Matthews (Brentwood Academy), Ryan Johnson (Brentwood Academy), Brian Garvey (Brentwood Academy), Blake Mitchell (Ensworth), Jackson Boyle (Father Ryan), Joseph Scowden (MBA), John Kelly (MBA), Nick Nixon (Pope John Paul II)

DL: Jeremy Darvin (Father Ryan), D’On Coofer (MBA), Corey McDonald (McCallie), Jay Roberts (McCallie)

LB: Gage Upshaw (Baylor), Patrick Rowan (Ensworth), David Gaw (MBA), Karlton Bruton (MBA), Sam Sullivan (MBA)

DB: Ulysses Strawter (Baylor), Kalvin Watson (Baylor), George Pettway (Baylor), Evan Beddoe (Brentwood Academy), Chris Hopkins (Brentwood Academy), Coutrell Plair (Brentwood Academy), Rodney Owens (Ensworth), Javaughn Craig (McCallie), Jalon Cambridge (Pope John Paul II)

K: Isaac Way (Brentwood Academy)

(NOTE: If your region has released its all-district teams and awards, and is not listed, please email mfmurphy@tennessean.com)

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

Oakland senior Ty Nix made his college commitment on Wednesday, pledging to play football at Middle Tennessee State, where his father, Tyrone Nix, serves as defensive coordinator.

Oakland senior defensive lineman Ty Nix committed to MTSU on Wednesday.

“We talked about it a lot before my senior season,” Nix said. “All (Tyrone Nix) told me was that he wanted me to go where I wanted to be. MT is where I want to be.”

The 6-foot, 270-pound Nix, a three-year starter, registered 70 tackles, five sacks and an interception this season, garnering Region 2-6A Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Nix, who recorded 87 tackles and 9.5 sacks as a junior, chose the Blue Raiders over offers from Appalachian State, Furman and Southern Illinois, among others.

All-region football teams and awards

Brentwood Academy coach Rhonda Brown.

Lady Eagles head to Phoenix: Brentwood Academy is in the 19th annual Nike Tournament of Champions — a prestigious national high school girls basketball tournament in Phoenix.

The reigning Division II-AA champion Lady Eagles — one of 96 teams from 21 states competing — will be playing some of the top teams in the country during the four-day event held at four different Phoenix-area sites.

Headlining the field is consensus national preseason No. 1 St. Mary’s of Stockton, Calif.

Tournament play begins Friday and wraps up Tuesday.

Former Greenbrier softball coach Julie Head (left)

Greenbrier coach resigns: Longtime Greenbrier softball coach Julie Head recently announced her retirement after spending 23 of the last 25 years leading the traditional power Lady Cats.

Head, who has taught at Greenbrier for 31 years, had 576 career wins, nine district titles, seven region championships, nine sectional appearances, a Class AA championship in 2003 and a runner-up finish in 2014.

“We’ve been working with the girls, doing weight training and conditioning, but doing that just showed me I was juggling too many things,” Head said. “After talking with my family and the faculty, I decided that it was time for me to step down.”

It didn’t take long for the Lady Cats to fill the position, though, as assistant coach Janna Harris was promptly promoted to head coach.

“It’s hard for me to even think about Greenbrier softball and not having Coach Head out there,” Harris said. “For me, this is a dream come true because I know how big of a job this is.”

Independence senior QB Andrew Bunch (left) and Ravenwood senior athlete Chris Rowland.

More offers: They’ve had to wait a little longer than expected, but more scholarship offers started trickling in for a pair of standout Williamson County football players.

Ravenwood’s Chris Rowland, the Region 3-6A Most Valuable Player, entered this month’s Class 6A title game with just two Division II scholarship offers. Since then the versatile 5-foot-8, 170-pound running back, wide receiver and return specialist has picked up offers from Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech.

Independence’s Andrew Bunch, who threw for a Midstate-leading 3,405 yards and 41 touchdowns, has received offers from Tennessee Tech and Murray State since piling up 313 yards passing and six total touchdowns in the Eagles’ 49-14 Class 5A BlueBross Bowl win over Sevier County on Dec. 4.

Bunch, the Region 5-5A Co-Offensive MVP and a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, has also received  offers from Austin Peay, Charleston Southern, Eastern Michigan and Jacksonville State.

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

Less than a two weeks removed from leading Ravenwood to a Class 6A football championship, coach Will Hester is moving on.

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

On Thursday, Hester was named the football coach and athletic director at Nolensville High School, which will open next fall.

“It’s the opportunity to be the athletic director and to start a program from scratch,” said Hester, who compiled a 38-4 record in three seasons at Ravenwood, culminating in the Raptors’ 27-16 upset of two-time defending champion Maryville earlier this month.

“The Nolensville community was part of the Ravenwood community, and Nolensville is being born out of Ravenwood. It’s a community that I’m familiar with and it’s a community that I have a lot of ties to.”

Hester, who began his head coaching career at La Vergne (2007-2009), led Ravenwood to a two District 11-AAA championships, a Region 3-6A title and a pair of BlueCross Bowl trips.

“It was more than X’s and O’s at Ravenwood,” Hester said. “It was all about the character and love those guys had for each other. We knew early on that (the class of 2016) was going to be a strong group, and they proved us right time and time again.’

Hester said that as of now he plans to finish out the school year at Ravenwood, but that plan could change.

“There are some things there that still need to be ironed out, but I would say as of now that I’ll finish the school year out at Ravenwood,” he said. “There may be some opportunities to help Ravenwood bring in a coach, or to help me get started at Nolensville a little quicker. Those things are still being explored.”

Nolensville was recently approved to join the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association for the 2016-17 school year. The school, which is expected to have 550 students in grades nine and 10, will participate at the junior varsity level in football until the 2017 season.

“You’re going to have your feeder school on the same campus as the high school, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to build something special from the ground up,” Hester said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

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

Ensworth coach Ricky Bowers talks to Jack Zager during the first half of Friday’s game at M.L. King.

