Boys State: Brainerd's Hoops Tradition Remains Strong

Panthers Set For 17th Appearance In State Tourney

  • Monday, March 13, 2017
  • Larry Fleming
Brainerd High School boys basketball coach Levar Brown has directed his Panthers to a third straight state tournament appearance. They will play Haywood on Thursday in search of the school's fourth championship.
Brainerd High School boys basketball coach Levar Brown has directed his Panthers to a third straight state tournament appearance. They will play Haywood on Thursday in search of the school's fourth championship.
photo by Dennis Norwood/File Photo

Want an informative snapshot of Brainerd’s rich boys’ basketball tradition?

Stroll into the lobby of the high school’s gymnasium lobby. And stop.

Look – no, study – at what’s in the trophy case occupying a large portion of the wall just before the entrance to a historic hardwood playing area dedicated to the legends of boys’ coach Robert High and girls’ coach Carolyn Jackson.

One can see Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association trophies that signify championship or runner-up finishes in some of the Panthers’ previous 16 boys’ state tournament appearances.

There are title trophies from 1984, 1988 and 1992 and second-place trophies from 1995, 1997 and 2016, the latter team directed by fifth-year head coach Levar Brown.

That’s not all though.

The Panthers’ showcase also spotlights 30 district and regional plaques for either championship or second-place efforts.

“It says a few things (about Brainerd basketball),” Brown said Sunday afternoon. “It says that we’re extremely blessed, first off. It also says our kids work extremely hard and, thirdly, we’ve probably had a little luck along the way.”

Brown and the Class 2A Panthers will make their third straight appearance at state Thursday against West Tennessee power Haywood, out of Brownsville, at 10 a.m. CDT at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center, otherwise known as the “Glass House.”

That Brainerd consistently has played for significant basketball hardware in February and March actually blasted off when High took each of his first three teams to state from 1977-79.

In 1995-98, the Panthers, led by Harris Walker and Jermaine Washington, competed in four consecutive state tournaments. Johnny Goodman, C.J. Black and Mark Smith, who arrived one year after Walker and Washington, made three straight trips to Murfreesboro, a bustling city that has hosted the tourney every year since 1989. Rutherford County also hosted tournaments in 1975-82 and 1946.

Brainerd will be making its 17th state tourney appearance this week and has a 20-13 all-time record. The Panthers lost to Fulton 59-50 in last year’s championship game.

“We do this for Brainerd High School,” junior Jesse Walker said, explaining Panther players’ strong commitment to basketball over the decades.

And they’ve done it well.

In 2015, the Panthers lost to Christ Presbyterian Academy in the quarterfinals. A year later, Brainerd opened with a win against Christian Academy of Knoxville, beat Whites Creek in the semifinals and played Fulton evenly through 3 ½ quarters before falling short in the title game.

Recently, the annual District 6-2A battle for state tourney representation has been between three teams – Tyner, Central and Brainerd. Tyner and Central were in Murfreesboro last season and played each other four times.

Tyner and Brainerd played five times in 2014-15 with five more meetings in 2016-17. Brainerd is the only district team still standing this time around.

Obviously, coming out alive in district and region play and reaching three straight state tournaments are not easy goals to achieve. Brown knows that as well as anybody.

“These are awesome kids,” he said. “They love each other and believe in each other. They have a great spiritual relationship with each other and they’ve bought into what the we’re selling, and that’s another blessing.”

The Panthers (28-5) and Tomcats (26-7), who have won nine straight games, competed in the same MLK Thanksgiving tournament last November and while not facing each other had opportunities to watch games involving their future state tourney opponent.

Brainerd now has two starters that didn’t have those roles five months ago – Michael Hampton and Joseph Norwood, a transfer from Ooltewah.

“Those two guys have made a tremendous difference,” Brown said. “Early on they solidified our bench and eventually worked themselves into the starting lineup just before the district tournament and we’ve been clicking ever since then.”

Tyner beat Brainerd for the district title, but the Panthers avenged that loss with a Region 3-2A championship victory. Brainerd defeated Livingston Academy in the sectional, but the Rams lost at Macon County and ended their season at 25-5.

Of note this week, Norwood’s former teammate with the Owls, Cam Montgomery, is now at East Hamilton and the Hurricanes face defending Class 3A champion Memphis East on Wednesday afternoon.

