Nashville Jr. Predators 2002 Bantam Minor goalie Ian Farrar blocks a shot by Tanner Watkins, right, during practice at Centennial Sportplex on Tuesday.

The NHL All-Stars aren’t the only outstanding hockey players in Nashville this weekend.

Some of the nation’s best youth players are coming to participate in the 2016 Jr. All-Star Tournament, which will be played Friday through Sunday at three rinks.

“The level of competition is going to be extremely high,” said Jr. Predators hockey director Jordan French, who also coaches two of the teams. “Depending on the (age division), we actually have some of the top programs from North America coming to Nashville, which is very exciting.”

In addition to six Jr. Predators teams, the Nashville Flyers and 31 out-of-area teams will compete at Ford Ice Center, Centennial Sportsplex and A-Game Sportsplex. The tournament is for ages 9-15 and is split into six age divisions.

NHL All-Star Weekend in Nashville

When officials sent out invitations they started by identifying teams — like the Jr. Predators — that are affiliated with NHL clubs.

“The hope was to drive in teams from across the country from as many NHL markets to town during the same weekend as the NHL All-Star Game,” said Ford Ice Center general manager Danny Butler. “We were very happy to be able to get 31 teams from around the country to compete with our local teams. It absolutely shows that we’re a great hockey market and it shows that the three rinks in town work well together.”

Other teams from NHL cities include the Dallas Stars Elite, Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, Florida Jr. Panthers, New York Jr. Rangers and New York Jr. Islanders, St. Louis Jr. Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, Washington Little Capitals, Colorado Rampage and the Columbus Jr. Blue Jackets.

“This is something that Atlanta did in 2005,” Butler said. “They did a smaller tournament and it really hasn’t been tried again since then. With the opening of the Ford Ice Center and with (the Predators) running the ice rink, we took this as an opportunity to invite these teams out and do something really special in conjunction with this weekend.

“It just really shows that Nashville is driving youth hockey in the city and we’re really starting to produce some great hockey players.”

NHL Fan Fair to bring games, music, fun for whole family

Each of the age divisions will begin play at 8 a.m. Friday at the three rinks and continue through 8 p.m. Play continues from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and wraps up with championship games at noon Sunday.

The Jr. Predators have only been around for six years, while some other programs in the tournament are more established.

“It will vary according to birth year (of the player),” French said. “For example, our 2004 birth year team competed in the NHL Cup, which is a lot of similar teams, and our record was 3-2. So we will be competitive in some of the divisions and it will be a little bit more of a challenge in the others.”

Jeffrey Stanton, 14, a freshman at Blackman High School, has been in the Jr. Predators program since it began and has watched it improve each year as more players got involved.

“When we first started no one even knew we had a team,” Stanton said. “Now everyone is starting to notice us because the program is becoming bigger and bigger. We’ve gotten more skilled players to join over the years and the players who have been in the program have improved.”

Nashville’s NHL All-Star Weekend 2016

All of the teams in the tournament are guaranteed to play at least five games, and none of the games will conflict with NHL All-Star Game events on Saturday and Sunday. Each junior player was given the opportunity to purchase priority tickets for the All-Star events.

“We sold between 300 and 400 tickets (to the All-Star Game) by December,” Butler said. “And for those who didn’t buy tickets we will invite them to watch the game together at (Bridgestone Winter Park next to Bridgestone Arena).”

Admission is free for all the tournament games. Butler expects there to be plenty of spectators.

“A lot of the families of the players on the other teams are coming to make a vacation out of this,” he said. “You don’t necessarily see that with most tournaments, but they’re doing it with this one since it’s in Nashville and we’re a destination city. Their sisters, their brothers, their mothers, their fathers and their grandparents are coming for this one where usually it’s just dad and mom who come along.”

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

Nashville Jr. Predators 2002 Bantam Minor coach Harlan Pratt talks to his players during practice at Centennial Sportplex on Tuesday.

2016 Jr. All-Star Tournament

When: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 7 a.m. to  5 p.m. Saturday, noon Sunday

Where: Ford Ice Center, Centennial Sportsplex, A-Game Sportsplex

Admission: Free

More information: Call 615-742-4399

Those who officiate “interscholastic athletic events” would have to undergo criminal background checks under a new bill pending before the Tennessee General Assembly.

The Tennessee State Senate recently introduced a bill that would make background checks a requirement for those who officiate "interscholastic athletic events."

The proposal, SB 2118, would require “referees or officiates of interscholastic athletic events to submit to a criminal background investigation and provide a fingerprint sample.”

It’s unclear which age groups’ athletic officials would be affected.

The bill comes on the heels of a similar Nov. 12 decision by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Board of Control, which voted unanimously to require background checks for all officials before being allowed to register with the organization.

The issue of background checks came to light in September when the TSSAA suspended former official Kyle Gill following an incident with a Glencliff player.

Gill collided with Glencliff senior defensive back Malcom Easley and deemed the hit on him to be “malicious” when asked by a reporter.

Following Gill’s comments on the incident, the TSSAA suspended him when the organization discovered he had not fully disclosed his criminal history when being vetted for the job.

In 2007, Gill, now 36, pleaded no contest to charges of attempted statutory rape and aggravated criminal trespass, according to Rutherford County court records obtained by The Tennessean.

Gill was sentenced to probation and was ordered to “not take any job with any school system while on probation” in Rutherford County.

Records show that Gill was sentenced to two consecutive 11-month, 29-day terms of probation.

Gill initially had been charged with sexual battery and attempted rape. The records do not specify why those charges were changed.

Following the news of Gill’s past, many were calling for the TSSAA to make mandatory background checks a requirement immediately, but executive director Bernard Childress and the TSSAA waited until the November meeting to take a vote on the issue with as much information available as possible.

Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, sponsored the bill and said he assumed background checks were already required by the TSSAA when Gill’s past came to light. When Tracy realized they were not, he said he felt a call to action. Tracy is a former TSSAA official.

“I just assumed – I’ve been out of the TSSAA a while – I just assumed they’d been doing it,” Tracy said. “They have not. So when I heard the story and read about it I said that’s something we need to do and I told them I’d be glad to do it.”

For Tracy, the issue hit close to home.

“I’m a former TSSAA basketball official for over 25 years,” Tracy said. “I also was an NCAA basketball official and I did football with the TSSAA so I’ve got a background of officiating. The reason why I took the bill was because I thought it was necessary to do when you’ve got officials around young people.”

Childress said Tracy may have been working on the bill before the Nov.12 decision, but hopes to get a meeting with the senator to let him know what the TSSAA has already implemented.

“He may have been approached and written legislation even prior to us implementing something,” Childress said. “But we do plan on trying to get a meeting so we can sit down with him and let him know what has already been taken care of.”

The bill is set to go before the Senate Education Committee for consideration.

Reach Sam Brown at 615-259-8232 and on Twitter @SamBrownTN. Reach Joel Ebert at 615-259-8379 and on Twitter @joelebert29.

Hendersonville High senior guard Joslyn Jarrett dribbles to the basket during a game earlier this season. Jarrett scored eight points in the Lady Commandos’ 64-46 victory at Station Camp on Friday evening.

GALLATIN – Station Camp High’s boys basketball team remained undefeated on Friday evening, thanks to a 61-55 victory over visiting Hendersonville in overtime.

Station Camp led 13-11 after one quarter before Hendersonville rallied to take a 25-23 lead at halftime. The Bison outscored the Commandos by a 15-11 margin in the third quarter, ending the period with a 38-36 advantage.

However, Hendersonville (6-14 overall, 1-8 in District 9-AAA) held a 13-11 edge in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

Hendersonville junior Ryne Loper hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with 10.3 seconds remaining in regulation. On the ensuing possession, Station Camp junior point guard Chase Freeman missed a shot in the final seconds, and he and senior Yalen Reed failed to convert on putback attempts.

Then, the Bison (24-0, 10-0) outscored Hendersonville, 12-6, in overtime.

