GALLATIN The visiting Portland High School girls basketball team produced a season-best total offensively on Thursday evening, rolling to a 74-54 victory over Gallatin at Jerry Vradenburg Gymnasium.

The Lady Panthers’ full-court press forced several turnovers in the first half, leading to some transition baskets and a faster tempo.

“It makes it a lot easier, because we have a bunch of momentum going,” Portland senior guard Erica Keen said of the turnovers. “Playing fast get us going.”

Portland High senior guard Al Chatmon elevates for a second-quarter layin. Chatmon scored 11 points in the Lady Panthers’ 74-54 victory at Gallatin on Thursday evening.

Keen scored her squad’s first five points, and though the Lady Wave was still within a point after senior Anastasia Blakemore made a 15-foot jump shot with 2:49 left in the first quarter, the Lady Panthers scored the next 11 points. All five Portland starters – Keen, sophomore point guard Rachel Jennings, senior guard Cristina Herrera, senior guard Al Chatmon and junior forward Mackenzie Trouten – all contributed during the surge.

“It was huge for us,” Lady Panther head coach Miranda Cravens said of the strong start. “Gallatin has a couple of really good offensive players. Getting some turnovers and some easy baskets helped.”

The margin swelled to as much as 16 points on Trouten’s 3-pointer midway through the second stanza.

Portland High junior forward Mackenzie Trouten scored 16 points in the Lady Panthers’ 74-54 win over Gallatin on Thursday evening.

“We can’t stay away from that bad five minutes,” Gallatin head coach Malcolm Montgomery said. “We’re trying to learn from it. I think we are. It’s going to help us in the long run.

“We are competing. We are playing hard. Hopefully, some good fortune can happen for us soon.”

Portland sophomore forward Taylor Cole came off the bench to sink a 3-pointer late in the third quarter to create a 23-point margin.

Herrera led five Lady Panthers who scored in double figures with 17 points, followed by Trouten (16), Jennings (15), Chatmon (11) and Keen (11).

It was the most points that Portland has scored since an 80-31 win at White House last February.

Lady Wave senior point guard Rene’ Hudson scored 16 of her game-high 21 points in the second half, and junior backcourt mate Savannah Link provided 11 points.

Gallatin High junior forward Katie Whitefield dribbles to the basket during first-quarter action as Portland junior Mackenzie Trouten defends. Whitefield scored two points.

“When you play against the Wilson Centrals, they are really good,” Montgomery said. “Portland is similar to us. Portland, Beech, Station Camp and Lebanon are all right there together.

“You want to play better. You want to win. Right now, we want to be competitive, but the girls are not giving up. I’m not going to give up. We just have to play until the final horn.”

Gallatin fell to 5-11 overall and to 0-8 in District 9-AAA play, while the Lady Panthers improved to 11-9 overall and to 4-4 against 9-AAA competition. Portland is one of four teams – along with Beech, Hendersonville and Station Camp – within a game of each other in the third through sixth positions in the district standings.

“We’re definitely wanting to finish in the top half,” Keen – whose squad captured a 60-39 win over visiting Gallatin on Dec. 4 – said. “It’s going to take everybody doing their part. It’s (going to take) teamwork and putting what we learn in practice together, trying to stay as consistent as possible.”

Cravens added, “(District positioning) has been on my mind, but for the players, we just talk about it from game to game. We just prepare for each opponent. Every win in this district is vital. You could flip a coin from night to night to see who is going to win in this district.”

Gallatin High senior forward Keile Hale elevates to shoot a first-quarter jump shot.

The Lady Panthers host Station Camp on Tuesday evening, while the Lady Wave play at Mt. Juliet.

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

PORTLAND (74) – Cristina Herrera 17, Mackenzie Trouten 16, Rachel Jennings 15, Al Chatmon 11, Erica Keen 11, Taylor Cole 3, McKenzie Fletcher 1.

GALLATIN (54) – Rene’ Hudson 21, Savannah Link 11, Sha’Mari Johnson 5, Grace Pincock 5, Andrea McDowell 4, Anastasia Blakemore 2, LaMonica Mintlow 2, Grayson Pryor 2, Katie Whitefield 2.

Half: 37-22, Portland. Three-point goals: Portland 6 (Herrera 2, Cole 1, Jennings 1, Keen 1, Trouten 1), Gallatin 5 (Hudson 2, Johnson 1, Link 1, Pincock 1). Records: Portland 11-9 overall, 4-4 in District 9-AAA; Gallatin 5-12, 0-8.

GALLATIN Beech High and Station Camp High’s girls basketball teams have become quite familiar with each other this season.

Beech High junior guard McCall Decker maneuvers around Station Camp sophomore Jessica Hopson during fourth-quarter action. Decker scored 14 points in the Lady Bucs’ 53-45 victory.

The visiting Lady Buccaneers made the third time a charm, holding off the Lady Bison for a 53-45 victory on Thursday evening in Station Camp’s annual pink out game.

Beech (7-14 overall, 4-4 in District 9-AAA) completed a sweep of the season series – among games that count in District 9-AAA play – but the Lady Bucs had to learn a lesson from a 43-39 loss to the Lady Bison on Dec. 23 at the Smoky Mountain Classic in Gatlinburg.

“We lost to them in Gatlinburg, so it was very important for us to come in here and get this win,” Beech senior guard Deja Smith said. “We knew what was going to happen, so we were better prepared for it.”

Smith led all scorers with 23 points, with 14 of those coming in the first half as the Lady Bucs battled to a 24-22 advantage at halftime.

“We knew we could play with them if we could just guard the right people,” Beech interim head coach Troy Carnes said. “I was really proud because Station Camp came out hard and punched us in the mouth, and we took it and fought back.”

Beech came out of the break and attempted to make the game a runaway in the third quarter, scoring the first 12 points of the half before Station Camp freshman Peyton Strickland hit a 3-pointer with 3:14 remaining to halt the Lady Bison dry spell.

Fans were encouraged to wear pink to Thursday evening’s games at Station Camp as part of the school’s pink out night, benefiting cancer research. The Lady Bison wore white uniforms with pink numbers with the word, Hope, on the front.

“To go into the locker room with a lead was a big mental boost, and then, we came out in the third quarter and played really, really hard and got up,” Carnes said.

Station Camp interim head coach Jill Gregory added, “You just can’t come out flat like that (in the third quarter). The third quarter hurt us. We had opportunities. They just didn’t fall.”

Sophomore Jane Deason and freshman Olivia Delk paced the Lady Bison (8-13, 3-5) with 10 points each.

“We played a lot better tonight than the first time we played (in a 40-25 loss at Beech on Dec. 4),” Gregory said. “We just couldn’t make those shots to put them away.”

Station Camp High junior Emiline Payne shoots a jump shot over Beech sophomore Reese Taylor during third-quarter action. Payne scored eight points.

Station Camp scored eight unanswered points to trim Beech’s advantage to four (40-36) when Strickland hit two of three free-throw attempts with 6:32 remaining in regulation.

The Lady Bison drew within three points (45-42) on a free throw from sophomore LaPraysia Ward with 1:03 to play, but they were unable to get any closer. Both Smith and junior McCall Decker hit four free throws in the game’s final minute.

Decker finished with 14 points.

The victory evened the Lady Bucs district record in front of a packed gym for pink out night.

“The atmosphere was crazy,” Smith said. “We have a lot of freshmen that take the student section seriously, so we have to tell them to just block them out and play the game.”

The Lady Bison received a surprise prior to the contest as head coach Kendra Jackson sent the team a video. Jackson, who has been battling lymphoma, is not coaching this season as she recovers from a bone marrow transplant that she received from her sister, Christina MacLean, last April.

Beech High freshman Kendra Mueller battles Station Camp sophomore Jessica Hopson for a loose ball during third-quarter action.

“They know that we do this night for Kendra, and they play hard,” Gregory said. “Before the game, she sent them a video, and they got a kick out of that. They know what this game means to them and to her.”

Beech travels to Wilson Central on Tuesday, while Station Camp plays at Portland.

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

BEECH (53) – Deja Smith 23, McCall Decker 14, Reese Taylor 8, Kendra Mueller 6, Savannah Jarratt 2.

