BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — When Harriman guard Grayson Kreis sliced through traffic and scored on a layup with 45 seconds left in Wednesday's Class 1A state quarterfinal, the Blue Devils had one thing in mind: comeback win. It'd been a … [Read more...]
TSSAA announces 2025 Mr. & Miss Basketball winners
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — The TSSAA announced its six winners for Miss Basketball and six winners for Mr. Basketball for the 2024-25 season at a ceremony Tuesday on campus at Middle Tennessee State. THREE AREA PLAYERS WON: Meeyah … [Read more...]
A CLOSER LOOK: 2025 Division I Boys Basketball State Tournament
The Division I Boys State Basketball Tournament begins Wednesday in Murfreesboro. Six teams from the 5Star Preps coverage area will vie for state championship glory at the Murphy Center. All four defending state champions return for title … [Read more...]
5STAR PREPS BOYS SOCCER 2025 SEASON OUTLOOK
BY DAVE LINK There were plenty of Knoxville-area colors flying when the TSSAA Division I boys’ soccer tournaments finished in late May last year at Murfreesboro’s Richard Siegel Soccer Complex. Bearden won the Class AAA state championship with … [Read more...]
3A GIRLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Heritage wins first-ever state championship 63-43 over Northview Academy
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — Rick Howard, the longtime head girls basketball coach at Heritage High, finally had to silence his phone Saturday night in the postgame press conference following the TSSAA Class 3A State Championship. The pings … [Read more...]
4A GIRLS SEMIFINAL: Bearden looks good early but nationally ranked Bradley Central prevails 66-39
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — The way Friday's late-night Class 4A state semifinal began, one would have thought the Bearden Lady Bulldogs were the nationally ranked ones and the two-time defending state champions. By game's end, Bradley … [Read more...]
3A GIRLS SEMIFINAL: Northview Academy ousts 3A defending champion Dyersburg, 52-51
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — Camryn Brown needed an extra second to process the moment. The final buzzer sounded in Northview's 3A state semifinal against Dyersburg, and Brown — a senior guard — admittedly thought the game was headed to … [Read more...]
3A GIRLS SEMIFINAL: Heritage wins 3A semifinal but likely loses star Swaney for title game
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — Carsyn Swaney, the Heritage High senior star and Miss Basketball finalist, sat on a trainer's table Friday afternoon in a corner of MTSU's Murphy Center, peeking over her right shoulder often to see if her teammates … [Read more...]
2A GIRLS SEMIFINAL: Reese Beaty, York Institute end Gatlinburg-Pittman’s season, 60-45
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — One team had Reese Beaty. The other didn't. Not hard to sum up the the Class 2A girls state semifinal Friday afternoon between Gatlinburg-Pittman and York. Had Beaty not returned late in the regular season … [Read more...]
1A GIRLS SEMIFINAL: Van Buren hits shot in final seconds to oust Coalfield, 54-52
BY JESSE SMITHEY MURFREESBORO — Coalfield's girls basketball team should not be short on motivation next season. The Lady Jackets had a championship-game appearance within their grasp Friday at MTSU's Murphy Center, only to see it ripped from … [Read more...]