2009 State Championship Game Highlights

Highlights of the Falcons 2009 State Championship victory over Memphis Booker T Washington

Special Thanks to Photoman for the footage.

Fulton Falcons Hold off BTW and Repeat as Class AA State Champs

Fulton repeats as Class AA champions (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

MURFREESBORO - Fulton High School coach Jody Wright didn't tell his players before Saturday's Class AA state championship that no Knox County school had won back-to-back boys' basketball titles.
He wanted to avoid any unnecessary pressure.
Smart move. Booker T. Washington (29-3) did enough of that.
Fulton built a 20-point lead early in the fourth quarter at Middle Tennessee State University and held on for a 56-55 win, as Booker T. Washington scored 29 points in the final five minutes, 22 seconds with a suffocating press that nudged the Falcons to the brink of a meltdown.
But like last year's final, Fulton (30-6) showed an icy nerve at the free-throw line, making seven of 10 down the stretch to end the Warriors' 15-game win streak.
"To do something like win it back to back, to my knowledge, has never been done in the city of Knoxville," said Wright. "That makes it pretty special."
Fulton shot 51.3 percent from the floor. Courtland Styles had 17 points and nine rebounds. Jalen Steele, the tournament's MVP, led the way with 22 points on 5-for-15 shooting. He made nine of 12 free throws.
Steele got going in the second half for the second night in a row. He scored 12 points - including three 3-pointers - in a significant 18-5 third-quarter run that put Fulton ahead 39-17 with 1:20 left.
His halftime shooting tuneup under Wright's watchful eye had an effect.
"He said, 'Have confidence in your shot,' " said Steele. "I was shooting with no confidence in the beginning. He said, 'Shoot straight up and down. Shoot in the same spot you jump off of. ' ''
Fulton led 41-21 starting the fourth quarter. James Gallman's nifty layup with 5:42 to play kept the lead at 20. But in the next 2:12, Booker T. Washington forced four turnovers and outscored Fulton 14-1 to close to 47-40 on layups, jumpers and easy transition scores.
Steele hit two free throws with 1:55 to go for a 51-42 lead. But Fulton turnovers on its next two possessions led to Booker T. Washington closing the gap to 51-48 with 51.2 seconds left. The Warriors then twice trimmed the lead to two, but Styles and Steele hit pairs of free throws to preserve the win.
Larry McGhaughey (22 points) banked in a 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left. Styles, barely escaping a five-second call, threw a deep inbounds pass that was intercepted too far down the court for a game-winning attempt.
"What a comeback by Booker T.," said Wright. "They made us earn it."
Steele wasn't in foul trouble during the first half like he was Friday. His shot just was sailing too long. He reached the half with two points on 1-for-9 shooting. Still, his dribble-drive move to the hoop gave Fulton its 21-8 halftime lead.
Fulton's role players provided the offensive relief. Robert Boyd scored four points in the second quarter. Micah Pitchford and Reggie Garrett pitched in two points apiece. Styles had seven first-half points.
Booker T. Washington was 4-for-23 shooting through 16 minutes and 0-for-10 on 3-pointers. Fulton prevented the Warriors' trademark putbacks and easy transition buckets - that was, until the fourth quarter.
"It was kind of weird," said Steele of the halftime score. "I was like, 'This game ain't gonna be normal. Something is going to happen. They're going to come back.'
"We just had to keep our heads and our poise."




Falcons flock together for another title (Knoxville News-Sentinel):


MURFREESBORO - After losing three starters from last year's Class AA boys' basketball state championship team, not many gave Fulton High School a chance of getting back to the state tournament - let alone win the whole thing.
But Saturday, there were the Falcons, celebrating in the middle of center court as they held off No. 7 Booker T. Washington 56-55 for a second consecutive state title.
Fulton (30-6) also made Knoxville history becoming the first team to win back-to-back state titles.
"Memphis gets all the credit for winning a lot of titles, but you have to give Knoxville some credit now," said tournament MVP Jalen Steele, who finished with 22 points and passed Terry Russell for third place in school history with 1,628 points.
The Falcons also improved their record to 4-3 against Memphis schools in the state tournament.
Most had Austin-East as the pick to be in Murfreesboro to compete for a state title, but the Roadrunners lost to Carter in the region semifinals.
Meanwhile, Fulton continued to gut out wins and prove critics wrong.
"We heard about how good Austin-East was and that they would be at the state tournament and we would be at home," said senior forward Courtland Styles, who had 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting from the field. "We used it as motivation day in and day out and played hard and now we are back-to-back state champions."
The Falcons lost point guard Shannon Hollingsworth, post player Will Bryant and guard Dominique Minor from last year's 28-4 team.
Fulton coach Jody Wright juggled his lineup all season as Middle Tennessee State signee James Gallman was switched from shooting guard to point guard, while Steele was put at shooting guard from small forward in 2008.
"Coach always preaches that team comes first and as a leader I had to embrace the move because you can't be selfish," Gallman said.
Add junior guard Robert Boyd, junior post Lemar Gibson, sophomore Micah Pitchford plus transfers Styles from Central and Reggie Garrett from Alcoa and Wright had a recipe for success. It just took a while for the Falcons to mesh.
"I knew we could be good but how good I didn't have the answer to that," Wright said "But the guys bought into the system and we got some great leadership from James Gallman and Jalen Steele.
"Players change all the time but our expectations never do. We always want to be in contention for a state title."
Steele, Gallman, Boyd and Styles made the All-Tournament team. For Styles it was really special. He never saw himself playing basketball for Fulton.
"I transferred over here to play football and get a football scholarship," Styles said. "But (Gallman) stayed on me to play basketball so I did and I got a football scholarship to Cumberland and a state title in basketball. Nothing can beat this feeling right now."



