A COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE OF THE GREENEVILLE SUN | THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022
BACK 2 BACK
Greeneville Rolls To Second Straight Boys Basketball State Title CONGRATULATIONS GREENE DEVILS! From our team at Benchmark Physical Therapy
423.638.1111 | www.Benchmarkpt.com
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BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
A Note From Coach Woolsey Fellas, The only thing that might be harder than doing what hasn’t been done is doing it again when everybody expects you to. Expectations are a welcomed but heavy load to carry. When carried alone the load can break you, but when it is shared it can make you stronger than you would have been without it. Sharing the load has been our story this year. “Two are better than one because they have good return from their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” Ecclesiastes 3:9-12 Coach Bennett and Coach Hale, thank you for the way that you guys directed and supported our players. Your care and love for them continually shone through from the first practice to the state championship. Thanks for the way you supported me by being strong in my weaknesses. Bench Mob, thank you all for your consistent hard work at practice and walk-throughs. You guys earned my trust with your effort, enthusiasm, execution, and team ego. We could not have been as good as we were without your tremendous performance. Your energy on the bench was next level. You were difference makers.
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville coach Brad Woolsey (left) and senior Jackson Tillery (2) hold the TSSAA Class 3A state championship trophy after defeating Jackson South Side 77-48 on March 19 at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro.
Players, thank you for being an example of what a team should look like. Everyone had different roles, and every role was necessary. We didn’t need a team of all-staters, we needed a team of individuals that played like all-staters within their role. Fortunately, we had that. Your talent brought people to their feet, but it was your teamwork that lifted their
hearts. Seniors, thank you for a tremendous, unforgettable four years. The best thing about winning is that it lengthens the life of the team. The more wins, the longer the journey. Thank you for making the journey long and sweet. I am so very grateful that I was able to be a part of it. Sincerely, Coach Woolsey
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville coach Brad Woolsey (right) embraces senior Ja’Kobi Gillespie following the Greene Devils state championship win.
Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
GeenevilleSun.com
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 3
Congratulations,
GREENE DEVILS
2022 Class 3A State Basketball Champions
from your friends and family at
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BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP • GREENEVILLE 77, JACKSON SOUTH SIDE 48
DEVILS GO BACK 2 BACK Record-Setting Greeneville Boys Are Champs Again
Greeneville this season clicked on all cylinders Saturday afternoon. Jackson South Side fell, and so did the TSSAA state tournament’s 3-point record as the Greene Devils claimed the Class 3A state championship with a BY J.D. VAUGHN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR 77-48 triumph at MTSU’s Murphy Center. With 14 made 3-pointers URFREESBORO in Saturday’s champion— The champiship, Greeneville (31-6) set onship rematch a new record with 35 for didn’t quite live up to the three-game tournathe hype. But that wasn’t Greeneville’s fault. ment — eclipsing the old The defending state mark of 34. champions evidently didn’t Reid Satterfield accountwant a second close game ed for nearly half of them, in as many days. As head as only one of his seven SUN PHOTO BY J.D. VAUGHN Greeneville players hoist the 2022 TSSAA Class 3A state championship trophy after defeating Jackson South Side 77-48 in coach Brad Woolsey put it, the “V8” that’s been SEE CHAMPS ON PAGE 6 Saturday’s championship game.
M
Congratulations! ELECTRIC C SUPPLY P Y 319 -
Greeneville High School Greene Devils
Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
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BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 5
Way to go, Greene Devils!
Congratulations to the Greeneville High School Greene Devils on winning the 2022 TSSAA Class 3A Basketball State Championship! Thank you for serving as a great example to student-athletes in this region. Your community is proud of all the hard work you put in this season! Greeneville High School Basketball Roster: Adjatay Dabbs Jakobi Gillespie Hayden Goad Terry Grove Brayden Kennedy Kameron Lester
Isaac McGill Nik Pillar Jayquan Price Reid Satterfield Jackson Tillery Bradley Wells
Ty Williams James Woolsey Head Coach: Brad Woolsey Assistant Coaches: Josh Bennett & Nathan Hale
Page 6 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
CHAMPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
field goals didn’t come from behind the arc. The senior finished with 21 points in his Greeneville finale. “Yeah, I can knock some down, but it’s not just me,” Satterfield said. “I’ve got guys around me … it’s everybody.” His fourth triple ended a string of nine straight Greeneville points in the third quarter, and he added one more to build a 64-39 advantage before the fourth. Satterfield and 3A state tournament MVP Ja’Kobi Gillespie each hit from deep to start the fourth quarter to make it 70-39, ending a 24-6 run. Gillespie, who dunked twice in the second half,
fired in a game-high 25 points for the Greene Devils on 10-of-20 shooting.
Official Basketball Box Score -- Game Totals -- Final Statistics Jackson South Side vs Greeneville 3/19/22 1:30 PM at Murphy Center (Murfreesboro, TN) Jackson South Side 48 • 25-4 ##
COLLECTIVE EFFORT Terry Grove went 5-of-6 from the floor and hit double figure with 12 points. Fellow senior Jackson Tillery hit all three of his field goal attempts, two from 3-point range, to finish with eight points along with a team-high nine steals. “I just felt like I had to go out and do what I’m supposed to do; they count on me to get steals and rebounds,” Tillery said. “They disrespected me on the 3-point line, so I had to knock down some of those.” Adjatay Dabbs hit from deep twice too, with Grove SEE CHAMPS ON PAGE 7
GreenevilleSun.com
01 03 04 12 20 21 22 23 25 30 32 33 35
Player Sain, Rico Ward, Kobe Baker, Bryson Cole, Jaylan Anderson, Cameron Collier, Bryson Burns, Jamarion Cole, Jayceon Smith, Jeremiah Mitchell, Christian Martin, Kourtlynn Montgomery, Cash Goodman, Amauri Team Totals
1st - FG %: 6-15 3FG %: 0-2 FT %: 2-3
40.0% 0.0% 66.7%
* * *
* *
2nd:
4-9 1-2 7-8
Total 3-Ptr Rebounds FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot PF 5-11 0-0 7-8 2 1 3 1 4-11 1-4 2-5 1 1 2 0 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 1 3 0 3-8 1-2 1-1 2 5 7 1 0-1 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 0 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0-3 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 2-4 1-2 0-0 0 2 2 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1-2 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 3 3 17-45 3-11 11-16 8 18 26 10 44.4% 50.0% 87.5%
3rd:
3-8 1-1 2-5
37.5% 100.0% 40.0%
4th: 4-13 1-6 0-0
TP 17 11 2 8 1 0 2 0 5 0 0 0 2
A TO Blk Stl 0 5 1 2 1 3 1 0 1 4 0 0 5 3 0 1 0 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
48
8 20
Game: 17-45 3-11 11-16
30.8% 16.7% 0.0%
4
Min 25 27 17 25 9 5 6 8 24 6 2 3 3
8 160
37.8% 27.3% 68.8%
Deadball Rebounds 4
Greeneville 77 • 31-6 ##
02 03 04 05 11 12 13 21 22 23 24 33 34 42
Player Tillery, Jackson Gillespie, Jakobi Price, Jayquan Dabbs, Adjatay Grove, Terry Pillar, Nik Wells, Bradley Goad, Hayden Kennedy, Brayden Satterfield, Reid Woolsey, JD McGill, Isaac Lester, Kameron Williams, Ty Team Totals
1st - FG %: 8-13 3FG %: 6-9 FT %: 3-6
61.5% 66.7% 50.0%
* * * *
*
2nd: 8-13 2-6 0-2
Total 3-Ptr Rebounds FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot PF 3-3 2-2 0-2 3 3 6 3 10-20 3-8 2-4 1 5 6 0 0-3 0-2 0-0 1 0 1 1 2-4 2-4 0-0 0 2 2 2 5-6 1-1 1-4 4 2 6 2 0-2 0-1 1-2 1 2 3 1 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 7-13 6-12 1-2 0 1 1 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 1-2 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 0 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 3 1 3 4 29-57 14-34 5-14 14 21 35 15 61.5% 33.3% 0.0%
3rd: 8-14 4-8 1-4
57.1% 50.0% 25.0%
4th: 5-17 2-11 1-2
TP 8 25 0 6 12 1 0 0 0 21 0 2 2 0
A TO Blk Stl 1 6 0 9 7 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 5 0 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0
77 19 14
29.4% 18.2% 50.0%
Game: 29-57 14-34 5-14
Min 26 28 9 18 24 4 1 4 4 28 4 4 4 2
0 15 160 50.9% 41.2% 35.7%
Deadball Rebounds 5
Officials: Mike Lewis, Logan Greer, Shawn Wilson Technical fouls: Jackson South Side-None. Greeneville-None. Attendance: 2022 Class 3A All-Tournament Team: Denaj Kimber & Tyler Lee- Fulton; Matthew Bilbrey & Cade Capps- Stone Memorial; Rico Sain & Jaylan Cole- JSS; *MVP- Jakobi Gillespie*, Reid Satterfield, Adjatay Dabbs, Terry GroveGreeneville; **Greeneville- Most 3-Pointers Made in a State Tournament (35)** Score by periods Jackson South Side Greeneville
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Total
14 25
16 18
9 21
9 13
48 77
Last FG - JSS 4th-00:35, GREENEVL 4th-01:14. Largest lead - JSS None, GREENEVL by 31 4th-05:57. JSS led for 00:00. GREENEVL led for 31:07. Game was tied for 00:53.
