The King's Academy

Big fourth quarter sends Lady Lions to fourth straight Final Four

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – “I memorize the basics. Making strange faces. Tread slowly, for I know, there’s a thousand miles to go.” “This is the night, this is the sound. Here comes the warm machine.” The lyrics of the song “Warm Machine” by the alternative rock band “Bush” can resonate with most Lady Lions fans because this team has already been in the position of needing to win the region with a lower seed after losing the district semifinal to Grace Christian. Just one season ago, The King’s Academy lost in the district semifinals to Grace Christian and then …

Fulton

Fulton leads from start to finish, defeats Austin-East for 4th district title in 5 years

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – Fulton didn’t want the same feeling they had in 2025, when the Falcons lost to Carter in the district championship and had to navigate through the region as a 2-seed before getting a rematch in the region championship. That might indeed happen again in the region this year, with Austin-East, but this season Fulton will enter the regional tournament as the 1-seed after defeating the Roadrunners 58-45 to win its fourth district championship in five years. The Falcons started the game hot and every time Austin-East got close, Fulton had an answer. After building a …

Seymour-Carter

Seymour outscores Carter 18-3 to end game, winning district consolation game 85-60

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – Seymour led Carter throughout most of the game, building a 17-point lead early in the fourth quarter before Carter used a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 10. The Eagles would answer by closing the game on an 18-3 run to win 85-60 and claim a 3-seed in the region tournament. “I didn’t want to blow a timeout at that time, because I think that’s going to help us later on, that adversity, that chaos right there,” Seymour coach Clint Sharp said. “I called one (timeout), but they still went on a run, so …

Lady Highlanders use hot start to rout Pigeon Forge, win district championship

BY BRIAN HAMILTON GATLINBURG – The Class 2A District 2 championship has gone through Gatlinburg-Pittman and Alcoa the last four years, but with Alcoa moving to 3A, there was room for a new challenger. This year the championship game featured a new participant, as Pigeon Forge defeated Cumberland Gap in the semifinals to advance to the title game. Gatlinburg-Pittman wasted no time in claiming its fourth district title in five years, as the Lady Highlanders jumped out on Pigeon Forge early, building a 21-3 lead en route to a 73-38 win. The win earned Gatlinburg-Pittman its second consecutive district title. …

WSCC-Pellissippi State

Griffin sets all-time scoring record in win over Pellissippi State

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Terryauna Griffin was back in her hometown of Knoxville on Wednesday night, where she needed only one point to clear the 1,000-point threshold and nine points to set the all-time scoring record at Walters State. Griffin hit 1,000 early in the first quarter on a jumper and she would break the scoring record on the first play in the first quarter when she stole the ball and took it for a layup. “Clearly, for the program and for her, it’s great,” Walters State coach Jasmin Coleman said after the game. “You work hard and Griff, …