Washington falls in AA final (Commercial Appeal):


MURFREESBORO -- With his team trailing by 20 points heading into the fourth quarter of their TSSAA Class AA state championship game against Fulton Saturday, Booker T. Washington coach Fred Horton didn't have any master strategy he could share with his players on how to get back in the game.
He simply told them the only thing he knew to tell them.
"I told the kids to give yourself a gut-check and play your hearts out,'' Horton said. "We don't have time to run no offense. Just keep pressing and get after them. As the game went on, I saw things were turning in our favor. We had the momentum.''
His tactic nearly made for a dramatic, made-for-television finish, including a last second 3-pointer that banked in from the top of the key. Unfortunately, that shot by Larry McGaughey with three-10ths of a second remaining left the Warriors one point shy as Fulton held on, 56-55, to win its second consecutive state championship.
"I don't like losing, but that's one loss I think I can digest,'' Horton said. "They played their hearts out in that fourth quarter.''
That they did. For three quarters, BTW shot about as poorly as a team could shoot. In the first quarter, they made just 1 of 12 shots (that's 8.3 percent), including 0 for 8 from 3-point range, and trailed 8-2.
By halftime, the Warriors trailed 21-8 after increasing their shooting percentage to 17.4 percent (4 of 23, 0-10 from 3-point range). Finally, in the third quarter, BTW made just 3 of 10 shots, 1 of 4 from 3-point range, and trailed 41-21.
"In the first half, when you shoot 17 percent, that's not too good for anybody,'' Horton said. "That didn't help us at all.''
Then, it was if Horton's words woke his team up. The Warriors made a couple of shots, which finally allowed them to get into the fullcourt press Horton had been wanting to use, but couldn't because Fulton rarely had to take the ball out.
The press exposed Fulton's one weakness, which was ballhandling. The Falcons turned the ball over 10 times in the final period, which fueled BTW's furious rally, one that saw it outscore Fulton, 34-15.
"They found our weakness,'' Fulton senior James Gallman said. "We're not good at running the ball. We're good a slowing the ball up. They pressured us, and we just turned the ball over, and they came back off of layups. They showed our weakness.''
The Falcons used five free throws in the final 42 seconds to hold the Warriors off. BTW, looking for its first state title since 2001, was led by MgGaughey's 22 points. Travis Bridges added 10 points. The Falcons were paced by tournament MVP Jalen Steele, who scored 22. Courtland Styles had 17.



Fulton survives rally by B.T. Washington (Tennessean):



MURFREESBORO — For Fulton, the clock couldn’t tick fast enough.
The Falcons withstood a furious rally from B.T. Washington to escape with a 56-55 victory and its second consecutive Class AA boys basketball title Saturday night at MTSU.
Fulton became the first Knox County team to claim titles in back-to-back seasons.
Fulton (30-6) was up 41-21 to start the fourth quarter, but watched that lead erode as the press of B.T. Washington (29-3) forced 10 turnovers.
“We panicked a little,” said Fulton senior James Gallman, an MTSU signee. “I was like, ‘Come on. Get this game over with. Don’t look at the clock or it may go slower.’
“When it was over it felt so good, like I just got out of the shower. You get out feeling great, feeling fresh.”
Junior wing Jalen Steele’s two free throws with 13 seconds left gave Fulton a 56-52 lead, which held up after Douglas Rosser’s deep 3-pointer banked in for the Warriors with 0.3 seconds left.
Steele, named the tournament MVP, finished with 22 points. B.T. Washington’s Larry McGhaughey also had 22.
Courtland Styles added 17 points for Fulton, which committed 22 turnovers — 16 in the second half. Martavious Newby had eight of B.T. Washington’s 15 steals.
“I told the kids to give yourself a gut check and play your hearts out,” B.T. Washington Coach Fred T. Horton said. “As the game went on I saw things turning in our favor. We had momentum.
“From the scouting report I knew the press would bother them a great deal. Austin-East (which beat Fulton three times) pressed them. I don’t like losing, but that’s one loss I can digest.”
Fulton led 21-8 at halftime as B.T. Washington endured a miserable stretch of shooting, going 4 of 23 from the field.
Steele, who scored 48 of his 58 tournament points in the second half, got hot in the third quarter for 12 points and pushed the Falcons’ lead to 22 on two occasions.
“We got to rubbing that gold ball a little too early,” Fulton Coach Jody Wright said.
B.T. Washington wasn’t done. The suffocating defense gave Fulton problems getting the ball beyond midcourt in the fourth quarter, and those turnovers produced Warriors’ layups in bunches.
“I’m thinking, ‘Man, don’t let this slip away,’” Steele said. “We have to win. Just keep your poise, try and get fouled and make your free throws.”



Box Score:
FULTON 56, B.T. WASHINGTON 55


B.T. WASHINGTON (29-3)
McGhaughey, Larry 10-21 0-0 22; Bridges, Travis 2-8 5-6 10; Rosser, Douglas 4-8 1-2 9; Newby, Martavious 4-12 0-0 8; Anthony, Lacorwyn 3-13 0-1 6; Duffie, James 0-0 0-2 0; Love, Kerry 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-62 6-11 55.


FULTON (30-6)
Steele, Jalen 5-15 9-12 22; Styles, Courtland 7-8 3-3 17; Gallman, James 3-5 0-0 6; Boyd, Robert 3-6 0-1 6; Pitchford, Micah 1-3 1-2 3; Garrett, Reggie 1-1 0-0 2; Gibson, Lemar 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-39 13-18 56.


B.T. Washington 2 6 13 34 — 55
Fulton 8 13 20 15 — 56



Defending Champion Fulton Edges BTW For AA Title (The Chattanoogan):



MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Defending champion Knox Fulton defeated Booker T. Washington, 56-55, in the Class AA state championship game Saturday night at the boys state basketball tournament at Murphy Center.


Second-half shooter: Junior Jalen Steele scored just two points during the first half of Fulton’s Class AA semifinals and final. But in the second half, he had 40 points — 20 in each game.
“I get back in the locker room and get my head straight,” Steele said. “I know the speed of the game. After that I come back out and starting making shots.”