Norwood, a junior, provides the same type defensive skills exhibited by Dejuonta Ross in his time at Brainerd.

“Joseph protects the rim and can guard all five positions like Dejuonta did,” Brown said. “Joseph is probably one of the best athletes, if not the best, in the city. He has steadily regained his basketball confidence and once he’s got it all back the sky is the limit.”

Norwood had several options of schools to attend after leaving Ooltewah and the tumult surrounding the Owls’ program in 2016. One thing made his decision easier – his friendship with the Panthers’ Kentrell “Duke” Evans.

“All the guys here were welcoming and loved me like a brother,” Norwood said, “but I knew ‘Duke’ before I came here. Coming to Brainerd was the best move for me. I’m really excited for Cam. I’m glad he’s out there showing off his talents and doing well.”

Hampton can sometimes make Brown go bonkers on the sideline during games, but the end result on what the 5-foot-10 guard does can just as quickly serve as a calming effect on the Brainerd’s head man.

“Hampton will literally shoot the ball from half-court,” Brown said. “I hate it, but he does it and the ball goes in. It definitely stresses me out. When he shoots the ball from way out there I’m already looking for somebody to get a rebound and put it back in for him, then the ball goes in. He’s never seen a shot he didn’t like, so we can embrace that because that’s just his game.

“That also stretches the floor and teams can’t pack it in on Jesse in the paint.”

Most of the Panthers’ offense and defense goes through Walker, a 6-3, 210-pound forward who has effectively expanded his scoring abilities to beyond 3-point range.

With Walker able to muscle inside for baskets and rebounds, he is also a threat to step back in the corner for a 3-point attempt, presenting a defensive dilemma for opposing teams.

“We’re trying to prepare him for the next level because we don’t feel like he’ll be playing the post in college,” Brown said. “Jesse, who is one of the best players to come through here, is clearly more defensive-minded this year and with us losing Malik Beavers and Deshaun Beach from last year’s team that has become a real plus.”

Brown’s eyes sparkle when he talks about Evans, his 5-11 point guard, calling him “the best point guard in the state.”

“Kentrell had a 3.7 GPA and is a great kid and leads us on and off the court,” Brown added. We practiced Friday four two hours and I told the guys they could go home after shooting free throws. Kentrell made everyone stay and they worked for another hour. They weren’t playing around; they were really practicing. I was really impressed and sat in the corner and watched them.”

Walker scored 28 points in the Panthers’ 74-55 win over Livingston Academy to secure the team’s third consecutive trip to Murfreesboro. Evans added 12 points.

Walker had 12 points and six rebounds in Brainerd’s 66-62 win over Tyner in the region title game. Evans had 10 points.

With his postseason experience, Evans knows what to expect and can quiet the nerves for key younger players that have been exposed to the state’s biggest stage for high school basketball.

“(Being in state before) evidently means a lot,” Evans said. “The team (Fulton) that won Double-A last year was in the championship game the year before (the Falcons lost to Haywood in 2015). We were in the championship game last year, so hopefully we can go up there this time and win it all.

“There’s a fire under us. We’re hungry to win it and we deserve this chance to do it.”

Boys State Tournament Schedule

At Middle Tennessee State

Wednesday, All Times CDT

Class 3A

Bearden (22-9) vs. Independence (23-10), 10 a.m.

Southwind 31-1) vs. Oakland (24-7), 11:30 a.m.

East Hamilton (25-10) vs. Memphis East (30-3), 1:15 p.m.

Oak Ridge (30-2) vs. Brentwood (26-8)

Class 2A

Wednesday

Knoxville Catholic (29-1) vs. Macon County (29-4), 4:30 p.m.

Whites Creek (28-5) vs. Sheffield (21-7), 6 p.m.

Thursday

Haywood (26-7) vs. Brainerd (28-5), 10 a.m.

Maplewood (26-7) vs. Sullivan East (31-7), 11:30 a.m.

(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)

Junior forward Jesse Walker, going up for a shot earlier this season, and his Brainerd teammates will play 2014 Class 2A champion Haywood on Thursday in the boys' state tournament at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. The Panthers finished runner-up to Fulton in 2016.
Junior forward Jesse Walker, going up for a shot earlier this season, and his Brainerd teammates will play 2014 Class 2A champion Haywood on Thursday in the boys' state tournament at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. The Panthers finished runner-up to Fulton in 2016.
photo by Dennis Norwood/File Photo
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