State bound slam dunk: Good Luck Fayetteville Tigers

Class 1A State Tournament

Fayetteville Tigers (19-8 overall, 7-1 region)

vs.

Chattanooga Prep Sentinels (28-8 overall, 6-0 region)

Last meeting: Never Met

Series: First meeting

Last week: Fayetteville defeated Hughes, 54-44; Chattanooga Prep defeated Pickett County,57-48

Overview: Fayetteville Coach Chris Murdock said he has kept his team in shape during the seven days off between games.

He has scouted Chattanooga well and his team will be well prepared for what the Sentinels like to do.

The Tigers are clicking late in the season, winners of 11 straight games coming into the state tournament. Chattanooga Prep has only had varsity basketball for two years. They will start three freshmen and two sophomores. Prep has no juniors or seniors on the team.

Don’t be fooled by the young underclassmen the Sentinels have on board. They can play. Look for Chattanooga to full-court press the Tigers on defense.

Fayetteville will be ready and are comfortable in running with the Sentinels if it turns into a track meet. Expect Tigers senior Isaiah Thomison for Fayetteville to be a force in the paint.

Teondre Love and Camaurionn Taylor will also play big roles in breaking the press from Prep. Aljarea Johnson will draw the best scorer the Sentinels have and look to shut him down. Expect Sam Willougby III to get some easy dunks after breaking the press.

Chattanooga Prep may be overlooking the Tigers. If they are looking ahead, Fayetteville will blow them out of the gym. Fayetteville is the more experienced team. The Tigers seniors know with a loss their high school basketball career is over. The Sentinels players, however, will have two to three more years left with a loss. Look for that to be a factor late as the experienced Tigers will pull this game out late and advance to the Final 4. Take the Tigers in this one.