Congratulations Greene Devils!
Points JSS GREENE
In Paint 26 30
Off T/O 8 15
2nd Fast Chance Break 8 6 18 14
Bench 13 5
CONGRATULATIONS GREENE DEVILS
EUGENE JEFFERS
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie finishes a one-hand slam during the second half.
Score tied - 0 times. Lead changed - 0 times.
ON YOUR
2ND STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!
Realtor®
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93 N. Rufe Taylor Rd. Greeneville, TN 37745
Congratulations on a Job Well Done! Greeneville High School Greene Devils
245 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy.
639-6311 Sun -Thurs 10:30a.m- 9 p.m. Fri-Sat 10:30 a.m. -10 p.m.
Congratulations Greene Devils! 275 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy.
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Sun -Thurs 10:30a.m- 9 p.m. Fri-Sat 10:30 a.m. -10 p.m.
Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
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BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 7
2022 Class 3A State Boys' Basketball Tournament March 15 - March 19, 2022 · MTSU - Murphy Center 71
Greeneville (28-6) Game 1 Tue. Mar. 15 4:30 PM MTSU
Greeneville
J. North Side (20-7)
37
Stone Memorial (20-10)
77
Game 2 Tue. Mar. 15 5:45 PM MTSU 64
J. South Side (23-3)
52
Game 3 Wed. Mar. 16 10:00 AM MTSU 48
Fulton (29-5)
78
Game 4 Wed. Mar. 16 11:15 AM MTSU
CHAMPS
55
Fulton
Greeneville STATE CHAMPION
51
Game 6 Fri. Mar. 18 11:15 AM MTSU
J. South Side
48
50
57
compete,” Grove said.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
adding a 3-pointer of his own. The Greene Devils shot 14-of-34 from deep and 29-of-57 (50.9%) for the game, while outscoring South Side 18-8 on second-chance points and 15-8 off turnovers. Greeneville also held the edge in rebounding, 35-26. “We were hungrier this year than we were last year; we really came out to
77
Greeneville
Game 7 Sat. Mar. 19 1:30 PM MTSU
J. South Side
Clinton (28-4)
Fayette-Ware (26-6)
Game 5 Fri. Mar. 18 10:00 AM MTSU
Stone Memorial
Bolton (6-23)
59
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT Greeneville never truly looked back after going on a 12-1 run during the first quarter. Dabbs hit from deep to begin the burst, and Satterfield added back-to-back triples just 22 seconds apart to make it an 18-5 game. Dabbs and Gillespie both knocked down a 3-pointer to give Greeneville six tri-
ples in the opening frame, building a 25-11 advantage. The Hawks closed the gap to seven points three times during the second quarter, with Rico Sain’s layup making it 31-24. Tillery then sparked a 7-0 run with his 3-pointer, helping the Devils lead 43-30 at the break. “That was us,” Woolsey said of Greeneville’s effort. “Just missed some assignments early, but we got things under control in the second quarter … we
weren’t a V8 firing on 4, we were a V8 firing on 8, plus maybe a little bit of nitro. To finish it out like that was satisfying.” Greeneville took the lead for good after 53 scoreless seconds when Satterfield buried his first 3-pointer. Sain led the Hawks (254) with 17 points, going 5-of-11 from the field and 7-of-8 at the foul line, while Kobe Ward had 11. G 25 18 21 13 — 77 SS 14 16 9 9 — 48
G (77): Ja’Kobi Gillespie 25, Reid Satterfield 21, Terry Grove 12, Jackson Tillery 8, Adjatay Dabbs 6, Kameron Lester 2, Isaac McGill 2, Nik Pillar 1. SS (48): Rico Sain 17, Kobe Ward 11, Jaylan Cole 8, Jeremiah Smith 5, Bryson Baker 2, Jamarion Burns 2, Amauri Goodman 2, Cameron Anderson 1. 3-pointers: Reid Satterfield 6, Ja’Kobi Gillespie 3, Adjatay Dabbs 2, Jackson Tillery 2, Jamarion Burns,
Amauri Goodman, Terry Grove, Kobe Ward.
CLASS 3A BOYS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM Greeneville — Ja’Kobi Gillespie (MVP), Adjatay Dabbs, Terry Grove, Reid Satterfield. Jackson South Side — Rico Sain, Jaylan Cole. Stone Memorial — Matthew Bilbrey, Cade Capps. Fulton — Denaj Kimber, Tyler Lee.
Page 8 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP • GREENEVILLE 77, JACKSON SOUTH SIDE 48
Upperclassmen Paved Way For Devils BY J.D. VAUGHN
parting senior class. Since 2019, Greeneville has gone 29-1 come tournament time — going undefeated in the district, region and state tournaments. Adjatay Dabbs, Greeneville’s only non-senior starter, has yet to taste a postseason defeat. And he wasn’t about to on Saturday. “I’m going to live right now, and then worry about next year tomorrow or something,” Dabbs said with a laugh after the game.
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR MURFREESBORO — Same opponent. Same result. One major difference aside from the 77-48 margin of victory — no COVID restrictions this year. Greeneville took the walk of champions through a packed contingent of Greene Devil faithful after dismantling Jackson South Side on Saturday. One fan even held up a sign indicating Greeneville would’ve had a three-peat if COVID hadn’t canceled the 2020 TSSAA state tournament. He might have had a point, given how Greeneville has done in the two years since. And Greene Devils coach Brad Woolsey tried his best to soak in every moment leading up to the final game for Greeneville’s most successful senior class. “Thinking about the fact this is my last ride out (Saturday), I wasn’t thinking about the game as much as I was thinking about that,” the coach
SILENT KILLER
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Jayquan Price (4) dribbles up the court past Jackson South Side’s Jeremiah Smith (25).
said. “Kids that want to win, kids that are willing to do things to get better … it’s been such a blessing to be involved in their
GREAT JOB, GREENE DEVILS!
YOU MADE HISTORY!
journey. “(These seniors leave) a legacy of love and hard work, just working together. People will always see
Hamilton Chiropractic Clinic 1119 Tusculum Boulevard, Greeneville, TN 423-638-2233 greeneville-tn-chiropractic.com
state championships on the wall, but to the people who were a part of it, it’s so much more.” Greeneville’s 35 3-point
baskets set a new state tournament record. But even more impressive might be the postseason record of the Devils’ de-
Gillespie isn’t usually much for words, but his highlight reel dunks do the talking for him. He threw down two more dunks before his career ended, each one bringing the Murphy Center spectators to their feet as he sprinted toward the goal. Greeneville fans and players knew to embrace it, well aware he and Reid Satterfield SEE SENIORS ON PAGE 10
GeenevilleSun.com
Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 9
Congratulations Greene Devils! (423) 638-3662
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BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie (3) flies in for a dunk past Jackson South Side’s Cameron Anderson (20).
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Adjatay Dabbs (5) celebrates alongside teammates as the clock nears zero during Saturday’s state championship game.
SENIORS
better this year. That led to more buckets on offense.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 Clearly, the semifiwouldn’t provide any more nal scare against Stone SportsCenter Top 10 plays Memorial didn’t bother at the high school level. Greeneville. If anything, And even Gillespie himself it served as motivation to admitted he wouldn’t have finish the job. minded one more basket “Most of us here, it was before coming out with the our last game. We had to game in hand. leave it all on the court,” “We couldn’t get the ball Satterfield said. up the court,” a smiling Satterfield certainly did Gillespie said. “(Today) was with six 3-pointers. He and really us playing harder on Gillespie, Greeneville’s only defense. We stopped them players to ever reach 2,000
career points, consequently went out on top.
JACK(SON) OF ALL TRADES Something else looked familiar to Greeneville fans – No. 2 doing the dirty work. Connor DeBusk left a big void to fill after graduating in 2021, but Jackson Tillery took his jersey number and his role for the 2021-22 campaign.