Both Freeman and Hendersonville senior Preston Brown scored 18 points to lead their respective teams.

Reed and Dotson scored 17 and 13 points, respectively, and Loper and junior center Jordan Amis provided 10 and nine points, respectively.

It was the fourth consecutive game to reach overtime for the Commandos, who have dropped all four. Hendersonville has now lost 10 games by six points or fewer.

Station Camp won the earlier meeting at Hendersonville by a 68-39 margin on Dec. 11.

>> The Lady Commandos outscored Station Camp in every quarter of a 64-46 victory.

Hendersonville led 21-15 after one quarter, 38-26 at halftime and 47-34 entering the final quarter.

Hendersonville senior point guard Carleigh Short and Station Camp junior Emiline Payne scored 22 points each to lead their respective teams.

The Lady Commandos (13-7 overall, 6-3 in District 9-AAA) connected on nine 3-pointers, with Short and junior Peyton Sheehan making three each.

Station Camp (8-15, 3-7) hit five 3-pointers, with Cassidy Fry making two.

Fry scored 11 points.

Sheehan and junior center Makenzie Branch contributed 11 points each, and sophomore guard Brooke provided 10 points.

Hendersonville won the two teams’ first meeting by a 55-32 score at home on Dec. 11.

Hendersonville hosts Portland on Tuesday, while Station Camp visits Lebanon.

Station Camp boys 61, Hendersonville 55 (overtime)

HENDERSONVILLE (55) – Preston Brown 18, Ryne Loper 10, Jordan Amis 9, Justin Ernst 7, Austin Kirby 5, Jason Hernando 3, Cooper Smith 3.

STATION CAMP (61) – Chase Freeman 18, Yalen Reed 17, Keaton Dotson 13, Kody Eden 6, Sawyer Taylor 3, Peyton Anderson 2, Hayden Baldwin 2.

Half: 25-23, Hendersonville. End of regulation: 49-49. Three-point goals: Hendersonville 8 (Brown 4, Loper 2, Ernst 1, Smith 1), Station Camp 8 (Dotson 3, Reed 3, Freeman 1, Taylor 1). Records: Hendersonville 6-14 overall, 1-8 in District 9-AAA; Station Camp 24-0, 10-0.

Hendersonville girls 64, Station Camp 46

HENDERSONVILLE (64) – Carleigh Short 22, Makenzie Branch 11, Peyton Sheehan 11, Brooke Long 10, Joslyn Jarrett 8, Emma Throneberry 2.

STATION CAMP (46) – Emiline Payne 22, Cassidy Fry 11, Jane Deason 9, Sydney Creager 3, Olivia Delk 1.

Half: 38-26, Hendersonville. Three-point goals: Hendersonville 9 (Sheehan 3, Short 3, Jarrett 2, Long 1), Station Camp 5 (Fry 2, Creager 1, Deason 1, Payne 1). Records: Hendersonville 13-7 overall, 6-3 in District 9-AAA; Station Camp 8-15, 3-7.

Hawks defeat Trousdale County

HARTSVILLE The Merrol Hyde Magnet boys basketball team collected a 62-46 victory at Trousdale County on Friday evening.

The Hawks (4-11 overall, 2-6 in District 8-A) outscored the Yellow Jackets by a 23-8 margin in the third quarter after trailing 20-18 at halftime.

Sophomore shooting guard Connor McCutcheon made six 3-pointers and led the Hawks with 23 points. Senior teammates Zach Shonting and Connor Dunn provided 15 and 14 points, respectively, and Kyle Richardson and Jenord Taylor scored six and four points, respectively.

The Hawks avenged a 65-42 loss to the visiting Yellow Jackets on Jan. 12.

The Lady Hawks suffered a 62-25 loss at Trousdale County.

Trousdale County led 18-5 after one quarter, 37-12 at halftime and 46-16 entering the final quarter.

The Merrol Hyde Magnet girls fell to 0-14 overall and to 0-8 in district play.

>>The Hawks suffered a 51-41, double-overtime loss to visiting Red Boiling Springs on Thursday evening.

The Bulldogs led 13-7 after one quarter and 19-17 at halftime before the Hawks outscored RBS by a 6-4 margin in the final period to force the first extra period. Each team scored seven points in the first overtime period, but Red Boiling Springs shut out the Hawks in the second overtime session.

Taylor led the Hawks offensively with 17 points, followed by Dunn (11 points), Shonting (7), Tucker Beals (3) and McCutcheon (3).

Merrol Hyde Magnet won the first meeting by a 59-44 margin at Red Boiling Springs on Jan. 5.

The Lady Hawks suffered a 66-19 loss to visiting Red Boiling Springs on Thursday.

Junior Emilie Boone led the Lady Hawks with nine points, followed by Gabrielle Steiner (5), Katie Frisbee (3) and Alex Lloyd (2).

The Hawk squads host Watertown on Tuesday.

Lady Panthers edged by Mt. Juliet

PORTLAND The Portland High girls basketball team suffered a 45-44 loss to visiting Mt. Juliet on Friday evening.

Mt. Juliet’s Cassidy Harris hit two free throws with five seconds remaining to put the Lady Bears ahead.

Portland led 10-7 after one quarter, 23-18 at halftime and 33-30 entering the final quarter.

Senior guard Alyssa Chatmon led the Lady Panthers (12-10 overall, 5-5 in District 9-AAA) with 16 points.

>> The Panthers ran out to a 14-0 lead, but were unable to maintain the advantage in a 52-35 loss to Mt. Juliet.

Portland (5-18, 0-10) led 16-4 after the first quarter and 22-14 at halftime before Mt. Juliet outscored the Panthers by an 18-4 margin in the third quarter to take a 32-26 lead into the final period.

Portland senior forward Caelum Utley scored a team-high 13 points, followed by Eric Kirk (9 points), Dawson Simmons (5), Bryce Keith (4), Austin Hicks (2) and Luke Jones (2).

Golden Bear senior guard Christian Bell and junior forward Austin Brown scored 16 and 14 points, respectively.

The Panthers play at Hendersonville on Tuesday.

Stewarts Creek coach Lindy King gives instructions during an earlier game.

MURFREESBORO — Stewarts Creek followed its biggest girls basketball win in school history with an even bigger one Friday night.

The third-year Lady Red Hawks defeated top-ranked and two-time defending Class AAA state champion Blackman 58-53 in overtime three days after beating second-ranked Riverdale.

“I’ve told them we’re just taking this one day at a time,” said coach LIndy King, who is in her first year after leading M.L. King to the TSSAA Class AA state championship last season. “I told them they could enjoy the Riverdale game for 30 minutes. I told them to enjoy this one for two hours (Friday).

“This just proves that hard work pays off. I’m not an easy coach. I’ve been on them really hard.”

The loss snapped Blackman’s in-state 62-game win streak and 39-game win streak against Rutherford County opponents. The Lady Blaze are ranked ninth nationally by USA TODAY.

Stewarts Creek led throughout regulation before Connecticut signee Crystal Dangerfield sent the game into overtime with a 3-pointer with three seconds left.

But twin sisters Brandi Ferby and Brianah Ferby were too much for the Lady Blaze (20-3 overall, 7-1 in 7-AAA). Brandi Ferby led Stewarts Creek (18-3, 5-3) with three 3-pointers and 25 points. Brianah Ferby hit two 3-pointers and finished with 18.

Dangerfield led all scorers with 28 points. South Florida signee Jazz Bond was held to eight points.

Stewarts Creek plays at La Vergne (5-14, 0-8) at 6 p.m. Saturday in a game originally scheduled for Jan. 22.

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

Former Goodpasture quarterback Keenan Reynolds, now at Navy, will be recognized by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame for setting the Football Bowl Subdivision record for rushing touchdowns and rushing yards by a quarterback.

Former Goodpasture quarterback Keenan Reynolds, now at Navy, set the FBS record for career rushing touchdowns and yards.