All Tournament Team:

Lester Wilson-Carter,Ricky Tisdale-Bolivar Central,Fred Sturdivant-Brainerd,Larry McGhaughey-BT Washington, James Gallman-Fulton, Douglas Rosser-BT Washington, Courtland Styles-Fulton, Martavious Newby-BT Washington,Robert Boyd-Fulton, Jalen Steele-Fulton (MVP)





PrepXtra Game Blog: Class AA Championship: Fulton (29-6) vs. B.T. Washington (29-2) (Jesse Smithey)





TSSAA Official Boxscore



Sweat Repeat! WVLT coverage


Fulton wins second straight state championship (WATE coverage)


Back to Back: Fulton Falcons AA Champs (WBIR coverage)

Falcons Go for Repeat Against Memphis Booker T Washington, Today @ 5 pm EST

Booker T. Washington

Nickname: Warriors.

Coach: Fred Horton, 35th season.

School record: 27-2.

Final AP Ranking: Seventh.

State tournament history: Sixth appearance (5-4). Champions in 2001.

State titles: One - 2001.

Lacrowyn Anthony drives to to the basket

Scouting report: Larry McGhaughey (Sr., 6-5, 21.4 ppg) Douglas Rosser (Sr., 6-2, 13.3) lead five players who enter the tournament averaging double figures.

How they got here: Defeated Chatt Brainerd 61-36 State Semis, Defeated Knox Carter 76-68 State Quarterfinals, Defeated Dyer Co. 86-74 in Substate.

B.T. Washington proves too strong for Brainerd: (The Daily News Journal)

Travis Bridges tries to get by the Carter defender

Warriors adjust defense for victory (Memphis Commercial Appeal)

Wilson scores 27, but Carter falls at state to BT Washington (News-Sentinel)

Martavious Nuby rebounds against Carter

Steele's Last Second Shot Lifts Falcons Over Bolivar (48-46) and Back to the Finals

Jalen Steele hit a clutch leaner with 1 second left in regulation to lift the Fulton Falcons to a 48-46 win over the Bolivar Central Tigers. The Junior guard battled early foul trouble to score 20 points in 22 minutes and scored all 15 of Fulton's fourth quarter points. The win moves Fulton into the Class AA State Championship game Saturday @ 5 pm EST where they will defend their State title versus either Memphis Booker T Washington or Chattanooga Brainerd.

Fulton hit 50% from three point range on the game, and held the Tigers to 0-5 3-point shooting in the second half. Senior James Gallman led the Falcons with 12 first half points, as his back court mate, Steele, sat all but 5 minutes due to foul trouble. Gallman finished with 14 points, going 2-3 from the 3-point strip. Robert Boyd again led the Falcons in rebounding with 7 total.

Jalen Steele is mobbed by teammates after his winning shot

Jalen Steele drives to the bucket for the game winner

PrepXtra in game blog (KNS)

Courtland Styles stretches for a rebound

Official Game Stats from TSSAA

James Gallman skies over a Bolivar defender

Steele's shot lifts Fulton at buzzer, 48-46 (KNS Article):


MURFREESBORO — With the score tied at 46, Jalen Steele wore a large grin as he dribbled down the clock for the final shot of Friday’s Class AA state semifinal against Bolivar.
Fulton’s 6-foot-2 junior wing knew something his defender didn’t.
“We were supposed to have run a play,” said Steele. “I got the ball, and Coach (Jody) Wright said, ‘Go ahead. Go ahead.’ So then I was ball-handling, and I just started smiling. I started thinking of stuff in my head, and I started smiling.
“I was like, ‘I got him. I got him.’”
Steele got him.
He put a shake move on his defender, drove the lane and his shot counted at the buzzer in a 48-46 victory, one in which Steele scored all of Fulton’s 15 fourth-quarter points to advance to today’s title game at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center.
Fulton (29-6) will play Booker T. Washington (29-2) at 5 p.m. for a shot at a second consecutive championship. Washington, which eliminated Carter on Thursday by eight points, beat Chattanooga Brainerd 61-36 on Friday.
Steele was 8-for-17 shooting and scored all 20 of his points in the second half after missing the final 9 minutes, 33 seconds of the first half with three fouls. Senior James Gallman scored 12 of his 14 in the first half to keep Fulton afloat.
“I felt lonely without Jalen,” said Gallman with a laugh. “(But) I had to do my thing and step it up.”
Steele didn’t take long to warm in the second half. He hit a floater in the lane at the 4:30 mark of the third quarter and then a 3 a minute later during Fulton’s 10-0 run for the 33-29 lead.
When Bolivar (27-4) took a 37-33 lead into the fourth, Steele went on a 10-5 run for a one-point lead. His three-point play with 1:16 left got Fulton in front by two.
The Tigers missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity with 36 seconds to play but regained possession on a jump-ball call. Chris Reaves converted the inbounds alley-oop layup to tie it at 46 six seconds later.
Steele prevented the overtime, and Fulton’s mass celebration ensued.
“It was crazy how it happened,” said Steele of the last play.
After Fulton erased a 6-0 deficit with a 12-3 run, Steele was whistled for a charge with 1:33 left in the first quarter, quickly finding the bench with three fouls and zero points. Instead of the Falcons wilting, reserve Reggie Garrett entered and scored four quick points in the post for a 14-13 second-quarter lead. Courtland Styles later added a 3 from the left wing.
Gallman, who scored eight first-quarter points, hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key for the Falcons’ biggest lead (five points) with 2:35 to go before the half. But the Tigers closed on an 8-0 run. Jonathan Hodge hit his third 3 with 58 seconds left to lead 26-23 at half.
Fulton, now 5-0 all time in the state semifinals, outscored the Tigers 25-20 in the second half thanks to Steele and his foresight in the final seconds.
“I was hoping he was going to be aggressive,” said Wright of the final play. “He’s a great foul shooter. I felt like something good was going to happen.”

