Can They Return to 2018 AA State Tournament? Part I: Stratford and Tyner Academy
Preview Class AA postseason tournaments with a four part series, Can They Return? In Part One @PrepHoopsTN looks at Tyner Academy and Stratford. Tyner Academy The maroon and golden Rams of Tyner Academy (18-6) might make it back…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingPreview Class AA postseason tournaments with a four part series, Can They Return?
In Part One @PrepHoopsTN looks at Tyner Academy and Stratford.
Tyner Academy
The maroon and golden Rams of Tyner Academy (18-6) might make it back to Murfreesboro. Even though Tyner Academy nuzzled up as the District 6AA two-seed behind Brainerd they are just as competent as 2018. Remember Coach E’Jay Ward’s Rams lost 10 games a season ago before stringing together a March run. In order to advance to Class AA State last spring Tyner Academy pummeled Loudon, Red Bank, Signal Mountain, and Upperman in successive games.
Teams capable of dismantling the Tyner Academy playoff dreams are Brainerd (#1), Howard (#3), maybe Red Bank (#4), and possibly Sweetwater High’s seniors. Loudon will be a high seed from Tyner Academy’s district mate District 5, but The Rams pummeled Loudon last year, 76-47 and Tyner Academy is significantly better this year. The only two teams Loudon defeated in their impressive 23-win season that could challenge Tyner Academy were Sweetwater and Anderson County.
Coach Ward’s Rams struggled with Brainerd this season, losing two of three. All three games finished within a four point separation.
Tyner Academy advanced to state six times before obviously most recently in 2018. Their state record is a lowly 2-7.
Working in Tyner’s favor are the two five-game winning streaks they constructed earlier this season. Winning after winning is a fundamental requirement of pushing deep into March.
Stratford Spartans
Can Stratford make it back to Class AA State? In a word, no.
They are eliminated.
No team in Tennessee had a longer list of self-generated obstacles.
Underperforming. Academically Ineligible star player. TSSAA Postseason Ban for fighting. Lack of scoring balance.
The fight last week eliminated any chances, but frankly Stratford’s potential for greatness fell under a dark, ominous cloud back in the fall as Mike Wallace was ruled academically ineligible. Though Juwon Carpenter tried to guide the attack alone, the Spartans never succeeded to the degree they should have.
The Spartans lost three starters and five steady seniors after their magical 2018 run to the semifinals. Of the other seven teams in that difficult field only Stratford boasted both the depth and athleticism to block Hamilton High and Martrell Brooks from the title.
Stratford blundered big in the semifinal missing 52% of their free throws, most of them late. Fulton did capture the victory, but Stratford had a massive cheering section, wonderfully talented players, senior leadership, an inspiring coach, and a string of victories at their backs.
They simply coughed up the transformed season at the free throw line.
Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, Stratford’s two top 20 players (Juwon Carpenter, Mike Wallace) were unable to summon the magic touch in 2018-2019.
For the best statewide coverage follow @PrepHoopsTN.
Know you are overlooked? Underrated? Sign up for the @PrepHoopsTN Spring Combine. Tips February 24th.