sports FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2014 • 3B
Hawks No. 1 tourney seed despite loss ■
ALAN SLOAN asloan@farragutpress.com
Dealing with Grace Christian Academy’s up-tempo style was a tough way for Hardin Valley Academy to end its four-game week. The Hawks gave up 94 points to the Rams 94 a g g r essive Hawks 73 and hotshooting Rams at GCA Friday night, Feb. 7, losing its regular season finale 94-73. “They shot the ball well, and this was our fourth game this week,” said HVA head coach Keith Galloway, whose District 4AAA tri-champion and top tourney seed ends its regular season 18-9. “I don’t wan to take anything away from them, but our guys were just dog-tired.” Hardin Valley will play either Farragut, West or Lenoir City in semifinal tourney action starting at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 14, at FHS. Championship game is 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 18, at FHS. Down 43-28 at halftime, HVA got no closer than 10 points in the second half before wilting late. “You can’t get in a hole like that and expect to be able to come back when this is your fourth game of the week,” Galloway said. “To our credit, we didn’t stop fighting until the end. “They came out and they answered the call, and we didn’t have our game tonight. … They can all shoot it. And they shot
the ball well.” Zak Carter, Hawks senior post and District 4-AAA Most Valuable Player, scored 21. Junior wing Blaine Shockley, an All-4-AAA honoree, also scored 21. Senior point guard Austin Glasgow added nine. “Four games in a week, it takes a Lady Rams 59 toll on you. We Lady Hawks 56 came out flat. But that’s not an excuse,” Shockley said. “They moved the ball well and they shot it well.” Caleb Clevenger, junior guard, provided a spark for HVA with a couple of steals turned into baskets in the first half, scoring eight before the break. “They shot very well, and they were working very hard,” Clevenger said. “They were going after every loose ball, diving on the floor.” Clevenger pointed out that Grace “played a couple of other games this week,” adding about his team’s big week of games, “I don’t think that bothered us too much. Maybe a little.” Grace ended its regular season at 17-6, led by forward Andrew Byram with 24 points followed by post Luke Shepherd with 20. Point guard Nathan Silver added 16. “It’s just one of those games where we really executed. We played very hard. They’re a great team,” Grace head coach Matt Mercer said. “It wasn’t their best See HAWKS on Page 4B
Alan Sloan
Blaine Shockley, Hardin Valley Academy junior wing, goes strong to the basket past Grace Christian Academy defenders Kobe Kelley (22) and Robby Windham (20).
Battle to the end, Lady Hawks edge Lady Rebels 59-58 ■
KEN LAY Correspondent
Brooklyn Battle rode an emotional roller coaster Monday night. But her ride ended on a high note as she hit a game-winning layup to net the Hardin Valley Academy girls a 59-58 victory over West High in the first round of the District 4-AAA Girls Basketball Tournament at
Farragut High School’s Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium. “It was good to hit that shot, especially after I missed two free throws Lady Hawks 59 and had a turnover Lady Rebels 58 in the fourth quarter,” said Battle, a junior guard who buried the eventual game-winner with three seconds to play. Battle experienced the entire
gamut of emotions in the waning moments of the victory that extended the season for the fifth-seeded Lady Hawks (1314). She missed a pair of goahead foul shots with 24.9 seconds left and had a turnover a short time later. The eighth-seeded Lady Rebels (1-24) converted that miscue into a point when Nicole Adams made a free throw to give West, which didn’t win a district
game all season, a 58-57 lead with 8.3 seconds to go. Battle, however, received redemption when she hit a layup off a pass from Katie Smartt to score the winning points. “It was big because I missed free throws and made some bad plays,” said Battle, who finished with 12 points. “I had to redeem myself and this was a big win.” The victory might not have earned many style points but
Hardin Valley coach Jennifer Galloway was elated all the same. “A win in the district tournament is better than a loss,” Galloway said. “Brooklyn made a great shot and it was a good find from Katie Smartt. “Katie played a great game and she helped us get back into the game in the second quarter. See LADY HAWKS on Page 4B
Bulldogs sweep Catholic on Senior night 57-54, 54-36 ■ KEN LAY
Correspondent
It was a night for celebration for t h e Bulldogs 57 Bearden Irish 54 H i g h School basketball teams versus Knoxville Catholic High School on BHS Senior Night and basketball homecoming, as things were more festive by evening’s end as the Bulldogs swept the Irish. The Bearden boys notched a 5754 comeback victory over Catholic while the Lady Bulldogs downed KCHS 54-36 Friday night, Feb. 7, before a packed and boisterous
house at BHS. In the boys tilt, the Bulldogs would prevail — but things wouldn’t be easy. The injury-riddled I r i s h Lady Bulldogs 54 started Lady Irish 36 fast and rode the hot hand of guard Ryan Henry early. Henry scored 11 of his gamehigh 26 points in the first quarter and helped Catholic (8-18) open a 21-11 lead by the end of the first quarter. He hit a pair of buzzerbeating 3-pointers as time expired in both the first and third stanza. “Catholic is a good team and this year they’ve struggled a little
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bit and they’ve had a lot of injuries,” said BHS guard Jack Graham, who led the Dawgs with 20 points. “I’ve played with Ryan since I was a kid and he’s a great player and he was on tonight.” Bearden (19-9) fell behind early and spent most of the night chip-
ping away at the Irish’s lead and clawing its way out of huge hole. The process was slow, methodical and sometimes grueling. Bulldogs guard Isaiah Campbell said that it would make his team better as BHS opens District 4-AAA Tournament play this week.
“This game is going to give us momentum,” said Campbell, who made some key steals and converted a pair of layups when the Bulldogs made the clinching run. “This will be huge for us.” See BULLDOGS on Page 5B