Reynolds will be honored at the Hall of Fame banquet on June 18 at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

Reynolds scored 88 TDs and rushed for 4,559 yards on 977 carries in his career.

The Hall of Fame also announced Saturday that former Tennessee football coach and athletics director Doug Dickey will be the recipient of the 2016 Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award for his major contributions in establishing the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in its current format.

The 2016 class was announced in the fall and includes: Titans quarterback Steve McNair (posthumously), Antioch and UT receiver Lester McClain, UT defensive back Conrad Graham, UT distance runner Missy Kane, former Nashville Banner and Tennessean sports columnist Joe Biddle, automobile racing legend Mike Curb, Baylor golf coach King Ochmig, former UT Martin football player and current SEC football official Mike Taylor, Memphis receiver Ernest Gray, Milligan athletics director and coach Duard Walker and the four Canale Brothers, who all played at UT and Mississippi State.

Reach Mike Organ at 61-259-8021 and on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.

SMYRNA — The Columbia Central bowling team put the finishing touches on a storybook season Saturday at Smyrna Bowling Center, securing the program’s fifth state bowling title with an 18-9 win over previously unbeaten Smyrna.

The Columbia Central boys bowling team won its fourth straight Division I state champion on Saturday at Smyrna Bowling Center.

And while the four-time defending champion Lions have made a habit of hoisting the Division I boys state championship trophy in late January, this year was anything but routine.

“This season started off pretty dim,” Columbia Central senior Jon Colbaugh said.

In addition to losing Jacob Keyser, one of their top bowlers from a season ago, to graduation, the Lions were dealt another blow when two-time defending individual champion Cole Flatt was declared ineligible to compete after transferring from Culleoka to Columbia Central.

“This season has been the toughest we’ve ever had, and it’s probably been one of our better coaching years,” Columbia Central coach Mike Ransom said. “But with Cole out, it gave us a chance to develop some of the other guys and to spend more one-on-one time with them. It all worked out.”

Flatt, who returned to bowl in this weekend’s team competition after sitting out the TSSAA-required 365 days since his last participation date, rolled a 609 series Saturday for the Lions (22-4), while his brother, freshman Luke Flatt, posted a 558.

“There were boys that stepped up, and everybody came in and put in five practices a week trying to get better,” said Colbaugh, who rolled a team-best 634 series on Saturday, helping his team secure a 3,283-3,217-pin victory. “This season was just a lot of work, but there’s no place I’d rather be now.

“I sure wouldn’t want to end up as runner-up my senior year.”

Brandon Campbell rolled a team-high 555 series for Smyrna (23-1), while Colin Heath (532) and Lane Dawson (526) also eclipsed the 500-pin mark in the losing effort.

“Honestly I think we had an off day, and that takes nothing away from Columbia Central,” Smyrna coach Carl Syler said. “They are fantastic competitors and fantastic sportsmen. We were lacking in some spots, but so it goes.

“There’s a lot of other teams that would have liked to have a 23-1 record.”

Division I girls: For the second straight season, White House fell in the state finals to Hardin County, which captured its third straight state championship.

“I’m not disappointed with second place,” White House senior Madison O’Connor said. “I’m disappointed because I won’t get to bowl with these girls again.”

The Lady Blue Devils, who suffered a 47-pin defeat to Hardin County a season ago, fell by a more convincing, 3,280-2,944 margin on Saturday.

Division II boys: St. Benedict won its third Division II title, knocking off last season’s runner-up McCallie, 16-11.

Division II girls: St. Agnes defeated St. Benedict 15.5-11.5 to claim its fourth Division II championship and first since 2013.

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

Keith Freemon has built two high-school bowling programs from the ground up.

White House High head coach Keith Freemon (blue visor) led the Lady Devil program to three state tournament appearances over four years, including back-to-back runner-up finishes in the last two seasons.

After Saturday’s Division I state championship match, the White House High head coach announced his retirement after four seasons at the helm of the Blue Devil program.

Freemon told his graduating seniors prior to addressing the entire team following their 18-9 loss to Hardin County.

“It’s been a good run, and I’m in a good place,” Freemon said. “I’m getting older, and I want to be able to move back to Florida with my wife in the near future.”

Freemon coached at Hendersonville prior to taking the Blue Devils’ post after the 2011-12 season. He led the Commando boys to three consecutive state championships (2002-04) and the Lady Commandos won one title under his watch in 2008. Hendersonville’s boys also finished as the state runner-up in 2008.

“I’m content with (the decision),” Freemon said. “I always want to leave a program better off than I found it, and I think I did that.”

When Freemon took over the White House program, the Lady Devils had just come off a winless season.

On Saturday, White House finished runner-up to Hardin County for the second straight season after compiling a school-record 33 victories.

Keith Freemon

The Lady Devils have made three consecutive trips to the state tournament under Freemon’s guidance. Four seniors – Madison Beckner, Anna O’Connor, Madison O’Connor and Hannah Dowell – played significant roles in the program’s climb.

Lady Devils play second fiddle again

“I’m proud of these girls,” Freemon said. “They’ve been leaders since they came into the program. They had to. We were no program. It’s been an honor to coach these girls. I’m blessed. These girls are more than just bowlers. They have a combined 3.84 grade-point average. These girls are leaders in their community. I can’t ask any more from these girls than what they gave me.”

Prior to this season, Freemon hired former Hendersonville head coach Tracy Lamberth to work with the Lady Devils. The move was a means to an end as Lamberth will assume head-coaching duties next season.

“(Hiring Lamberth) played a part in my decision,” Freemon said. “That was part of the plan, to have him take over once I was finished.”

Freemon compiled a 95-12 record with the Lady Devils over four seasons, and a 76-21 mark in leading the boys program.

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

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

Ensworth and Tennessee signee Jordan Bone (3) are No. 7 in this week’s Midstate Top 10.

10. Maplewood (16-3) — Following last week’s wins over Hume-Fogg and Stratford, the Panthers own a 1.5-game lead over Whites Creek in Region 10-AA. Last week: No. 10. Streak: Won 4.

9. Lebanon (18-3) — The Blue Devils, second in 9-AAA, will be looking to avenge one of two in-state losses when they play host to district-leading Station Camp on Tuesday. Last week: No. 9. Streak: Won 5. 

8. White County (20-0) — The Warriors scored a combined 178 points in lopsided wins over District 6-AAA foes Warren County and Stone Memorial. Last week: No. 8. Streak: Won 20.

7. Ensworth (18-3) — After dropping their second East/Middle Region contest of the season, the third-place Tigers  bounced back to beat McCallie and Montgomery Bell Academy. Last week: No. 7. Streak: Won 2. 

6. Oakland (18-2) — The Patriots have strung together four straight since losing to Independence on Jan. 15, and coach Troy Bond’s team will have a chance to avenge its only other defeat when it travels to Blackman on Tuesday. Last week: No. 6. Streak: Won 4.

5. Cane Ridge (19-1) — Jimmy Greer and Shawn Pirtle scored a combined 34 points to lead 12-AAA leading Ravens to a decisive 69-47 win over second-place Antioch, extending their district lead to 3.5 games. Last week: No. 5. Streak: Won 10. 

4. Independence (20-1) —The 11-AAA leading Eagles captured a slow-paced 29-22 victory over district rival Ravenwood on Tuesday before scoring a 73-65 triumph over second-place Centennial on Friday. Last week: No. 4. Streak: Won 12.

3. Station Camp (24-0) — Alcorn State commitment Yalen Reed (17 points), Chase Freeman (18) and Keaton Dotson (13) led the Bison in Friday’s District 9-AAA triumph over Hendersonville. Last week: No. 3. Streak: Won 24. 

2. Brentwood Acad. (20-1) — The two-time defending Division II champion Eagles have won their first seven East/Middle Region games by an average of 21.2 points, including Friday’s 57-24 triumph over Father Ryan. Last week: No. 2. Streak: Won 8.

1. Blackman (22-0) — The Blaze survived their closest call of the season Saturday but eventually escaped Border Wars in Birmingham with a 62-60 win over Spain Park (Ala.). Last week: No. 1. Streak: Won 22.