Martin Luther King’s boys basketball team got out to a good start Friday, nailing a 3-pointer to open the game against visiting Ensworth.

However, it was all Tigers after that.

Ensworth cranked up the defense in the second half and cruised to a 70-35 win.

“I just think we played with a greater intensity in the second half,” Ensworth coach Ricky Bowers said. “I think we actually got in a stance. We really were committed to doing what we were trying to do in the second half.”

The Tigers answered the opening 3-pointer with a an 8-0 run to take a 14-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, then started the second quarter on a 10-0 stretch to push their lead to 24-9 before the Royals were able to answer with three straight buckets.

M.L. King (5-4) managed to trim the lead to just 10 at halftime, but Ensworth (7-0) came out of the locker room on fire to start the third with a 15-0 run.

“I told them it’s 10 points and the first four minutes of the second half are crucial,” M.L. King coach Brent Burns said. “Unfortunately we didn’t get it done there in the second half.”

M.L. King’s A.J. Bowers elevates for a first-quarter layup during Friday’s game with Ensworth.

The Royals struggled to get back into the game after that and fell victim to a string of turnovers and a five-block performance from Ensworth senior Desmond Cambridge.

“He’s a very good shot blocker,” Bowers said. “He has a really good sense of timing, and as you can tell, he enjoys blocking shots.”

Tennessee signee Jordan Bone led the way for the Tigers with 17 points while Donovan Henry also had 17 for the Royals.

Bowers is excited to see just how good Ensworth can be.

“We have a lot of stuff we haven’t covered,” Bowers said. “But this is an exciting team; they’re going to be fun to watch.”

Ensworth girls 61, MLK 34: Jordyn Cambridge scored a game-high 21 points for Ensworth against the defending Class AA state champions.

Ensworth (4-1) used a 19-6 third quarter to pull away from MLK (2-4), and managed to hold the eight Lady Royals’ scorers to single-digits.

Eirene Francis was MLK’s leading scorer with nine points.

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

White House High senior point guard Alyssa Armstrong dribbles away from her own basket as Cheatham County’s Rylee Cornstubble defends during second-quarter action.

White House High junior guard McKenzie Vaughn dribbles upcourt during first-quarter action. Vaughn scored four points.

White House High senior guard Lauren Felts looks to pass as Cheatham County’s Eryn Nelson defends during first-quarter action.

WHITE HOUSE The White House High girls basketball team had a rough outing on Friday evening.

The Lady Devils fell behind 23-6 after one quarter and never recovered in a 63-32 loss to visiting Cheatham County.

White House (1-9 overall, 0-4 in District 9-AA) scored just 14 points in the first half as the Lady Cubs (6-5, 2-1) held a 43-14 lead at halftime.

“(Cheatham County) just beat the crap out of us,” White House head coach Jeff Bennett said. “They played really well. They move well. They’re a good basketball team. Our girls were shook.”

Cheatham County (6-5, 2-1) forced numerous turnovers and had a size advantage inside with senior center Tiffany Smith.

“Even if you beat their pace, you’ve still got 6-foot-2 (Smith) to deal with inside,” Bennett said. “That’s hard to beat.”

Senior point guard Alyssa Armstrong led White House with eight points, followed by classmate Lauren Felts and junior Stephanie Palmer with seven points each.

White House kept things mostly even throughout the second half, allowing only 19 points. However, the Lady Devils only managed 18 points and were unable to cut into Cheatham County’s lead.

Cheatham County pulled away early with a 25-4 run over a span of six minutes over the first and second quarters, including 14 unanswered points. The Lady Cubs led 29-6 with seven minutes to play in the first half.

Jorden Bumpus hit three of the Lady Cubs’ five 3-pointers in the contest.

“It’s not just the size,” Bennett said. “They’re a good basketball team all the way through. They shoot it well, they hustle.”

Palmer and Armstrong combined for five unanswered points in the third quarter, and Armstrong added six more points in the fourth.

The Lady Cubs entered Friday’s game averaging 55 points per game and surpassed the 60-point mark for the fourth time this season, winning each of those contests.

White House was held to its lowest point total since a 62-28 loss at Maplewood in its season opener on Nov. 19.

The two teams will meet again on Feb. 2 at Cheatham County. White House’s next action comes at the Santa Fe Christmas Tournament beginning on Dec. 28.

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

CHEATHAM COUNTY (62) – Jorden Bumpus 13, Abbi Douglas 10, Emmy Nelson 9, Josie Bumpus 8, Tiffany Smith 8, Rachel Allen 7, Rylee Whittaker 4, Eryn Nelson 3.

WHITE HOUSE (32) – Alyssa Armstrong 8, Laruen Felts 7, Stephanie Palmer 7, McKenzie Vaughn 4, Hailee Ellis 2, Bailey Hutchison 2, Bryanna Allen 1, Allyson Trimmer 1.

Half: 43-14, Cheatham County. 3-point goals: Cheatham County 5 (Bumpus 3, Allen 2), White House 1 (Felts 1). Records: Cheatham County 6-5, 2-1 in District 9-AA; White House 1-9, 0-4.

White House High senior guard Gavin Herrell shoots a 3-pointer during second-quarter action.

White House High junior forward Malik Morgan drives to the basket during second-quarter action. Morgan scored a team-high 12 points.

White House High senior point guard Luke Hopkins drives into the lane as Cheatham County’s Nate Goode defends. Hopkins scored five points.

WHITE HOUSE The White House High boys basketball team wasn’t surprised by how visiting Cheatham County attacked on Friday evening.

Even then, the Blue Devils were nearly powerless to stop the Cubs as Cheatham County pulled away in the early stages of the second quarter in handing White House a 68-50 loss.

The Cubs’ plan was simple – let senior forward Austin Douglas handle much of the leg work. Douglas did most of the Cubs’ heavy lifting, scoring 40 points.

