Date Opponent Place Time Teams Nov. 24-29 Land-Air Classic Greenville TBA BV ONLY Dec. 2 Lenoir City Home Dec. 5 Carter Home Dec. 6 Anderson County Away Dec. 9 Gibbs Away Dec. 12 Austin-East Home Dec. 16 West Away Dec. 20-23 Super 16 Bearden TBA BV ONLY Dec. 30 Anderson County Home Jan. 2 A-E Away Jan. 6 Karns Away Jan. 9 Alcoa Home Jan. 10 Oak Ridge Away Jan. 13 Powell Away Jan. 16 Seymour Home Jan. 23 Carter Away Jan. 27 Gibbs Home Jan. 30 Alcoa Away Feb. 6 Seymour Away Feb. 10 Powell Home Feb. 13 Central Away Feb. 17 Bearden Home Feb. 20-24 District Tournament Fulton TBA GV, BV ONLY Feb. 27-March 5 Region Tournament Fulton TBA GV, BV ONLY March 7 Girls Sub-State TBA TBA March 9 Boys Sub-State TBA TBA March 11-14 Girls State Tournament Murfreesboro March 18-21 Boys State Tournament Murfreesboro
The annual Landair Transport Inc. Tip-Off Basketball Classic is scheduled for Hal Henard Gym in Greeneville the week of Thanksgiving, with some of the best boys' basketball teams in the state scheduled to appear.
A total of 16 teams will be in town for the tourney, including two teams from Canada and one from Virginia.
The event will begin on Monday, Nov. 24, and will continue through Saturday, Nov. 29. No games will be played on Thanksgiving Day, which is Thursday, Nov. 27.
Action starts on Monday, Nov. 24, at 4 p.m. when the Johnson County Longhorns take on the Morristown East Hurricanes, followed at 5:30 p.m. by the defending Class AA state champion Fulton Falcons of Knoxville going against Jefferson County. The 7 p.m. game finds the Dragons of Clinton going against Cocke County, with the 8:30 p.m. finale pitting the host Greeneville Greene Devils against CDL of Canada.
Four more first round games are set for Tuesday, Nov. 25. At 4 p.m. Sevier County goes against Ecole Seondare of Canada, while the 5:30 p.m. game has Sullivan South's Rebels taking on Meigs County. The 7 p.m. contest pits the Volunteer Falcons against Chattanooga East Ridge, and the 8:30 p.m. game has another Chattanooga school, Red Bank, meeting Roanoke Catholic of Virginia.
Loser's bracket games begin Wednesday afternoon, with the four quarterfinal games set for Wednesday night. More loser's bracket games and the tourney semifinals are Friday. Action continues Saturday leading up to the championship game at 8:30 p.m.
"We're looking forward to another great tournament," Greeneville Coach Billy Duncan said. "We've got some of the best teams in the state coming in here and I think the local fans will enjoy watching the tourney."
Monday, Nov. 24
4 p.m. - Johnson County vs. Morr. East
5:30 p.m. - Knox Fulton vs. Jefferson Co.
7 p.m. - Clinton vs. Cocke County
8:30 p.m. - Greeneville vs. CDL (Canada)
Tuesday, Nov. 25
4 p.m. - Sevier County vs. Ecole Secondare (Canada)
5:30 p.m. - Sullivan South vs. Meigs County
7 p.m. - Volunteer vs. Chattanooga East Ridge
8:30 p.m. - Chattanooga Red Bank vs. Roanoke Catholic (Va.)
PrepXtra Top 10 The Falcons start the season ranked #2 in the PrepXtra Poll. Here is what they think:
2. Fulton (28-4): The Falcons enter the regular season with a 19-game winning streak, still soaring from the Class AA state championship won eight months ago but must avoid complacency. A repeat is not out of the question with senior guard James Gallman and junior wing Jalen Steele back. Transfers Courtland Styles (6-3) and Reggie Garrett (6-5) must adapt to Jody Wright basketball.
These players won't be pawns in online fantasy sports leagues anytime soon. But if they were, they would likely be drafted first. --Jalen Steele (Fulton, junior, wing, 6-2): A clutch player, Steele was the sophomore of the year last season as he helped Fulton to the Class AA state championship. He's already drawing multiple Division I offers and looks. --James Gallman (Fulton, senior, guard/wing, 5-11): Gallman is a savvy defender and a smooth scorer. He was the PrepXtra player of the year last season and has signed with MTSU. --Robert Boyd (Fulton) Wing.
--Jasmine Lewis (Fulton, senior, guard, 5-11): Lewis, a Southeast Missouri State signee, scored 17 points, dished out three assists and grabbed five rebounds per game last season on her way to District 3-AA player-of-the-year and all-state honors. --Victoria Dailey (Fulton) Guard.
The Fulton Falcon's boys and girls basketball teams tipped off the regular season in the St. Mary's Health System High School Tip-Off Classic Thursday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Fulton boys team posted a 18-6 win over the West High Rebels in only a quarter of action. Robert Boyd led the Falcons with 10 points.
The Fulton girls team was edged by the Lady West Rebels 17-14. The Lady Falcons were led by Victoria Dailey's 9 points.
While Fulton won 18-6 over West in the St. Mary's Health System High School Tip-Off Classic, the Falcons are a work in progress. "We got nine new players," said Wright. "Really of our 12 guys, (James) Gallman, (Jalen) Steele and Robert Boyd are the only ones who've logged significant minutes. It's a learning process, that these guys have to understand their roles and what their strengths are. "It's an everyday thing in practice. We look good for a couple of minutes and then we look like a middle school team for a while." Not many middle school teams have a Division I signee (Gallman) and a Division I recruit (Steele). Each buried a 3-pointer behind the new collegiate 3-point line en route to a Fulton 12-4 first-quarter lead. "It (the 3) felt good," said Steele, a junior. "It's very bright (in the arena). There's a lot of orange. But it gets you pumped up." Steele, the PrepXtra sophomore of the year last season, has been eyed as a possible recruit for the Vols. Gallman, a 5-foot-11 guard/wing, inked with Midde Tennessee State last week. Each increased his offseason training in preparation for the college ranks - and to set a work-ethic example for the newcomers. Gallman put on 10 pounds. Wright called it "good weight" and not the "weight around the middle." "We're trying to repeat," said Gallman. "Of course, we have to work hard. We're the captains of the team. We have to teach these younger kids how to play." Robert Boyd scored a game-high nine points, seven of which ignited an 11-0 run to put the exhibition to rest. Fulton's season officially starts next week at the Greeneville Land-Air Classic. "I've never gone in (a season) as a defending state champion," said Wright. "I know that in the past we tend to get most people's best effort because of the success we've had. I think that will hold true this year as well."
West 17, Fulton 14:
West prevailed in a game that featured Southeast Missouri signees Erika Lane and Jasmine Lewis guarding each other. Lane' consecutive baskets to start the second quarter staked the Lady Rebels to an 11-6 lead. Vanessa Moore added all 4 of her points in the final 32 seconds. Alexus Patterson added 5 points.
Victoria Dailey scored Fulton's first 9 points and Morgan Rogers added three foul shots.