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:

First-year Stewarts Creek coach Lindy Brown King

10. East Nashville (19-2) — The District 10-AA leading Lady Eagles, who haven’t lost since Dec. 11, have defeated their last three opponents (Hume-Fogg, MLK and Lipscomb) by a combined score of 216-93. Last week: No. 9. Streak: Won 13.

9. Rossview (21-1) — After squeaking past Clarksville 59-54 in their 10-AAA opener, the  Lady Hawks have won their other nine district games by an average of 39.7 points, including Friday’s 71-16 victory over West Creek. Last week: No. 7. Streak: Won 11.

8. Dickson County (20-3) — Since suffering a surprising 52-45 setback to Brentwood on Jan. 15, the 11-AAA leading Lady Cougars have won four straight by an average of 25 points. Last week: No. 8. Streak: Won 4. 

7. Stewarts Creek (18-3) — After dropping three of their first four district games, the Lady Red Hawks, led by first-year coach Lindy Brown King, have strung together four straight 7-AAA victories, including last week’s wins over two USA Today nationally ranked teams — No. 12 Blackman and No. 13 Riverdale. Last week: NR. Streak: Won 4. 

6. Father Ryan (18-2) — The previously unbeaten Lady Irish dropped a pair of East/Middle Region games to Harpeth Hall and Brentwood Academy before bouncing back to beat rival Pope John Paul II on Saturday. Last week: No. 4. Streak: Won 1. 

5. Oakland (16-4) — After coasting to a 53-point win over 7-AAA foe La Vergne on Tuesday, the third-place Lady Patriots were dealt a disappointing 17-point setback at rival Riverdale on Friday. Last week: No. 6. Streak: Lost 1. 

4. Wilson Central (21-0) — The Kendall Spray-led Lady Wildcats, one of five remaining unbeaten girls teams in the state, defeated District 9-AAA foes Beech and Lebanon by a combined 162-84. Last week: No. 5. Streak: Won 22.

3. Riverdale (20-3) — After suffering a pair of District 7-AAA losses to Blackman (71-69) and Stewarts Creek (65-61), the Lady Warriors, ranked No. 13 nationally by USA Today, bounced back to beat rival Oakland by double digits. Last week: No. 2. Streak: Won 1. 

2. Brentwood Acad. (16-4) — The Division II-AA East/Middle Region-leading Lady Eagles captured a 50-37 win over third-place Father Ryan on Friday before beating second-place Baylor 53-49 on Saturday. Last week: No. 2. Streak: Won 3.

1. Blackman (19-3) — After pulling off a dramatic 71-69 win over Riverdale earlier in the week, the Lady Blaze, ranked No. 12 nationally by USA Today, suffered their first in-state loss in 62 outings Friday, falling to 7-AAA foe Stewarts Creek 58-53. Last week: No. 1. Streak: Lost 1. 

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

Basketball in Hoop

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 February 1, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote:

Boys

CLASS AAA
School Record Pts Prv

1. Memphis East (11) 20-1 145 1

2. Blackman (4) 22-0 138 2

3. Station Camp 24-0 115 3

4. White County 20-0 92 5

5. Oak Ridge 25-2 70 7

5. Germantown 21-2 70 4

7. David Crockett 20-4 68 6

8. Cordova 18-3 53 8

9. Independence 20-1 43 9

10. Cane Ridge 19-1 28 10

Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

CLASS AA
School Record Pts Prv

1. Jackson South Side (14) 19-0 149 1

2. Fulton (1) 20-1 134 2

3. Chattanooga Central 15-1 117 4

4. Maplewood 16-3 93 T6

5. Westview 17-3 75 8

6. Upperman 18-4 68 T6

7. Ripley 19-6 64 3

8. East Nashville 18-5 46 5

9. Knoxville Catholic 15-3 43 10

10. Obion County 18-5 16 9

Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

CLASS A
School Record Pts Prv

1. Halls (12) 22-0 147 1

2. Mitchell (3) 22-5 131 2

3. Clay County 22-1 116 3

4. Huntland 20-2 101 5

5. Union City 20-5 86 4

6. Meigs County 21-3 77 6

7. Van Buren County 18-3 54 8

8. MAHS 13-3 39 7

9. Hampton 15-6 29 10

10. Columbia Academy 17-4 12 NR

T-10. Middleton 15-5 12 9

Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

DIVISION II
School Record Pts Prv

1. CBHS (8) 22-1 132 1

2. Brentwood Academy (6) 20-1 132 2

3. Briarcrest 21-4 102 4

4. Ensworth 18-3 99 5

5. McCallie 20-4 88 3

6. University-Jackson 19-5 62 6

7. Knoxville Webb 17-6 53 8

8. Pope John Paul II 17-5 44 7

9. St. George’s 11-7 19 9

10. MUS 15-5 16 NR

Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

Girls

CLASS AAA
School Record Pts Prv

1. Memphis Central (11) 25-0 142 3

2. Blackman (3) 19-3 120 1

3. Wilson Central 21-0 116 4

4. Riverdale 20-3 95 2

5. Morristown West (1) 21-2 87 5

6. Dyer County 20-2 69 7

7. Stewarts Creek 19-3 51 NR

T-7. Oakland 17-4 51 6

9. Cumberland County 17-3 37 9

10. Bradley Central 19-3 16 NR

Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

CLASS AA
School Record Pts Prv

1. Elizabethton (15) 22-0 150 1

2. McMinn Central 20-2 134 2

3. Westview 21-2 118 3

4. Upperman 22-2 108 4

5. Livingston Academy 18-6 64 7

6. East Nashville 19-2 53 T9

7. Westmoreland 18-3 48 5

T-7. Grainger 17-6 48 8

9. Gatlinburg-Pittman 17-4 39 T9

10. Lexington 17-4 30 6

Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

CLASS A
School Record Pts Prv

1. Middleton (13) 21-0 148 1

2. Gibson County (1) 25-0 133 2

3. Pickett County (1) 19-1 120 3

4. South Greene 23-3 108 4

5. Dresden 18-3 74 7

6. Meigs County 18-3 69 T5

7. Community 20-2 64 8

8. Jackson County 16-4 57 T5

9. Middle Tennessee Christian 17-5 22 9

10. Hampton 13-8 9 NR

Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

DIVISION II
School Record Pts Prv

1. Brentwood Academy (10) 16-4 142 2

2. University-Jackson (5) 22-1 133 3

3. Franklin Road Academy 17-2 109 4

4. Father Ryan 18-2 104 1

5. Northpoint 21-1 102 5

6. St. Benedict 17-4 74 6

7. Baylor 15-5 56 7

8. Harpeth Hall 15-4 52 8

9. Harding Academy 17-4 29 10

10. Ezell-Harding 18-3 20 9

Others receiving 12 or more points: None.

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

When Nolensville High School opens in August, it will have a baseball coach who is accustomed to starting from scratch.

Brentwood Academy’s Prince Momodu was just one of several Midstate footballers to commit over the weekend. He plans to play at Austin Peay.

Nolensville hired Summit High School baseball assistant Zach Hudson as its head coach Monday.

Hudson spent the past five seasons with the Spartans under head coach Chad Kirby, who he joined at Summit when the school opened in 2011.

“Learning from coach Kirby here at Summit has been really big for me,” Hudson said. “I got to experience it from an assistant’s point of view and I think that’s going to be valuable for me in terms of knowing what needs to be done and what’s in front of us.”

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.

A Nashville native and an alumni of both Overton and MTSU, Hudson made a habit of winning in his playing days.

He graduated from Overton in 2006 and was apart if the 2005 Bobcat team that finished with a 40-5 record, including 35 straight wins and a runner-up finish in the state championship.

Hudson then moved on to play for MTSU from 2007-10 and was a part of the 2009 team that set a school record with 44 wins and won the Sun Belt Conference championship.

Hudson said he hopes to turn the program into one to watch and that he is eager for his chance to coach his own team.