“He’s a really good player,” White House head coach Gary Smith said. “He’s probably the best player in the league. We didn’t exactly do ourselves any favors. We knew what they were going to do.”

Douglas had 10 of the Cubs’ 15 first-quarter points as Cheatham County (7-3 overall, 2-1 in District 9-AA) led 15-9 after one period.

White House (6-6, 2-2) led once in the game, taking a 7-6 lead following two free throws from senior point guard Luke Hopkins with 4:28 left in the opening quarter.

However, after junior guard Bradley Cole’s field goal tied the game at 9-9 less than 90 seconds later, the Cubs took off, holding White House scoreless for the next 5:43. Cheatham County built a 22-9 advantage during the Blue Devil drought.

“I really didn’t see a whole lot on either end that I liked,” Smith said. “I just thought this would be a better game than that. We took a lot of bad shots early.”

Douglas had 18 points at halftime as the Cubs held a 31-19 edge at the intermission.

“We can’t simulate that,” Smith said. “We didn’t do some things that we could have to slow him down. We don’t have anybody to blame but ourselves.”

Junior forward Malik Morgan led the Blue Devils with 12 points, including two of White House’s six 3-pointers. White House cut the lead to eight (31-23) in the opening minute of the second half thanks to baskets by Morgan and senior forward Logan Trimmer, but Douglas scored 14 points in the third quarter to help Cheatham pull away.

“He took over the game,” Smith said. “They made us look pretty bad. They’re a good team.”

The Cubs hit nine 3-pointers in the contest, with four coming from Douglas.

“There were just little things that were indicators that we weren’t ready to play against them,” Smith said. “That was just a microcosm of the way they schooled us all night. They took us out behind the woodshed and took care of us. Maybe we’ll learn from it. I hope so.”

Freshman guard Jared Ward scored 11 points for the Blue Devils, and Cole provided 10. Ward made three of the Blue Devils’ six 3-pointers in the contest.

Cheatham County scored more than 65 points for the seventh time this season, and the Cubs have won in all of those contests.

The two teams will meet again on Feb. 2 at Cheatham County.

White House is off for three weeks until its next game, at Springfield on Jan. 9.

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

CHEATHAM COUNTY (68) – Austin Douglas 40, Nate Goode 11, Gage Lipscomb 8, Matthew Mayberry 6, Nate Saunders 2, Sterlin Jenkins 1.

WHITE HOUSE (50) – Malik Morgan 12, Jared Ward 11, Bradley Cole 10, Logan Trimmer 9, Luke Hopkins 5, Bryant Reynolds 3.

Half: 31-19, Cheatham County. 3-point goals: Cheatham County 9 (Douglas 4, Goode 3, Mayberry 2), White House 6 (Ward 3, Morgan 2, Trimmer 1). Records: Cheatham County 7-3 overall, 2-1 in District 9-AA; White House 6-6, 2-2.

Hendersonville High senior guard Austin Kirby scored six points in the Commandos’ 40-35 loss to Clarksville Northeast on Friday evening.

GALLATIN The Hendersonville High boys basketball team and its zone defense limited everyone except for one person on the Clarksville Northeast roster.

However, that one person proved to be a big difference.

Hendersonville held a 32-30 lead with 4:51 remaining before back-to-back 3-pointers from Diondre Fraklin and Jaylon Thorpe gave the Eagles a 36-32 lead that they would not relinquish on their way to a 40-35 win over the Commandos on Friday evening in Gallatin High’s BodyGuard Sports Medicine Christmas Classic.

Thorpe scored 20 points, making six 3-pointers.

“I felt like we played pretty well and did a good job out of our zone against them, but they had the one kid (Thorpe) who hit some tough shots against us,” Hendersonville head coach Kerry West said. “We’re not scoring enough to overcome that kind of stuff.

“We’ve had eight end-of-quarter buzzer-beaters, and two end-of-half buzzer-beaters against us this year, and that can be tough. It happened again tonight with their good shooter (Thorpe), and it gave them momentum.”

Hendersonville (1-8) held a 23-14 with 23.2 seconds remaining in the half following a pair of free throws from sophomore guard Dyilin Hoosier. However, Thorpe’s heavily-contested three brought Clarksville Northeast (2-4) back to within six points at halftime.

After a basket from senior guard Austin Kirby extended the Hendersonville lead to eight points early in the third quarter, the Eagles went on a 10-2 run that was kick-started by Thorpe’s 3-pointer. It was also capped by Thorpe, who hit three of four from the free-throw line.

Thorpe’s final free throw tied the game at 27 entering into the fourth quarter.

“We’ve played good defense all year, and we’ve kept teams under 50 points for the most part,” West said. “It was disheartening to see us do some things and hit some shots in the first half when we got a lead only to see them hit some tough shots, but we’ve got to learn from those experiences.”

Hendersonville reclaimed the lead on a 3-pointer by junior Ryne Loper that put the Commandos ahead by two points, just before the Clarksville Northeast run.

With both teams struggling in the first quarter on offense, combining for 10 points in the opening period, Hendersonville scored the first 10 points of the second quarter, with senior guard Jason Hernando hitting a pair of 3-pointers during the run.

Senior forward Preston Brown led the Commandos offensively with 11 points.

CLARKSVILLE NORTHEAST (40) – Jaylon Thorpe 20, Jontae Brown 8, Quinton Cross 3, Diondre Franklin 3, Jaden Burse 2, D’Andre Cross 2, Alec Kegler 2.

HENDERSONVILLE (35) – Preston Brown 11, Jason Hernando 6, Austin Kirby 6, Ryne Loper 5, Cooper Smith 4, Dyilin Hoosier 3.

Half: 23-17, Hendersonville. Three-point goals: Clarksville Northeast 8 (Thorpe 6, Brown 1, Franklin 1), Hendersonville 4 (Hernando 2, Brown 1, Loper 1). Records: Clarksville Northeast 2-4, Hendersonville 1-8.