STATION CAMP (45) – Jane Deason 10, Olivia Delk 10, Emiline Payne 8, LaPraysia Ward 6, Peyton Strickland 5, Cassidy Fry 3, Jessica Hopson 3.

Half: 24-22, Beech. Three-point goals: Beech 4 (Decker 2, Taylor 2), Station Camp 6 (Deason 2, Hopson 1, Fry 1, Payne 1, Strickland 1). Records: Beech 7-14 overall, 4-4 in District 9-AAA; Station Camp 8-13, 3-5.

GALLATIN Lately, the Station Camp High boys basketball team has been in a lot of close games.

Station Camp High junior forward Kody Eden elevates for a layin as Beech senior Noah Chatman looks on during third-quarter action. Eden scored eight points in the Bison’s 58-39 victory on Thursday evening.

On Thursday evening, the Bison gave themselves some breathing room in the second quarter and maintained it, pulling away for a 58-39 victory over visiting Beech.

Station Camp (22-0 overall, 8-0 in District 9-AAA play) began the second half of the district schedule by hitting five 3-pointers in the second quarter, leading to a 29-19 lead by halftime.

After junior point guard Chase Freeman made two free throws with 3.6 seconds remaining in the first half, the Bison lead remained in double digits for the rest of the contest.

“That’s a confidence-builder for sure,” Bison senior Keaton Dotson said. “We’ve been going through a little bit of a lull with our defense. Our defense hasn’t been up to par with where we usually are, and tonight, we came out and competed hard.”

Dotson scored a game-high 13 points and was one of four Bison to connect from behind the arc in the second quarter. Junior guard Thomas Zazzaro provided two 3-pointers, while Freeman and senior Peyton Anderson also cashed in.

The Buccaneers weren’t as fortunate from long range, only hitting one 3-pointer in the game. The Bison finished with eight.

“I think the three-point shooting score was 24-3,” Beech head coach Darrin Joines said. “We had good shots too. The players played great, played hard, but we’ve just got to make some shots. We can’t score 39 points in that game.”

Beech High sophomore point guard Ty Dean dribbles around Station Camp junior Chase Freeman during fourth-quarter action. Dean scored eight points.

No Buccaneer player reached double figures as senior Caleb Walton led the team with nine points. Classmate Noah Chatman and sophomore Ty Dean scored eight points each, but the Buccaneers (12-9, 4-4) missed Walton down the stretch as he fouled out with 7:49 remaining.

The Bison had some foul trouble of their own, especially in the first half, as three of their four inside options sat on the bench in the second quarter due to their foul situations.

“We were in foul trouble,” Massey said. “We had Yalen (Reed), Kody (Eden) and Hayden (Baldwin) all with two (fouls) in the second quarter. (Sophomore Jonathan Gillard) gave us some big minutes.”

Station Camp also outscored Beech by a 15-7 margin in the fourth quarter.

Station Camp High junior Kody Eden is introduced prior to Thursday’s contest against Beech as fans wearing pink shirts cheer during the school’s Pink Out Night, benefitting cancer research.

“I thought our defensive effort was much improved tonight,” Station Camp head coach Seth Massey said. “That’s where we have got to continue to focus and get better. That was the challenge for these guys tonight – to be better on the defensive end.”

Dotson added, “We came out and just played hard. That’s what Coach (Massey) wanted us to do.”

Station Camp hosted its annual pink out night to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

Station Camp High sophomore Jonathan Gillard outraces Beech sophomore A.J. Robertson to a loose ball during second-quarter action.

With the game moved up a day from its originally-scheduled day (Friday), there was some concern about whether the game would draw a sizable crowd. However, fans of both teams showed up in droves, filling the stands nearly to capacity.

“With no school (Friday), we didn’t expect this crowd,” Dotson said. “It was big. Hopefully, this can start becoming a trend to have all those people there.”

Massey said the effort to move the game up instead of rescheduling it for later in the season wasn’t lost on him.

“I was encouraged by (principal Art Crook) and (athletic director Mark Mills) and (superintendent of schools Dr. Del Phillips),” Massey said. “They were on the phone yesterday, looking ahead and having some vision to go ahead in Sumner County and get this game out of the way tonight.”

Beech plays at Wilson Central on Tuesday, while Station Camp plays at Portland.

The Station Camp High student section raises their hands as junior Hayden Baldwin (31) attempts a free throw during third-quarter action. Fans were encouraged to wear pink as part of the school’s pink out night in order to raise awareness and raise funds for cancer research.

“We’re a different team than we were in round one,” Joines said. “There’s a lot of basketball to play.”

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

BEECH (39) – Caleb Walton 9, Noah Chatman 8, Ty Dean 8, Nelson Smith 6, A.J. Roberson 5, Ben Buhrow 3.

STATION CAMP (58) – Keaton Dotson 13, Chase Freeman 12, Kody Eden 8, Yalen Reed 8, Hayden Baldwin 6, Thomas Zazzaro 6, Peyton Anderson 3, Sawyer Taylor 2.

Half: 29-19, Station Camp. Three-point goals: Beech 1 (Robertson 1), Station Camp 8 (Dotson 3, Zazzaro 2, Anderson 1, Freeman 1, Reed 1). Records: Beech 12-9 overall, 4-4 in District 9-AAA; Station Camp 22-0, 8-0.

Brentwood sophomore Brodey Hasty won the Class AAA state cross country meet in 2015.

Brentwood High sophomore Brodey Hasty has been named as the Gatorade Male Runner of the Year for the state of Tennessee, as announced by USA Today.

Hasty won the Class AAA state title this season, finishing the state meet in 15:35.09, running 15 seconds faster than his second-place finish of 2014.

He helped the Bruins capture the team title after finishing runner-up a year ago. Hasty also won the Nike Cross Nationals Southeast Regional meet and qualified for Nationals and won the MSCCA Midstate Championships. Hasty also was The Tennessean 2014 boys cross country runner of the year as a freshman.

He was The Tennessean’s All-Midstate Runner of the Year for the second straight year.

Here’s the Gatorade runners of the year by state:

http://usatodayhss.com/2016/2015-16-gatorade-state-boys-cross-country-runners-of-the-year

While the individual championships went on as scheduled Friday at Smyrna Bowling Center, the team portion of the 2016 Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association state bowling tournament has been postponed due to the several inches of snowfall throughout Middle Tennessee.

TSSAA logo

All other high school sporting events are expected to be canceled as well, including Friday night’s basketball schedule. Some make-up dates have been announced, many others will be announced at a later date.

The semifinal and quarterfinal rounds for both Division I and Division II, which were originally slated to start Friday afternoon, have been pushed back to Saturday.

The Division I and Division II boys quarterfinals are now set to begin Saturday at noon, while the girls will follow at 2:30 p.m. The boys and girls semifinals for both classifications will start at 5.

The championship rounds are scheduled for Sunday at 9 a.m.

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

Two-time defending Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Division I boys individual bowling champion Cole Flatt was denied the opportunity at a three-peat.

Columbia Central bowling coach Mike Ransom

His little brother Luke Flatt, however, managed to keep it in the family Friday at Smyrna Bowling Center by claiming the 2016 title with a 58-pin victory over teammate and top-seeded Jon Colbaugh, making it three in a row for the Flatt family.

“I definitely wanted to keep it in the family,” Luke Flatt said. “(Cole) not being able to bowl this year I thought was kind of a crummy deal. I was real proud of being able to do that, and I think everybody is pretty proud of me.”

Luke Flatt, who entered Friday’s finals as the No. 2 seed, began the day by knocking off third-seeded Josh Meeke of Smyrna, 178-167, before moving on to capture a 246-188 championship win over the runner-up Colbaugh.

“It helped with the nervousness a little bit,” Flatt said of bowling against his senior teammate. “I’ve been bowling with Jon every day for the last two years so bowling with him in the state finals just kind of relaxed me a little bit. I think I had more fun.”

Hardin County’s Sayvon Pipes finished fourth, Lipscomb Academy’s Chase Ford landed in fifth and McMinn County’s Logan Teague rounded out the finalists.