Not only did Tillery steal the ball nine times, but he also matched Gillespie and Terry Grove with a teamhigh six rebounds. Oh, and he shot 100% from the floor — 3-for-3 with a pair of 3s. “It’s sad to leave these dudes, but it feels good,” Tillery said. Indeed, the basketball careers of Gillespie, Satterfield, Grove, Tillery and PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON Bradley Wells will be a Greeneville’s Jackson Tillery (2) looks to drive to the basket. tough act to follow.
GeenevilleSun.com
Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 11
Congratulations To The Greeneville High School Devils!
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BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
2021-2022 GREENEVILLE GREENE DEVILS ROSTER
TRAINERS: Glenn Evatt, Ashley Bell No. Name Grade ADMINISTRATION: Martin 2 Jackson Tillery Sr. McDonald, Noelle Smith, Daisy 3 Ja’Kobi Gillespie Sr. Sanders 4 Jayquan Price Jr. ATHLETIC DIRECTORS: 5 Adjatay Dabbs Jr. Eddie Spradlen, Johnny Painter 11 Terry Grove Sr. 12 Nic Pillar So. 13 Bradley Wells Sr. SCHEDULE/RESULTS 21 Hayden Goad So. 22 Brayden Kennedy Jr. RECORD: 31-6 overall, 8-0 23 Reid Satterfield Sr. District 2-3A 12/20 Lexington (SC) W 90-67 24 JD Woolsey So. 11/16 Volunteer L 53-68 12/21 Chapmanville (WV) W 33 Isaac McGill Fr. 11/20 Fulton L 40-68 34 Kameron Lester So. 11/23 North Buncombe (NC) W 67-52 12/27 Union (VA) W 59-42 35 Ty Williams Jr. 82-62 12/29 Dr. Phillips (FL) W 76-70 COACH: Brad Woolsey 12/7 Claiborne W 86-53 12/30 Berkmar (GA) L 50-71 ASSISTANT COACHES: 12/8 North Buncombe (NC) W 12/31 Amarillo (TX) W 58-51 Nathan Hale, Josh Bennett 69-46 1/5 Bearden L 61-74 STATISTICIAN: John Carter 12/10 East Hamilton W 72-55 1/11 Cherokee W 69-33 VIDEOGRAPHER: Seth 12/11 Science Hill W 75-70 1/14 Grainger W 75-58 Hudson 12/14 Dobyns-Bennett L 61-70 1/20 Cocke County W 82-46 RADIO: Brian Stayton 12/17 Jefferson County W 74-48
1/22 Farragut L 52-81 1/24 Jefferson County W 65-46 1/25 Claiborne W 84-40 1/28 Dobyns-Bennett W 76-68 1/31Morristown East W 74-71 2/1 Cherokee W 88-39 2/4 Grainger W 97-66 2/8 Cocke County W 66-39 2/11 Morristown East W 85-74 DISTRICT 2-3A TOURNAMENT 2/19 Claiborne W 82-41 2/22 Grainger W 94-62 REGION 1-3A TOURNAMENT 2/26 Sullivan East W 82-55 3/1 Elizabethton W 87-53 3/3 Volunteer W 91-52 CLASS 3A SECTIONAL 3/7 Knox Halls W 86-42 CLASS 3A STATE TOURNAMENT
3/15 Jackson North Side W 71-37 3/18 Stone Memorial W 59-55 3/19 Jackson South Side W 77-48
STATISTICS PLAYER Gillespie Satterfield Dabbs Grove Price Tillery Lester Kennedy Woolsey Williams Goad Pillar Wells McGill
PPG 27.5 17.0 10.2 6.6 4.4 3.6 3.4 2.8 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.7 1.4 1.4
RPG 4.4 4.6 2.7 3.6 2.2 3.2 1.7 1.0 1.1 2.0 0.8 0.8 2.0 0.7
Congratulations, Greene Devils
C RY S TA L
JESSEE E R e pu b l i c a n C a n d i d ate for
Circuit Court
JUDGE
Paid for and authorized by Friends to Elect Crystal Jessee, Treasurer Lyle Doty
APG 4.4 2.2 3.1 1.0 1.5 1.4 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.1 0.3 0.7 0.3 0.3
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Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 13
Congratulations g on the Repeat! p
Greeneville High Boys Basketball 2022 State Champions!
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BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
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CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP • GREENEVILLE 77, JACKSON SOUTH SIDE 48
SUN PHOTO BY J.D. VAUGHN
Greeneville cheerleaders pose with their Class 3A spirit award following the Greene Devils’ state championship win.
SUN PHOTO BY J.D. VAUGHN
The Greeneville bench reacts to a 3-point basket.
TSSAA 3A State Champions 2 Years In A Row! Staffing • Security Janitorial
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BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 15
CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP • GREENEVILLE 77, JACKSON SOUTH SIDE 48
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Terry Grove (11) goes up for a shot during the second half.
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Adjatay Dabbs handles the basketball.
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Reid Satterfield pulls up for a jumper.
Page 16 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
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Congratulations
Class 3A State
GeenevilleSun.com
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BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 17
s Greene Devils!
e Championship
Greeneville Oil & Petroleum 860 W Andrew Johnson Hwy, Greeneville, TN 37745 (423) 638-3145
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BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
CLASS 3A STATE TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS • GREENEVILLE 59, STONE MEMORIAL 55
Greene Devils Pushed To Limit, Reach Title Tilt BY J.D. VAUGHN
Official Basketball Box Score -- Game Totals -- Final Statistics Stone Memorial vs Greeneville 3/18/22 10:00 AM at Murphy Center (Murfreesboro, TN)
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR MURFREESBORO — Greeneville’s upperclassmen have been doing this long enough. They know wins rarely come easy this time of year, especially at the state tournament. No wonder they handled the postseason pressure so well, even after falling behind for the first time Friday morning. Showing a defending champion’s mettle, the Greene Devils withstood Stone Memorial’s second-half comeback and responded with a 5955 win in the TSSAA Class 3A state semifinals. Cade Capps’ first 3-pointer put Greeneville (30-6) behind for the first time at 50-49. But no big deal with Ja’Kobi Gillespie in charge. The senior guard buried his sixth 3-pointer just 15 seconds later, giving the Devils a 52-50 lead with 3:06 to play. And even when Capps delivered from deep again, another Greeneville senior came through. Gillespie missed, but Terry Grove tipped the ball in with 1:33 remaining for a 54-53 Greeneville lead. To Reid Satterfield, Grove’s offensive rebound looked awfully familiar, as in Gillespie’s offensive board against Jackson South Side in the 2021 Class 2A state championship. That rebound came with just three seconds left, as the Greene Devils won 47-46. “When Terry got that
Stone Memorial 55 • 21-11 Total 3-Ptr Rebounds FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot
##
Player
03
Bilbrey, Matthew Holt, Blake Whittenburg, Dylan Capps, Cade Mayberry, Preston Eldridge, Jayden Bowman, Conner Lane, Brady Team Totals
04 12 14 15 20 22 32
1st - FG %: 3FG %: FT %:
2-10 0-2 7-8
20.0% 0.0% 87.5%
2nd:
* * * *
*
6-11 1-3 2-10 5-17 1-3 0-0 2-2 0-0 17-46
2-10 0-2 3-3
20.0% 0.0% 100.0%
3-4 0-0 0-3 2-4 0-2 0-0 0-0 0-0
3-4 1-1 5-5 2-2 0-0 0-0 0-0 5-6
5-13
16-18
3rd:
7-13 2-3 2-3
53.8% 66.7% 66.7%
PF
TP
A TO Blk Stl
1 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 0 2 2 2 4 7 11 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 4 2 0 2 2 1 9 16 25 14
18 3 9 14 2 0 4 5
2 2 4 0 0 0 0 0
2 0 1 1 2 0 1 1
55
8
8
4th:
6-13 3-6 4-4
46.2% 50.0% 100.0%
Game: 17-46 5-13 16-18
Min
2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 2 2 0 0 1 0
29 21 30 31 13 10 14 12
3
7 160 Deadball Rebounds 2
37.0% 38.5% 88.9%
Greeneville 59 • 30-6 Total 3-Ptr Rebounds FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot
##
Player
02
Tillery, Jackson Gillespie, Jakobi Price, Jayquan Dabbs, Adjatay Grove, Terry Satterfield, Reid Lester, Kameron Williams, Ty Team Totals
03 04 05 11 23 34 42
1st - FG %: 3FG %: FT %:
5-11 3-8 0-0
45.5% 37.5% 0.0%
* * * * *
0-2 10-20 1-4 3-6 2-3 2-7 0-0 1-1 19-43
2nd:
4-11 3-7 2-2
36.4% 42.9% 100.0%
0-2 6-11 1-2 2-4 0-0 2-7 0-0 0-0
0-0 6-6 0-0 1-2 3-4 0-0 0-0 0-0
11-26
10-12
3rd:
4-13 3-8 0-0
30.8% 37.5% 0.0%
PF
TP
A TO Blk Stl
1 5 6 2 1 6 7 1 1 1 2 3 0 2 2 3 5 1 6 2 0 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 9 20 29 15
0 32 3 9 7 6 0 2
1 4 3 2 1 2 0 0
4th:
6-8 2-3 8-10
2 4 2 1 3 3 0 0
59 13 15
75.0% 66.7% 80.0%
Game: 19-43 11-26 10-12
Min
0 0 3 0 2 0 0 0
0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0
5
3 160
44.2% 42.3% 83.3%
16 32 20 27 29 30 2 4
Deadball Rebounds 1
Officials: Keith Ward, Shawn Wilson, John Jackson Technical fouls: Stone Memorial-TEAM. Greeneville-None. Attendance: Score by periods Stone Memorial Greeneville
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Total
11 13
7 13
18 11
19 22
55 59
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie (3) drives past Stone Memorial’s Dylan Whittenburg (12) during Greeneville’s 59-55 win in the Class 3A state tournament semifinals on March 18 in Murfreesboro.
