Collegedale Academy and CHSTEA Patriots clash
photo by M.A. Locke
The Chattanooga Christian gymnasium rockeded with energy all evening on Thursday as several Chattanooga high schools showcased their basketball teams for the tip-off of the 2022-2023 season. High-flying bigs and flashy guards alike had opportunities to shine for their respective squads as 20 total teams took their turns lighting up the hardwood. Tough defense was on display all night making it tough for scorers to shake off the offseason rust, but during the 16-minute matchups, late drama kept all eyes glued to the action.
The first matchup of the night was a bout between the girls teams of Central High school and Collegedale High school. After some sloppy play early, Collegedale used the offensive glass to find the advantage, and never trailed once they grabbed a lead. Quality guard play to set up good looks combined with constant defensive pressure earned Collegedale a gutty win in which neither team scored more than 10 points.
Hoping not to be outdone by their girls team, the Collegedale boys took the floor next. They took on the Patriots of CHSTEA in a game where active hands and defensive physicality continued to be the night’s theme. The game was close for all 16 minutes of play, but three-point shooting was the difference for the Patriots as they took them early and often, making just enough to eke out a close win in another defensive matchup where neither team was able to top 10 points.
Thursday night’s first two contests had been a dream for bettors keen on taking the under, but the Notre Dame High School girls team broke the trend of offensive stagnation. Up against the Lady Pioneers of East Ridge, the Lady Irish found ways to create offense right from the tip-off, getting buckets from inside, as well as knocking down a few perimeter jump-shots. The crisp play of the Lady Irish was far from one-dimensional, however. During their quarter of play, their stingy defense gave up only one East Ridge bucket in a dominant victory.
After seeing the Lady Irish earn an impressive victory, the Notre Dame boys took the court with aspirations of performing even better. However, the Purple Pounders of Central High School were hungry to keep the Irish at bay, having seen their girls team fall earlier in the night. This one was a back-and-forth affair where toughness was key with both sides earning opportunities for points at the free-throw line. Late in the action, both squads found themselves stuck on lucky number seven, and neither team could knock down the dagger to sink their opponent, leaving this game locked in a tie when the final buzzer sounded.
Next up in this rapid-fire showcase of hoops was an all-blue matchup between the Boyd Buchanan Lady Buccaneers and the GPS Bruisers. GPS jumped out to an early lead after knocking down a three-point shot shortly after the tip, but from then on, it was all Boyd Buchanan as they let loose a three-point barrage of their own, finding the bottom of the net four times from long range. The accurate shooting from deep was accompanied by smothering defense from the Lady Bucs' guards and resulted in a convincing win.
In another ladies' matchup, the East Hamilton Lady Canes squared off with Baylor. Baylor controlled the pace of play early and found themselves leading by five points at several different points throughout the first eight minutes. Not about to go away quietly, the Lady Canes hung around matching Baylor shot for shot, and eventually took a three-point lead on a deep three with time winding down. Following another clutch bucket, East Hamilton’s five-point lead looked like too much for Baylor to overcome, and they won the game by a final of 15-12.
In what looked like it would become another tightly-contested matchup, the boys teams of Silverdale and McCallie were separated by just three points nearing the halfway point in their game. The crowd in the packed CCS gym hadn’t thinned out a bit, and as the competitiveness grew on the court, the competitiveness of the venue’s atmosphere grew with it. Looking to make a statement, McCallie went on a 5-0 run to increase their lead to 10, and while Silverdale continued to find ways to knock down tough looks, it wasn’t enough. Shot selection and defensive intensity lifted the Blue Tornadoes to an 11-point victory.
The Silverdale Lady Seahawks seemed poised to avenge the loss of their boys team, and from the opening tip, they kept the Signal Mountain Lady Eagles on their toes. Silverdale’s first two made field goals were from beyond the arc, and some clutch stops down the stretch earned them a gritty win against a quality Signal Mountain opponent.
Fans rose to their feet as the hosting CCS Lady Chargers took the court next. They used the momentum of the home crowd to their advantage for the entire 16 minutes against Brainerd, and never surrendered the lead in a lopsided contest. The CCS offense took advantage of their speed, scoring almost all of their 11 points on fast breaks, but their offensive efficiency wasn’t the most impressive part of their performance. The Lady Chargers only allowed Brainerd to score a single point as they caused all kinds of chaos defensively and pounced on a superfluity of loose balls.
The final matchup of the evening caused the loudest roar the gym had heard yet, and it wasn’t because people were excited that the night’s affair was soon to end. From the tunnel charged the CCS boys team onto a familiar court, donning their logo on the halfcourt line. Looking to silence the emphatic home crowd was the highly touted Hawks of Hamilton Heights. Using their size and athleticism, they did just that. Hamilton Heights jumped out to a 6-0 lead, and while the scrappy Chargers played hard, the bigger and deeper Hamilton Heights team was too much to handle. A trio of late threes from the Hawks stretched their lead and sealed the deal, earning them a 22-9 Jamboree victory.
Basketball season in Chattanooga is here, and plenty of teams from all across town gave the locals a taste of what the coming months will hold on the hardwood.