“I think it’s two-fold,” Columbia coach Mike Ransom said of his squad’s success in the individual portion of the tournament. “I think it helps our confidence and I think it sends a message to the rest of the field.”

The quarterfinals of the team portion, which were set to begin Friday afternoon, have been postponed until Saturday at noon – a result of the several inches of snowfall throughout Middle Tennessee. Tthe semifinals to follow at 5 p.m., while the championship rounds are now scheduled for Sunday at 9 a.m.

Columbia Central bowler denied three-peat opportunity

D-I girls: Siegel’s Danielle Jedlicki came up a couple pins shy of upsetting two-time defending champion Ashley Channell of Hardin County.

Instead, Channell captured her third straight title by way of a roll off, edging the Lady Stars’ freshman standout 190-189.

“I’ve seen it close, but not tied before,” said Jedlicki, who said she knew the tiebreaker was a two-frame roll off.

Jedlicki, who entered Friday’s finals as the No. 3 seed, defeated fourth-place Summer Napper of Hardin County (185-169) and third-place Jada Horn of Germantown (200-168) to reach the championship match.

“I wanted to win,” Jedlicki added. “I’m cool with what I got because Ashley and I are good friends.”

Siegel senior Sydney Jahns, who suffered a 169-167 loss to Napper, finished in fifth, while Sevier County’s McKenna Shaffer rounded out the finalists.

Friendship Christian senior Donny Turner

D-II boys:Friendship Christian senior Donny Turner took care of business Friday, securing his second consecutive Division II individual title with a 185-150 win over Christian Brothers’ Bradley Pounds.

“I was so excited,” Turner said. “I felt like I kind of deserved it because I was No.1 and had been bowling so well this entire season. It was more of a relief thing, and I just started laughing at the end because I was happy.”

Fellow Midstate competitors Ensworth’s Sam Alcott and Friendship Christian’s Luke Shoulders finished in fifth and sixth, respectively, while No. 3 Jay Moorfield of McCallie and No. 4 Ben Murphy of St. Benedict also reached the finals.

DII-girls: St. Agnes’ Caroline Conrad captured the Division II girls championship with a 167-137 win over freshman teammate Grace Becker.

Friendship Christian’s Brice Dabbs, who finished in fourth, along with fifth-place finisher Sarah Gould of Pope John Paul II, were the only two Midstate finalists.

Team’s dismissal motivates JPII’s Gould to make finals

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

Here’s a look at the top boys basketball teams in Middle Tennessee, as ranked by The Tennessean:

Blackman’s Cedriontis Wilson is averaging a team-leading 15.1 points per game this season.

10. Maplewood (14-3) — Junior swingman Bo Hodges is among the Midstate leaders in scoring (23.1 ppg), rebounding (15.3 rpg) and assists (8.8 apg) for the 10-AA leading Panthers. Last week: No. 10. Streak: Won 2.

9. Lebanon (16-3) — The Blue Devils, led by senior Kobe Neuble’s 16.3 points per game this month, have strung together three straight District 9-AAA wins since losing to Station Camp on Jan. 8. Last week: No. 9. Streak: Won 3.

8. White County (18-0) — The Warriors, one of just six remaining unbeaten boys teams in the state, have won 12 of their first 18 games by 16 points or more. Last week: No. 8. Streak: Won 18.

7. Ensworth (15-3) — The Tigers, sitting at 2-2 in East/Middle Region play, had their three-game winning streak snapped Thursday, suffering a 72-62 defeat to third-place Pope John Paul II. Last week: No. 6. Streak: Lost 1.

6. Oakland (16-2) — In coach Troy Bond’s first season, the Patriots, one game back of rival Blackman in 7-AAA, are just two victories away from tying last year’s win total of 18. Last week: No. 7. Streak: Won 2.

5. Cane Ridge (16-1) — The Ravens, who own a two-game lead over rival Antioch in District 12-AAA, have reeled off seven straight wins since suffering an 11-point setback to unbeaten Blackman on Dec. 29. Last week: No. 5. Streak: Won 7.

4. Independence (18-1) — The Eagles, winners of 10 in a row, managed to remain unbeaten in District 11-AAA Tuesday, grinding out a 48-40 win at rival Summit. Last week: No. 3. Streak: Won 10. 

3. Station Camp (22-0) — Junior guard Chase Freeman is averaging 18.6 points in his past four games, including a 29-point effort in the unbeaten Bison’s 75-68 win over Gallatin on Jan. 19. Last week: No. 4. Streak: Won 22.

2. Brentwood Acad. (17-1) — Junior Jeremiah Oatsvall finished with 24 points in Tuesday’s 64-50 triumph over McCallie, while sophomore teammates Darius Garlund (15 points) and Cam Johnson (10) also scored in double figures. Last week: No. 2. Streak: Won 5. 

1. Blackman (19-0) — Blaze seniors Cedriontis Wilson and Deonte’ Alley have shot a combined 43.5 percent (71-of-163) from beyond the 3-point line this season. Last week: No. 1. Streak: Won 18.

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

Here’s a look at the top girls basketball teams in Middle Tennessee, as ranked by The Tennessean:

Junior Bria Dial (right) has helped Brentwood Academy to the No. 3 ranking in this week’s Midstate Top 10.

10. FRA (15-2) — The Lady Panthers gained sole possession of first place in Division I-A East/Middle Region District 2 with Tuesday’s 66-61 win over fellow two-loss squad Ezell-Harding. Last week: No. 10. Streak: Won 4.

9. East Nashville (16-2) — The Lady Eagles have reeled off 11 straight wins since suffering their only district defeat of the season — a 57-56 Dec.11 loss to Lipscomb, whom they are tied with atop the 10-AA standings. Last week: No. 9. Streak: Won 11.

8. Dickson County (18-3) — Lady Cougars guard Emily Beard has scored 49 points in her past two outings, including a 26-point effort in Thursday’s 64-44 win over Summit, and the 5-foot-6 junior has knocked down 12 3-pointers in that stretch. Last week: No. 8. Streak: Won 2. 

7. Rossview (18-1) — At 7-0 in district play, the Lady Hawks, in the midst of an eight-game winning streak, are one game up on Henry County in the race for a 10-AAA regular-season title. Last week: No. 7. Streak: Won 8.   

6. Oakland (16-3) — Ole Miss signee Shelby Gibson is averaging 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for the Lady Patriots, whose three losses have come against No. 3 Brentwood Academy (51-49), No. 2 Riverdale (63-52) and No. 1 Blackman (60-59). Last week: No. 6. Streak: Won 4

5. Wilson Central (19-0) — The Lady Wildcats kept up their winning ways last week, topping rival Mt. Juliet 46-31 behind senior Kendall Spray’s 26-point performance, marking Wilson Central’s first win over the rival Lady Golden Bears since 2011. Last week: No. 5. Streak: Won 19. 

4. Father Ryan (17-0) — The Lady Irish, ranked atop Division II in last week’s Associated Press rankings, will square off with fellow East/Middle Region unbeaten Brentwood Academy on Friday. Last week: No. 4. Streak: Won 17.

3. Brentwood Acad. (15-4) — While the Lady Eagles have the most losses of any team on this list, they’ve also played arguably as tough a non-league schedule as any team in the state. Last week: No. 3. Streak: Won 1. 

2. Riverdale (19-1) — The wintry weather made the one-loss Warriors wait a little longer for their highly anticipated rematch with 7-AAA rival Blackman, though the two are set to square off at 7:30 p.m. Monday. Last week: No. 2. Streak: Won 12. 

1. Blackman (19-2) — After capturing a pair of impressive wins over out-of-state foes at last weekend’s Music City MLK Roundball Classic, the top-ranked Lady Blaze scored its most lopsided victory of the season — a 56-16 triumph over La Vergne on Tuesday. Last week: No. 1. Streak: Won 7. 

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

Bowling pins and machine

The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) has set the times for the state team bowling tournament that was postponed from Friday and Saturday.

The tournament is slated to begin on Friday at Smyrna Bowling Center at 11 a.m. with the boys’ quarterfinals in Division I and Division II, to be followed by the girls’ quarterfinal matches in both divisions at 1:30 p.m.