rebound today, I kind of thought of that,” Satterfield said. “You never know what’s going to happen.” But most in attendance knew what to expect with Gillespie, Adjatay Dabbs and Grove shooting free throws in the final 32 seconds. The Devils went 5-of-6 at the line to put the game away before a late Stone Memorial basket.
KOBI COMES IN CLUTCH No dunks this time, but plenty of 3-pointers for
Gillespie – six of them. Despite facing double teams throughout the game, Gillespie went 6-of-11 from behind the arc and 10-of20 overall for a game-high 32 points. His fifth triple answered a 3-pointer by Matthew Bilbrey and put Greeneville ahead 29-21 to start the third quarter. His layup and Satterfield’s 3-pointer gave Greeneville a 42-36 lead in the fourth quarter before the Panthers (21-11) fought back. Gillespie hit a short jumper to break a 47-47 deadlock with 3:34
Points STONEM GREENE
Last FG - STONEMEM 4th-00:01, GREENEVL 4th-01:33. Largest lead - STONEMEM by 1 4th-03:21, GREENEVL by 11 2nd-02:05. STONEMEM led for 00:30. GREENEVL led for 29:25. Game was tied for 02:05.
to play. “I was just trying to score quick,” Gillespie said. We could’ve played better D, but we can just pick it up the next game … this is what we’ve been working for all year. We finally get to go play for (the state title).” Dabbs, Greeneville’s second leading scorer with nine points, scored all three of his field goals during a span of 2:14 in the third quarter. Stone Memorial twice pulled within a point, but Dabbs’ second 3-pointer made it 37-33 with 1:32 until the fourth. Grove finished with seven points, and Satterfield had
six on two 3-pointers.
PAINT IT BLACK Not only did Stone Memorial refuse to fold, but the Panthers outscored Greeneville 24-12 in the paint. Bilbrey shot 6-of11 and led Stone with 18 points, while Capps had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. “They just kept getting to the paint,” Dabbs said. “That’s one thing that can’t happen.” The Panthers opened their perimeter shooting by attacking the rim and either scoring or drawing contact. Stone Memorial
In Paint 24 12
Off T/O 12 7
2nd Chance 6 14
Fast Break 2 0
Bench 7 5
Score tied - 3 times. Lead changed - 4 times.
finished 16-of-18 at the charity stripe. Bilbrey and Capps combined to shoot 5-of-6 from 3-point range in the second half. “They get a lot of kudos defensively; we couldn’t get to the basket much because of how they clogged up the lane,” Greeneville coach Brad Woolsey said. “We didn’t do a great job of creating space, which is something we thrive on. They were beating us to loose balls, they were rebounding better than us, all the little things you’ve got to do to be great, I don’t know that we did that today.” SEE SEMIS ON PAGE 19
Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
GeenevilleSun.com
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 19
CONGRATULATIONS
GREENEVILLE GREENE DEVILS!
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Terry Grove (11) spins toward the basket during the second half.
SEMIS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18
The Greene Devils held a 29-25 edge in rebounding and a 14-6 advantage in second-chance points.
Greeneville led 15-13 in the second quarter when Gillespie took over, burying two straight 3-pointers and then two free throws after a technical foul. Gillespie’s sudden
E a
y
eruption took place in a stretch of 1:10 and put the Devils ahead by 10. And he wasn’t done, hitting another 3-pointer to make it 26-15 with 2:05 until halftime.
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Page 20 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
CLASS 3A BOYS BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
Gillespie First Devil Named Mr. Basketball BY SAM BUNDY SPORTS EDITOR
J
a’Kobi Gillespie continues to raise the bar for Greeneville basketball. On Monday night at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center, the senior guard was named the Class 3A Mr. Basketball. Gillespie is the first Greene Devil and the first player from Northeast Tennessee to earn the highest individual honor for basketball in the state in the 37-year history of the award. Ericko Sain II of Jackson South Side and JaSteven Walker of Fayette-Ware were other finalists for the
award. “We’re just really excited for Kobi that he got this award we feel he is very deserving of,” said Greeneville coach Brad Woolsey. “It’s a great example of being talented and working hard to be your best.” The Mr. Basketball honor is the latest honor in what has become a storied career for Gillespie. Last year, Gillespie helped Greeneville to its first basketball state championship while being named the Class 2A state tournament MVP and a Mr. Basketball finalist. This season, Gillespie has led the Greene Devils to this
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN
Greeneville’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie (standing second from right) was named Class 3A Mr. Basketball at the Murphy Center in SEE GILLESPIE ON PAGE 21 Murfreesboro.
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Congratulations On Your State Championship!
Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
GeenevilleSun.com
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 21
Congratulations!
SUN PHOTO BY J.D. VAUGHN
Greeneville’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie goes up for a dunk during a 69-46 win over North Buncombe (N.C.) on Dec. 8 at Hal Henard Gymnasium.
GILLESPIE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20
week’s Class 3A state tournament while averaging 27.5 points, 4.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. Gillespie and fellow senior Reid Satterfield are the only two players in Greeneville history with more than 2,000 career points. In recent weeks, Gillespie has finished three spectacular alley-oop dunks off passes from Satterfield, two of which have garnered the Greene Devils national attention via ESPN. “As a coaching staff, we’re just really proud of where the program is right now,” Woolsey said. “Recognition is a great thing and you really enjoy it when it comes. It’s definitely fun and really, really, really nice. “At the end of the day as a high school coach, though, there are things more valuable than just recognition. Influencing kids and having an impact on kids is what it’s really about. Leading kids, holding them accountable, helping them understand what life is about, those are the things that are most important. The beautiful thing is whether you’re winning 30 games or winning 10 games, you can still do that.”
2022 MR. BASKETBALL WINNERS Division II Class A Tyler Byrd, Tipton-Rosemark Division II Class 2A Chandler Jackson, Christian Brothers Division I Class A Grant Strong, Clay County Division I Class 2A Gus Davenport, Cannon County Division I Class 3A Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Greeneville Division I Class 4A Brandon Miller, Cane Ridge
2022 MISS BASKETBALL WINNERS Division II Class A Olivia Lee, Trinity Christian Division II Class 2A Jaloni Cambridge, Ensworth Division I Class A Savannah Davis, McKenzie Division I Class 2A Karly Weathers, Loretto Division I Class 3A Brooklyn Crouch, Upperman Division I Class 4A Jennifer Sullivan, Bearden
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Page 22 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
CLASS 3A STATE TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS • GREENEVILLE 71, JACKSON NORTH SIDE 37
Greene Devils Flush Jackson North Side BY J.D. VAUGHN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
M
SUN PHOTO BY J.D. VAUGHN
Greeneville’s Jackson Tillery (2) goes airborne in the paint in front of Jackson North Side’s DeKorian Genesy (1).