Lemar Gipson celebrates after Fulton's Semifinal Win

Fulton beats Bolivar on shot at buzzer (Tennessean)

Jalen Steele scored all of his game-high 20 points in the second half and hit the game-winner as time expired as Fulton beat Bolivar 48-46 in the Class AA semifinals. The win sends the defending state champions back to the title game where they will face Booker T. Washington (29-2) at 4 p.m. Saturday.
“There was a point in the game where I came in and took a shot and bricked it,” Steele said. “I just had to put up a shot because I had sat the whole (first) half. I got that off and felt good after that.”
Steele scored all 15 of the Falcons’ fourth-quarter points to help Fulton (29-6) pull out the win. His final basket came as he drove into the paint and leaped, floating past defender Mitch Ross before firing up the game-winner.
“I was trying to wait for him to slap my hand,” Steele said. “I thought he was going to foul me. I just went up and put it up.”
MTSU signee James Gallman added 14 for Fulton. All but two came in the first half when Steele spent most of the time on the bench.
“I had to step it up because Jalen was out,” Gallman said.
Chris Reaves led Bolivar (27-4) with 13 points. Ricky Tisdale and Jonathan Hodge added 12 each.
Tisdale’s jumper gave Bolivar a 44-43 lead with 2:23 left. But Steele answered, converting a three-point play to give Fulton a 46-44 lead with 1:16 left.
Reaves answered with a layup with 32 seconds left, setting up Steele’s heroics.
“(Steele) scared me all along,” Bolivar Coach Rick Rudesill said. “We had tape on him. Sometimes he just floats along and doesn’t do much, but you know it’s there. You know he can step up and take over — and he did.”

Bolivar's season ends on buzzer-beater (Jackson Sun)

Bolivar was supposed to return to prominence and win another state title this trip to the Class AA state tournament. Knoxville Fulton junior Jalen Steele single-handedly changed that.
Steele scored all 20 of his points in the second half and all 15 of the Falcons’ points in the fourth quarter. Most importantly, he hit a short jump shot in the lane as time expired and Fulton beat Bolivar 48-46 in the first Class AA semifinal.
“This one hurts more than any of them,” Bolivar coach Rick Rudesill said. “Because we really felt like this was ours. We had some chances and I’ll take the blame for that.”
Bolivar’s Chris Reaves tied the game at 46 with 32 seconds remaining with an easy layup off an inbounds play.
Ricky Tisdale picked up two fouls on Fulton’s following possession, setting up an inbounds play for the Falcons with 10.4 seconds.
Steele got the ball and took it from there.
“It was crazy,” Steele said. “I was ball-handling then I just started smiling, thinking stuff in my head. Just smiling and I was like, I got it, I got. It went in.”
His teammates mob him as Bolivar’s team stood around, looking shocked.
Bolivar led much of the fourth quarter, until Steele hit a jumper with 2:55 to play. Tisdale matched that shot 30 seconds later. A Steele 3-point play put Fulton up two.
That’s when Reaves tied the game and Bolivar started thinking overtime.
“It’d go to overtime and we’d probably get the win,” Tisdale said.

Fulton and Bolivar Face Off Today @ 2:30 EST

Coach Jody Wright talks strategy during halftime vs Sheffield

Fans show their support during the Quarterfinals

Jalen Steele celebrates a 3 pointer vs Sheffield

LISTEN to the game LIVE on WKCS Online or FM Radio 91.1

Bolivar's speed a major asset (Jackson Sun):

Bolivar's 6-5 Center Mitch Ross practices Thursday

Mitch Ross and Chris Reaves, both 6-5, are the Tigers' two biggest regulars. Leading scorer Des Crisp is 6-3. All are athletic.
"We have athleticism," Ross said. "A lot of teams up here, they don't see the quickness that we have. We're in your face the entire game.
"We push ourselves to the limit every time we come out on the floor."
Livingston Academy's 6-7 center Deven Ramsey did nothing against Bolivar's defense in the Tigers' quarterfinal win.
Ramsey, in foul trouble the entire game, played 17 minutes and scored two points. He averaged more than nine a game.
"If you've got size and quickness, you're pretty good," Rudesill said. "If you're lacking in one, you've got to make up with the other."
Add some long arms to Bolivar's quickness. Midsized players like Crisp and Reaves have "length." They can play inside and out.
"Their reach makes them taller than they really are," Rudesill said. "Their long and lanky so they can stay off a smaller player and still bother their shot - use their feet to defend an inside guy and kind of surprise them with their length and their quick jumping."
Crisp said after the quarterfinal win that the team's speed is an advantage.
"We play defense, too," he said. "We get in a stance and play defense, but our athleticism helps us out a whole lot too."
Fulton is similar to the Tigers. The team's tallest player is 6-4 Reggie Garrett, who played five minutes in the Falcons' opener.
Ross, who would likely guard the junior, said he sees himself is one of the quicker big-men around. Football improved his footwork.
"I don't think you're going to find anyone quicker than us here," Ross said. "I definitely don't think you'll find a bigger heart than our team."

Up Next for the Falcons, the Bolivar Central Tigers in the Semifinals

Bolivar Central (27-3)

Nickname: Tigers.

Head Coach: Rick Rudesill, 13th season.

Final AP ranking: Sixth.

State Tournament history: Eighth appearance (7-5). Quarterfinalist in 2008.

State titles: Two - 2004 and 2005.

Scouting report: Bolivar has three players averaging double figures, led by Desmond Crisp (Sr., 6-3, 17.6 ppg). Chris Reaves (Sr., 6-5, 14.7 ppg) and Ricky Tisdale (Jr., 5-8, 12.4 ppg) make the Tigers a well-rounded team.

Shooting guard Chris Reaves has signed with the Austin Peay Governors.

Reaves' ESPN/Scout.com Evaluation:

January, 2009: Reaves is an athletic wing that excels in transition by
getting to the rim. He is a very smooth driver and slasher from the wing and can
hit the open three with time but is at his best making plays inside the arc. He
has a great court demeanor and can score in bunches without forcing plays
through multiple defenders. He must work to extend his shooting range to where
he is consistent from three point range and improve his ball handling when he
has to break pressure.