The semifinals are scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday, with all championship matches slated for 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The bracket for the Division I matches will be set by a blind draw with teams from the same region on opposite sides of the bracket. In Division II, seeds will be determined by the teams’ finish in the regular season.

The new brackets with lane assignments is scheduled to be posted on the TSSAA website by noon Tuesday.

Admission to the tournament is $8 on Friday and $10 on Saturday.

The Associated Press’ Top 10 teams in each of Tennessee’s three Division I non-financial aid classifications and in the combined Division II financial aid classification as selected by Tennessee AP-member sportswriters and broadcasters. With first-place votes in parentheses, records through January 25, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote:

AP high school basketball rankings

Boys

CLASS AAA
School Record Pts Prv
1. Memphis East (10) 17-1 145 2
2. Blackman (5) 19-0 138 1
3. Station Camp 22-0 105 4
4. Germantown 20-1 92 3
5. White County 18-0 79 6
6. David Crockett 18-4 77 5
7. Oak Ridge 22-2 69 7
8. Cordova 18-3 54 8
9. Independence 18-1 37 9
10. Cane Ridge 16-1 23 10
Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

CLASS AA
School Record Pts Prv
1. Jackson South Side (15) 16-0 150 2
2. Fulton 17-1 127 1
3. Ripley 18-5 109 3
4. Chattanooga Central 13-1 107 5
5. East Nashville 17-4 77 7
6. Maplewood 14-3 61 8
6. Upperman 16-4 61 4
8. Westview 14-3 50 9
9. Obion County 15-4 27 10
10. Knoxville Catholic 14-3 14 NR
Others receiving 12 or more points: Cascade 12.

CLASS A
School Record Pts Prv
1. Halls (11) 19-0 146 1
2. Mitchell (3) 18-5 131 2
3. Clay County (1) 20-1 119 3
4. Union City 18-4 102 4
5. Huntland 19-2 94 5
6. Meigs County 18-3 76 6
7. MAHS 11-2 46 7
8. Van Buren County 16-3 44 8
9. Middleton 13-4 29 9
10. Hampton 13-6 12 NR
Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

DIVISION II
School Record Pts Prv
1. Christian Brothers (15) 20-0 150 1
2. Brentwood Acad. 17-1 135 2
3. McCallie 18-3 103 3
4. Briarcrest 19-4 99 5
5. Ensworth 15-3 73 4
6. USJ 17-5 68 6
7. Pope John Paul II 16-4 67 7
8. Knoxville Webb 15-6 63 8
9. St. George’s 9-6 31 9
10. Father Ryan 10-8 15 10
Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

The Tennessean Midstate boys basketball top 10
The Tennessean Midstate girls basketball top 10

Girls

CLASS AAA
School Record Pts Prv
1. Blackman (15) 18-2 150 1
2. Riverdale 19-1 130 2
3. Memphis Central 22-0 114 3
4. Wilson Central 19-0 98 5
5. Morristown West 19-2 95 4
6. Oakland 15-3 75 7
7. Dyer County 18-2 50 9
8. Memphis Overton 12-1 35 10
9. Cumberland County 14-3 30 NR
10. Bearden 17-4 20 6
Others receiving 12 or more points: White County 15.

CLASS AA
School Record Pts Prv
1. Elizabethton (15) 20-0 150 1
2. McMinn Central 17-2 129 2
3. Westview 18-2 118 3
4. Upperman 20-2 111 4
5. Westmoreland 17-2 88 5
6. Lexington 16-3 68 8
7. Livingston Academy 15-6 40 6
8. Grainger 15-6 37 10
8. Gatlinburg-Pittman 15-4 24 7
10. Greeneville 16-4 15 NR
Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

CLASS A
School Record Pts Prv
1. Middleton (12) 18-0 146 1
2. Gibson County (2) 22-0 133 2
3. Pickett County (1) 17-1 112 3
4. South Greene 21-3 111 4
5. Meigs County 16-2 76 5
5. Jackson County 15-3 76 6
7. Dresden 16-3 57 7
8. Community 17-2 55 8
9. MTCS 16-4 27 9
10. Huntland 17-5 10 NR
Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

DIVISION II
School Record Pts Prv
1. Father Ryan (13) 17-0 148 1
2. Brentwood Acad. (2) 15-4 134 2
3. USJ 20-1 118 3
4. FRA 15-2 102 4
5. Northpoint 17-1 92 5
6. St. Benedict 14-4 74 6
7. Baylor 15-5 62 7
8. Harpeth Hall 13-4 36 9
9. Ezell-Harding 16-2 34 8
10. Harding Academy 14-4 22 10
Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

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

Tori Harrison, 15, adjusts her headgear before a wrestling match against Greenbrier High School at the Tennessee School For The Blind, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.

The Tennessee School For The Blind wrestling team huddles up after a wrestling match at the Tennessee School For The Blind Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.

Tennessee School For The Blind’s Avery Mayberry, top, pins Greenbrier’s Jaden Burns in the 120-pound match during a wrestling match at the Tennessee School For The Blind Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.

Tennessee School For The Blind’s Avery Mayberry, top, pins Greenbrier’s Jaden Burns in the 120-pound match during a wrestling match at the Tennessee School For The Blind Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.

The Tennessee School For The Blind wrestling team huddles up after a wrestling match at the Tennessee School For The Blind Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.

Tori Harrison, 15, adjusts her headgear before a wrestling match against Greenbrier High School at the Tennessee School For The Blind, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.

The Tennessee School For The Blind wrestling team huddles up after a match at TSB on Jan. 12.

From endurance to rigid dieting to mastering new techniques and moves, wrestling requires dedication.

It’s even more demanding when you’re not able see your opponent.

If you were to stop by the Tennessee School for the Blind on a Monday or Wednesday afternoon for practice, you would see that dedication in action.

TSB features a coed program that allows visually impaired students in grades 7-12 to participate in high school wrestling as a part of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. The wrestling program has existed since the early 1960s. The school was formed in 1844.

“Wrestling has a long history with individuals who are blind or visually impaired,” said Jay Humphreys, second-year TSB wrestling coach and former wrestler for Donelson Christian Academy. “So it lends itself well to it and it teaches you a lot of skills that are needed for visual impairments.”

Tennessee School for the Blind’s Avery Mayberry, top, pins Greenbrier’s Jaden Burns in a 120-pound match at TSB on Jan. 12.

The TSB is part of the North Central Association of Schools for the Blind, which is made up of 13 schools that provide visually impaired students the chance to compete in wrestling, cheerleading, swimming and goalball, which involves a rubber ball with bells and is similar in scoring style to soccer.

In addition to wrestling other schools for the visually impaired, TSB more often wrestles local schools and has produced 14 TSSAA individual state champions, the most recent in 1969 (Joe Roberts, 119-pound division).

“We only wrestle blind students maybe three or four times a year,” Humphreys said.

Facing the competition 

Not being able to see the person you’re squaring off with understandably has its challenges.

“You’re going out there blind,” DCA wrestling coach Ryan Pendergrass said. “There’s no other way to say it. You’re going out there not knowing what you’re going to get into.”

Without being able to see their opponent, visually impaired wrestlers find help from a rule adjustment.

“There’s this rule that says you can’t break contact, and that helps,” TSB sophomore wrestler Carlos Medrano said. “Because if you break contact, you don’t know where the opponent is or where he is going to go.”

That rule really levels the playing field, according to Medrano.

“On the mat, you really don’t know if they can see or not,” he said. “You’re not going to break contact so it all comes down to what you know and what you don’t know.”

But just because a wrestler can see, it doesn’t necessarily give him the upper hand.

“I went out there once and I thought I might just be able to get the guy in a headlock,” DCA freshman wrestler James Geiger said. “But he was faster than I anticipated and he had me on the ground before I knew what was happening.”

“People that are sighted can also mess up and get in a weird position that requires more energy to get out of,” Medrano said. “Sight doesn’t really matter. It all comes down to skill.”

And without the ability to clearly see their opponent, visually impaired wrestlers must rely on other instincts.