URFREESBORO — No time for drama this year
apparently. Defending state champion Greeneville took care of business quickly Tuesday evening, building a comfortable lead after the first quarter and racing past Jackson North Side 71-37 in the TSSAA Class 3A state quarterfinal round. Having won three state tournament games by a combined 10 points to win the 2021 Class 2A championship, the Greene Devils (29-6) removed the sus-
pense quickly this time. Greeneville led 6-4 midway through the first quarter but never looked back after a 12-0 run. In fact, the Greene Devils hit from 3-point range three times in a 45-second span in the second quarter. And another triple by Ja’Kobi Gillespie built a 27-6 cushion with 5:42 until halftime. Things only snowballed from there for North Side, which finished the season 20-8, as the Devils led 41-13 at intermission. “Thought the guys set the tone defensively,” Greeneville coach Brad Woolsey said. “I thought that was SEE QUARTERS ON PAGE 23
Official Basketball Box Score -- Game Totals -- Final Statistics Jackson North Side vs Greeneville 3/15/22 4:30 PM at Murphy Center (Murfreesboro, TN) Jackson North Side 37 • 20-8 ##
00 01 02 03 10 11 13 15 21 23 24 25 31 45 99
Total 3-Ptr Rebounds FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot PF 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 2 3-10 0-1 1-2 4 5 9 1 0-8 0-5 0-0 0 2 2 1 3-8 0-0 0-0 1 4 5 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 3-3 0-0 0-2 1 1 2 0 * 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 * 4-13 1-3 4-6 2 4 6 1 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 0 2 2 4 15-48 1-10 6-12 10 22 32 13
Player Walker, Khaden Genesy, Dekorian Wallace, DeMahri Harris, Jordan Barnard, Luke Parsons, Marcus Minor, Deandre Currie, Malik Reid, Malik Demoss, D'Cameron Manley, Desmond Rodgers, Brendan Jenkins, Birmen Currie, AJ Lambert, Tavarris Team Totals
1st - FG %: 2-10 3FG %: 0-2 FT %: 0-2
20.0% 0.0% 0.0%
* * *
2nd: 2-11 0-3 5-8
18.2% 0.0% 62.5%
3rd: 5-13 0-2 0-0
38.5% 0.0% 0.0%
4th: 6-14 1-3 1-2
42.9% 33.3% 50.0%
TP 2 7 0 6 0 0 6 0 0 13 0 2 0 0 1
A TO Blk Stl 0 1 0 0 2 4 1 2 0 7 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Min 14 31 24 20 3 1 8 15 1 25 1 10 4 1 2
37
5 22
160
Game: 15-48 1-10 6-12
6
Deadball Rebounds 3
Greeneville 71 • 29-6 ##
02 03 04 05 11 12 13 21 22 23 24 33 34 42
Player Tillery, Jackson Gillespie, Jakobi Price, Jayquan Dabbs, Adjatay Grove, Terry Pillar, Nik Wells, Bradley Goad, Hayden Kennedy, Brayden Satterfield, Reid Woolsey, James McGill, Isaac Lester, Kameron Williams, Ty Team Totals
1st - FG %: 7-15 3FG %: 1-6 FT %: 0-0
46.7% 16.7% 0.0%
Total 3-Ptr Rebounds FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot PF 0-0 0-0 0-0 2 2 4 2 10-20 1-5 1-3 0 4 4 2 0-1 0-1 1-2 0 2 2 1 * 6-11 3-7 1-2 0 1 1 2 * 1-1 0-0 1-2 1 4 5 2 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2-5 2-3 1-2 0 1 1 1 * 5-10 3-7 0-0 0 4 4 0 0-1 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 3-3 0-0 0-1 1 3 4 1 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 2 3 3 6 28-55 10-26 5-12 9 26 35 13 * *
2nd: 10-15 66.7% 5-8 62.5% 1-1 100.0%
3rd: 4-11 0-4 2-6
36.4% 0.0% 33.3%
4th: 7-14 4-8 2-5
50.0% 50.0% 40.0%
TP 0 22 1 16 3 0 0 3 7 13 0 0 6 0
A TO Blk Stl 1 1 0 1 1 4 0 4 1 1 0 1 3 4 0 3 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 2 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
71 11 15 Game: 28-55 10-26 5-12
2 12 50.9% 38.5% 41.7%
Score by periods Jackson North Side Greeneville
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Total
4 15
9 26
10 10
14 20
37 71
Points JNS GREENE
Last FG - JNS 4th-01:51, GREENEVL 4th-00:30. Largest lead - JNS None, GREENEVL by 34 4th-00:30. JNS led for 00:00. GREENEVL led for 31:16. Game was tied for 00:44.
In Off 2nd Fast Paint T/O Chance Break 28 8 11 6 34 21 7 14 Score tied - 0 times. Lead changed - 0 times.
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Min 17 21 13 26 14 4 5 4 8 24 4 1 8 11
Deadball Rebounds 3
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Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
GeenevilleSun.com
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 23
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL • GREENEVILLE 86, KNOX HALLS 42
Gillespie, Satterfield Dazzle, Greene Devils Roll BY WAYNE PHILLIPS SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS There have been some very good basketball teams at Greeneville High over the past several decades, and chances are there will be some very good ones to come over the next several years. But for the young folks in the massive crowd that poured into Hal Henard Gym Monday night to watch the Greene Devils beat Knox Halls 86-42 in the Sectional round and qualify for the State Tournament, years from now they will likely still recall the exploits of the 2021-22 team that featured Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Reid Satterfield. Two 2,000-point career scorers on the same team in high school? Unheard of, says Coach Brad Woolsey. “It really is unheard of,
QUARTERS
but what I’m so proud to watch is how they love to play together,” Woolsey said after clinching a berth in the TSSAA Class AAA State Tournament, which begins next week in Murfreesboro. The Devils (28-6) will take on Jackson North Side, who beat Portland 47-43 in the Sectionals, on Tuesday, Mar. 15, at 5:30 p.m. (Greeneville time). “That dunk was beautiful and all, but there’s nothing sweeter than to watch them execute,” he smiled. “I’m thankful I got to watch them play together.” The roof almost exploded in the fourth quarter when the two seniors capped off their careers at Hal Henard with a highlight reel play that is seldom seen, unless it’s in a slam dunk contest where it’s practiced many times before it happens. The final points by Gillespie came when Satterfield
bounced a ball hard off the floor near the rim, and Gillespie soared to grab it and slam it home, much to the delight of the throng. Even some Halls fans were clapping at that show. “No, we don’t practice that stuff much,” Satterfield said of the play. “But we’ve been playing together since third or fourth grade, so we just seem to know where each other is at.” Gillespie agreed. “He (Satterfield) likes to try stuff like that all the time,” he laughed. “But we really hadn’t practiced that. It just happened. He bounced it high and I went and got it.” It was the perfect ending to a Sectional game that was controlled from the outset by the Greene Devils. Halls walked into a hornet’s nest with the huge crowd, and the Devils came out and hit five 3-pointers in the first
two minutes in, and the second ignited the Devils’ 12-0 run. He CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 shot 10-of-20 from the floor with one 3-pointer and a team-high the biggest factor, we made shots four steals. “I got open fast breaks, so I’m that they took tough and then going to go dunk it,” a smiling rebounding the basketball. We Gillespie said. just showed tremendous effort on His fourth and final flush built a the defensive end, and that turned 45-13 lead in the third quarter. into some offense.” By offense, obviously, Woolsey meant breakaway dunks for his DEADLY FROM DEEP Class 3A Mr. Basketball winner. Gillespie dunked the ball four The Devils made 6-of-14 from times Tuesday, three coming 3-point range in the first half, in the first half, en route to his three coming from Reid Satter22-point outing. field. His first two triples came Gillespie’s first slam gave just 34 seconds apart to begin the Greeneville a 4-0 lead less than second quarter, before his third
quarter. They made 9-of-13 shots, and Gillespie scored 13 with three 3-pointers, and it was 18-0 before the Red Devils finally got on the board, and 24-4 when the first quarter ended. The torrid shooting continued into the second period as a 26-12 run left the Greene Devils with a massive 50-16 halftime advantage. It all started o the defensive end, Coach Woolsey said. “They followed to a ‘t’ what we wanted them to do,” he said. “They executed very, very well.” Halls had trouble getting into an offensive set as they made eight turnovers in the first period, and 13 total in the opening half. Many of those mistakes were turned into transition buckets by GHS.
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Reid Satterfield cuts down a net following an SEE SECTIONAL ON PAGE 24 86-42 win over Knox Halls in a Class 3A sectional on Monday night at Hal Henard Gym.
made it 36-11. The senior, who finished with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting, could sense a much louder crowd this season. The COVID restrictions from 2021 which limited fans at games have become a distant memory. “It’s nice,” Satterfield said. “Our fans have been behind us all year and I can’t thank them enough, especially when they travel like this.” Adjatay Dabbs hit from deep twice in the first half before finishing with 16 points and a team-high three assists. He went 5-of-10 from the floor and matched Satterfield’s 3-of-7 clip
from behind the arc. “We’ve been here before so we know it, how the environment is, how to take the environment,” Dabbs said. “It’s like a home court to us at this point.” The Indians pulled closer when Greeneville went deeper into its bench. But Dabbs’ final 3-pointer made it a 57-25 game with 5:07 remaining. North Side never got closer than 28 points again, as Brayden Kennedy hit from 3-point range twice and Hayden Goad added another triple in the final minute. Kameron Lester shot 3-of-3 to finish with six points, while Terry Grove led the Greene Devils in
rebounds (5) and blocks (2).
