Tickets are Punched: More Substate Fun from Saturday Night

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We take a closer look at the White County vs Heritage, Lincoln County's huge win, Upperman's return to state, and Pickett's dominant season continues.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lincoln County (25-9) 55</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beech (22-9) 39</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lincoln Co went on the road and just dominated their substate game vs Beech, and the Lincoln County Lady Falcons are advancing to the Glass House for the first time in school history. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='290985' first='Carson' last='Sisk'] paced the Buccaneers with 14 points, while Lincoln County junior [player_tooltip player_id='496294' first='Abby' last='Bryan'] put up 18 in the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beech graduates seven seniors. Five Beech seniors are committed to college programs or hold offers to continue their athletic careers. Genesis Harris and others have had fantastic careers at Beech.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Lincoln County, [player_tooltip player_id='496294' first='Abby' last='Bryan'] was sensational once again with 18 points 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. [player_tooltip player_id='506248' first='Molly' last='Brown'] came up big again with a 15 point, 5 rebound performance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lincoln County will now square off against Cleveland HS (and top ESPN 60 [player_tooltip player_id='409019' first='Lauren' last='Hurst']) on Wednesday at 11:00. Should be a great one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Upperman (28-6) 41 </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Signal Mountain (23-8) 22</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Upperman dominated this game, and they are headed back to the state tournament....again for the 3rd straight year! It's what Upperman does. They simply win. They have an established culture that knows once the postseason starts, records and rankings become irrelevant and all that matters is winning the 32 minutes in front of you. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Upperman's Stats:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='816649' first='Gracie' last='Butler'] 14 points, 2 rebounds</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='816597' first='Taylor' last='Dolente'] 9 points, three made 3's, 5 rebounds</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sadie South 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='804740' first='Bella' last='Mullins'] 4 points, 3 reb, 5 assists</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gracie Hamilton 3 points, 2 reb</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline">Dycus' Thoughts:</span></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's really hard to bet against a team as hot as Upperman. They've beat two #1 seeds on the road to winning substate as a 4 seed. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pickett (26-2) 90</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Copperbasin (17-10) 55</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pickett County has dominated all season long, and I can't see a A team beating them. They are just so deep for a A squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game was the [player_tooltip player_id='514124' first='Zoey' last='Nicholas'] '26 substate party, as she went for 43 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals --- in a SUBSTATE GAME! She also hit 7 threes!?! Kid is LEGIT. [player_tooltip player_id='409090' first='Emmy' last='Lowe'] had 15 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. [player_tooltip player_id='409093' first='Callie' last='Reeder'] '25 had 9 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2blk. With Addy Lowe and [player_tooltip player_id='405859' first='Ella' last='Kate Keisling'] giving great minutes as well....I just can't see them losing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline">Dycus' Thoughts</span></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I already thought Pickett was tough enough. [player_tooltip player_id='409090' first='Emmy' last='Lowe'] has been tremendous in the postseason. [player_tooltip player_id='409093' first='Callie' last='Reeder'] belongs in the WNBA. And now....sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='514124' first='Zoey' last='Nicholas'] just dropped 43 points. This squad would be tough as a AA or AAA...but as a A they feel like state champs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Heritage (30-3) 63</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>White County (31-4) 62</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was a clash of 3A titans in a substate match that could have just as easily been the state championship game. Heritage won with a [player_tooltip player_id='409073' first='Chloe' last='Heath'] buzzer beater, sending them to their first state tournament appearance since 2000. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the final play, after a White County missed free throw, Jay Cocker pulled a huge board, and immediately turned it into a one man fast break before finding Heath in transition. The tremendous '25 used her strength to get to the rim and finish the tough layup as time expired.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='810476' first='Carsyn' last='Swaney'] '24 had a game high 21 points. [player_tooltip player_id='409073' first='Chloe' last='Heath'] '25 added 18 (with 10 in the 4th), and two huge 3s. Coker had 16. And freshman [player_tooltip player_id='821752' first='Faith' last='Morris'] stepped up huge with 6 points on two huge threes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For White County, it was just an unfortunate night. Miss Basketball finalist fouled out but finished with 17 points. Heritage's gameplan was to go directly at the chest of Reed, and see if they could get her into foul trouble--and it worked. [player_tooltip player_id='636393' first='Ava' last='Jones'] also fouled out for White County 11 seconds into the 4th.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heritage will face Cocke Co (28-8) in the 1st round of the 3A playoffs at 5:00 Thursday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">White County Final Stats</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='245357' first='Celeste' last='Reed'] 17</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='893861' first='Gracie' last='Clark'] 15</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='822275' first='Ashlyn' last='Selby'] 10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lakely Grasty 10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='813169' first='Bella' last='Winningham'] 7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='636393' first='Ava' last='Jones'] 3</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline">Heritage Final Stats</span></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='810476' first='Carsyn' last='Swaney'] 21 (1 made three)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='409073' first='Chloe' last='Heath'] 18 (3 made threes)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jay Coker 16 (2 made threes)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='821752' first='Faith' last='Morris'] 6 (2 made threes)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='513244' first='Aleyah' last='Smyth'] 2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline">Dycus Thoughts:</span></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heritage's mixture of star power, veteran leadership, inside scorers, perimeter threats, rim protection, perimeter D---it all makes them such a tough out. I had White County as the #1 ranked 3A team for much of the season, and Heritage beating them just proves exactly how tough they are. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->