2009 Quarterfinals: Defeated Livingston Academy 75-55

Bolivar's Jay Murphy versus Livingston

Bolivar cruises to opening victory (Jackson Sun):

Senior Des Crisp scored 20 points and Jay Murphy added 15. Ricky Tisdale had 10
and Jonathan Hodge made three 3-pointers for his nine points. Six Bolivar
players had seven or more points and eight players made multiple field goals.

In last year's first-round game, Bolivar (32-3) lost by 10 to Howard.

Bolivar made one of its first nine free throw attempts through the first
minute of the fourth quarter. From there, the team made 13-of-17 to finish
14-of-21 from the line.

Bolivar knocks off Livingston Academy (Daily News Journal):

Perennial power Bolivar overwhelmed the Wildcats 75-55 on Wednesday in a
Class AA quarterfinal at MTSU.
Desmond Crisp scored 20 points to pace
Bolivar (27-3). Chase Dunn put up 21 points for Livingston (32-3), which trailed
33-28 at halftime.
Livingston lost by 37 points to eventual champion Fulton
in a 2008 quarterfinal.

Bolivar v Livingston Game Statistics (TSSAA site)

Falcons Put on a Clinic from Behind the Arch, Downs Sheffield 59-46

In a game played to Fulton's tempo and liking, the Falcons (28-6) came out on fire beyond the three point line. Behind the hot hands and red hot 3 point shooting of senior James Gallman (4 for 5) and junior Jalen Steele (3 for 8), Fulton built an 8 point halftime lead. The Knights, who average 71 points per game, were limited to only 15 first half points, due to Fulton's relentless half court defense.

At the end of the third period, Sheffield (19-15) went on a 14-1 run to pull within a 34-33 score. Gallman then hit a 3 with 40 seconds left, and junior Robert Boyd then dribbled around the top of the key and swished a deep 3 at the buzzer to preserve Fulton's 42-37 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

During the 4th period, Fulton continued to controlled the clock and the lead, as the Knights were able to cut the lead 4 points after a Cordairo Golden putback to make the score 47-43. Boyd then found soph. Micah Pitchford open underneath for an easy layup and the Falcons used 10-13 freethrow shooting to ice the game.

For the game Fulton shot 49% from the field and a blistering 53% from 3-point range, while giving up just 2 of 9 3-point shooting by Sheffield. They were led in scoring by Steele (16), Gallman (14) and Boyd (14). Boyd also led the Falcons in both rebounds and assists (7). The Falcons will now face Bolivar Central, Friday at 2:30 EST in the SemiFinals.






Game Statistics (TSSAA)

Boyd energizes Fulton, 59-46; Junior's clutch shots won't let Falcons quit in quarterfinals (KNS Article):

While Gallman and standout junior Jalen Steele did their usual things for the Falcons, Memphis Sheffield also couldn't corral Boyd. The lanky junior scored 14 points, and his clutch shots throughout proved instrumental in Fulton's 59-46 Class AA quarterfinal win at the Murphy Center.
Boyd finished 4-for-6 from the field, 2-for-3 behind the arc and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to complement the nights of Gallman (14 points), Steele (16 points) and Courtland Styles (11 points). Fulton's 3-point shooting (9-for-17) was also noteworthy, and the defending state champions advanced to play Bolivar (27-3) at 2:30 p.m. EDT on Friday.
Steele, who was 3-for-8 on 3s, and Gallman, 4-for-5, were locked in from the start, both sinking their first behind the arc to give Fulton a lead it never relinquished.
"If we don't make 3s in the beginning," said Steele, "we have to go to our second option."
Driving to the hole wasn't necessary. Steele buried his third 3-pointer of the game with 5:01 to go in the third quarter, and Fulton opened a 14-point lead.
Sheffield (19-15) ripped off a 14-1 run over the next 2:53 to pull within 34-33. Gallman hit a 3 with 40 seconds left, and Boyd swished a deep 3 at the buzzer to preserve Fulton's lead (42-37) heading into the fourth quarter.
Boyd got 3 the old-fashioned way early in the final quarter to push the score to 45-39.

The 'Boro Blog: Fulton (27-6) vs. Sheffield (19-14)

Twitter (ShopperSports)

Defending champions too much for Sheffield (Commercial Appeal):

MURFREESBORO — In its first state-tournament appearance, Sheffield gave defending Class AA state-champion Knoxville Fulton all it could handle for three quarters before falling, 59-46, in a Class AA state quarterfinal Wednesday at Middle Tennessee’s Murphy Center. Sheffield junior post Cordairo Golden’s 13 points and game-high eight rebounds led a Knights club that cut Fulton’s lead to one point on two occasions late in the third quarter after trailing by as many as 14 points earlier in the period.
Junior guards Chris Crawford and Calvin Rounds each added 10 points for Sheffield, which finished its season at 19-15 after catching fire this postseason. The Knights had lost three of their final four games to close out the regular season.
“At the beginning of the year, one of they things they told me was, ‘Coach, we’re going to state,’” second-year Sheffield coach Clyde Delamar said. “Now, I didn’t know if they really believed that or if it was just talk or what, but they told me that first week of practice, ‘We’re going to state.’
“We want to get back here, but it’s going to be even harder to get here again. It’s tough to get out of Memphis.”
Junior wing Jalen Steele’s 16 points led four Falcons in double figures. Steele connected on just 5-of-15 shot attempts, but did drain three of Fulton’s nine 3-point field goals on the night.
Steele’s 3-pointer with 5:04 left in the third quarter gave Fulton (28-6) its biggest lead of the game at 33-19 before Golden sparked a 14-1 Knights scoring run with a 3-point play in the lane.
Junior forward Robert Shaffer’s 3-pointer at the 1:53 mark of the third capped the spurt, cutting Fulton’s lead to 34-33.
But after James Gallman’s 3-pointer gave the Falcons a 39-35 advantage, junior teammate Robert Boyd added another 3-pointer from the top of the key with four-tenths of a second left in the period to push Fulton’s lead to 42-37 after three.
“Their athleticism was something we worried about,” said Fulton coach Jody Wright, whose Falcons advanced to face Bolivar Central in Friday’s Class AA semifinals. “We had to do some things that we hadn’t done just due to their personnel.”