DABBS DEFENDS Matched up against Demahri Wallace most of the night, Dabbs held North Side’s second leading scorer without a point on 0-of-8 shooting. “Adjatay had him most of the night, but we also say everybody guards the ball,” Woolsey said. “(Dabbs) did a great job on him, leveling him off, not letting him get downhill, and other people filled in the gaps.” D’Cameron DeMoss led the Indians with 13 points, including their lone 3-pointer.
Page 24 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
SECTIONAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
“We have fun when we play,” Gillespie said. “We got after them on defense, and we know if we play hard and stop them, we’re going to score on offense.” Junior Adjatay Dabbs made sure there would be no third quarter comeback by the Red Devils as he hit five straight shots, four of them 3-pointers, in the third quarter, and scored 15 of his 23 points in that period. After a 76-35 third quarter lead, the final period was played with a running clock. But there was time for Satterfield and Gillespie to bow out with the high-bounce dunk, and after Woolsey called time to clear the bench, he sent Satterfield and Gillespie onto the floor to wave to the crowd.
“They’ve been so supportive of us the past four years,” Satterfield said. “It’s really special. The crowd has grown each year, and it was really amazing tonight.” Gillespie scored 26, Dabbs had 23 and Satterfield scored 17, 14 of them in the first half. The other two seniors – Terry Grove and Jackson Tillery — handled things in the paint. Tillery grabbed nine rebounds and Grove had six. Caleb Shaffer scored 13 to lead Halls (20-11), who was making only the second Sectional appearance in the school’s history. Kaiden Stanton chipped in with 11. This will be Greeneville’s third straight appearance in the “final eight” at Murfreesboro. They won it all last year and brought home the school’s first gold ball (in basketball).
“It’s always good to win a Sectional game,” Satterfield said. “But it’s only a stepping stone for what we really want.” “Our goal was to win this one and get there (to state),” Gillespie added. “Now we want to go get another gold ball.” HALLS (42):Caleb Shaffer 13, Lane 2, Thomas 4, Williams 2, Simpson 2, Young 2, Rogers 2, Lane 4, Kaiden Stanton 11. GREENEVILLE (86): Tillery 2, Ja’Kobi Gillespie 26, Adjatay Dabbs 23, Grove 9, Reid Satterfield 17, Price 3, Lester 3. 3-Point Goals: KH—3 (Shaffer 3). GHS—16 (Dabbs 5, Gillespie 4, Satterfield 4, Price, Lester, Woolsey). KNOX HALLS 4 12 19 7 — 42 GREENEVILLE 24 26 26 10 — 86
GreenevilleSun.com
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL • GREENEVILLE 86, KNOX HALLS 42
SPORTSCENTER TOP 10
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie (3) stuffs an alley-oop bounce pass from Reid Satterfield (23) during the fourth quarter of an 86-42 win over Knox Halls in a Class 3A sectional on March 7 at Hal Henard Gym. ESPN made the bounce dunk No. 4 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays of the day.
CONGRATS Greene Devils State Champs!
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Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
GeenevilleSun.com
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 25
COMMENTARY
Ja’Kobi, Reid Blow Our Minds Again W
ent to a Greeneville Greene Devils basketball game last night and a Globetrotters show broke out. From the opening tip to the final horn of Greeneville’s 82-46 win in a Class 3A sectional at Hal Henard Gym on Monday night, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Reid Satterfield – playing the final home game of their careers – toyed with Knox Halls as if this was nothing more than an exhibition game. To the delirious delight of a packed house, Kobi and Reid gave us jaw-dropping step-back 3-pointers, 3s with hands in their faces, 3s closer to midcourt than
SAM BUNDY
the arc, and slick dribble drives. And those were just the appetizers. Midway through the fourth quarter, Kobi and Reid got real saucy and sent us home with a couple mind-blowing alley-oop
dunks. On an inbounds play from the left side of the court with 5:30 to play, Reid lobbed the ball across the lane for Kobi, who elevated and flushed it with two fists to make it 81-35. And then get this: With the Devils in transition following a Halls miss with 4:47 to play, Kobi passed the ball from the left side of the court to Reid on the right side, and Reid used an overhead bounce pass to lob the ball over the rim for Kobi, who soared past two defenders for a one-handed jam and an 83-35 lead. It was stuff straight off an AND1 mixtape. The crowd was beyond turnt. And
ESPN made the bounce dunk No. 4 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays of the day. “This was our last time playing in this building. We had to make it special, and that was special,” Kobi said. “We went out with a bang.” The dunks were so fluid and effortless, Kobi and Reid must have worked on them for days, weeks or months, right? Nah. Just a little something they threw together on the fly. “We didn’t practice that,” Reid said. “But we’ve probably played together since third or fourth grade. We have that chemistry
going for us. We just know what the other one is going to do before the other one does it.” It’s not the first time Kobi and Reid have left us in awe. In a region tournament win over Elizabethton a week ago, Reid dribbled down the right side of the court on a fastbreak and lobbed the ball up from his hip over a defender for Kobi, who flew in from the left side and rocked the rim with two hands. Video of that dunk has gotten hundreds of thousands of views and likes on the Internet. “You watch them play and you see them feed off each other,” said Green-
eville coach Brad Woolsey. “They look for each other on the court. They enjoy playing together. And they enjoy seeing each other succeed.” After Monday’s second slam in the fourth quarter, Woolsey called time out to get his dynamic duo out of the game. He sent Kobi and Reid out toward center court where they were enveloped by a standing ovation. And as Kobi and Reid made there way to the bench, Woolsey embraced both as if they were his sons. “They’re so special to coach,” Woolsey said. “I SEE BUNDY ON PAGE 26
Congratulations Greene Devils! 2022 Class 3A Basketball State Champions AJBANK.COM Member FDIC
Page 26 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
REGION 1-3A TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS • GREENEVILLE 87, ELIZABETHTON 53
Devils Run Past Elizabethton Into Title Game
the Region 2 finals between Clinton and Knox Halls. The region winner gets to play at home. Coach Brad Woolsey has seen Satterfield for four years now, and when he gets in a zone like he was in during the first half Tuesday, he’s fun to watch, the coach said. “He just feels like he can make everything he puts up there,” the Devil coach said. “But he not only scores
well. He was aggressive, he played physical around the boards, and his defense was outstanding. He can be an absolute difference maker.” The game started well enough for Elizabethton as they took a 7-3 lead about three minutes deep into the contest. But that lead not only deteriorated in a hurry, the Devils blew the Cyclones out of the gym with a 20-0 run. Two time outs did nothing to stop the onslaught,
and when the first quarter ended, the Devils were in complete control with a 2611 lead. Satterfield scored 14 points in the first quarter, and at one point knocked down five shots in a row, three of them from long range The rout continued into the second quarter, and the raucous and huge crowd of GHS supporters raised the roof on Hal Henard when Satterfield and Ja’Kobi Gillespie combined for a highlight reel play. Satterfield lobbed it high to Gillespie, who slammed it home with a tomahawk dunk. That made it 33-11 and there was never any question. Another 20-0 run by GHS after the 26-11 first quarter lead left the scoreboard at 46-11 with 2:30 left in the half, and Greeneville went to intermission leading 53-19. The boys have fun playing the game, and Coach Woolsey said he allows some things to happen with this team that he has probably never allowed in the past. “First of all, I stress that we must get points when it matters,” he said. “But these kids deserve to be allowed to do some things, like the lobs and the dunks, and our com-
giving him 2,050 for his career. Reid tallied 17, giving him 2,064. They’re the only two players in the history of Greeneville hoops to reach 2,000, and they’re not done yet. The farewell party now
shifts to Murfreesboro where Kobi and Reid will try to lead the Devils to their second boys basketball state championship in school history after leading them to their first a year ago. “This is the most fun I’ve
had playing basketball, playing with the guys I grew up with,” Kobi said. “We’re trying to end this year with another gold ball.” Four years ago almost to the day, a column appeared in this space about former
BY WAYNE PHILLIPS SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS
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hen Reid Satterfield gets it dialed in from long distance, he can make life miserable for the opposition. Such was the case Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Region 1-3A Tournament at Hal Henard as the senior gunner, who crossed the 2,000 point plateau in scoring for his career in the regional quarterfinal game Saturday, scored 24 first half points, 25 for the game, and led the Greene Devils to an 87-53 whipping of Elizabethton. The win sends the Greene Devils to the Region 1 championship game on Thursday night, where they will take on Volunteer, who rallied in the final two minutes to eke by Unicoi County in a 68-66 thriller in the earlier game Tuesday at Hal Henard. That game starts at 7 p.m. It also means that Greeneville, ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 3A in the final poll of the season, earns a berth in next Monday’s Sectional (sub-state) game. They will play the winner of
BUNDY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25
feel unbelievably blessed to have the opportunity to coach kids like that.” Kobi finished with a game-high 26 points,
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Adjatay Dabbs (5) takes a shot during an 87-53 win over Elizabethton in the Region 1-3A tournament semifinals on March 1 at Hal Henard Gym.
