Division 1 Boys’ State Tournaments: Class 2A and Class 3A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saturday marked the final day of the 2025-26 high school basketball season in Tennessee. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Champions were crowned.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chattanooga Prep became the ninth team in TSSAA history to win 3 straight state titles (2 in Class A and 1 in Class AA).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alcoa is back on top.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are the quick hits from both teams:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mission complete</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sentinels completed the mission, and completed it in style with a 61-52 win over Westview. Chattanooga Prep withstood each run the Chargers came with. The Sentinels were able to lean on their core ([player_tooltip player_id='2238576' first='Derrick' last='Roberson'] Jr., [player_tooltip player_id='1959198' first='Joel' last='Bulis'], [player_tooltip player_id='3471291' first='Kentrell' last='Watkins'], [player_tooltip player_id='3467771' first='Tavion' last='Foster'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1296308' first='Reid' last='Conley']) to complete a mission that hasn't been conquered since Penny Hardaway's Memphis East team went into the record books in 2018.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Head coach Christian Collins' team is the first-ever 3-peat champion from Chattanooga.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conley, at point guard, was cool as the other side of the pillow throughout the run. The 6-foot-3 point guard was cool, calm, and collected and never allowed a scoring punch from the opposing teams faze him. Roberson's face and demeanor never changed. He took what the defense gave him. Roberson came down with important rebounds and scored timely baskets. Bulis was a bully in the post. He demanded each defender's attention and when the mismatch was there, Bulis would size up his defender, take a couple of dribbles before gravitating into the air for a one-handed layup or dunk.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All of these guys' numbers reflect how important they were in Saturday's accomplishment. Conley led the group with 18 points and 5 blocks. Roberson added 16 points and 7 rebounds. Bulis came away with a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds) and went 6 for 6 from the free throw line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Foster's one-handed dunk was the exclamation point to this team's season finale.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>”I have been going through knee pain all season. At that moment and time, it was just me and the rim,” said Foster, who finished with 9 points, 4 blocks, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. “He met me up top, and I dunked on him.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Foster received a technical foul after taunting his defender. He perceived to go celebrate with his teammates and coaches. A technical foul was the least on his mind with another gold ball coming his way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>”I didn't care about that tech,” Foster while smiling. “I realized. I knew.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>All-Tournament Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2638983' first='Mason' last='Tidwell'] (Loretto), [player_tooltip player_id='3043670' first='Cooper' last='Williams'] (Smith County), [player_tooltip player_id='3471291' first='Kentrell' last='Watkins'] (Chattanooga Prep), [player_tooltip player_id='3560363' first='Arden' last='Smith'] (Westview), [player_tooltip player_id='1959198' first='Joel' last='Bulis'] (Chattanooga Prep), [player_tooltip player_id='3561094' first='Miles' last='Brown'] (Westview), [player_tooltip player_id='1296308' first='Reid' last='Conley'] (Chattanooga Prep), [player_tooltip player_id='3561093' first='Asa' last='Barnes'] (Westview), [player_tooltip player_id='2238576' first='Derrick' last='Roberson'] (Chattanooga Prep), and [player_tooltip player_id='3467771' first='Tavion' last='Foster'] (Chattanooga Prep) were named to the Class 2A Boys All-Tournament Team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Roberson was crowned MVP.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3 out of 4 isn't bad at all</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alcoa secures its 3rd state title - 2 in Class AA and 1 in Class 3A - in the last 4 seasons with a come-from-behind win against Fulton by the final score of 57-48. Early in the 4th quarter, the Tornadoes were getting outplayed on both ends of the floor by the Falcons. Alcoa was facing a 46-37 deficit as time was ticking away.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But, the Tornadoes' core - [player_tooltip player_id='2333265' first='Condis' last='Cherry'], [player_tooltip player_id='2260983' first='Jamir' last='Dean'], [player_tooltip player_id='2281190' first='Jibriel' last='Koko'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2281200' first='Jay' last='Kirk'] - rallied the troops. Koko and Cherry scored on back-to-back possessions. Cherry knocked down a deep 3 from the right wing. At that point, Alcoa was on an 8-0 run. Then, lightning struck with Kirk's 3-point play to put the Tornadoes up for good. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alcoa finished the contest on a 9-2 run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cherry, Dean, Koko, and Kirk scored all 57 points, and all four had 4 fouls in the 4th quarter, but they remained aggressive and in attack mode to finish the job inside Murphy Center.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>”I don't think you win games with your best players on the sidelines. Ultimately, I trust these kids whole-heartedly,” Alcoa head coach Ryan Collins said. “You don't want to go down with your dudes next to you. I have always been a believer in having your horses on the floor.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cherry led the way with 20 points. Dean finished with 14. Kirk added 13 points and 7 rebounds. Koko provided 10.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>All-Tournament Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2133810' first='Ty' last='Cobb'] (Upperman), [player_tooltip player_id='2815986' first='Colton' last='Johnson'] (Upperman), [player_tooltip player_id='2352126' first='Austin' last='Tinnon'] (Tullahoma), [player_tooltip player_id='2333265' first='Condis' last='Cherry'] (Alcoa), Justin Burris (Fulton), [player_tooltip player_id='2260983' first='Jamir' last='Dean'] (Alcoa), Joe Hairston (Fulton), [player_tooltip player_id='2495403' first='Nick' last='Steen'] (Fulton), [player_tooltip player_id='2281200' first='Jay' last='Kirk'] (Alcoa), and [player_tooltip player_id='2281190' first='Jibriel' last='Koko'] (Alcoa) were named to the Class 3A Boys All-Tournament Team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kirk was crowned MVP.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->