“As they grow and get more experience, hopefully it will grow into something special,” he said. “I’m very excited and ready to get started.”

Commitment craze: With National Signing Day (Wednesday, Feb. 3) fast approaching, Twitter was flush with commitments over the weekend with the action spilling into Monday afternoon.

Father Ryan Athlete Bryce Vickers was the most recent commitment. He made his announcement to continue his football career at Georgia Tech  as a preferred walk-on via Twitter Monday afternoon after school.

Division II-AA state champions with Brentwood Academy Prince Momodu and Isaac Way both committed over the weekend with Momodu choosing Austin Peay and Way choosing SEC contender Ole Miss.

Ensworth senior center and fullback Blake Mitchell had scholarship offers to play football from Tennessee Tech, Austin Peay and Georgetown College, but the big man chose to pursue preferred walk-on status at Mississippi State instead.

East Nashville safety and quarterback DeVarius Cortner must have liked what he saw on his official visit to North-Carolina based Western Carolina University last week, as the two-way threat made his verbal commitment via Twitter before lunch Monday.

Cortner first committed to Navy, but later changed his mind and decommitted. He was entertaining offers from Army, UTC, Mercer and Murray State.

His commitment came just one day after fellow Midstate standout Jay King chose to commit to South-Carolina based Coastal Carolina University

The Hillsboro wide receiver chose the Chanticleers over offers from Georgia State and University of Tennessee-Martin.

Cane Ridge senior cornerback and wide receiver Austin Jackson committed to Eastern Kentucky University, while teammate Brysen Terrell chose Cumberland University.

Stepping-up: Two former assistant coaches are going to being taking over Midstate football programs.

Riverdale assistant Jason Dobbs will be the new head coach at Moore County, athletic director Wendy Hart confirmed. Dobbs is replacing Jeremy Austin, who was relieved of his duties after going 6-5 last season.

Dobbs spent 13 years as an assistant at Trousdale County before taking over as Riverdale’s offensive line coach in 2010.

Forrest didn’t have to look far to find its new man after football coach Matt Kriesky left last week to take over the Centennial program.

Rockets assistant Brent Johns will take the reigns of the squad in 2016, confirmed athletic director Scott Delk.

Johns spent the last three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Rockets.

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

Hendersonville Commandos

LEBANON Three players scored in double figures as the Hendersonville High boys basketball team collected a 62-57 victory at Wilson Central on Monday evening.

Junior Ryne Loper led the Commandos (7-14 overall, 2-8 in District 9-AAA) offensively with 16 points, and junior center Jordan Amis and senior guard Jason Hernando scored 15 and 11 points, respectively.

The rest of the Hendersonville scoring is as follows: Austin Kirby (6 points), Cooper Smith (5), Preston Brown (4), Dyilin Hoosier (3) and Justin Ernst (2).

Both Loper and Hernando hit three 3-pointers.

Wilson Central led 15-14 after one quarter before the Commandos took a 27-23 lead into halftime. Hendersonville led 46-41 entering the final period.

Senior Desmond Mason led the Wildcats with 22 points.

>> Hendersonville’s girls took third-ranked Wilson Central to overtime on Monday evening before the visiting Lady Commandos suffered a 71-61 loss.

Hendersonville (13-8, 6-4 ) led late in regulation before Wilson Central sophomore Taylor Tucker’s 3-pointer tied the contest at 58.

Wilson Central (22-0, 10-0) outscored the Lady Commandos by a 13-3 margin in the extra period.

Hendersonville led 21-16 after one quarter before Wilson Central took a 35-31 lead into halftime. The game was tied at 46 after three quarters.

Lady Commando sophomore guard Brooke Long scored 27 points to lead Hendersonville offensively, and senior point guard Carleigh Short and junior guard Peyton Sheehan scored 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Teammates Joslyn Jarrett and Makenzie Branch provided five and four points, respectively.

Wilson Central senior guard Kendall Spray scored 35 points to lead the Lady Wildcats.

The game had been rescheduled after it was postponed from its original date of Jan. 22.

Hendersonville hosts Portland on Tuesday evening and travels to Mt. Juliet on Friday.

Before each high school football season, The Tennessean releases its annual Dandy Dozen — a list of the top 12 college football prospects in Middle Tennessee — and last fall was no different.

Ensworth graduate Corn Elder (right) and Brentwood Academy graduate Jalen Ramsey (left), were both named to the 2012 Dandy Dozen

As National Signing Day approaches on Wednesday, seven of the 2015 Dandy Dozen members appear bound for the Southeastern Conference, with three more Midstate prospects headed for Power Five conferences (ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12).

And while height, weight, 40-yard-dash times and high school statistics assist in the process, predicting how a player will pan out at the next level is anything but a science, so let’s see how The Tennessean has done in recent years.

Here’s a look at how the previous four Dandy Dozen selections have performed on the collegiate level:

Illinois running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn (5) ran for a team-leading 723 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman in 2015.

2014

1: DL Kyle Phillips, Fr., Tennessee (Hillsboro)
The Hillsboro product and U.S. Army All-American appeared in seven games during his injury-shortened true freshman campaign, registering eight tackles and one sack.

2: WR Jauan Jennings, Fr., Tennessee (Blackman)
The former Mr. Football hauled in 14 receptions for 149 yards as a freshman at Tennessee, and the converted QB also threw a 58-yard TD pass in the Volunteers’ 28-27 loss at Florida on Sept. 26.

3: WR Van Jefferson, Fr., Ole Miss (Ravenwood)
The U.S. Army All-American and Mr. Football finalist redshirted at Ole Miss in 2015.

4: DB Donovan Sheffield, Fr., Vanderbilt (Ensworth)
The 2014 All-Midstate first-teamer played in six games for the Commodores in 2015, tallying five total tackles, four solo stops and a pair of pass breakups.

5: LB Josh Smith, Fr., Vanderbilt (Oakland)
The 2014 All-Midstate first-teamer appeared in all 12 games for the Commodores, finishing the year with seven stops and one tackle for loss.

6: DB Cameron Ordway, Fr., Ole Miss (Giles County)
The 2014 All-Midstate first-teamer played in seven games for the Rebels in 2015, registering six tackles and a pair of pass breakups.

7: OL Jack Jones, Fr., Tennessee (Oakland)
The former Mr. Football appeared in nine games for Tennessee a season ago, making his lone start at right guard in the Volunteers’ Oct. 24 loss at eventual national champion Alabama.

8: DB Rico McGraw, Fr., Georgia (Ensworth)
The former U.S. Army All-American appeared in nine games for the Bulldog, cracking the starting lineup five times, and finished the year with 15 tackles, four pass breakups and three QB hurries.

9: TE Jackson Harris, Fr., Georgia (Columbia)
The 2014 All-Midstate first-teamer played in 12 games and made one start for the Bulldogs in 2015, hauling in four receptions for 50 yards.

10: OL Alex Givens, Fr., Ole Miss (Nashville Christian)
The Nashville Christian product and 2014 All-Midstate first-teamer redshirted at Ole Miss last season.

11: DB Ugo Amadi, Fr., Oregon (Overton)
The 2014 All-Midstate first-teamer appeared in 12 games for the Ducks, registering 25 total tackles, eight pass breakups and a pair of interceptions.

12: RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Fr., Illinois (Pearl-Cohn)
The 2014 Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year racked up a team-leading 723 yards rushing with six touchdowns for the Fighting Illini.

In just two seasons at Tennessee, former Beech star Jalen Hurd is less than 1,000 yards shy of becoming the school’s all-time leading rusher.

2013

1: RB Jalen Hurd, So., Tennessee (Beech)
Through just two seasons in Knoxville, Hurd has amassed 2,187 yards rushing, bringing the former Mr. Football to within 1,000 yards of becoming the school’s all-time leading rusher.

2: WR Josh Malone, So., Tennessee (Station Camp)
The former U.S. Army All-American has made 44 catches for 636 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons at Tennessee, which includes a team-leading 405 yards receiving a season ago.

