First Impressions
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PICTURED: Riverdale team. Jefferson County – Elizabethton Two scrappy teams. They played an intense game at Volunteer High. Both teams relied almost exclusively on guards. Late-game free throws mattered greatly. Elizabethton is quite small for a 3A team. Brody Carr…
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Continue ReadingPICTURED: Riverdale team.
Jefferson County – Elizabethton
Two scrappy teams. They played an intense game at Volunteer High. Both teams relied almost exclusively on guards. Late-game free throws mattered greatly.
Elizabethton is quite small for a 3A team.
Brody Carr (Jefferson County) is built like a football dude. The sophomore was an intensity guy, defended and rebounded. His basketball skill lagged behind his peers somewhat. Vontez McCray was a willing passer. Zach Coffey showed a bit of a quick first step. Both are quite thin by basketball standards.
Jefferson County Partial Roster
#0 Vontez McCray
#3 Zach Coffey (2025)
#10 Brody Carr (2026)
#24 Tyler McMahan (2025)
ETown player put up some stats: Andrew Barnett (@Drew_b12) and Will Churchill (@WillChurchill21) with 17. Jackson Hobbs Jackson Hobbs 6'6" | PF Elizabethton | 2024 State TN finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, four forced turnovers.
Watertown – Mt. Juliet Christian
Mt. Juliet Christian really, really struggled to score. They only put up 25 points through the first 3.5 quarters of basketball. Watertown looked a little slow of foot with the dribble, broadly-speaking.
A key player for them is JJ Goodall.
Riverdale – Summit
Sophomore Waymon West Waymon West 6'4" | SG Riverdale | 2026 State TN (Riverdale) hit a beautiful arching three-pointer in the first half, posing with the release hand high. He was feeling himself. Unfortunately, he took another on the very next possession that looked predetermined and hurried. Missed.
Later in the quarter Waymon made an effortless pull-up and shortly thereafter absorbed a foul as he released a three-pointer. West is a lithe sophomore wing guard with a nice offensive game. He gave the team a unique element aside from their many short and fast speedsters.
Riverdale played defense with fast feet and fast hands. This was expected as it has been their identity for the last 2+ years. Summit senior guard Derrick Smith appeared to be a passable and poised guard and he really struggled to get any meaningful penetration with the Warrior guards flying around.
Offensively, Summit looked like a team that intends to drive to kick more than to score.
It felt as if RHS did not utilize Gray Turek Gray Turek 6'6" | PF Riverdale | 2024 State TN as they should. He is a fit 6’6″ with some touch around the rim. Summit didn’t have much size. There just were not many post looks at all.
Riverdale Partial Roster
#4 Malachi Gilliam*
#3 EJ Turner*
#5
Rashad Mitchell
Rashad
Mitchell
5'9" | PG
Riverdale | 2024
TN
*
#33 Dontez Johnson* (2025)
Summit Partial Roster
#4 Derrick Smith*
#13 Keenan West* (2025)
#24