This time last year, Brentwood Academy let the dream of an undefeated season slip through their fingers. A 30-0 season ended with a loss to Knoxville Catholic in the Division II-AA semifinals.
Now, just over a year later, back at the Eblen Center in Cookeville, the Eagles (30-3) are champions thanks to a 63-52 win over Briarcrest (33-3) during Saturday's heavyweight championship bout between the state's top two teams in DII-AA.
"We beat a really good team tonight," Brentwood Academy head coach Blackston. "Hats off to coach Herrington and Briarcrest. They have three really, really good high school basketball players.
"The thing I love about my team - every challenge that comes their way, they just rise up. Tonight, the three-headed monster, as we call them, were all under their averages.
"It's hard when you want it for your team so much. I wanted it so much for these guys because they're doing it the right way. All of them. They've been together, they've been unselfish, they've been able to adjust and develop their basketball IQ."
It is the ninth overall state title for the Brentwood Academy program, and the first since the Darius Garland-led Eagles won four straight from 2015-18. Garland spoke with the team after BA's 61-38 win over MBA earlier in the postseason.
"He told us if we go into every game with a chip on our shoulder, we're going to win because it's going to put confidence in every one of our guys," BA junior Tyler Tanner said. "I think you could tell. After that talk, we played with more of a chip on our shoulder.
"I look up to Darius," Tanner added. "There's a lot of comparisons they make, but we're two different people and players. I use that a lot. I'm in his shoes right now. I'm not saying I'm anywhere close to as good as him right now, but he was once playing where I'm playing, obviously playing the point guard spot, wanting to score, wanting to dish to his teammates.
"That really showed me we can do it. I believed in us the whole season, but after him telling us that, you could tell."
Tanner, a Mr. Basketball finalist, did a little bit of everything for BA en route to being named tournament MVP. The junior guard collected a game-high 20 points, three rebounds, three assists, and five steals.
"He just loves the big stage. And he loves a small stage. And he loves a medium stage," Blackson said about Tanner. "He loves to play basketball. We take him out sometimes, and he wants to go right back in. He never gets tired.
"I don't know how that works. I don't know if he has the Midicholorians in his blood, too, like the Jedis. I don't know what's going on," Blackston added with a laugh.
Senior Jayson Nixon hit a big, momentum-shifting shot seemingly whenever the Eagles needed it. He scored 19 points, going 5-8 from behind the arc to join Tanner on the All-Tournament team.
"Not only does he come through big with the 19 points and make 5-8 from three, but he guards the other team's biggest threat in our mind, which was Cooper Haynes. Haynes was 2-9 and gets nine of his points from the free throw line...We knew Jayson could lock this guy down."
Sophomore George MacIntyre, the No. 2-ranked quarterback in the country in the class of 2025, finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds to go along with two blocks and two steals. He and senior Lincoln Aholt also made the All-Tournament team.
During Friday's semifinals, Briarcrest dominated MBA 57-23. The Big Red were led by Texas A&M football signee Marcel Reed, who notched 13 points and three rebounds.
Brentwood Academy defeated Knoxville Webb 62-57. Tanner compiled a game-high 24 points, three rebounds, and five steals. Drey Moss notched 13 points, three steals, and two blocks, while MacIntyre added 11 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
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