Defending Champions Win Opener
Loretto High School basketball lost so much after their Class A State Championship.
LHS Head Coach Greg Tipps and his Mustangs (1-0) defeated Community (0-2), 65-40.
Magic Season
A season ago Loretto High provided a spectacular run to the Class A State Tournament. They entered with five losses, including capitulations to Tullahoma, Columbia Academy, Muscle Shoals (AL), Wayne County, and Collingwood.
Managing to win their final six regular season games it appeared Loretto’s Mustangs were ready for a nice playoff push.
Fans had no idea.
Two 12A District foes Collinwood and Summertown provided decent competition in losing playoff efforts. Clarksburg did not.
Loretto and a strong senior unit finished off Wayne County, Summertown, and McEwen to capture the Regional Championship.
Done?
Not yet. The Mustangs narrowly slipped by Columbia Academy and Monterey at the State Tournament.
Class A favorite Douglass entered the State Championship Game 32-1. Loretto didn’t care and knocked off the Memphis school.
New Day
The one returning starter Jacob James landed 98th in the @PrepHoopsTN Class of 2019 rankings.
Friday evening he scored a dozen points on top of nine rebounds. He also blocked three shots.
Loretto doesn’t have anything close to the depth of the Class of 2018 in their current senior class.
Beyond James another senior helped. Senior forward Justin Harvey knocked down two triples in two tries.
Baseball Factory
Ryan Weathers, the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year, graduated from Loretto in spring. The best Mustang baseball alum was hardly the only baseball talent in town.
Class of 2020 guard Blade Tidwell scored 23 points with 10 rebounds against Community High School. For baseball he is verbally committed to University of Tennessee.
Jacob James also has a possibility of playing college baseball.
Next Gen
Loretto’s junior class with Tidwell has good depth.
Amari Young scored 13 points and hauled down four rebounds. Junior forward Toby Glass claimed six rebounds, four steals, two blocks, two assists, and two points.
Junior forward Blake Byrdsong hit a three-pointer.
For Loretto the underclassmen are rumored to be good too. Coach Tipps loves his talented 2022 class.
In their seasonal debut victory Brendon Tipps gave 6 points, and corralled five rebounds.
As magical as the Loretto run was perhaps they can maneuver deep in the playoffs again soon.