munity, which has supported us so well this year, deserves to see them do it. Players like these don’t come along too often. One of the greatest things this year is how the community has come out to support us.” The game was so out of hand that the starters went to the bench in the third quarter. Before he left for the night, Gillespie, the Mr. Basketball finalist, joined Satterfield as a 2,000 point career scorer when he bucketed a shot with 2:30 left in the period. He finished with 21 points on the night. Adjatay Dabbs, a junior, added 13 points to the attack, while Gillespie and Satterfield each had six rebounds. Terry Grove and Jackson Tillery, also seniors, played their usual strong defense against the Cyclones, who had to be a bit shellshocked after the display of GHS offense in the first two quarters. Jake Roberts scored 12 and Bryson Rollins had 10 to lead Elizabethton. The Devils (26-6) will now take on the Volunteer Falcons (23-11) for the title, and Woolsey expects it will take a very good effort on the part of his squad.
“Volunteer is a complete team,” he said. “Their guards penetrate, they shoot the ball well, and they are strong in the post. Those post players can come out and shoot the mid-range and the 3-ball. It will be a tough game.” The Region 1-3A girls championship is set for tonight at 7 p.m. as Greeneville takes on Elizabethton. Both teams will advance to Saturday night’s Sectionals, with the winner playing on their home floor with a berth in the TSSAA State Tournament in Murfreesboro next week on the line. ELIZABETHTON (53): Jake Roberts 12, Bryson Rollins 10, Stephens 2, Carter 7, Van Huss 9, Hambrick 6, Mitchell 2, Wilson 5. GREENEVILLE (87): Tillery 3, Ja’Kobi Gillespie 21, Adjatay Dabbs 13, Grove 4, Reid Satterfield 25, Price 4, Lester 2, Kennedy 9, Woolsey 6. 3-Point Goals: EHS—4 (Roberts, Carter, Van Huss, Mitchell). GHS—12 (Satterfield 5, Gillespie 2, Dabbs 2, Woolsey 2. ELIZABETHTON 11 8 21 13 — 53 GREENEVILLE 26 27 21 13 — 87
players projecting Satterfield would be the best to ever play in a Greeneville uniform. At that time, the then freshman came off the bench and nearly brought the Devils back from the dead to knock off Fulton in a sectional at Hal Henard.
Turns out, the predictors were half right. The Devils have never had a better 1-2 punch than Kobi and Reid. Sam Bundy is the Sports Editor at The Greeneville Sun. E-mail him at sam.bundy@greenevillesun.com
Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
GeenevilleSun.com
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 27
REGION 1-3A CHAMPIONSHIP • GREENEVILLE 91, VOLUNTEER 52
Greene Devils Win Fourth Consecutive Region Title BY WAYNE PHILLIPS SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS
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reeneville High School’s Greene Devils continued to flex their muscles, running roughshod through the Region 1-3A Tournament and beating Volunteer 91-52 to claim their fourth straight regional championship Thursday night at Hal Henard Gymnasium. “I thought in the first half we were a very good defensive team,” Coach Brad Woolsey told reporters after the game, wiping a towel across his face to dry some of the liquid that he had been doused with in the locker room. “And on offense, Reid (Satterfield) is
just shooting the ball with so much confidence. This team has chemistry, and they are so unselfish. They enjoy being together and I’m very thankful they are selfless.” Satterfield, the senior standout, was named the tournament most valuable player with 20 points and six rebounds. He scored 18 of those in the first half. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, a senior and a Mr. Basketball finalist, actually led the scoring with 22, but he had to spend some time on the bench after picking up his second foul in the second quarter. After not being tested in the regional – winning over Sullivan East 82-55, Elizabethton 87-53 and
finally over Volunteer 91-52 – the team will head into the Sectionals with a full head of steam. “The crowd support has been so good,” Woolsey said. “I hope all of Greeneville shows up Monday night to support us. This really is a special team.” Volunteer, making their first regional finals appearance since 1998, quickly found out what Greeneville’s other regional opponents had discovered: there will seldom be a shot taken that isn’t contested. The Falcons led 4-2 two minutes into the game, but the Devils went on a 21-4 run the rest of the quarter and were in total control of the action at 25-8 by the
time the buzzer sounded. Adjatay Dabbs hit two triples from the corner in that offensive spurt, and Satterfield tallied eight points. Volunteer never could recover from that early burst. Satterfield dropped in three 3-pointers and the lead quickly grew to 20 points (34-14), and by the halftime horn the Devils had doubled up their opposition, leading 50-25. “We let up a bit in the third quarter and gave them some open looks, but overall it was a good defensive effort,” the coach summed up. The lead had grown to 30 points in the third quarter and the final period started with GHS holding a 75-44
advantage. Reserves got in most of the playing time the rest of the way. In addition to the 42 points combined by Satterfield and Gillespie, Dabbs scored 15. Terry Grove and Jackson Tillery provided their normal stout defense, and all five starters were named to the All-Region Team. Greeneville is 27-6 on the year heading into the Sectionals. Volunteer (23-12) will have to travel to Clinton for Sub-State. Garrison Barrett and Andrew Knittle led the scoring with 13 points while Jon Wes Lovelace scored 12. Barrett and Knittle, along with teammate Bradin Minton, earned All-Region
honors. Elizabethton’s Jake Roberts and Unicoi County’s Lucas Slagle were also All-Region selections. VOLUNTEER (52): Minton 8, Harrison 2, Andrew Knittle 13, Jon Wes Lovelace 12, Garrison Barrett 13, Christian 4. GREENEVILLE (91): Tillery 7, Ja’Kobi Gillespie 22, Adjatay Dabbs 15, Grove 7, Reid Satterfield 20, Lester 3, Williams 3, Kennedy 4, Pillar 5, Goad 2, Woolsey 3. 3-Point Goals: VHS—4 (Lovelace 3, Knittle). GHS— 12 (Satterfield 4, Dabbs 2, Tillery, Gillespie, Lester, Williams, Pillar, Woolsey). VOLUNTEER 8 17 19 8 — 52 GREENEVILLE 25 25 25 16 — 91
Page 28 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
REGION 1-3A TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS • GREENEVILLE 82, SULLIVAN EAST 55
Greene Devils Shoot Down Sullivan East BY WAYNE PHILLIPS
pulled away from the Patriots in the middle two quarters. SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS Satterfield passed the 2,000 point plateau for n past seasons, his GHS career with his 19 games with Sullivan points, Gillespie is nearing East have been very the 2,000 point mark, and competitive for the another 2,000 point scorer Greeneville Greene Devils, was on the floor in Dylan including last year when coach Brad Woolsey’s squad Bartley of Sullivan East. That’s lots of offense. had to go overtime to get a Rebounding was the key, tournament victory. especially early in the game, Saturday night at Hal the coach added. Henard Gymnasium, the “In the first half they were Devils just had too much loading up on our shooters offensive firepower while at outside, which made it a bit the same time dominating on the backboards and rolled easier on the boards, but I past the Patriots 82-55 in the thought Terry (Grove) just really did a good job in there. Region 1-3A quarterfinals. He got some early putbacks The Greene Devils got 31 points from Ja’Kobi Gillespie, on our misses and I think that helped us get in the lead 19 from Reid Satterfield and and eventually take control.” 15 from Adjatay Dabbs and
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Bartley, who finished with 28 points on the night, missed his first three before getting in rhythm, and the Devils responded with a 9-0 lead in the first 2:30 of the game that forced East to burn a time out. Gillespie hit two buckets and Dabbs scored twice, one a three from the corner, in that run. But East charged back, closing to 17-15 late in the period and settled for a 1915 deficit at the end of the period. A layup by Bartley after a steal cut the gap to 19-17 with 6:52 left in the half, but the Patriots did not score another field goal the rest of the period. Meanwhile the Devils went on a 21-5 run to pull into a 40-22 halftime margin and
put some distance between them and their rivals. Satterfield was especially effective in the second quarter run as he scored 12 in the quarter, three 3-pointers and three free throws when he was fouled on another long shot attempt. Gillespie picked up his second personal early in the second and had to spend some time on the bench in the quarter, but his teammates picked up the slack and never really let the Pats stage a serious rally. Satterfield got only one second half field goal after taking a spill under the bucket while driving for a goal and caused some anxious moments for the Devil faithful, but he seemed to recover as he came back later in the