“It’s more of a feeling,” said Medrano, who placed first in this year’s TSB/DCA Invitational Tournament in the 126-pound division. He placed third in the 113-pound division at last year’s NCASB Conference Championships.

“I don’t know what he’s going to do so it’s more about how your opponent feels. If an opponent is right in front of you and you feel him go down to shoot for a leg and take you down, your natural instinct is to try to sprawl and kick your leg back.”

Tori Harrison, 15, adjusts her headgear before a wrestling match against Greenbrier High School at TSB on Jan. 12.

Something for everyone

As far as the reasons they choose to wrestle, each has a different answer.

“Anytime we have meets and get to stay on a campus over the weekend to wrestle other schools, that’s great,” TSB sophomore wrestler Garrett Meeks said. “I like that because growing up we never went out of the state, we barely went out of the county, and it’s an experience just going out to other states.”

Some, like freshman wrestler Tori Harrison, enjoy wrestling to let out possible frustrations from a tough day at school.

“You get to hurt a lot of people,” she said with a laugh.

Having tried cheerleading, Harrison said wrestling is more her style.

“I did cheerleading last year and we got first place,” she said. “But I didn’t really like it. I’m more of a tomboy.”

Medrano loves the excitement that comes during matches.

“It was just really cool with the atmosphere,” he said. “I loved it.”

School culture

That atmosphere is one created out of the TSB’s dedication to wrestling, and the support from parents and fans.

“They’ve really built the program up and created a culture of wrestling that’s very helpful for a new coach like me,” Humphreys said. “Here at Tennessee School for the Blind, wrestling is every other school’s football. Our top athletes wrestle, so all the hype goes into wrestling as far as pep rallies and that type of thing.”

That support and culture has led some students to take an interest in wrestling after previously having no interest in athletics.

“My best friends are wrestlers,” said Meeks, who finished second in this season’s TSB/DCA Invitational Tournament in the 220-pound division after finishing second in the NCASB Conference Championships in the 160-pound division last season. He didn’t gain 60 pounds in a year (more like 30 pounds over approximately 18 months), but the gap in weight divisions forced him to compete in a heavier class.

“I didn’t really like it when I first started but I stuck with it because all of my friends wanted me to. Once I got my endurance up and began to learn more and more things I started to really like it and get into it.”

Once into wrestling, visually impaired athletes can use the sport as a means to learn life lessons that will benefit them long after they’ve left the mat.

“There’s no better allegory for life than wrestling,” Humphreys said. “You get out there and it’s only you on the mat. You don’t get any timeouts and you don’t get to lean on anybody else.”

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

Columbia Central’s Cole Flatt

As a result of last week’s snowfall, participants in the Tennessee State Secondary School Athletic Association state team bowling tournament were forced a wait few extra days to conclude their quests for a 2016 state title.

For Columbia Central junior Cole Flatt, those handful of days haven’t been all that agonizing.

“It feels great being able to bowl now,” said Flatt. “I’m just thankful that the team got this far so I can bowl. Regardless of whether I’m bowling or not, I’m sure they could do it on their own.”

Flatt was ruled ineligible to compete for the 12 months following his last TSSAA participation date (Jan. 24, 2015) after transferring from Culleoka Unit School to nearby Columbia Central this summer, and, as a result, was denied the opportunity at a third straight individual championship.

However, after last weekend’s postponement, the two-time defending Division I boys individual champion will be eligible for the team portion of the tournament, which resumes Friday at Smyrna Bowling Center.

TSSAA state bowling schedule reset
Flatt wins bowling title; team tourney delay helps brother
Columbia Central bowler denied three-peat opportunity

Quarterfinal matches for both Division I and Division II boys will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, while girls quarterfinals will follow at 1:30 p.m. Semifinal matches for all divisions are set for 4 p.m. Friday, while the championship rounds will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday.

In addition to the three-time defending champion Lions, Dobyns-Bennett, Cherokee, Smyrna, Hendersonville, Lebanon, Hardin County and Bartlett will also be among the eight-team tournament field in boys Division I.

Siegel, Franklin and White House will represent the Midstate in Division I girls action, joining Dobyns-Bennett, Hardin Valley, Rhea Count, Hardin County and Dyer County.

On the Division II boys side, two-time defending champion Friendship Christian will be joined by McCallie, Father Ryan, Donelson Christian Academy, Montgomery Bell Academy, St. Benedict, Christian Brothers and Memphis University School, while Girls Preparatory School, Harpeth Hall, Friendship Christian, Father Ryan, St. Agnes, St. Benedict and St. Mary’s will make up the Division II girls tournament field.

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

Matt Kriesky has been named the head football coach at Centennial High School

Former Forrest football coach Matt Kriesky has been hired as the football coach at Centennial.

Matt Kriesky was hired as Centennial’s next head football coach on Tuesday.

Kriesky, who compiled a 17-6 record in two seasons at Forrest, replaces Brian Rector, who resigned in mid-December, less than one month after leading the Cougars to a 12-2 record and a Class 5A semifinal finish — the  best in the program’s 19-year history.

“I was fortunate enough to come here for the quarterfinal game against Henry County,” said Kriesky, who is originally from Henry County. “I just saw the atmosphere here and it drew me in, especially when I found out (the job) was open.

“I was at Oakland for a long time, and I just missed the atmosphere of the bigger schools.”

The 33-year-old Kriesky, who guided the Rockets to a 10-2 record and a Class 2A semifinal berth a season ago, served as an assistant at Class 6A Oakland from 2007-2012 before being hired as Forrest’s defensive coordinator in 2013.

He was promoted to head coach of the Rockets following Brian Coleman’s departure to Summit in 2014.

“We are excited to have Coach Matt Kriesky at Centennial to build upon the great football tradition that has been established here,” Centennial principal Leigh Webb said. “He’s had great experience working in winning programs at Oakland and Forrest and is a great fit for our community. We can’t wait to see the success that awaits our young men under his leadership.”

“He’ll begin working with the kids as soon as possible,” added Centennial athletic director Wade Privett. “We hope to have him in the building full time within the next couple of weeks, but all that hasn’t been completely worked out yet.”

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

Former Blackman receiver Ronnie Killings is transferring from Navy to Tennessee State.

Former Blackman standout Ronnie Killings is transferring from the Navy to Tennessee State.

Coach Rod Reed said Killings, who was a two-year starter at wide receiver and in the secondary at Blackman, already is enrolled at TSU and will go through spring practice with the Tigers.

“We recruited him out of high school, and I think it came down to us and the Naval Academy,” Reed said. “He and his teammates (Charlie Davidson and Quentin Hardy) went up to the Naval Academy. He wanted to come back this way. He had some personal reasons why he wanted be back this way, so it was great for us to get him back, and we think he’s going to be a great addition to us on the offensive side of the ball.”

Killings (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) also had an offer coming out of high school from Air Force.

He redshirted this past season at Navy meaning he has four seasons of eligibility left.

Killings helped Blackman post a 22-5 record during his junior and senior seasons, which included the Blaze’s first Class 6A semifinal appearance in 2013 and a District 7-AAA championship in 2014.

As a senior he had 27 catches for a team-high 803 yards and 11 touchdowns, including three of which came on special teams.

Killings had 52 career catches for a school-record 1,225 receiving yards.

Summers joining Tigers: Reed also said former Springfield defensive tackle Terrence Summers will transfer to TSU after spending the last three seasons at Hutchison Community College in Kansas.

The 6-foot-2, 314-pound Summers redshirted his first season at the junior college.

Summers recorded a total of 39 tackles this past season including 7.5 for losses, 3.5 sacks, recovered a fumble and forced a fumble.

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

Ravenwood’s Elon Smallwood attempts a basket while being guarded by Patrick Murphy of Independence.

Ravenwood’s Elon Smallwood attempts a basket while being guarded by Patrick Murphy of Independence during their game at Ravenwood Tuesday January 26, 2016.

Malcom Walker of Independence eyes the basket while being guarded by Ravenwood’s Zack Tudeen.

Independence and Ravenwood played a style of basketball Tuesday night that would have made longtime North Carolina men’s basketball coach Dean Smith — master of the four-corners offense — proud.