Gallatin High sophomore guard Dakota Bailey scored nine points in the Green Wave’s 68-44 victory over Glencliff on Friday evening.

GALLATIN The Gallatin High boys basketball team experienced something it had not experienced often in this season with a youthful squad, but the Green Wave appeared to like it very well.

Host Gallatin controlled play from the beginning in Friday evening’s 68-44 victory over Glencliff in the BodyGuard Sports Medicine Christmas Classic.

Sophomore guard Zyun Mason scored a career-high 24 points, with 20 coming in the first half.

“It’s definitely something we’ve not done much this year, control teams from start to finish,” Mason said. “We really tried to work on our defense like we do in practice, and it gave us a lot of easy baskets tonight.”

Gallatin (3-8) forced Glencliff (1-9) into over 20 turnovers while converting those takeaways into points.

The Green Wave connected on 10 three-pointers, just one short of their season high.

“It’s good for the kids to get the opportunity to play in a game like this and to see some things come together,” Gallatin head coach Bobby Luna said. “We played really well in the first half, and Zyun Mason had a terrific first half for us. He’s one that is always communicating on the floor in game or in practice, and he’s a kid that tries to do things the right way.”

Gallatin opened up a 17-5 lead after one quarter of play and kept the pressure applied throughout.

Glencliff cut the lead inside of single digits to start the second quarter when Leonard Lewter connected on a 3-pointer, but Mason came down on the next possession and converted on a layin as he was fouled. Mason hit the ensuing free throw to recreate a 12-point margin.

“We really look for each other out on the floor, and we’re starting to get more comfortable,” Mason said. “It’s good to get a win like this to help us keep building.”

Luna added, “It was a great win for this group because of how well we played on both ends of the floor. We’ve been a good perimeter-shooting team for the most part, so it’s good to see that continue.”

Green Wave sophomore guard Dakota Bailey made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and junior teammate Marlon Mitchell provided 10 points.

Lewter and John Topacco paced Glencliff offensively with 11 points each.

The Green Wave played without junior forward Jordan Mason, who was out of town on a trip that was planned before he joined the team.

The Green Wave were slated to host Clarksville Northeast on Saturday evening in their final game of BodyGuard Sports Medicine Christmas Classic, and Gallatin is scheduled to face Hillwood in Hendersonville High’s Trickett Honda Holiday Classic on Dec. 28.

GLENCLIFF (44) – Leonard Lewter 11, John Topacco 11, Deng Kour 7, Keyaun Elliot 6, Beng Akok 4, Tim Lewter 3, Ali Baldin 2.

GALLATIN (68) – Zyun Mason 24, Marlon Mitchell 10, Dakota Bailey 9, Mark Brummett 7, Nigel Black 6, Collin Minor 5, Anthony Woods 3, Zool Kueth 2, Perrish Cloud 2.

Half: 36-19, Gallatin. Three-point goals: Glencliff 6 (Topacco 3, Kour 1, L. Lewter 1, T. Lewter 1); Gallatin 10 (Bailey 3, Mason 3, Mitchell 1, Black 1, Minor 1, Woods 1). Records: Glencliff 1-9, Gallatin 3-8.

WESTMORELAND The Westmoreland High School girls basketball team started slowly but took control in the second half of Friday evening’s 40-29 victory over visiting Greenbrier.

The Lady Eagles trailed 15-14 at halftime before taking the lead in the third quarter.

“We’re coming along a little bit on the (full-court) press,” Westmoreland head coach Cherie Abner said. “We concentrated this week on the press, but we have a lot to work on. We see some progress.”

Westmoreland High senior guard Haley Braswell is fouled by Greenbrier junior Kasey Lunsford as she elevates for a third-quarter layin. Braswell scored all 10 of her points in the second half of the Lady Eagles’ 40-29 victory on Friday evening.

The Lady Eagles were coming off their second loss of the season, a 22-21 setback at Sycamore on Tuesday. Westmoreland’s losses have come by a combined margin of three points (including a 37-35, season-opening setback at Hendersonville).

“Our passing has gotten better against the zone (defenses),” Abner said. “We’re just not finishing in certain areas. We have to define some roles on offense, when to shoot the ball and who has the green light.”

The Lady Bobcats entered the contest on a nine-game winning streak.

Greenbrier (10-3 overall, 2-1 in District 9-AA) scored eight of the game’s first 11 points and held a four-point advantage when Westmoreland junior forward Karley Smith converted a three-point play to pull her squad to within a point at halftime.

Smith caught an entry pass from senior guard Jesica Eppstein and converted a layin seconds into the third quarter, placing her squad in front to stay.

Senior teammate Haley Braswell followed by making back-to-back 3-pointers, and junior point guard Gracie Oliver sank two free throws to cap the 13-0 run and give the Lady Eagles a 24-15 lead.

Westmoreland High junior point guard Gracie Oliver elevates for a third-quarter layin between Greenbrier junior Anna Stainback (at left) and sophomore Haley Ralph. Oliver scored four points in the Lady Eagles’ 40-29 victory on Friday evening.

Westmoreland (10-2, 3-1) saw the lead shrink to five points following a layin by Lady Bobcat senior center Haylee Russell late in the third period, but the Lady Eagles scored the first six points of the final quarter.

Braswell produced all 10 of her points after halftime, and Smith scored a game-high 13 points.

Westmoreland forced 15 turnovers.

Westmoreland High junior forward Kaitlyn Norman is fouled by Greenbrier junior Anna Stainback as she elevates for a third-quarter shot.

Sophomore guard Amanda Bennett and senior guard Kayla Jarrell led Greenbrier offensively with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

The Lady Eagles will be playing Ezell-Harding in Goodpasture’s Cougar Christmas Classic on Dec. 28 and will then face Nashville Central Christian on Dec. 29.

GREENBRIER (29) – Amanda Bennett 13, Kayla Jarrell 10, Haley Ralph 2, Haylee Russell 2, Caitlin Turner 2.

