Just like in the movies..
Auburn commitment Jalen
Steele (Fulton) proved to be clutch down the
stretch as Team Kimber pulled out a 69-63 victory over a determined Team Brown
to capture the inaugural Pilot Rocky Top High School Fall League Championship
at Maryville College.
Steele, who would finish with 17, scored a leaner in the
lane to give his squad a 65-60 advantage with just over a minute left on the
clock.
Shooting sensation Austin
Gardner (Morristown
East) proceeded to drain his third three of the game and closed the gap to
65-63 with just under .32 ticks left on the clock.
Team Brown would cause a turnover but couldn't convert the
foul shots to tie the contest and Steele stepped to the line with the game in
his hands. He did not disappoint.
It was a tight contest throughout with the lead never
getting more than 5 either way. Lipscomb commitment Robert Boyd (Fulton)
played his usual game of outstanding defense and finished with 12 points.
Balance defined the Team Kimber scoring output with TaShawn Kelly (Knoxville Central) finishing
with 9 and a trio of balers adding 8 points including Phillip "Tookie" Stanford (Knoxville West), Reggie Garrett (Fulton) and
rising freshman Shannon Hale (Science
Hill).
Jose Agosto
(Gatlinburg-Pittman) led Team Brown with an inspired 21 points, including
12 in the second half. The rising junior saved his best performance for the
finale showing when he puts on his game face there are few in East
Tennessee who can guard him in the post.
Gardner
finished a fantastic Fall League with 15 and McKinley Maples (Gatlinburg-Pittman) added 13.
My hat goes off to the effort of both teams and their will
and determination to capture the title.
Team Pierson 87
Team Stewart 48
Lester Wilson
(Carter) finished with 31 points and led Team Pierson to the 3rd
place finish over Team Stewart 87-48.
JuJuan Williams (Knoxville West) added
15 in the victory.
C.J. Alred (Clinton) finished an
outstanding overall fall league effort with 13 points. He was joined in the
scoring column by Cory Billingsly
(Sweetwater) who finished with 10.
Team Naler 55
Team McNeeley 52
Dre Matthieu (Knoxville Central) led
all scorers with 16 points and proved much larger than his 5'7 frame in the
clutch helping Team Naler escape with a 55-52 win over a tough Team McNeeley.
Matthieu proved to be the difference with his ball decisions
and ability to get to the rim at will. Joining him in the scoring were Linwood Holloway (Knoxville
Central) and Phillip Stevens (Knoxville
Catholic) with 10 points each.
Ty McBrayer (William
Blount) led his squad with 14 and Logan
Sharp (Alcoa) finished with 10.
Team Watts 73
Team Buckner 58
Galen "G-Smoov"
Campbell (Fulton)
scored a league high 38 points and helped Team Watts finish strong with a
73-58 victory over Team Buckner.
Campbell
scored 25 of his points in the second when Team Watts broke open the close
contest late.
Dwight Tarwater (Knoxville Webb) finished
a special overall fall league effort with 14.
Balance was the flavor of the day for Team Buck as four
players finished in double figures led by Chase
Buckner (Union County) with 12. Dennis Ramsey (Claiborne) proved to be
one of the surprises of the entire league playing consistent basketball for the
duration; his efforts netted him 11 points but some serious interest from the
college coaches that flocked to the finale.
Tyler Smith (Anderson County) was a beast on the defensive
end making several timely steals and finished with 10 points, while Andy Farmer (Grainger) shows there is
something in the Rutledge water that makes these guys better shooters, he
finished with 10 as well.
Team Benjamin 58
Team Hunley 57
Zach Sherill (Stone
Memorial) converted a nice bank shot with .8 left on the clock to give Team
Benjamin a nice come from behind win over Team Hunley.
Down by 11 with just under 7 minutes left a flurry of
activity brought Team Benjamin back into the contest including some timely
shooting from Mason Fox (Stone Memorial)
and Lane Gonzalez (Oak Ridge).
Dion Fair (Bearden) kept
his squad in the game with some clutch three point shooting of his own but his
leaner at the buzzer for the game winner fell just short.
Gonzalez was high scorer with 16 followed a pair of his high
school teammates Will Thompson (Oak Ridge) with 12 and Tyrece Irons (Oak Ridge)
with 10.
Will Winton (Bearden)
returned to action finishing with 12 points. Fair and Lucas Branch (Knoxville
Catholic) added 10.
Team Johnson 69
Team Laverdiere 49
Devin Jackson (Knoxville West) dropped
19 and helped Team Johnson close the season on a high note winning 69-49 over a
depleted Team Laverdiere.
Jaylen Allen (Science
Hill) played an outstanding floor game finishing with 13 points and Caleb Barrett (Knoxville West) added 10.
Tyler Vittetoe (Union County)
finished with 18 points and Alan
Holt (Anderson County) added 11.
Thanks to everyone for making this a fantastic fall league
and I truly hope we can do it again next year..
