And Then There Was 1! (Well 4)

The pageantry was definitely felt throughout the Murphy Center on Saturday. The final day, Championship Saturday, took place in Murfreesboro, TN . Fans came out in droves to cheer on their prospective clubs. The place was packed and the girls were hyped up to not only lift up that gold ball, but also to etch their names in the history books. You couldn't ask for a better final day of the high school basketball season.   Walking around the concourse, you could feel the excitement. Families and fans were there to cheer on their team. Towns (cities) came out, student bodies were rockin, man the feeling was electric.   Here is a recap of what took place on Championship Saturday.   1A Championship Game   The towns were out for this matchup. This was like a backyard brawl, except there was one big bully. Pickett Co. was determined to set the tone early and often. Led by Ella Keisling and [player_tooltip player_id='409093' first='Callie' last='Reeder'], these girls found the bottom of the cup on a consistent clip. PC is  a squad who just reads and reacts off each other so well. These girls are some technicians at their crafts. They know when and where each other goes, I was amazed how they all moved as a unit. Back doors cuts, paint touch kicks, you name it these girls were doing it all. Though they were up at the half 23-11, Moore Co. did battle back. [player_tooltip player_id='409039' first='Ellie' last='Graham'] was huge as usual, but Pickett Co. was just too much down the stretch. Final score Pickett Co. 56. Moore Co. 45.The gold ball is heading back to Byrdstown. Last championship trophy the girls team won was back in 1989.    Key Players   Pickett Co.   Ella Keisling (18 pts, 1 reb, 1 stl)   [player_tooltip player_id='409093' first='Callie' last='Reeder'] (12 pts, 8 rebs, 2 assists, 2 steals)   [player_tooltip player_id='409090' first='Emmy' last='Lowe'] (10 pts, 5 rebs, 2 assists, 2 steals)   Moore Co.   [player_tooltip player_id='409039' first='Ellie' last='Graham'] (12 pts, 9 reds, 2 assists, 3 steals)   Katie Fletcher (10 pts, 4 rebs, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal)   2A Championship Game   This is what I will say about this game, these squads are very similar and both have been battle tested throughout the course of the season. 3 hours away from each other, these squads can flat out hoop. It's not about the sauce in the game, but just pure basketball. This game went back and forth early and often. But when it came down to it, senior [player_tooltip player_id='290939' first='Micah' last='Hart'] from Gibson Co. put her team on her back. She finished the contest with 20 points. I'm going to say this, when you have a coach who trusts his players to play all 32 minutes, its do or die and the Gibson Co. girls answered the bell.[player_tooltip player_id='409003' first='Ally' last='Weathers'] from Loretto did drop 15,but come the 4th quarter, Gibson's D was just too much as they held the Lady Mustangs to single digits, outsourcing them 17-5 in the 4th. Final score, Gibson Co. 49, Loretto 37.   Key Players   Loretto   [player_tooltip player_id='409003' first='Ally' last='Weathers'] (15 pts, 7 rebs, 3 assist, 5 steals)   Gibson Co.   [player_tooltip player_id='290939' first='Micah' last='Hart'] (20pts, 7 rebs, 1 block, 1 steal)   A'kira Riding ( 12 pts, 1 reb, 2 assist, 1 steal)   3A Championship Game   The 3A matchup was a true battle of wills. The back and forth action gave off exuberant energy throughout the game. The last championship game of the night was stellar. Upperman got the party started, winning the first quarter. But like a Tyson and Ali fight, Dyersburg battles back. Then out of the half, boom, Upperman punched back. Then… well, let me tell you the rest. KK Strayhorn got hot from 3. The freshman sensation led her club with 14 points. Upperman had a super gameplan in slowing down the actions of Joya Crawford and [player_tooltip player_id='593347' first='Chelby' last='Jordan']. Just like Dyersburg slowed down [player_tooltip player_id='816597' first='Taylor' last='Dolente'] of Upperman, but it was that 3 option that stepped forward and that was KK Strayhorn. How close was this game, here are the scoring periods:   1st: Upperman 11 Dyersburg 7   2nd: Upperman 6 Dyersburg 11   3rd Upperman 14 Dyersburg 12   4th: Upperman 8 Dyersburg 11   Like a heavyweight boxing fight, these girls battled. Final score 41-39. The gold ball heads to Dyersburg!   Key Players   Upperman   Isabella Mullins (11 pts, 3 rebs, 3 assists)   [player_tooltip player_id='816649' first='Gracie' last='Butler'] (15 pts, 2 rebs, 3 assists)   Dyersburg   KK Strayhorn (14pts, 2 rebs)   Joya Crawford (10pts, 5 rebs)   4A Championship Game   The 4A matchup saw a repeat of last year's contest. The Lady Panthers of Bartlett versus the Lady Bearettes of Bradley Central. For one, let's just say the energy level was up and these two foes aren't the best of friends. BC got off to a fast start and really never looked back. Their defense made it tough for Bartlett to operate. Bradley has a dominant squad that can create matchups on both ends of the floor. With a nice high low game and shooters on the wings, there is going to be a mismatch somewhere. So that's what they did, they stretched the floor and played with poise. Bartlett did try and create chaos late in the game, however Bradley's lead never waivered. Final score, Bradley Central 58, Bartlett 43. Do we have a dynasty happening in East Tennessee?   Key Players   Bradley Central   [player_tooltip player_id='513228' first='Kimora' last='Fields'] (12 pts, 8 rebs, 1 assists, 1 block, 3 steals)   [player_tooltip player_id='290719' first='Harmonie' last='Ware'] (29 pts, 9 rebs, 3 steals)   Bartlett   [player_tooltip player_id='290717' first='Carrington' last='Jones'] (13 pts, 4 rebs, 2 assists, 1 steal)   [player_tooltip player_id='409005' first='Zoey' last='Rixter'] (9 pts, 2 rebs, 3 steals)

The pageantry was definitely felt throughout the Murphy Center on Saturday. The final day, Championship Saturday, took place in Murfreesboro, TN . Fans came out in droves to cheer on their prospective clubs. The place was packed and the girls were hyped up to not only lift up that gold ball, but also to etch their names in the history books. You couldn't ask for a better final day of the high school basketball season.