WESTMORELAND (40) – Karley Smith 13, Haley Braswell 10, Kaitlyn Norman 9, Gracie Oliver 4, Jesica Eppstein 3, Lexie McCormick 1.

Half: 15-14, Greenbrier. Three-point goals: Greenbrier 1 (Bennett 1), Westmoreland 3 (Braswell 3). Records: Greenbrier 10-3 overall, 3-1 in 9-AA; Westmoreland 10-2, 3-1.

WESTMORELAND The Westmoreland High School boys basketball team didn’t sit in a favorable position with three minutes remaining in Friday evening’s district contest with visiting Greenbrier.

However, the Eagles managed to erase a six-point deficit and took control in overtime for a 55-49 victory over visiting Greenbrier.

Westmoreland (8-4) remained unbeaten in District 9-AA play and won its fifth consecutive game.

“Coming into the year, we knew had chemistry,” Eagle senior guard Dalton Leath said. “This group has been together a long time.

“I feel like we have more basketball players this year. Brad (Evans, a graduate from last season’s squad) is a good athlete, and Michael (Evans, another 2015 graduate) is a good athlete. Everybody has been here since summer this season. We’re working with guys we’ve had since the summer.”

Westmoreland High senior guard Caleb Graves releases a baseline jump shot during second-quarter action as Greenbrier junior Austin Richardson defends. Graves scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Those four district contests have all been decided by 11 points or fewer, including one-point victory over perennial power Cheatham County.

“Us knocking off Cheatham was a shock to some people,” Leath said. “Cheatham County has been the upper dog, the bigger team. They had (standouts Jordan) Darden and (Jake) Saunders (two seasons ago). I’m not going to say teams were scared of them, but you knew you had a lot to deal with. I don’t think anybody is really scared of us.

“Everybody is pretty even right now. We have to bring our game every night. If we do that, we’ll be okay. We’ll be able to compete.”

Bobcat junior guard Austin Richardson made his fourth and final 3-pointer with 3:26 remaining, creating a 42-36 score. However, he picked up his fifth foul seconds later, fouling out with a team-high 16 points.

It was another 3-pointer that helped quickly thrust Westmoreland back into the contest as Leath tossed in one from the top of the key with two minutes remaining as he was fouled. He made the ensuing free throw to complete the four-point play.

Then, in the final minute, junior teammate Colton Pippen and Leath made one free throw each, sending the contest to overtime.

“We didn’t make foul shot like we needed to make down the stretch,” Eagle head coach Jason Graves – whose squad connected on 25 of 40 at the free-throw line – said. “That’s something you need to do to win close ballgames, but we didn’t have the turnovers and got stops on defense. Greenbrier was in foul trouble, and we were able to take advantage of that.

“We won a ballgame when we probably should have lost. That shows a lot of heart and character to find a way to win when it’s not your best night.”

Westmoreland took its first lead when senior guard Caleb Graves drove along the baseline and converted a layin with 2:20 left. His ensuing free throw placed the Eagles in front to stay.

The Bobcats had four players to foul out, and Leath and Caleb Graves made free throws over the final 80 seconds to seal the win.

Greenbrier (2-9 overall, 0-3 in District 9-AA) scored the game’s first seven points and led by as many as nine points on three different occasions in the first half, lastly on junior Will Hodges’ baseline jump shot with 2:14 remaining in the half.

Caleb Graves made two free throws with two seconds remaining in the half, creating a 20-13 halftime score.

“We were going too fast offensively and not fast enough defensively,” Jason Graves said. “That needs to swap. You need to play hard on defense and be patient on offense. We just didn’t make shots and kept shooting them.”

Leath added, “We weren’t all on the same page. I have to slow down. When one guy is not on the same page, it slows everybody down. We’ve shot the ball better. Colton is big for us right now. We have to get him the ball.”

Westmoreland High senior guard Dalton Leath scored a game-high 21 points in the Eagles’ 55-49, overtime victory on Friday evening.

Leath finished with a game-high 21 points, and Caleb Graves and Pippen scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.

“Coach said in the locker room that, right now, we have a target on our back,” Leath said. “We have to take that into consideration. We have to push harder, because we know other teams are going to push harder.

“We can’t peak. We have to peak at tournament time. We just have to work harder and keep doing what we’re doing.”

Westmoreland will be playing in Macon County High’s Nera White Invitational, facing Red Boiling Springs at 5 p.m. on Dec. 28.

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

GREENBRIER (49) – Austin Richardson 16, Austin Merrill 8, Jordan Perdue 8, Michael Parker 5, C.J. Bryant 3, Andrew Cline 3, Jace Derseweh 2, Will Hodges 2, Bailey Young 2.

WESTMORELAND (55) – Dalton Leath 21, Caleb Graves 12, Colton Pippen 11, Zeke Webb 6, Lucas Garrison 3, Landon Graves 2.

Half: 20-13, Greenbrier. End of regulation: 44-44. Three-point goals: Greenbrier 4 (Richardson 4), Westmoreland 3 (C. Graves 1, Leath 1, Webb 1). Records: Greenbrier 2-9 overall, 0-3 in 9-AA; Westmoreland 8-4, 4-0.

Gallatin High junior guard Savannah Link helped the Lady Wave to a 38-33 victory over Springfield on Friday evening.

GALLATIN Gallatin High senior forward Keile Hale feels that her team is in a good condition, literally.

That good condition was evident during the latter stages of the Lady Wave’s first contest of the BodyGuard Sports Medicine Christmas Classic against visiting Springfield.

Facing a Lady Jacket full-court press for the entire game, Gallatin managed to do enough on offense while limiting Springfield to less than 35-percent shooting in a 38-33 win on Friday evening.

Hale netted a career-high 13 points for Gallatin.

“Coach (Malcolm) Montgomery had us do a ton of conditioning in the summer and fall just for games like this and (for) when we get into tournament play,” Hale said. “He (Montgomery) has a new system and ways of doing things, and it has required us to be a in a lot better shape, which we need to be.”