3: DE Derek Barnett, So., Tennessee (Brentwood Academy)
In two seasons at Tennessee, the former two-time Mr. Football has registered 20 sacks, tying Steve White (1992-95) for the eighth-most in school history.

4: DL Michael Sawyers (Ensworth)
After appearing in four games for Tennessee as a freshman in 2014, Sawyers was dismissed from the program last offseason after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge.

5: OL Alex Bars, RFr., Notre Dame (MBA)
After not seeing the field as a freshman in 2014, Bars appeared in six games a season ago, and he even cracked the starting lineup in games against Navy and USC before a broken ankle ended his season.

6: DB Emmanuel Smith, So., Vanderbilt (Oakland)
The former All-Midstate first-teamer played in 11 games for Vanderbilt in 2015, starting games against MTSU and Houston, and finished the year with 10 tackles and a pair of pass deflections.

7: DB RaShaan Gaulden, RFr., Tennessee (Independence)
Gaulden appeared in 11 games for the Vounteers as a freshman in 2014, but the former All-Midstate first-teamer suffered a foot injury last August and was sidelined for the entire 2015 campaign.

8: OL Jashon Roberton, So., Tennessee (MBA)
Aside from missing three games with an ankle injury last season, Robertson has been a mainstay along the Volunteers’ offensive front, starting 23 of 26 games since his arrival in Knoxville.

9: WR Thomas Richard, RFr., Chattanooga (CPA)
After making just one catch for 4 yards in his first two seasons at Missouri, the CPA product opted to transfer to FCS program Chattanooga in the offseason.

10: OL Paul Adams, RFr., Missouri (CPA)
After redshirting in 2014, the 6-foot-6, 290-pound former Mr. Football saw action in three games last season.

11: A.J. Long (Friendship Christian)
Long threw for 935 yards and four touchdowns as a true freshman at Syracuse, but the former Mr. Football finalist was medically disqualified last season due to suffering multiple concussions.

12: Vic Wharton III, So., California (Independence)
The Independence product played in nine games for Tennessee in 2014, making five catches for 64 yards and a TD, but sat out in 2015 after transferring to California.

In just one season, MTSU quarterback Brent Stockstill has become one of Conference USA’s top quarterbacks. In just one season, MTSU quarterback Brent Stockstill has become one of Conference USA’s top quarterbacks.

2012

1: DB Corn Elder, Jr., Miami (Ensworth)
Elder enjoyed a very successful junior season at Miami, recording two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and a pair of TDs, and the former Ensworth star also capped the thrilling, eight-lateral kickoff return to beat Duke on Halloween.

2: Jamonte Graham, Jr., Cumberland (Father Ryan)
The former two-sport star at Father Ryan has attended three schools in three years, eventually landing at Cumberland, where he is playing basketball for the Phoenix and averaging 6.9 points.

3: Princeton Harlan (Mt. Pleasant)
During his senior year at Mt. Pleasant, Harlan was arrested and charged with the rape of a child. Harlan, who admitted to two sex acts with a 12-year-old girl and pleaded guilty to facilitation of child rape, is serving a 10-year prison sentence.

4: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Jr., Tennessee (Northeast)
The 2012 all-state selection has started 26 straight games for the Volunteers, tallying 220 total tackles, 25 tackles for loss, eight sacks and an interception in his three-year career at Tennessee

5: QB Brent Stockstill, RFr., MTSU (Siegel)
The former Mr. Football finalist took over the starting quarterback duties at MTSU last fall, throwing for 4,005 yards and 30 touchdown passes with just nine interceptions in 2015.

6: DB Jalen Ramsey, Jr., Florida State (Brentwood Academy)
Following a stellar three-year career at Florida State, Ramsey declared for the NFL Draft earlier this month, and the two-time All-American selection is expected to be an early first-round pick.

7: QB Albert Mitchell, So., Samford (CPA)
The former Christ Presbyterian Academy standout redshirted as a freshman in 2013 and has played sparingly the past two seasons

8: Jedediah Vivio (Goodpasture)
Vivio, who made 23 straight starts at left tackle before graduating from Goodpasture, played one season at Murray State.

9: Marquis Morton, So., College of DuPage (Shelbyville)
After originally signing with Murray State, Morton enrolled at College of DuPage, a two-year community college in Glen Ellyn, Ill., where he played for the Chaparrals last season.

10: Tae Martin, Jr., UT Martin (Siegel)
After redshirting as a freshman in 2013, the former Siegel standout has appeared in 19 games with two starts the past two seasons, registering 29 tackles, three pass breakups and a sack.

11: Max Staver, So., Houston Baptist (Brentwood Academy)
Staver has attended three schools in three years, making stops at Florida and Tyler Junior College before ending up at FBS program Houston Baptist, where he threw for 1,109 yards and five TDs last fall.

12: D’Montre Wade, So., Murray State (Brentwood Academy)
After redshirting as a freshman in 2013, the former Brentwood Academy standout has made 19 starts for Murray State the past two seasons, posting 93 tackles, 13 pass breakups and an interception.

Former BGA standout C.J. Beathard helped lead Iowa to its first 12-win season in program history in 2015.

2011

1: RB I’Tavius Mathers, Jr., MTSU (Blackman)
Mathers, a former Mr. Football, amassed 1,061 yards and seven touchdowns in three seasons at Ole Miss before transferring to MTSU, where, after sitting out the 2015 season, he has one season of eligibility remaining.

2: OL Graham Shuler, Jr., Stanford (Brentwood Academy)
The former U.S. Army All-American started the final 26 games for Stanford, helping lead the Cardinal to a 12-2 record and a 45-16 Rose Bowl victory over Iowa a season ago, but has decided to forgo his senior season to pursue “other opportunities.”

3: OL Blake Bars, Jr., Michigan (MBA)
After redshirting as a freshman in 2012, the 2015 Academic All-Big Ten honoree has appeared in just 16 games as a reserve offensive linemen for Michigan.

4: OL Andrew Jelks, Jr., Vanderbilt (Henry County)
The former Mr. Football Lineman’s 2015 campaign ended before it started as Jelks suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason camp. However, the two-year starter is expected to be the leader along the Commodores’ offensive front this fall.

5: DL Woody Baron, Jr. Virginia Tech (Brentwood Academy)
Baron, a former Mr. Football finalist, has registered 43 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and seven quarterback hurries during his three-year career at Virginia Tech.

6: DL Caleb Azubike, Sr., Vanderbilt (McGavock)
Azubike wrapped up his playing career last fall, totaling 120 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 15 sacks two forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries in his four years at Vanderbilt.

7: QB C.J. Beathard, Jr., Iowa (BGA)
In his second season as the starter at Iowa, Beathard threw for 2,809 yards and 17 touchdowns while helping lead the Hawkeyes to their first 12-win season in program history.

8: DB Josh Shelton, So., Wingate (Mt. Juliet)
Shelton appeared in just one game in two seasons at Troy before transferring to Division II Wingate, where he registered 18 tackles and a pair of interceptions in 11 games last season.

9: Eric Belew (Columbia)
After making 19 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons at Tennessee Tech, Belew transferred to Division II North Alabama, where he played 1½ seasons his career was cut short due to concussions.

10: Cory Batey (Ensworth)
After redshirting at Vanderbilt in 2012, Batey, along with three other Commodore players, were dismissed from school after being charged with multiple counts of aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery. He is awaiting a second trial in the case.

11: Al Thompson, Jr., Cumberland (Brentwood Academy)
The former Brentwood Academy standout has attended three schools in four years, starting out at Chattanooga and transferring to San Jacinto Junior College (Calif.) before ending up at Cumberland, where he made nine catches for 84 yards in 2015.

12: Matt Kuivinen (Franklin)
The former Rebels standout received a scholarship offer from Syracuse during his senior year at Franklin, but the three-star quarterback prospect elected not to pursue football in college.