Pre-Tournament Chatter

Boys Basketball State Tournament Predictions (Tennessean):

CLASS AA
Favorite: Fulton (27-6).
Contenders: Livingston Acad. (32-2), B.T. Washington (27-2).
Bold prediction: It’s not just that Fulton is the defending champion. It’s
the returnees who played key roles, like Jalen Steele (21.5 ppg), that make Fulton a favorite. Livingston Academy’s passing and running could derail Fulton in the semifinals. B.T. Washington should maximize its draw and make the final.

Fulton, Grace Christian approaches to state differ (KNS Article):

The Fulton High School boys’ basketball team would welcome a little déjà vu this week at the Division I state tournament. Grace Christian would rather experience a new feeling. Both begin play Wednesday at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center.
Grace Christian (26-5) faces Chattanooga Grace Baptist (27-6) at 12:45 p.m. EDT in a Class A quarterfinal. The Rams bowed out in the first round last season.
Fulton (27-6) faces Memphis Sheffield (17-15) at 7:45 p.m. EDT, and the Falcons are seeking consecutive Class AA titles after bringing home the school’s first last season.
Fulton coach Jody Wright liked the tipoff time he received, saying it should help his players stay in their normal routines.
“And I think that’s about what time we played (in the first round) last year,” he said. “From that standpoint, you like what you do.”
Fulton doesn’t tote a hefty win streak into this year’s tournament like
it did a season ago. But the Falcons return the same duo who paced the title run: senior guard James Gallman and junior wing Jalen Steele.
Gallman, an MTSU signee, averages 12.7 points. Steele, who has a handful of mid-major Division I offers, is reliable behind the arc (38 percent) and averages 21.5 points.
Sheffield isn’t the prototypical Memphis opponent that rolls into
Murfreesboro on a cloud of hype. It started 4-8, is 4-4 in its last eight games and has never made a state-tournament appearance.
It lost the District 16-AA championship by 25 points and the Region 8-AA final by 12.
But it was only two years ago that Maryville lost the Region 2-AAA championship by 19 yet captured the Class AAA state title.
It’s not far-fetched to think Sheffield
could do the same. It has the tools with 6-foot-3 junior wing Marcus Crawford (18.5 points), 6-0 senior guard Montrel Crawford (13.2 points) and 6-4 junior Robert Shaffer (11.3 points).
It does bode well for Fulton that Sheffield hasn’t a post player taller than Shaffer and hasn’t any state-tournament experience.
“I’ve been down here before. We have guys who have been down
here before,” said Wright. “Instead of me trying to tell them (how it is), we have guys modeling what we expect and what needs to happen.”

Fulton, Carter Prepare for the State Tournament (WVLT coverage)

Preview of Class AA Tourney Teams (Tennessean):

Class AA

B.T. Washington

Nickname: Warriors.

Coach: Fred Horton, 35th season.

School record: 27-2.

Final AP Ranking: Seventh.

State tournament history: Sixth appearance (5-4). Champions in 2001.

State titles: One - 2001.

Scouting report: Larry McGhaughey (Sr., 6-5, 21.4 ppg) Douglas Rosser (Sr., 6-2, 13.3) lead five players who enter the tournament averaging double figures.

Bolivar Central

Nickname: Tigers.

Coach: Rick Rudesill, 13th season.

School record: 26-3.

Final AP ranking: Sixth.

State Tournament history: Eighth appearance (7-5). Quarterfinalist in 2008.

State titles: Two - 2004 and 2005.

Scouting report: Bolivar has three players averaging double figures, led by Desmond Crisp (Sr., 6-3, 17.6 ppg). Chris Reaves (Sr., 6-5, 14.7 ppg) and Ricky Tisdale (Jr., 5-8, 12.4 ppg) make the Tigers a well-rounded team.

Brainerd

Nickname: Panthers.

Coach: Robert High, 33rd season.

School record: 29-6.

Final AP ranking: Not ranked.

State tournament history: 13th appearance (16-9). Quarterfinalist in 2001.

State titles: Three - 1984, 1988, 1992.

Scouting report: Fred Sturdivant (Sr., 6-7, 18.7 ppg, 13.8 rpg) leads four players in double figures. Teammate Fred Jones (Sr., 6-3, 12.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg) share rebounding duties with Sturdivant.

Carter

Nickname: Hornets.

Coach: Tony Buell, third season.

School record: 21-11.

Final AP ranking: Not ranked.

State tournament history: First appearance.

State titles: None.

Scouting report: Lester Wilson (So., 6-4, 20 ppg, 10 rpg) leads the Hornets to their first state tournament appearance.

David Lipscomb

Nickname: Mustangs.

Coach: Mike McPherson, third season.

School record: 26-6.

Final AP ranking: Not ranked.

State tournament history: 15th appearance (11-13). Semifinalist in 2000.

State titles: One - 1993.

Scouting report: Carter Sanderson (Jr., 14.7 ppg) lead the Mustangs' offensive attack. Trevor Hunt (Sr., 9.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Evan Webb (Sr., 9.9 ppg, 6.5 ppg) provide inside pressence.

Fulton

Nickname: Falcons.

Coach: Jody Wright, 24th season.

School record: 27-6.

Final AP ranking: Third.

State tournament history: 16th appearance (9-15). Champions in 2008.

State titles: One — 2008.

Scouting report: Jalen Steele (Jr., 6-2, 21.5 ppg) and MTSU signee James Gallman (Sr., 5-11, 12.7 ppg) lead the defending state champs back for another tournament run.

Livingston Academy

Nickname: Wildcats.

Coach: Richard Melton, fourth season.

School record: 32-2.

Final AP ranking: Fourth.

State tournament history: 11th appearance (4-10). Quarterfinalist in 2008.

State titles: None.