Though Gallatin never trailed, Springfield (1-9) managed to stay close thanks in large part due to 4-of-14 free-throw shooting by the Lady Wave, including 3 of 9 in the fourth quarter.

A 3-pointer from Hale followed by a basket from junior guard Grace Pincock stretched the Gallatin lead to 35-24, but Springfield quickly trimmed the lead down to six with a layin followed by a 3-pointer from Imani Collier that brought the Lady Jackets to within striking distance with 4:38 remaining.

Springfield guard Adaria Shannon brought her team even closer as her 3-pointer from the right side of the court pulled the Lady Jackets to within four points (36-32) with 3:08 remaining.

However, the Gallatin defense held Springfield to without a field goal over the final three minutes to preserve the lead.

“We’ll see some things that we need to work on as a team when we look at some stats and check out some other things,” Montgomery said. “Keile (Hale) played a great game tonight, and I thought Tiera McDermott really tried to step up and play the point (guard). Grace Pincock gave us a great effort tonight, and it was a good win for the team since we didn’t play as well as we wanted and still got a win.”

Gallatin opened the game on a 10-2 run, with five different players scoring.

McDermott’s jump shot with 2:19 left in the first quarter gave the Lady Green Wave a 10-2 lead.

Hale connected on a 3-pointer to open the second quarter that extended the lead to 16-6, but the Lady Yellow Jackets managed to trim the margin to 21-13 following a 3-pointer from Sarah Gallman.

Shu’tyah Bowens scored the first four points of the second half for Springfield, and a free throw from Sarah Duncan with 6:39 left in the third quarter trimmed the Gallatin lead to 21-18.

However, a basket by Pincock started a surge that helped the Lady Wave build an eight-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

Gallatin captured a 56-45 victory over visiting Springfield in a Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association Hall of Champions game on Nov. 21.

SPRINGFIELD (33) – Shu’tyah Bowens 12, Imani Collier 12, Sarah Duncan 3, Sarah Gallman 3, Adaria Shannon 3.

GALLATIN (38) – Keile Hale 13, Grace Pincock 6, Anastasia Blackmore 4, Tiera McDermott 4, Grayson Pryor 4, Rene’ Hudson 2, Katie Whitefield 2, Sha’Mari Johnson 1, Lamonica Mintlow 1, Katey Rogers 1.

Half: 21-13, Gallatin. Three-point goals: Springfield 3 (Collier 1, Gallman 1, Shannon 1), Gallatin 3 (Hale 3). Records: Springfield 1-9, Gallatin 5-6.

Tennessee Sports Writers Association

TSWA DII All-State Football Teams

(The Class 1A and 2A teams will be released on Tuesday. The Class 3A and 4A teams will be released on Wednesday. The Class 5A and 6A teams will be released on Thursday.)

DIVISION II-A

Offense

QB: Clay Beathard (BGA), Ben Glass (St. George’s)

RB: Chase Hayden (St. George’s), Marquavious Moore (Harding Academy)

WR: Marcus Cawthorne (BGA), Isaiah Gilmore (King’s Academy), Corey Jones (St. George’s)

OL: Michael Flowers (DCA), Will Lawrence (Harding Academy), Trey Smith (University School of Jackson), Jacob Still (St. George’s), Ben Jackson (FRA)

ATH: Christian Saulsberry (Northpoint Christian), Sam Harvin (FRA)

K: Charles Campbell (University School of Jackson)

Defense

DL: Andrew Craig (Knoxville Webb), Noah Price (St. George’s), Tyree Bryant (Northpoint Christian), Joshua Eatherly (Friendship Christian)

LB: Patrick Wells (BGA), Jake Lindow (St. George’s), Spence Jones (FRA), Nathan Tatko (Northpoint Christian)

DB: Shannon Fayne (DCA), Mitchell Bodiford (University School of Jackson), Larry Wilhoite (FRA), Alexander Berube (Knoxville Webb)

ATH: Chandler Viscardis (King’s Academy), Tommy Jordan (Knoxville Webb)

P: Wells Smith (University School of Jackson)

DIVISION II-AA

Offense

QB: Jeremiah Oatsvall (Brentwood Academy), Glenn Coleman (MBA)

RB: Ty Chandler (MBA), Austin Lee (Christian Brothers)

WR: Cam Johnson (Brentwood Academy), Thomas Pickens (MUS), Benjamin Nixson (Pope John Paul II)

OL: Ryan Johnson (Brentwood Academy), Bryce Mathews (Brentwood Academy), Phelps Gambill (MBA), Jay Roberts (McCallie), Cooper Reiniche (Baylor)

ATH: Darius Morehead (Ensworth), Hunter Hill (Briarcrest)

K: Isaac Way (Brentwood Academy)

Defense

DL: Brandon Adams (Brentwood Academy), Ben Hill (Christian Brothers), Jeremy Darvin (Father Ryan), Nicholas Nixon (Pope John Paul II)

LB: Owen Martin (Christian Brothers), Tim Hart (MUS), David Gaw (MBA), Ryan Parker (Baylor)

DB: Thomas Pickens (MUS), Rodney Owens (Ensworth), Evan Beddoe (Brentwood Academy), Chris Hopkins (Brentwood Academy)

ATH: Ulysses Strawter (Baylor), JaVaughn Craig (McCallie)

P: Anthony Hagey (Father Ryan)

BGA golf coach Brent McLay.

Why chosen: McLay coached Battle Ground Academy to the 2015 Division II-A team title with a score of 338 to edge St. Mary’s by two strokes. Two of his girls finished in the top 10 with Rachel Arvizu finishing tied for fourth and Hannah Wright finishing tied for sixth.

Quote: “They were in the same position that the boys were only three or four short years ago, and they were struggling just like the boys were this year, but they worked hard, fought hard, worked on their individual skills and got themselves a state championship.”