half. But Gillespie and Dabbs took over the offense in the third, each scoring 11 points. Bartley tried to keep his team in it, scoring 12 in the quarter, but Greeneville expanded the lead to 65-42 by the close of the period. The Devils got the lead as high as 35 points midway of the fourth before reserves took over and finished things up. Grove finished as the leader on the boards with eight caroms for GHS, while Satterfield yanked down seven and Jackson Tillery had six. Braden Standridge scored 11 points to go along with the 28 scored by Bartley. In other quarterfinal
games played Saturday, District 1 dominated as Unicoi beat Claiborne 74-46, Elizabethton held off Cocke County 63-60, and Volunteer upset Grainger 64-62. SULLIVAN EAST (55): Braden Standridge 11, Murray 7, Dylan Bartley 28, Tate 7, Milhorn 2. GREENEVILLE (82): Tillery 0, Ja’Kobi Gillespie 31, Adjatay Dabbs 15, Grove 7, Reid Satterfield 19, Willliams 3, Woolsey 3, Lester 2, Pillar 2. 3-Point Goals: SE—4 (Bartley 2, Murray, Tate). GHS—11 (Satterfield 4, Gillespie 3, Dabbs 3, Woolsey). SULLIVAN EAST 15 7 20 13 — 55 GREENEVILLE 19 21 25 17 — 82
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Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 29
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Page 30 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
DISTRICT 2-3A TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP • GREENEVILLE 94, GRAINGER 62
Gillespie Nets 44, Greeneville Grabs Title BY WAYNE PHILLIPS
the Devils got things going in the right direction, the SPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS Grizzlies were helpless to stop the onslaught. Gillespie here’s something and his senior sidekick, Reid about the sight Satterfield, combined for 65 of those orange Grainger uniforms points, three points more than Grainger’s final point that apparently brings out the best in Ja’Kobi Gillespie. total. The two combined to knock down 11 3-pointers. After dropping 43 points The state Mr. Basketball on the Grizzlies the last time finalist said playing Grainger Greeneville played them, Gillespie did it one point better isn’t any different to him than playing anybody else. in the District 2-3A champi“I want to play hard every onship game Tuesday night at Hal Henard Gym. He scored a time out,” he said of the good single game individual school luck he’s had this year against record 44 points in leading the their chief rival in the conGreene Devils to a 94-62 win ference. “What happens, just before a large crowd on the happens. It was fun.” home floor of GHS. While Gillespie wasn’t The Grizz started the game all that concerned about red hot and led 22-17 at the Grainger’s early success, first quarter’s end, but once Coach Brad Woolsey knew
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coming in that the good shooting Grizzlies could give the Devils fits if things didn’t go as planned. In addition to his 44 points, Gillespie had five steals and five assists to pad his stat line. Adjatay Dabbs got Greeneville off to a good start by making his first two shots, both 3-pointers, but then picked up two quick fouls and had to retire to the bench. The first half was an absolute foul fest, as a total of 28 personals were called, 14 on each team. Those fouls really got Grainger in trouble in the second half as some starters had their fourth foul called on them in the third quarter. The Devils, meanwhile, showed much more depth. With 3:40 left in the first
Congratulations! From our team at
half, Greeneville really began showing their muscle on offense. Satterfield never scored in the opening quarter, but hit back-to-back 3-pointers that put the Devils into the lead at 35-31. Grainger caught back up and tied it at 37-37, before Gillespie went wild on offense and scored nine of 11 points in an 11-0 run that totally turned the flow of the game. The one bucket he didn’t score during that spurt was because he dropped off an assist to a wide-open Ty Williams for a layup. The score was 48-39 at intermission. Grainger’s hopes of a second half comeback were squashed by the GHS press. Satterfield hit two more threes and Gilliespie made four more goals, and the lead
grew to 64-45 by the three minute mark of the third stanza. The Grizz had five turnovers in the period and GHS scored on each of them. That 72-50 lead by the time the horn sounded to end the period was too much for Grainger to overcome. Gillespie knocked down six 3-pointers among the 44 point total he amassed. Satterfield hit five as the Devils as a team made 15 long ones. Jackson Tillery, who joined MVP Gillespie, Dabbs and Satterfield on the all-tournament team, never scored a point, but the smallest man on the floor led the team in rebounding with seven and was his usual aggravating self on defense with his tough pressure.
The Grizzlies (25-6) were led by Emmanuel Atkins with 20 points, while Jason Williams and Ty Branson each scored 11. In the consolation game Tuesday, Cocke County beat Claiborne 61-38. GRAINGER (62): Williams 11, Patterson 10, Branson 11, Atkins 20, Overbay 6, Smith 4. GREENEVILLE (94): Tillery 0, Ja’Kobi Gillespie 44, Dabbs 9, Grove 7, Reid Satterfield 21, Pillar 2, Lester 3, Williams 2, McGill 6. 3-Point Goals: Gr—8 (Atkins 4, Willliams 2, Branson 2). GHS—15 (Gillespie 6, Satterfield 5, Dabbs 3, Lester). GRAINGER 22 17 11 12 — 62 GREENEVILLE 17 31 24 22 — 94
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Thursday, March 31, 2022 • GHS
GeenevilleSun.com
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Page 31
DISTRICT 2-3A TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS • GREENEVILLE 82, CLAIBORNE 41
Greene Devils Hammer Claiborne assessed a technical foul to start the game when the offiSPORTS EDITOR EMERITUS cials witnessed a GHS players dunk in warmups, which is he Greeneville Greene Devils will a violation of TSSAA rules. play in the District So Claiborne took a 1-0 lead, hitting one of two free throws, 2-3A tourney before the clock started to finals to be held Tuesday night after they coasted past begin the game. That lead didn’t last long. Claiborne 82-41 in semifinal Greeneville scored seven action on Saturday. straight to take the lead and The Devils will take on never looked back. Grainger for the district The game was sewed up by crown after the Grizzlies beat halftime as the Devils led 54Cocke County 60-52. 24. The clock ran continuousGreeneville had no trouble with Claiborne, grabbing a ly in the fourth quarter after 27-12 first quarter lead. GHS had amassed a 77-35 The game started on a sour third quarter advantage. note with the Devils being “With the injuries and
BY WAYNE PHILLIPS
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sickness we’ve had, we’ve been able to develop some depth,” Coach Brad Woolsey said after the game. “It’s been good to get those other guys in the game and see what they can do.” Especially pleasing to the coach was the return of Adjatay Dabbs to the lineup after missing several games with a bad ankle. Dabbs scored 13 in a starting role. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, the Mr. Basketball finalist for the state in Class 3A, led the way with 22 points while fellow senior Reid Satterfield dropped in 17 and grabbed eight rebounds. The Bulldogs (10-18) got 18
points from Levi Peoples and nine from Ethan Cupp. CLAIBORNE (41): Bailey 2, Myatt 4, Levi Peoples 18, Cupp 9, Fugate 2, Thomas 2, Bolton 2, Short 2. GREENEVILLE (82): Tillery 5, Ja’Kobi Gillespie 22, Adjatay Dabbs 13, Reid Satterfield 17, Grove 2, Price 5, Pillar 5, Goad 2, Lester 7, Williams 4. 3-Point Goals: CHS—4 (Peoples 2, Cupp 2). GHS—7 (Dabbs 2, Satterfield 2, Gillespie, Price, Pillar). CLAIBORNE 12 12 11 6 — 41 GREENEVILLE 27 27 23 5 — 82
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Greeneville’s Terry Grove (11) puts up a shot during an 82-41 win over Claiborne in the District 2-3A tournament on Feb. 19 at Hal Henard Gymnasium in Greeneville.
CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP • GREENEVILLE 77, JACKSON SOUTH SIDE 48
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
Class 3A tournament MVP Ja’Kobi Gillespie (holding trophy) and his Greeneville teammates celebrate their state championship.
SUN PHOTO BY J.D. VAUGHN PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE SUN BY BRYAN CANNON
The Greeneville Greene Devils celebrate their state championship.
Greeneville players walk through the stands after the championship award ceremony.
Page 32 • GHS
BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS • Thursday, March 31, 2022
GreenevilleSun.com
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