Both offenses held the ball for a majority of the game and shots were few and far between, but the Eagles eventually emerged with a 29-22 win over the host Raptors.

“I’ve never even seen or been a part of something like that,” Independence’s Patrick Murphy said. “It was just a whole new experience for us.”

Ravenwood (11-9, 3-4 11-AAA) immediately began holding the ball to try to keep Independence (19-1, 7-0) from finding its groove on offense.

The Eagles made the most of their limited possessions and held a 7-4 lead after one quarter, however.

“We put that in yesterday,” Ravenwood coach Patrick Whitlock said. “We thought that would be effective based on film we had seen of them and it was effective for a large majority of the game.”

Ravenwood got what it wanted in the second quarter as Independence attempted to adjust to the stalling style of play. Case Bouldin scored nine consecutive Raptor points with three 3-pointers, but the Eagles took a 15-13 lead into halftime.

Bouldin finished with a game-high 11 points while Murphy led the Eagles with nine.

With just a two-point lead to start the second half, Independence decided to give the Raptors a taste of their own medicine by slowing the game down.

“We’ve had teams do that to us before so we tried to turn the table,” Independence coach Greg Glass said. “Let’s just hold it outside and make them come play defense on us now.”

The result was a four-point third quarter in which Ravenwood’s John Thompson sunk a free throw and Independence’s Pierre Watkins hit a 3-pointer to give the Eagles a 18-14 lead going into the fourth.

Independence closed out the game with a relatively explosive 11-point fourth while holding Ravenwood to nine — and did so with an exclamation point as Malcolm Walker dunked the ball right before time expired.

Ravenwood 43, Independence 41: The Independence Lady Eagles led for most of the game at Ravenwood and was up by as much as six late, but Kiera Downey was fouled and sank two free throws with 3.7 seconds left on the clock to give the Lady Raptors the win.

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

PORTLAND Over the last decade, the meetings between the Portland High and Station Camp High girls basketball programs have been one-sided.

Portland senior guard Erica Keen elevates for a layin in front of Station Camp sophomore Carolyn Fitch during first-quarter action. Keen scored seven points.

On Tuesday evening, the other side won.

Portland broke a 24-game losing streak to the visiting Lady Bison, outscoring Station Camp by an 18-5 margin in the fourth quarter to secure a 59-42 victory.

The Lady Panthers (12-9 overall, 5-4 in District 9-AAA) opened the final period with a 10-0 run after sophomore point guard Rachel Jennings ended the third quarter by hitting a 45-foot shot to give Portland a 41-36 lead.

“I practice them, not that they go in or anything like that though,” Jennings – who finished with eight points – said.

Portland head coach Miranda Cravens added, “I feel like that was the turning point. I think it might have been God giving us a little nudge. It’s also tough for the other team when that happens, because it takes the breath out of you when that happens.”

Station Camp High sophomore Sydney Creager dribbles past Portland senior Cristina Herrera during second-quarter action.

Jennings’ lengthy shot came six seconds after Station Camp junior Emiline Payne pulled the Lady Bison within two points on a layin.

Senior Alyssa Chatmon scored seven of the first 10 points of the fourth quarter, and the Lady Panthers were content with playing keep-away for the more than two minutes.

Station Camp (8-14, 3-6) failed to score for the first 6:07 of the final period, until Payne broke the drought with a 3-pointer. Payne led the Lady Bison with 14 points.

“When you don’t have help-side (defense) and you get girls driving straight to the basket, that affects us offensively trying to get that momentum back from that shot,” Station Camp interim head coach Jill Gregory said.

The Lady Bison led by as many as eight points (12-4) in the first quarter and held the advantage for the majority of the first half, until senior Cristina Herrera chipped in her first points of the game with 3:40 left in the half.

Portland senior Alyssa Chatmon dribbles around a screen set by junior Mackenzie Trouten during first-quarter action. Chatmon scored 13 points in the Lady Panthers’ 59-42 victory.

“I feel like, in the first quarter, we had a lot of jitters,” Cravens said. “Once we got into the rhythm of the game and seeing what was open, we got more relaxed.”

Herrera scored the final eight points of the first half, giving the Lady Panthers a 26-22 lead at the break. She tossed in a game-high 18 points, including four 3-pointers.

“When she starts hitting those threes, it usually gets everybody going,” Cravens said. “It usually gets her going too, because it seems like she plays better defense when she’s hitting.”

Portland held Station Camp scoreless for the final 4:09 of the first half, while the Lady Panthers embarked on what turned out to be a 10-0 run after junior forward Makenzie Trouten scored the first four points of the third quarter. The Lady Panthers held a 30-22 at that point and never trailed again.

“It was weird … I told them before the game that basketball is a game of runs and Station Camp usually has big runs because they have such good shooters,” Cravens said. “We just had to keep bouncing back with our runs and not give up.”

Station Camp High junior Emiline Payne maneuvers into the lane against Portland sophomore Taylor Cole during second-quarter action. Payne scored 14 points.

Portland kept Station Camp sophomore point guard Jane Deason in check, limiting her to three points (none after the first quarter).

“They did that last time too,” Gregory said. “We were able to still capitalize, but not this time.”

Portland put together runs of 12, 10 and eight points in the game.

“We just didn’t play defense,” Gregory said.

Portland’s last victory over Station Camp prior to Tuesday’s triumph came on Jan. 10, 2006, when the Lady Panthers claimed a 42-38 victory at home.

The win moved the Lady Panthers two games ahead of Station Camp in the District 9-AAA standings. A win would have given Station Camp the head-to-head tiebreaker over Portland, pushing the Lady Bison into fourth place.

Portland High junior forward Mackenzie Trouten dribbles as Station Camp sophomore Jessica Hopson defends during first-quarter action. Trouten scored 11 points.

Portland hosts Mt. Juliet on Friday, while Station Camp hosts Hendersonville.

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

STATION CAMP (42) – Emiline Payne 14, Jessica Hopson 9, LaPraysia Ward 7, Olivia Delk 6, Jane Deason 3, Carolyn Fitch 3.

PORTLAND (59) – Cristina Herrera 18, Alyssa Chatmon 13, Mackenzie Trouten 11, Rachel Jennings 8, Erica Keen 7, Taylor Cole 2.

Half: 26-22, Portland. Three-point goals: Station Camp 6 (Hopson 3, Deason 1, Fitch 1, Payne 1), Portland 5 (Herrera 4, Jennings 1). Records: Station Camp 8-14 overall, 3-6 in District 9-AAA; Portland 12-9, 5-4.

PORTLAND The Station Camp High boys basketball team had four days off since its last game due to inclement weather, but the Bison didn’t let the layoff deter them on Tuesday evening.

Station Camp High senior forward Yalen Reed maneuvers into the lane as Portland senior Caelum Utley defends during second-quarter action. Reed scored 11 points in the Bison’s 54-29 victory.

The unbeaten Bison jumped out to a 12-2 lead over the first five minutes and never looked back, cruising to a 54-29 victory at Portland.

Station Camp (23-0 overall, 9-0 in District 9-AAA) had three players finish in double figures, led by senior forward Yalen Reed and junior forward Kody Eden with 11 points each.

The Bison last played on Thursday and had not been in school for almost a week, so the team tried to keep its practice routine as close to normal as possible.

“We came in early this morning and watched film,” Eden said. “We just basically went through what we needed to go through to get ready for the game. We haven’t been in school for a week, so it’s been a little different.”

Station Camp never trailed, leading 16-6 after one quarter and doubling the advantage (32-12) by halftime.

Portland High sophomore guard Bryce Keith dribbles as Station Camp junior Thomas Zazzaro and as Bison junior Kody Eden trails the play during second-quarter action. Keith scored 10 points.

Bison senior guard Keaton Dotson also hit double figures, scoring 10 points.

“The guys played well, and you never know coming off of a long break how they’ll respond,” Station Camp head coach Seth Massey said. “But they played hard and played with a lot of energy.”

Station Camp won the two teams’ first meeting by a 69-21 margin on Dec. 8, but the Panthers (5-17, 0-9) lost two key players in that game.