HENDERSONVILLE The Portland High girls basketball team didn’t like a slower pace, so the visiting Lady Panthers decided to do something about it in the second half.

Pope John Paul II junior Kiara Dowling dribbles up the court as Portland senior Erica Keen (12) and senior Al Chatmon defend during second-quarter action.

Portland outscored Pope John Paul II High by a 32-14 margin in the second half of the two teams’ PJP II Christmas Classic opener to collect a 50-29 victory on Monday afternoon.

After a first half that saw the Lady Panthers (5-4) hold an 18-15 lead at halftime, Portland jumped ahead quickly to begin the third quarter thanks to 3-pointers from senior Cristina Herrera and sophomore Rachel Jennings over the first 1:12 of the third quarter. Portland took a 24-15 lead at that point, and the Lady Panthers never looked back, holding a 16-6 edge in the third quarter.

Portland High junior forward Mackenzie Trouten blocks the shot of Pope John Paul II senior Miranda Smith during fourth-quarter action.

“We were ready to play,” Lady Panther senior guard Erica Keen said. “I don’t really know how else to explain it.”

The Lady Knights (3-8) kept things close in the first half while Herrera and junior forward Mackenzie Trouten were on the Portland bench due to foul trouble during the second quarter.

“I had my two leading scorers back on the floor after foul trouble,” Portland head coach Miranda Cravens said. “Cristina and Mackenzie both being out in the second quarter hurt us in scoring ability.”

The PJP II zone defense helped keep Portland contained, especially in the second quarter, when the Lady Knights held Portland to five points.

“We tried to really get a hand up on their shooters and pack it inside on (Trouten), because she’s a really strong post player,” Pope John Paul II first-year head coach Angi Puckett said.

Portland High senior Cristina Herrera releases a 3-pointer during second-quarter action. Herrera scored a game-high 15 points in the Lady Panthers’ 50-29 victory.

However, Herrera – who scored a game-high 15 points – and the rest of the Lady Panthers caught on and made the adjustment to beat the Lady Knights’ zone in the third quarter.

“We got more adjusted to their zone (defense),” Cravens said. “We were scoring a lot easier, plus we picked up the pressure full-court in the third quarter, and we got some easy stuff off of that.”

The faster pace played right into Portland’s hands as the Lady Panthers opened up a 34-21 lead after the third quarter.

“We like playing a fast pace,” Keen said. “That’s our game really.”

Senior forward Windee Johnson led the Lady Knights offensively with eight points, but PJP II fell victim to Portland’s pressure.

“We have to value the importance of taking care of the basketball,” Puckett said. “We had a lot of unforced turnovers that led to easy transition buckets for (Portland), and that really hurt us in the third quarter.”

It was the second meeting of the season between the two teams. Portland opened the season with a 52-37 victory over the visiting Lady Knights on Nov. 17.

Portland is slated to face Harpeth Hall in the opening game of the Sonic Shoot-Out at White County High School on Monday, while the Lady Knights face Ezell-Harding at Goodpasture’s Cougar Christmas Classic on Monday.

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

PORTLAND (50) – Cristina Herrera 15, Mackenzie Trouten 9, Alyssa Chatmon 7, Taylor Cole 7, Rachel Jennings 7, Emily Brown 5.

POPE JOHN PAUL II (29) – Windee Johnson 8, Miranda Smith 7, Callie Ryan 6, Mercedes Smith 5, Emily Galluzzi 2, Alison Gerstner 1.

Half: 18-15, Portland. Three-point goals: Portland 4 (Herrera 2, Cole 1, Jennings 1), Pope John Paul II 1 (Mercedes Smith 1). Records: Portland 5-4, Pope John Paul II 3-8.

HENDERSONVILLE The Pope John Paul II High boys basketball team started off strong on Monday evening, but the Knights’ finish may have left something to be desired.

Pope John Paul II High senior Ryan Hatten dunks during first-quarter action. Hatten scored 10 points.

PJP II went on a 27-0 run spanning the first and second quarters to build a 38-10 halftime lead, but the Knights watched visiting Glencliff trim into that edge in the second half of a 61-46 victory in the PJP II Christmas Classic.

The Knights (9-1) held Glencliff (1-7) scoreless for 8:47 as a 7-6 lead turned into a 34-6 advantage in just a little more than a quarter’s worth of work.

“We were playing well in all aspects,” Knights senior forward Ryan Hatten said. “We were moving the ball well, getting open shots and playing hard on defense and getting turnovers. Then, it just kind of went away.”

Junior forward Matthew Galvin had as many points (10) as the Colts did in the first half, ultimately finishing with 13 to pace the Knights offensively.

Hatten scored 10, including each of the Knights’ first two baskets in the contest. The Knights never trailed.

“The first half was great,” Knights head coach Kip Brown said. “It was really good. But we just didn’t have that killer instinct or that pride in the second half, and that was disappointing to see. It’s another learning lesson in a long season.”

Pope John Paul II High senior guard Trent Griffin dribbles into the lane against Glencliff’s John Topacco during third-quarter action.

Eleven different Knights scored in the contest, with 10 different players tallying in the first half.

Glencliff did not score a field goal in the second quarter as the Colts’ four points in the period all came on free throws.

However, Glencliff outscored PJP II by a 17-11 margin in the third quarter and 19-12 in the fourth quarter.

“The second half, (Glencliff) turned up the defense,” Brown said. “We played like we were way ahead, without a purpose. I told the guys at halftime, ‘let’s work on us,’ and we didn’t do that.”

The Knights used full-scale substitutions, replacing all five players on most occasions. The PJP II starting five sat out most of the second quarter as the Knights let their depth take over.

“The starters are building that chemistry playing together, and the way we sub, it gives a different look with the guys who go on the floor,” Hatten said.

Pope John Paul II High junior forward Matthew Galvin elevates for an interior shot during first-quarter action. Galvin scored 13 points in the Knights’ 61-46 victory.

However, Brown wasn’t exactly pleased with the way the Colts outscored his squad in the second half.

