Can they Return (2A)? Part I
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PICTURED: York Institute. Preview the 2023-2024 Class AA season with a series predicting Can They Return? In Part One @PrepHoopsTN looks at two teams that played in the 2023 State Tournament: York Institute, Douglass. York Institute State Tournament Record: 0-4…
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Continue ReadingPICTURED: York Institute.
Preview the 2023-2024 Class AA season with a series predicting Can They Return?
In Part One @PrepHoopsTN looks at two teams that played in the 2023 State Tournament: York Institute, Douglass.
York Institute
State Tournament Record: 0-4
Appearances (5): 2023, 2022, 2020, 1969, 1959
The purple and golden Dragons of York Institute (25-11 in 2023) might make it back to Murfreesboro. It seems unlikely.
The enrollment is 489, placing the Dragons firmly in the 2A division. The team qualified for the State Tournament three of the last four years. Of course, 2020 did not feature a public school event. York lost their first games in both 2022 (Milan) and 2023 (Douglass).
Working in York’s favor is the recent success of four returning seniors. Success tends to follow success. Multiple players have seen the path to the State Tournament. For example, in their loss to Douglass last March, York’s starters were: Bryson Bilbrey Bryson Bilbrey 6'3" | SF Stone Memorial | 2024 TN , Jackson Conatser, Myles Leffew, Blaine York, Heath Wattenbarger Heath Wattenbarger 6'4" | SF York Institute | 2024 State TN . And Will Beaty Will Beaty 6'4" | SF York Institute | 2026 State TN played 15 minutes off of the bench.
Myles Leffew, Bryson, Heath, and Jackson are seniors now. Beaty now stands 6-foot-4 and added some nice muscle for football. The team will be able to rebound against 2A teams. They certainly lack the quickness of Douglass, and a team like returning champions Alcoa.
VERDICT: No.
Douglass Red Devils
Can Douglass make it back to Class AA State? In a word, yes.
Depth. Star power. Proven scheme. Steady coaching. Seniors. The stew is filled with all of the best ingredients.
Winning after winning is a fundamental requirement of pushing deep into March.
They are loaded with talent and feature a stable, successful program with an identity. Ranked players: Taquez Butler Taquez Butler 6'3" | SG Douglass | 2025 State TN (PrepHoopsTN #14), Jarmon Brittman Jarmon Brittman 6'2" | SF Douglass | 2025 State TN (#155), Marjavis Chandler Marjavis Chandler 5'10" | PG Douglass | 2025 State TN (#105). Joshua Thompson Joshua Thompson 6'5" | SF Douglass | 2024 State TN (#38).
VERDICT: Yes.
2023 State Tournament Participants
Douglass
York Institute
Alcoa
Giles County – Now 3A.
Power Center – Now 3A.
Brainerd
Fairview – Now 3A.
Pearl-Cohn
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