Scouting report: Chase Dunn (Sr., 5-8, 19.4 ppg) and T.J. Smith (Jr., 6-3, 13.6) have combined to hit 120 3-pointers this season giving the Wildcats a solid outside pressence. However, Dunn can create shots off the dribble.

Sheffield

Nickname: Knights.

Coach: Clyde Delamar, second season.

School record: 19-14.

Final AP ranking: Not ranked.

State tournament history: First appearance.

State titles: None.

Scouting report: The Knights love to play uptempo, giving Marcus Crawford (Jr., 6-3, 16 ppg) and Calvin Rounds (Jr., 5-11, 10 ppg) opportunities to create shots in the open court.

What We Know About the Sheffield Knights

• Sheffield High School is located in Memphis, TN in Southeast Shelby County.




• Enrollment: 941




• Prinicipal: Jimmy Holland




• Sheffield High School Website




• Class AA, Region 8, District 16




• Overall Record: 19-14 (District record: 6-2).




• Dont be fooled by their overall record, they can score in bunches and run with any team in the State. They average 71 points per game (77 points in the games they won).




• Sheffield is making their first trip to the State Tournament.




• Knights Strength Rank: 43rd, Schedule Rank: 13rd (Fulton--Strength Rank: 5th, Schedule Rank: 5th)




• 2008 record: Overall: 8-13 (lost to BTW 75-63 in Region8AA Semifinals)




• 2007 record: Overall: 15-10 (lost to BTW 81-57 in Region8AA Semifinals)




• 2006 record: Overall: 11-14 (lost to Hillcrest 73-65 in District 16AA Tourney)




• This will be the First ever meeting between the two teams in basketball.
  
  


• Head Coach - Clyde Delamar (Delamar, was an assistant coach at Arkansas, Little Rock’s J.A. Fair High School that won the state championship in 1996.)




• Assistant Coaches - Fernando Branch, Tony Haggie




• Defeated the Covington Chargers (73-67) in the Substate to claim the schools first State Championship birth. Sheffield closes out Covington in AA sectional with “Spurtability” (Commercial Appeal Article) :
  
  Behind Marcus Crawford’s 24 points, the Knights (19-14) made school history,
  securing their first trip to the state tournament with a 73-67 sectional
  victory at Covington on Monday.“Offensive execution,” said Delamar. “We tried to get into a run and gun. Our shot selection was poor in the first half but we were only down by eight. In the second half, our offensive execution was there. This team has spurtability, the ability to score a lot of points in spurts. I got that off ESPN.” Covington (28-7) ended its season one win short of tying the school record 29 wins during a 29-4 season in 1997-98. That team finished ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press poll.
  
  

• Sheffield is led by the guard tandem of brothers Montrell and Marcus (Chris) Crawford. Other leaders for the Knights include Cordero Golden, Calvin Rounds, Robert Schaffer, Tony Taplan and Justin Street.

Montrell Crawford (Senior Guard, 5-11, 170), here's what they're saying:

• Memphis Area 901PrepScoop’s Top 25 of Class of 2009: #24 Montrell Crawford (Sheffield H.S.) - He and his brother (Chris Crawford) could make for a quite a tandem next year with his scoring ability.




• MidSouth Basketball Academy Class of 2009 Rankings: #24 Montrell Crawford




• Memphis Hoopers Class of 2009 Rankings: #32 Montrell Crawford

Marcus (Chris) Crawford (Junior Guard, 6-2, 180)

• Memphis Area 901PrepScoop’s Top 25 of Class of 2010: #14 Chris Crawford (Sheffield H.S.) - Very talented but still waiting on that breakout year.




• Memphis Hoopers Class of 2010 Rankings: # 9 Chris Crawford




• 2007 AAU Under 14 National Championship, Orlando, FL (Memphis Stallions Runners-Up). Marcus Crawford (2010), a 6'0 point guard from Memphis, Tennessee, was very impressive in the games I watched. Crawford has always been a standout performer when playing down in the class of 2011, but he appears to have grown and developed a nice looking shot. Not only does Crawford shoot with range, he has a nice mid-range shot as well and seems very poised and under control as the lead guard on his team. Although not nationally known in the class of 2010, Crawford still has all the skills and ability to play D-I basketball down the road.




• Marcus Crawford Highlights:
  
  
  
  

Tournament Brackets Released; Fulton Faces Memphis Sheffield in Round One

The Defending State Champion Fulton Falcons (27-6) will face the Memphis Sheffield Knights (19-14) at 6:45 PM on Wednesday, March 18th, in the first round of the Tennessee Class AA State Championship. The State Tournament will be held at the Murphy Center on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University in Mufreesboro, TN.


Class AA First Round Matchups (TSSAA link):

Wednesday 5:00 pm

Bolivar Central (26-3) v Livingston Acad. (32-2)

Wednesday 6:45 pm

Memphis Sheffield (19-14) v Knox Fulton (27-6)

Thursday 10:00 am

Memphis Booker T Washington (27-2) v Knox Carter (21-11)

Thursday 11:45 am

Nashville David Lipscomb (26-6) v Chatt Brainerd (29-6)

The winner of the Fulton v Sheffield game will face the Bolivar v Livingston winner in the Semis on Friday at 1:30 pm

The other SemiFinal game will be played Friday at 3:15 pm.

The Finals will be held Saturday at 4 pm.

First Round Pairings Set for Boys (KNS Article)

Class AA Bracket link

Falcons Defeat Unicoi County 55-49, Await Saturday's State Championship Bracket Draw and Chance to Defend Title

James Gallman hits a jumper in the lane

WVLT News Coverage of the Game


Pretty or Not, Falcons Will Take It (KNS Article):

Senior guard James Gallman scored 21 points Monday night and the Falcons held off visiting Unicoi County 55-49 in a Class AA state sectional for a berth in next week's state tournament in Murfreesboro.

Fulton (27-6) wasn't worried about style points - only about getting back and defending its state title.

Unicoi (26-7) was 4-of-18 from 3-point range and Fulton was 4-of-16.