With a healthy team this time around, Panther head coach Chris Carney was encouraged by the effort.

Station Camp High senior guard Keaton Dotson shoots a jump shot as Portland sophomore Dawson Simmons looks on during second-quarter action. Dotson scored 10 points.

“I thought we played really hard,” Carney said. “We still struggled to score in some spots, but I thought, defensively, that we were really solid and really made them work.”

Massey added, “They are a different Portland team, and we knew that coming in. We were able to jump out to an early lead and build some confidence, and that’s always big.”

Panther senior forward Caelum Utley, who left the first game in the first quarter due to illness, was a focal point of the Bison defense. Station Camp limited Utley to seven points.

“He played very well,” Eden said of Utley. “He was a big presence getting rebounds, so we definitely had to prepare for him.”

Sophomore guard Bryce Keith led the Panthers with 10 points, with six of those coming in the second half.

Portland High senior guard Eric Kirk drives toward the basket as Station Camp sophomore Jonathan Gillard defends during second-quarter action. Kirk scored two points.

Station Camp outscored Portland by a 22-17 margin in the second half.

“Some of the time in the second half wasn’t exactly prime time, but holding (Station Camp) to 22 points in the second half is a pretty solid effort,” Carney said.

It will not be the only trip for the Bison to Portland this season as the Panthers are slated to host the District 9-AAA Tournament.

“We’ve always played well here, and we like playing here,” Massey said. “I know Portland will do a good job (hosting the tournament). They’ve made some improvements and done some things in the gym that are nice, and they’ll do a good job with the tournament.”

It was Portland’s 10th consecutive loss in district play, dating back to last season. The Panthers’ last district victory came on Feb. 3, 2015, a 49-44 victory at Wilson Central.

Station Camp High junior point guard Chase Freeman elevates for a jump shot as Portland senior Caelum Utley looks on during first-quarter action.

Portland hosts Mt. Juliet on Friday, while Station Camp hosts Hendersonville.

“We know what we’ve got to do to get some of these games, and the good thing about it is that we don’t have to play the No. 3-ranked team in the state every night too,” Carney said.

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

STATION CAMP (54)– Kody Eden 11, Yalen Reed 11, Keaton Dotson 10, Chase Freeman 6, Hayden Baldwin 5, Jonathan Gillard 5, Sawyer Taylor 3, Thomas Zazzaro 3.

PORTLAND (29) – Bryce Keith 10, Caelum Utley 7, Jay Crutchfield 3, Austin Hicks 3, Grant Cook 2, Luke Jones 2, Eric Kirk 2.

Half: 32-12, Station Camp. Three-point goals: Station Camp 5 (Dotson 2, Reed 1, Taylor 1, Zazzaro 1), Portland 3 (Crutchfield 1, Hicks 1, Keith 1). Records: Station Camp 23-0 overall, 9-0 in District 9-AAA; Portland 5-17, 0-9.

WHITE HOUSE Basketball is of great importance to the White House High School boys basketball players … the actual basketball that is.

“We have a new game ball,” Blue Devil junior guard Bradley Cole said. “I brought in a (Wilson) Evolution from home. We all love it … all except for (senior forward Logan) Trimmer. He complains about it sometimes.

“It’s a lot better grip. The (other) Wilsons are a hard texture. This is just soft and perfect.”

White House High freshman guard Cole Pond elevates for a second-quarter layin as Sycamore senior Lane Williams challenges. Pond scored two points.

The Evolution kept going through the net on Tuesday evening as White House had its second-best output this season offensively in an 84-72 victory over visiting Sycamore.

“We’ve kind of stopped playing at a slower pace and running sets,” Cole said. “We’re playing at a faster pace, a pick-up game. We all play pick-up together. We know what each other is going to do.”

The Blue Devils are averaging 78 points per game during their current three-game winning streak.

“We just went to less structure,” White House head coach Gary Smith said. “We’re letting the guys have some input on what they thought might help us. It’s getting late in the year, and everybody is getting tired. (The change) kind of loosened them up a bit. It got some guys back in the scoring column that weren’t in it for a while. We have more people handling the ball other than just Luke (Hopkins, the team’s senior point guard), and I think they like that.

“We think we’re headed in the right direction.”

The Blue Devils (10-9 overall, 5-2 in District 9-AA) have moved into second place in District 9-AA, having won four of their last five district contests.

“Practice is a lot more fun,” Cole said. “You have a lot more fun when you’re winning.”

White House High junior guard Bradley Cole elevates for a second-quarter shot in the lane. Cole scored 14 of his team-high 19 points in the second half of the Blue Devils’ 84-72 victory over visiting Sycamore on Tuesday evening.

White House suffered a 69-66 loss at Sycamore on Dec. 11.

“Over there, Malik (Morgan, the team’s junior forward) didn’t play in the first half very much,” Cole said. “He was on the bench in foul trouble. That hurt us, and nobody was shooting well over there. We shot pretty good tonight.”

Cole made four of the team’s 10 3-pointers on Tuesday. Two of those came during a 15-0 run to start the second half, turning a three-point deficit into a 52-40 lead.

Morgan also made a 3-pointer during the surge, and Trimmer started the third-quarter flurry with a basket.

“We all had a little conversation in the locker room,” Cole said. “Whenever we’re behind, we don’t get down.

“We all hate losing. We’ve been losers the last three or four seasons. We’re tired of it.”

The War Eagles didn’t recover as the lead never dwindled to less than 10 points the rest of the way.

White House High senior point guard Luke Hopkins releases a shot in the lane over Sycamore senior Matt Brown. Hopkins scored 16 points in the Blue Devils’ 84-72 victory on Tuesday evening.

“Part of it was that we just kind of changed our game plan,” Smith said. “Nearly all of their (first-half) points they had made were at the rim, going to the basket. We started encouraging more outside shots. Fortunately, they took them. They were getting one shot from the outside. We were getting some of those rebounds and runouts, going into a (fast) break out of that. That really helped us.”

Cole scored 14 of his team-high 19 points in the second half.

He was one of five Blue Devils to score in double figures, along with Morgan (18), Hopkins (16), Trimmer (12) and freshman guard Jared Ward (11).

Sycamore (6-10, 2-5) built a 20-10 lead midway through the first quarter, but 3-pointers from Hopkins, Ward and freshman teammate Andrew Nixon helped to comprise an 11-0 run.

White House High freshman guard Andrew Nixon shoots a first-quarter 3-pointer.

There were four lead changes in the first half.

War Eagle senior guard Matt Brown scored 12 of his game-high 32 points in the second stanza, helping his squad out to a 40-35 lead until White House freshman Cole Pond made two free throws with no time remaining in the half. Pond’s charity tosses actually started a stretch of 17 consecutive points for the Blue Devils.

Brown’s senior backcourt mate – Bailey Baker – finished with 19 points.

White House equaled last season’s win total with Tuesday’s victory.

>> The Lady Devils suffered a 73-51 loss to Sycamore, which is unbeaten in district play.

White House dropped a 61-36 contest on the Lady War Eagles’ home court during the two teams’ earlier meeting.

On Tuesday, Sycamore (14-4, 7-0) led 25-12 after one period of play and 42-24 by halftime.

Lady War Eagle sophomore forward Camryn Denney scored a team-high 20 points, and senior guard Colby Hunter and sophomore forward Caity Denney contributed 15 and 13 points, respectively.

It was Sycamore’s fourth consecutive victory, while the Lady Devils (3-13, 0-7) dropped their fourth game in a row.

Sophomore guard McKenzie Vaughn and junior forward Stephanie Palmer led White House offensively with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

White House plays at Greenbrier on Friday evening.

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

White House boys 84, Sycamore 72

SYCAMORE (72) – Matt Brown 32, Bailey Baker 19, Darius James 7, Dean Olson 4, Noah Sims 4, Craig Drenthe 2, Adam Richardson 2, Tommy Stone 2.

WHITE HOUSE (84) – Bradley Cole 19, Malik Morgan 18, Luke Hopkins 16, Logan Trimmer 12, Jared Ward 11, Andrew Nixon 3, Cole Pond 2, Bryant Reynolds 2, Zach Baldwin 1.