“Give credit to (Glencliff),” Brown said. “They didn’t quit or give up, and they kicked our butts in the second half.”

Hatten said that the Knights have to learn from Monday’s second half.

“We’ve got to work on finishing games … that’s the biggest one,” Hatten said. “That way, when it comes to region play and we get up five with a minute left, we can finish out and get wins.”

The Knights will travel to Freeport, Fla., for the Hilton Sandestin Beach Shootout, beginning on Sunday.

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

GLENCLIFF (46) – Keyauin Elliot 14, John Topacco 11, Ali Baldin 10, Leonard Lewter 9, Deng Kohr 2.

POPE JOHN PAUL II (61) – Matthew Galvin 13, Ryan Hatten 10, Jayson Brown 8, Jalon Cambridge 7, Jake Rucker 6, Nick Nixon 4, Mitchell Sorenson 4, Justin McMurry 3, Devan Cambridge 2, C.J. Laws 2, Jamaal Thompson 2.

Half: 38-10, Pope John Paul II. 3-point goals: Glencliff 4 (Topacco 2, Baldin 1, Lewter 1), Pope John Paul II 1 (J. Cambridge 1). Records: Glencliff 1-7, Pope John Paul II 9-1.

Why chosen: Cheeseman helped lead the Lady Eagles to the Division II-AA team title in 2015 after finishing runner-up to Harpeth Hall a year ago. Brentwood Academy had four of the top seven finishers at the state meet, including the top two with daughter Claire Cheeseman capturing the DII-AA individual title and Meredith Helton finishing second.

Brentwood Academy girls cross country coach Cathy Cheeseman.

Quote: “I knew that we were a pretty talented group as everything kind of came together early on. Each opportunity that arose I felt that we just continued to get better at being a team. They were together in all aspects of their running. It was really special to get to see that come to fruition.”

Central Magnet’s Taylor Cuneo won her second straight Class A/AA state title in 2015.

Central Magnet, Sophomore

Why chosen: Cuneo followed up her stellar freshman campaign with her second straight Class A/AA individual title with a time of 18:21.24, improving on her 2014 time by more than 36 seconds. She also won the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational in Louisville with a first-place time of 17.42.68. Cuneo also was The Tennessean 2014 cross country runner of the year as a freshman.

College plans: “I hope to major in biomedical engineering. Although, I really don’t know where I want to go.”

Quote: “I’m really blessed to have a fantastic season freshman year and sophomore year and just super grateful that my team was with me and we were able to finish third at state this year. I feel like I have more to improve on. There’s always room for improvement.”

Central Magnet’s Taylor Cuneo won the TSSAA Class A/AA state meet with a time of 18:21.24.

Family: Parents Lori and Stephen Cuneo, sister Sydney Cuneo (10)

Nickname: “My family calls me Squirrel, but my team calls me Cuneo.”

Best high school sports moment: “Winning state back to back.”

Favorite sports team: Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (soccer), Jacksonville Jaguars, Auburn

Dream job: Biomechanical engineer (STEM field)

Favorite teacher: “I really like all of my teachers.”

Instagram or Snapchat: Instagram

Spring or fall: “Fall because the trees are super pretty, and it makes for a great long run on trails with some of my very best friends, my team.”

Central Magnet’s Taylor Cuneo won her second straight Class A/AA state title, winning in 18:21.24.

First Team

CLAIRE CHEESEMAN

Brentwood Academy, Junior

Brentwood Academy’s Claire Cheeseman won the DII-AA state cross country meet.

Why chosen: Won DII-AA state title, finishing in 18:57.64. Finished second in the MSCCA Midstate Championships meet with a time of 18:06.53.

MEREDITH HELTON

Brentwood Academy, Sophomore

Why chosen: Finished the DII-AA state meet in 19:27.47, good enough for second place. Was fifth at MSCCA Midstate Championship meet (18:33.05).

HAILEY HENDRY

Brentwood, Senior

Why chosen: Finished AAA state meet in 18:58.50, good enough for second place. Finished as Region 6-AAA champ by more than a minute over second-place finisher. Was third at MSCCA Midstate Championship meet (18:28.83).

EMMA McCLELLAN

Riverdale’s Emma McClellan (143) finished sixth at the Class AAA state meet.

Riverdale, Junior

Why chosen: Finished sixth at the AAA state meet (19:13.71) and second at the Region 4-AAA meet (19:10.99). Was fourth at MSCCA Midstate Championship meet (18:29.28).

Second Team

Addie Coggins, Jr., Independence

Julia Henderson, Sr., Ravenwood

Maddy McClellan, Sr., Riverdale

Kailey Schyler, Sr., Columbia Acad.

Victoria Simmons, Jr., Siegel

Brentwood Academy’s Carter Cheeseman (1015) and Davis Holliday (1018) finished Nos. 1 and 2 in the DII-AA state meet.

First Team

JOSHUA BELL

Brentwood Academy, Senior

Why chosen: Finished third in DII-AA state meet (16:30.80) and fifth at MSCCA Midstate Championship meet (15:37.85).

CARTER CHEESEMAN

Brentwood Academy, Freshman

Why chosen: Captured the DII-AA state title (16:20.40), while placing third at the MSCCA Midstate Championship meet (15:30.24).

TAYLOR VROON

Brentwood, Junior

Why chosen: Finished third at the AAA state meet (15:50.85), and was fourth at the MSCCA Midstate championship (15:33.53).

JAVAN WINDERS

Henry County, Senior

Why chosen: Won the Region 5-AAA meet (16:07.29), placed 12th at the AAA state meet (16:28.51) and was second at the MSCCA Midstate Championship meet (15:26.63) behind only Brodey Hasty.

Second Team

Colin Lamb, Jr. Page

Davis Holliday, So., Brentwood Acad.

Nathan Watson, Sr., Station Camp

Titus Winders, So., Henry Co.

Nathan Longfellow, Sr., Cookeville