Bearden-Maryville

Bearden earns state tournament berth with hard-fought win over Maryville

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Bearden and Maryville both played up to the standard of state tournament teams all year, but when the Rebels were upset last Thursday night in the region championship by Sevier County, that changed everything. It sent Maryville, as the region runner-up, to Bearden on Monday night for a matchup that featured two teams with a combined five losses on the season — the type of game you usually see in Murfreesboro. “It was unfortunate that it ended up being that way and a lot of the crime committed there was the TSSAA aligning us like …

Gatlinburg-Pittman

Barton out-duels Unicoi’s Simmons, helps bring Highlanders first region crown since 2000

BY BRIAN HAMILTON GATLINBURG – When most folks were looking for a region championship game to attend Thursday night, it was hard to look past the matchup between Gatlinburg-Pittman and Unicoi County. This matchup featured two Class 2A Mr. Basketball finalists, in Jayden Barton from GP and Jackson Simmons from Unicoi. The game lived up to its billing, as Simmons started the game hot, scoring the first nine points for the Blue Devils. The Highlanders would push back and hold a second quarter lead before Unicoi opened the third quarter with a 13-1 run. At that point Barton took the …

Fulton

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

Austin-East vs Seymour

Austin-East wins double-overtime thriller over Seymour in district semis

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – Austin-East and Seymour battled it out Saturday night for the third time in eight days and the result was no different — a hard fought slugfest where neither team deserved to lose. Seymour took the first game last Friday night 50-45, and Austin-East won the second game at home 69-66 last Monday night. On Saturday, the teams battled back and forth and it took two overtimes to declare a winner. The Roadrunners missed a potential game-winner in regulation, but down three in the first overtime, Antonio Stewart nailed a three to force double overtime. Austin-East …

Fulton-Carter

Fulton advances to 12th straight district championship with win over Carter

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – The last time Fulton played a season where it did not advance to the district championship game was the 2013-14 season, when the Falcons lost to Carter in the district semis. With the Hornets looking to do the same on Saturday night, Fulton would have none of it, disposing of Carter 75-56. It looked as if Fulton was going to win by 30-plus early in the fourth quarter, but some lapses in execution allowed Carter to make a couple runs and get the score to within 20 at the end of the game. “We were …

Walters State vs Dyersburg State

Walters State puts on slam dunk exhibition in 106-56 route of Dyersburg State

BY BRIAN HAMILTON MORRISTOWN – While much of the country was getting ready to tune in to Saturday night’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Walters State hosted a slam dunk contest of its own on Carlyle-Kragle Court. For many in the audience, it felt like watching a real life version of NBA Jam on SNES, as the Senators aggressively attacked the rim again and again, en route to a 106-56 win over Dyersburg State. The Senators shot over 62-percent from the floor and committed only eight turnovers in what was a near flawless performance. “We’ve got a really good team, and …

Smoky Mountain Sports Boys Top 10 Rankings (2/15/26)

Bearden (30-1, 12-0 Class 4A District 4) Maryville (24-3, 6-0 Class 4A District 2) Alcoa (15-11, 8-0 Class 3A District 5) Fulton (18-8, 9-1 Class 3A District 3) Gatlinburg-Pittman (20-4, 8-0 Class 2A District 2) Sevier County (15-7, 4-2 Class 4A District 2) Lakeway Christian (20-9, 14-2 Division II East Region District 1) Seymour (18-7, 7-2 Class 3A District 3) Austin-East (15-11, 7-2 Class 3A District 3) Farragut (21-9, 9-3 Class 4A District 4)

Seymour vs Austin-East Boys

Seymour uses stifling defense to defeat Austin-East for first time in 21 years

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – Austin-East and Seymour played on Friday night for the first time since November 2009, but it felt like the two teams were heated district rivals who have played twice annually for the last 20 years. Austin-East came into the contest having won the last 11 against the Eagles, but none of that mattered to Seymour, since most members of this year’s team were just being conceived in 2009. None were alive the last time Seymour defeated Austin-East on February 22, 2005. That win was the only time the Eagles have defeated the Roadrunners this century, …

Smoky Bears maul Fighting Cocks 74-39 on senior night

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEVIERVILLE – Sevier County came into Tuesday night’s senior night looking to bounce back from a 57-37 district loss to Maryville on Monday night. Both teams battled throughout the first half, but the Smoky Bears outscored the Fighting Cocks 40-17 in the second half. Sevier County trailed 3-0 in the first minute, but would lead the rest of the way, bouncing back with a resounding 74-39 win. “We had chances last night, but I felt like we just didn’t play with the intensity that we needed to,” Sevier County head coach Ken Wright said about the Maryville …