Half: 40-37, Sycamore. Three-point goals: Sycamore 2 (Brown 2), White House 10 (Cole 4, Morgan 3, Hopkins 1, Nixon 1, Ward 1). Records: Sycamore 6-10 overall, 2-5 in District 9-AA; White House 10-9, 5-2.

Sycamore girls 73, White House 51

SYCAMORE (73) – Camryn Denney 20, Colby Hunter 15, Caity Denney 13, Kaitlynn Wofford 9, Abi Bliss 5, Taylor Garrett 5, Alyssa Gooch 2, Evie Krantz 2, Rachel Mann 2.

WHITE HOUSE (51) – McKenzie Vaughn 13, Stephanie Palmer 11, Hailee Ellis 7, Lauren Felts 6, Bryanna Allen 5, Bailey Hutchison 5, Alyssa Armstrong 2, Cassidy Underwood 2.

Half: 42-24, Sycamore. Three-point goals: Sycamore 3 (Hunter 2, Bliss 1), White House 4 (Felts 2, Allen 1, Vaughn 1). Records: Sycamore 14-4 overall, 7-0 in District 9-AA; White House 3-13, 0-7. 

HENDERSONVILLE The Pope John Paul II High boys basketball saw a three-point lead over defending state champion Brentwood Academy in the third quarter evaporate due to a 16-0 run by the Eagles, who claimed a 76-55 victory on Tuesday evening.

“We just started turning it over and not getting back on defense,” PJP II head coach Kip Brown said. “They went on a big run. That’s the reason they’re state champs. They’re that good.”

The win improved Brentwood Academy’s record to 18-1 overall and to 5-0 in in the Division II-Class AA East/Middle Region, while the Knights fell to 17-6 overall and to 3-3 in region play.

Pope John Paul II High junior forward Matthew Galvin scored three points in Tuesday evening’s 76-55 loss to visiting Brentwood Academy.

In the first half, the two teams traded blows, racing up and down the court. Brentwood Academy took an 8-4 lead, but a bucket and a three-pointer by PJP II sophomore guard Grayson Lang put the Knights back on top at 9-8.

Brentwood Academy – which is ranked second in the Associated Press Statewide Prep Basketball Poll in Division II – reclaimed the lead at 17-13, but a 3-pointer by PJP II junior point guard Jalon Cambridge cut the deficit to 17-16 at the end of the first quarter.

It was more of the same in the second quarter. An 11-3 run by Brentwood Academy to start the second stanza pushed the Eagles’ lead to 28-19, but a 10-3 run put the Knights right back into the game, trailing at 31-29.

The two teams traded scores over the final minutes of the quarter, and the Eagles held a 35-32 lead at halftime.

The seventh-ranked Knights started the third quarter with an 8-2 run to take a 40-37 lead, but that’s when the visitors assumed control.

“We kind of hit a wall,” Brown said. “We started standing around in the third quarter. That really cost us.”

Brentwood Academy came up with several steals and turned those turnovers into points during the 16-0 run. Darius Garland, who led the Eagles with 23 points, and Jeremiah Oatsvall led the run, scoring five points each.

“We don’t typically turn the ball over a lot,” Brown said.

Brown credited Brentwood Academy’s quick, tenacious defense.

“They play really good defense, not just pressing the ball but good team defense,” Brown said. “They’re coming. They’re rotating. They’re helping. You’ve got to play strong.”

A free throw by PJP II freshman Avishai Lowery at the end of the third quarter made the score 55-45, but the Knights never got any closer.

Brown pointed out that Brentwood Academy was able to take away the PJP II inside game.

“I was disappointed in that,” Brown said. “We couldn’t get it into the post (area). We stopped trying to get it into the post. We depend on that part of our game.”

PJP II was led by Jalon Cambridge with 13 points, and his half-brother – sophomore Devan Cambridge – provided 12 points. Brown praised the efforts of the brothers.

“Jalon made a lot of big plays,” Brown said. “Grayson Lang had a good first half.”

Lang finished with 11 points, including nine before halftime.

JPII will start its second trip through region play on Saturday when the Knights play at rival Father Ryan.

“Our region’s so tough,” Brown said.

The Knights came away with a 46-43 win in their first game against Father Ryan, and Brown is expecting a similar contest on Saturday.

“(We’ll have to) grind it out,” Brown said. “You’ve just got to make more plays than them.”

>> Two-time defending state champion Brentwood Academy raced to a 70-35 win over the Lady Knights.

The second-ranked Lady Eagles remained perfect in the Division II-AA East/Middle Region, improving their record to 5-0 in league play and to 16-4 overall.

Sydne Harvey led a balanced attack for Brentwood Academy with 12 points. She was the only Brentwood Academy player to score in double figures, although 12 players scored for the Lady Eagles.

Senior forward Windee Johnson led PJP II (5-16, 1-5) with 12 points.

The Lady Knights also play at rival Father Ryan on Saturday evening.

Brentwood Academy boys 76, PJP II 55

BRENTWOOD ACADEMY (76) – Darius Garland 23, Cam Johnson 15, Jeremiah Oatsvall 11, Gavin Schoenwald 7, Tyler McNair 6, Jack McDonald 3, Blake Taylor 3, Bryce Mathews 2, Tate Pierson 2, Parker Sudekum 2, Trent Taylor 2.

PJP II (55) – Jalon Cambridge 13, Devan Cambridge 12, Grayson Lang 11, Ryan Hatten 8, Matthew Galvin 3, Jamaal Thompson 3, Jayson Brown 2, Avishai Lowery 1, Justin McMurry 1, Mitchell Sorenson 1.

Half: 35-32, Brentwood Academy. Three-point goals: Brentwood Academy 7 (Garland 3, Oatsvall 2, McDonald 1, Taylor 1), PJP II 6 (Lang 3, J. Cambridge 2, D. Cambridge 1). Records: Brentwood Academy 18-1 overall, 5-0 in the Division II-Class AA East/Middle Region; PJP II 17-6, 3-3.

Brentwood Academy girls 70, PJP II 35

BRENTWOOD ACADEMY (70) – Sydne Harvey 12, Blair Schoenwald 9, Bre Jackson 8, Bria Dial 7, Mak Wilson 6, Monet Wood 6, Maggie Brown 6, Kat Stockoff 5, Kallie Searcy 4, Morgan Louderback 3, Maddie Barnhill 2, Anne Stephens 2.

PJP II (35) – Windee Johnson 12, Callie Ryan 6, Emily Galluzzi 4, Sophie Kolbe 4, Mercedes Smith 4, Miranda Smith 3, Emily Robertson 2.

Half: 35-17, Brentwood Academy. Three-point goals: Brentwood Academy 2 (Louderback 1, Stockoff 1), PJP II 2 (Ryan 2). Records: Brentwood Academy 16-4 overall, 5-0 in the Division II-Class AA East/Middle Region; PJP II 5-16, 1-5.

Tylin Oden

Spring Hill senior quarterback Tylin Oden is once again no longer on the class of 2016 recruiting market.

Oden, who committed to Louisville last spring before withdrawing his pledge with the Cardinals earlier this month, has announced his plans to play football at Rutgers next fall.

“I would like to thank my family, friends, teammates, coaches, Spring Hill High School, and the Spring Hill community for riding with me on this long and wild journey,” Oden posted to his Twitter account on Tuesday night. “I’m excited and honored to announce that I have officially committed to Rutgers University.”

Oden amassed 2,339 yards from scrimmage and 25 total touchdowns a season ago, and the 6-foot-5, 180-pound dual-threat quarterback concluded his career with more than 4,000 yards from scrimmage and 43 total touchdowns.

Oden’s recent change of heart marks the second Midstate player to change his commitment in the days leading up to signing day Feb. 3.

On Sunday, Brentwood Academy defensive lineman Brandon Adams flipped his commitment from Vanderbilt to Georgia Tech.

Adams, a 6-foot-1, 322-pound three-star prospect and an All-Midstate first-team selection, registered 82 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble in 2015, helping lead the Eagles to a 12-1 record and a Division II-AA state championship.

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