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

The threat of severe storms throughout the Midstate Tuesday evening has caused several schools to postpone high school basketball games. Some have currently been moved up in time to accommodate the weather.

*All games involving home teams from Maury County and Williamson County have postponed games.

*Westmoreland at Greenbrier has pushed its girls start time to 5:15

*Upperman at Central Magnet and Cannon County at York have both pushed girls start times to 5 p.m.

*Portland at Hendersonville and Gallatin at Wilson Central have both moved girls start times to 5:30.

Below are a list of games that have been postponed Tuesday evening. Updates will be posted as they come in:

CPA at Giles County (rescheduled Feb. 9)

White House at Cheatham County (rescheduled Wednesday, 6 p.m.)

Zion Christian at University School of Nashville (rescheduled for Wednesday)

White House-Heritage at Harpeth

Glencliff at Hillsboro

Summit at Franklin (rescheduled Feb. 8)

Waverly at Creek Wood (rescheduled Feb. 11)

Dickson County at Ravenwood

Forrest at Huntland (rescheduled Wednesday, 4 p.m.)

Stewart County at Fairview (rescheduled Wednesday, 6 p.m.)

Culleoka at Grace Christian

Camden at Hickman County (rescheduled Feb. 8)

Mt. Pleasant at Columbia Academy

Spring Hill at Cascade (rescheduled Feb. 4)

Cornersville at Richland (rescheduled Feb. 4)

Clarksville Northwest at Clarksville (rescheduled Wednesday)

Franklin County at Lincoln County

McGavock at Hillwood (rescheduled Wednesday, 5:30)

McEwen at Lead Academy (rescheduled Feb. 8, 6 p.m.)

Moore County at Lawrence County

Montgomery Central at East Hickman

Hampshire at Santa Fe (rescheduled Feb. 9)

Hendersonville High sophomore guard Emma Throneberry (15) prepares to hand the ball to senior point guard Carliegh Short (2) as Portland sophomore Rachel Jennings defends during second-quarter action.

HENDERSONVILLE Coming off of a close loss at Wilson Central one night earlier, the Hendersonville High girls basketball team was trying to avoid any lingering effects against visiting Portland.

Although fatigue nearly caught up to the Lady Commandos, the Lady Panthers were unable to do so as Hendersonville escaped with a 55-51 victory on Tuesday evening.

Hendersonville (14-8 overall, 7-4 in District 9-AAA) had taken third-ranked Wilson Central to overtime on Monday – with a Portland contingent in the crowd to scout the Lady Commandos – and had to turn around and play a second District 9-AAA game less than 24 hours later. The game began one hour earlier than its originally scheduled time of 6:30 p.m. due to forecasted severe weather.

“All of us were pretty tired,” Lady Commando sophomore guard Brooke Long said. “We put a lot into playing Wilson Central. We had heard (Portland) was scouting us, and we weren’t going to settle for losing.”

Portland High senior guard Alyssa Chatmon elevates for a shot during second-quarter action. Chatmon scored 25 points.

Portland (12-11, 7-4) – which had trailed by a 38-20 margin three minutes into the second half – trimmed the lead to one point (52-51) on a layin by senior guard Alyssa Chatmon with 22.3 seconds to play.

Lady Panther head coach Miranda Cravens immediately called timeout, but there was one problem … she didn’t have any timeouts remaining. The infraction resulted in a technical foul.

“That was the first technical in my whole career,” Cravens said. “I wanted it to at least be a little more dramatic.”

Hendersonville senior point guard Carleigh Short hit one of the ensuing two foul shots, and junior Peyton Sheehan made one of two free throws on the ensuing Lady Commando possession. Hendersonville led 54-51, giving the Lady Panthers one last chance to tie the game.

However, Chatmon’s 3-pointer missed its target, and junior Makenzie Branch made one of two free throws with 4.5 seconds left to give Hendersonville its final margin of victory.

Chatmon scored a game-high 25 points, with 19 of those coming in the second half.

“She was great in the fourth quarter,” Cravens said of Chatmon. “What’s so frustrating is that I know she can do that every quarter.”

Hendersonville High junior guard Peyton Sheehan dribbles into the lane as Portland junior Mackenzie Trouten reaches in during first-quarter action. Sheehan scored 15 points.

Chatmon had 11 points in the fourth quarter, helping pick up the Lady Panthers as classmate Cristina Herrera fouled out with 2:28 left in regulation, taking an outside shooting threat out of the equation.

“We were making (Chatmon) shoot tough shots,” Hendersonville head coach Drew Johnson said. “Some of the stuff she was hitting, when those go in, you just have to shake your head and move on to the next play.”

Hendersonville led 16-8 after the opening quarter as Long – who led the Lady Commandos with 17 points – hit a 3-pointer as time expired in the initial period.

“I feel like we started out very lackadaisical, with no energy,” Cravens said. “I looked over and told my assistant (coaches), ‘it looks like we played last night.’ We just looked so lethargic.”

Things got worse for Portland as the Lady Commandos extended their lead to 33-20 by halftime and then scored the first five points of the third quarter to build their largest lead of the game.

However, the fresher Lady Panthers started to find their legs in the third quarter, while Hendersonville was managing energy levels.

“We were playing six girls the majority of the minutes and trying to spell people here and there,” Johnson said. “But when you’ve got six girls playing on back-to-back nights, and trying to play our style of basketball – get up and down the court – it’s inevitable that fatigue’s going to set in.”

Long added, “(Portland was) starting to (employ a full-court) press, so it was a lot harder because we had given so much energy in the first half and last night. We were all tired.”

Sheehan added 15 points for the Lady Commandos, who remained alone in third place in District 9-AAA with the victory.

Portland High senior guard Erica Keen drives into the lane during second-quarter action. Keen scored four points.

The Lady Commandos also sweep the regular-season series, having claimed a 51-39 victory at Portland on Jan. 8.

“After a loss like last night – as hard as that was on everybody – for them to bounce back tonight and get out of here with a win, I’m happy with that for sure,” Johnson said.

Portland remained deadlocked with Beech in fourth place, with the two teams slated to meet at Beech on Friday.

“We definitely just have to learn from it and move on,” Cravens said. “If we lose, there’s a chance that we move down another seed.”

The Lady Commandos travel to Mt. Juliet on Friday for a chance to gain ground on the second-place Lady Bears with a victory.

>> Hendersonville’s took third-ranked Wilson Central to overtime on Monday evening before the visiting Lady Commandos suffered a 71-61 loss in the extra stanza.

Hendersonville led late in regulation before Wilson Central sophomore Taylor Tucker’s 3-pointer tied the contest at 58.

Wilson Central (22-0, 10-0) outscored the Lady Commandos 13-3 in the extra period.

Johnson not only sympathized with Cravens’ technical on Tuesday, it conjured up a memory of Monday’s contest.

“I lost the game for our basketball team last night,” Johnson said. “I got a technical foul with about three minutes left in the game, and we were up five. It was pretty ironic. Miranda was up in the stands for that, and we had a discussion about how I felt I cost my team the game last night.

“I made a comment that I guess the official didn’t appreciate. I don’t feel like I deserved it, but at that point, it doesn’t matter. We had opportunities to win the basketball game after that, just the same. But we would have been in a better position to win had I not gotten called for it.”

Hendersonville led 21-16 after one quarter before Wilson Central took a 35-31 lead to halftime. The game was tied at 46 after three quarters.

Long scored 27 points to lead Hendersonville offensively, followed by Short (14 points), Sheehan (11), Joslyn Jarrett (5) and Branch (4).

Wilson Central senior Kendall Spray scored 35 points to lead the Lady Wildcats.

Monday’s game was played after it was initially postponed from its original date of Jan. 22.

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

PORTLAND (51) – Alyssa Chatmon 25, Rachel Jennings 9, Taylor Cole 6, Erica Keen 4, Mackenzie Trouten 4, Cristina Herrera 3.