"I thought their experience down the stretch was the difference," Unicoi coach John English said. "They're a great team. Jody Wright's a great guy and I'd like to see them go win another one (state title). It's a class program."

Pairings for the state will be announced Saturday. The Falcons will play either late March 18 or early March 19.

"Going back to the state, baby!" Gallman yelled as he went into the Falcons' locker room.

Junior wing/guard Robert Boyd scored nine for the Falcons and Jalen Steele and Micah Pitchford had seven each. Steele was 2-of-7 from 3-point range.

Fulton scored the first six points of the third quarter and stretched the lead to 10 after three quarters.

Unicoi got within five of the Falcons' lead three times in the fourth quarter, the last time on Tyler Turner's basket with 2 minutes left.

The Blue Devils then went the next minute, 30 seconds without scoring - committing two turnovers and missing three 3-point shots in that span.

"We just had too many periods when we didn't score," English said. "Fulton did a great job locking us down for extended periods. That was the difference."

Fulton is 12-2 in sectional games, 6-0 at home.

"Being home helps, especially when we hit some rough parts," Wright said. "We made a run there and didn't let them get any closer than five after that."

Robert Boyd attacks the rim

Blue Devils season ends in sectional game (Erwin Record)

The season came to an end for the Blue Devils (27-7) in Knoxville 55-49 to defending Class AA state champion Knox Fulton High School (27-6) in a sectional contest.
Unicoi County was paced by Logan Lyle who scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Cameron Miller — in his final high school game — scored 13 points.

Unicoi County led 12-8 after one quarter, but the Falcons’ strong rebounding turned out to be a deciding factor as Fulton took a 13-12 lead early in the second quarter and never trailed again.

Fulton moves on to the state tournament in Murfreesboro

Courtland Styles battles for a rebound

Basketball Falcons Win Region Tourney, Face Unicoi County Monday @ 7 PM in Substate

The Fulton Falcons (26-6) defeated the Carter Hornets 62-47 on Thursday to lock up their 3rd Regional title in a row. Their reward is to host the Unicoi County Blue Devils (26-6) in a Substate matchup Monday night at 7 PM. The Blue Devils were defeated by the Union County Patriots 64-59 in the Region 1AA Finals. Unicoi County will be led by guard Cameron Mills who scored 30 in the Regional finals vs Union County. This will be the third time that the Falcons and the Blue Devils have met in the Substate. Fulton won the last meeting 51-39 in 2007. Falcon fans are urged to show up in mass and show up in white for a Fan White Out.

All Region: Courtland Styles, James Gallman, Robert Boyd and MVP Jalen Steele

Congratulations to Jalen Steele for being named the Region Tourney MVP



Fulton Turn Up the Heat; Falcons Win 3rd Regional Title in a Row (Knox NewSentinel)

Blue Devils come up short against Union (Johnson City Press)

Unicoi County put up quite a fight, but Union’s big three was
just a little too strong. Guards Jacob Muncey, Tyler Smith and Tyler
Vittetoe combined for 54 points as Union County held off the Blue Devils 64-59
in the Region 1-AA championship game at Chuckey-Doak Middle School on Thursday night.
It was the first-ever region title for Union County. The Patriots won
a region championship in 1994 when the school was called Horace Maynard.
Unicoi, which was seeking its second straight region title, fell to 26-6 on
the season. But the Blue Devils are still in the hunt for a state tournament
berth as they will travel to take on defending Class AA state champion Knox
Fulton in a sectional game Monday at 7 p.m.
Fulton (27-6) knocked off Strawberry Plains Carter 62-47 for the Region 2-AA title. Union County (27-6) will play host to Carter on Monday.
Despite the success of Muncey (25 points), Vittetoe (15 points) and Smith (14 points), the Blue Devils came to life late in the third quarter. A 10-0 run that carried over into the fourth quarter gave Unicoi a 46-41 lead and a lion’s share of the momentum. However, the Patriots called timeout and Vittetoe drained a long 3-pointer to get Union back on track.
“That was the biggest shot of the game,” said Blue Devils head coach John English. “He hit that three from about 23 feet. That really got them back in it.
“We just didn’t execute. We had too many
turnovers.”
Unicoi County struggled to take care of the basketball for three
quarters, turning it over 20 times. The Blue Devils did better in the fourth
quarter with only one turnover, but English said damage was already done.
“Some of those early turnovers kept us from having space, especially in the
first half,” said English.
Muncey really hurt the Blue Devils in the fourth
quarter. With his team trailing 50-46, Muncey scored 14 points in a span of 4:18
— from 5:01 to 42.6 seconds — to help the Patriots build a 62-56 advantage.
“It’s my senior year, and it was the fourth quarter of the region
championship game,” said Muncey. “You just have to step up.”
Muncey said the players didn’t panic when Unicoi went on the 10-0 run that was aided by a three-point play from Cameron Miller that may have occurred after the
third-quarter buzzer sounded.
“We just kept our heads on straight,” said
Muncey, who was chosen as the tournament’s most valuable player. “We didn’t
panic. If we had gotten caught up in their crowd, it might have slipped away.”
English said Union deserves credit for earning the win.
“Sometimes matchups are not good,” said English. “Those three guards are really tough to handle. They are long and athletic and they got to the rim way too easy.”
Unicoi had one last chance when Logan Lyle nailed a 3-pointer with 33.8
seconds left to make it 62-59. However, Union made a couple of free throws and
Unicoi couldn’t get another basket to fall.
Miller did just about all he could to get the Blue Devils over the hump. He totaled 30 points on 11-of-23 shooting from the field. Miller was 7 of 7 from the free throw line.
“He did have a good game,” said English. “But we had other guys struggle tonight who had been playing well.
“In a championship game, you can’t have that many turnovers and miss that many layups.” Lyle finished with 16 points and nine rebounds while D.W. Whitson chipped in with eight points.
English said he reminded his team about what is still ahead.
“We’re disappointed that we didn’t win a region championship,” said English. “But the biggest thing is we have 32 minutes left for our ultimate goal. We have to go on the road and beat the defending state champions.”