by Wesley Talley
On March 18th The Blaze from Blackman High took on the team from Memphis East. The crowd in attendance got a match-up fit for a state championship game in the semi-final round. With these two teams being considered the very best in the state all season, this game was one many had waited for all season. Ced Wilson, guard for Blackman, even acknowledged the caliber of the game saying, “sometimes in this tournament you get the championship before the actual game.” The match-up would not disappoint.
With the opening tip the semi’s were under way and Blackman were given a dose of their own medicine, finding themselves down early. Usual Blaze standouts, Jarrell Reeves and Ced Wilson’s every move were closely monitored by Memphis East, not even allowing breathing room. The two would combine for a total of juts five points, Wilson’s only points off of free-throws. But a team with a record of 33-0 is not completely reliant on its stars. The Blaze would continue to battle, despite finding themselves in uncharted territory for the first time this season. Blackman would go into the half down, 28-20. Memphis East was led by Terrance Moss with eight points and three assists.
Whatever head coach Wortman said to his team in the locker room during halftime worked. His Blaze, namely Christian Dewitt, came out firing in the third. Dewitt snuck away from East’s defense, scoring nine points with three three’s from the corner. By quarters end Blackman had chipped away at their deficit, only down by three. Both teams now had eight minutes left between them and the final spot of Tennessee’s AAA state championship game. Ced Wilson finally got loose matching his point total for the game in the fourth with four points; adding an assist. On the other hand Dewitt’s hot shooting was put on ice. With time waning, Blackman found themselves down by three with just seconds left. The perfect season looked bleak. With 11 seconds left point guard for the Blaze, Donovan Sims, drove to the basket and attempted to kick it out to find a shooter and tie the game. Before he could East’s D tangled him up, taking the ball away. As the buzzer went off and the red lights came on the perfect season and quest for a title was over, one game shy of fulfilling the mission.
After the game coach Wortman told the media, “We were a tough team, a resilient team. I knew we were going to fight and knew we’d be a heck of an out for a team. Credit the East, they’re a really really good basketball team.”