HENDERSONVILLE (55) – Brooke Long 17, Peyton Sheehan 15, Carleigh Short 9, Makenzie Branch 7, Makensie Cotter 5, Joslyn Jarrett 2.

Half: 33-20, Hendersonville. Three-point goals: Portland 2 (Chatmon 1, Jennings 1), Hendersonville 3 (Cotter 1, Long 1, Sheehan 1). Records: Portland 12-11 overall, 5-6 in District 9-AAA; Hendersonville 14-8, 7-4.

Hendersonville High senior guard Austin Kirby elevates for a layin during first-quarter action. Kirby scored 15 points in the Commandos’ 51-32 victory over Portland on Tuesday evening.

HENDERSONVILLE Hendersonville High’s boys basketball team showed no ill effects from playing a district game less than 24 hours earlier.

While visiting Portland struggled to score in the first half, the Commandos went on cruise control, running out to a 30-point lead by halftime in a 51-32 victory over the Panthers.

Hendersonville (8-14 overall, 3-8 in District 9-AAA) led 21-1 after one quarter and 39-9 at halftime as Portland only made one field goal in the first half, a 3-pointer from freshman Austin Hicks with 30 seconds remaining in the half. Hendersonville held a 30-2 lead with 4:52 left in the first half.

“We were just playing hard defense,” Commando senior forward Preston Brown said. “That’s what we’re trying to build our program around this year.”

Hendersonville senior guard Austin Kirby scored 11 points over the first 8:51 of the contest and finished the game with 15 points.

Portland High freshman guard Austin Hicks maintains possession amidst pressure from Hendersonville sophomore Cooper Smith during second-quarter action. Hicks scored eight points.

“I’m proud of our effort in the first half,” Hendersonville head coach Kerry West said. “I thought our team played well. (It was) our defensive mentality, our quickness and speed and toughness, and we shot the ball well. Overall, we played a really good first half.”

Portland (5-19, 0-11) made six free throws in the first half but not much else.

“We got some really good looks early in the first quarter,” Panther head coach Chris Carney said. “We missed layups. We missed free throws. We missed some open threes. It was kind of like there was something hanging on the rim preventing them (from going in). Some nights, it’s like that, but if you play hard enough defense, you allow yourself to stay in it.”

The Panthers outscored Hendersonville by a 15-9 margin in the third quarter as senior forward Caelum Utley scored eight points in the period.

“(Utley’s) such a good player, and he’s so talented,” West said. “He’s savvy, and he understands how to play. Some of our younger guys that were in there struggled to understand how good he actually is.”

Hendersonville High senior guard Jason Hernando dribbles into the lane during first-quarter action. Hernando scored two points.

Portland scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to cut the Commando lead to 18 (48-30), but each team only scored two points over the game’s final 5:30.

“I just think you saw a lot more structure than what we played with in the first half,” Carney said. “Some of it was (Hendersonville) pulling off the Ifull-court) press. Some of it was our guys playing with a little bit more urgency and care with the ball.”

Utley led Portland with 15 points, with all but one of those in the second half.

“We’ve put good halves together, but halves don’t win you games,” Carney said. “We continue to search for those four quarters.”

Hendersonville has won back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 28-29, and swept the regular-season series with Portland. The Commandos rolled to a 70-43 win at Portland on Jan. 8.

Portland High sophomore guard Dawson Simmons passes as Hendersonville junior Weston Schwerdt defends during second-quarter action.

It was a relief to the Commandos, who have lost four games in overtime in the month of January.

“It feels like everything is starting to come together,” Brown said. “I feel like we’ve had practice and more experience in late-game situations.”

West added, “(It was) just a fun game. I’m excited to see the way our guys are playing and bonding together. They’ve been through a lot of adversity with those overtime losses, and to see them hold tight and do what they’re doing, I’m proud of them.”

Portland plays at Beech on Friday evening, while Hendersonville plays at Mt. Juliet.

>> Three players scored in double figures as Hendersonville collected a 62-57 victory at Wilson Central on Monday evening.

Sophomore Ryne Loper led the Commandos offensively with 16 points, followed by Jordan Amis (15 points), Jason Hernando (11), Kirby (6), Cooper Smith (5), Brown (4), Dyilin Hoosier (3) and Justin Ernst (2).

Both Loper and Hernando hit three 3-pointers.

Wilson Central led 15-14 after one quarter before the Commandos took a 27-23 lead into halftime. Hendersonville led 46-41 entering the final period.

Senior guard Desmond Mason led the Wildcats with 22 points.

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

PORTLAND (32) – Caelum Utley 15, Austin Hicks 8, Eric Kirk 4, Grant Cook 3, Jay Crutchfield 2.

HENDERSONVILLE (51) – Austin Kirby 15, Alec Kirby 9, Preston Brown 6, Justin Ernst 5, Weston Schwerdt 5, Cooper Smith 4, Dyilin Hoosier 3, Jason Hernando 2, Ryne Loper 2.

Half: 39-9, Hendersonville. Three-point goals: Portland 3 (Hicks 2, Utley 1), Hendersonville 4 (Ernst 1, Hoosier 1, Alec Kirby 1, Austin Kirby 1). Records: Portland 5-19 overall, 0-11 in District 9-AAA; Hendersonville 8-14, 3-8.

Brentwood Academy’s Brandon Adams (66) signed with Georgia Tech Wednesday.

Brentwood Academy defensive lineman Brandon Adams, who recently de-committed from Vanderbilt to Georgia Tech, signed with the Yellow Jackets Wednesday afternoon at BA.

“I just felt at home at Georgia Tech, and the coaching staff and everybody in the program was just really nice and homely,” Adams said. “I believe in what they are doing.”

Adams had 82 tackles (14.5 for loss) and four sacks during his senior season, leading Brentwood Academy to the DII-AA state title.

BRANDON ADAMS

High school: Brentwood Academy

Position: Defensive line

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 322

247Sports Composite: 3 stars

Signed with: Georgia Tech

2015 statistics: 82 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Smyrna’s Ikenna Okeke (2) signed with Texas A&M Wednesday.

Smyrna senior Ikenna Okeke, No. 9 on The Tennessean’s 2015 Dandy Dozen, signed a letter of intent to play football at Texas A&M on Wednesday.

Okeke, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound three-star defensive back, earned Region 2-6A co-MVP honors a season ago after registering 74 tackles and a pair of interceptions for the Class 6A quarterfinalist Bulldogs. He also added 849 yards receiving and a pair of scores offensively.

Okeke, a Tennessean All-Midstate first-teamer, verbally committed to Texas A&M on Nov. 25, choosing the Aggies over scholarship offers from more than 15 Division I programs, including Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech and Missouri.

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

IKENNA OKEKE
High school: Smyrna
Position: Safety
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 200
247Sports Composite: 3 stars
Signed with: Texas A&M

Father Ryan’s Jeremy Darvin (second from left) and Bryce Vickers (visor) signed at Western Kentucky and Georgia Tech, respectively.

Father Ryan senior Jeremy Darvin, No. 10 on The Tennessean’s 2015 Dandy Dozen, signed a letter of intent to play football at Western Kentucky on Wednesday.

Darvin, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound three-star defensive tackle, posted 54 tackles (seven for negative yardage), four sacks, four forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries for the Irish.

Darvin, a Tennessean All-Midstate first-teamer, verbally committed to Western Kentucky on Sept. 30, choosing the Hilltoppers over scholarship offers from seven Division I schools, including Tennessee, Cincinnati, Louisville, MTSU and Navy.

Father Ryan teammate Bryce Vickers also signed on Wednesday, as he will continue his career at Georgia Tech as a preferred walk-on.

Vickers was an All-Region selection and represented Tennessee in the annual Tennessee-Kentucky Border War all-star game.

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

JEREMY DARVIN
High school: Father Ryan
Position: Defensive tackle
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 285
247Sports Composite: 3 stars
Signed with: Western Kentucky
2015 statistics: 54 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 2 pass breakups 2 fumble recoveries, 4 forced fumbles