©2010 NPT PHOTO BY PAUL MEADOR

Newport Grammar's Allison Ball on a fast break
against White Pine Tuesday night in White Pine.

NEWPORT-Unthinkable!

How does two teams from one school play at two separate tournaments at two locations at the same time? Just ask Newport Grammar, who has been fighting their way through the Area 3 Large school Playoffs (TMSAA Regional) at Sevierville Middle School in Sevierville and the Three Rivers Conference Tournament at White Pine.

Not only have the Warriors and Lady Warriors played in both tournaments, each team has advanced to the championship games at both tournaments, an accomplishment simply unheard of.

Both the Warriors and Lady Warriors were regular season champions of the Three Rivers Conference, so their advancement to the championship round of the conference tournament came as no surprise. However, the Warriors and Lady Warriors were both tabbed as the No. 7 seeds, the bottom seeds, of the Area 3 Tournament, so their advancement to the championship round has left plenty of middle school basketball pundits shaking their heads.

Despite up-and-down seasons, the Warriors and Lady Warriors are playing their best basketball at the right time.

The Lady Warriors defeated New Center, the No. 6 seed, in the play-in round of the Area 3 Tournament on Jan. 28, and then defeated the No. 3 seed, Pigeon Forge, in the quarterfinal round on Monday night.

In the semifinals Tuesday, the Lady Warriors faced the No. 2 seed, Sevierville, on the Lady Bears home court. But, the Lady Warriors were up to the task, defeating the Lady Bears 29-20. Kaitlyn Martin led the Lady Warrior charge with a game-high 12 points. Taylor Crowder added six points, with Stone Threntham scoring 4, McKenzie Gregg, Mika Wester and Kinsley Ford each scoring two and Allison Ball with one to account for the Lady Warrior total.

Following their big win at Sevierville, the Lady Warriors immediately hit the road for White Pine and the semifinals of the conference tournament where they would face White Pine, the No. 4 seed, some three hours after their game in Sevierville. Again, the Lady Warriors were up to the task, although the wear of two games in one day, three games in two days, began to show in the second half.

The Lady Warriors raced out to a 12-2 first quarter lead and made it 24-6 at the break. It was 37-20 at the end of the third quarter, and the Lady Warriors were struggling. The Lady Cyclones, however, could only get as close as 13, and the Lady Warriors found some extra energy for the 16-point victory, 48-32.

Kinsley Ford had a game-high 15 points to lead the Lady Warriors while Kaitlyn Martin Martin had 11, Allison Ball 10, McKenzie Gregg 4 and Mika Wester 2.

Meanwhile, the Warriors defeated No. 6 Pigeon Forge in a play-in game on Jan. 28 at the Area 3 Tournament, and then defeated No. 3 New Center on Monday night in the quarterfinals. That set up a semifinal showdown with No. 2 Northview on Tuesday afternoon, and the red hot Warriors left Northview in their wake.

The Warriors raced out to a 13-2 first quarter lead, but Northview came back, and the Warriors' lead was just seven, 24-17, at the half. The Warriors extended their lead to 39-28 at the end of three, and then marched home with the 12-point victory.

Dylan Dockery led the Warriors' charge with a game-high 17 points while sam Gunn had 14, D.J. Haney 12, Hunter Suggs 8 and Cole Sams 2.

No time to celebrate, however, as the Warriors were due in White Pine for a 7:30 p.m. semifinal showdown with No. 5 Hancock. Somehow, the Warriors managed to get five players to the site with about two minutes to spare to start the game. The Warriors managed a 12-8 first quarter lead as the remainder of the Warriors' squad arrived at the gymnasium with about 1:30 remaining in the first quarter. With the Warrior squad in tact, they left the Indians in their wake, with a 28-10 lead at the break, a 45-21 lead at the end of three, and then cruised home with the 24-point victory, 53-29, completing one of the most incredible days of basketball by any school.

Bryson Valentine had a game-high 13 points to lead the Warriors while Dylan Dockery added 12, Cole Sams 11, Hunter suggs 7, Kyal Clevenger 6, Wesley Lewis 2 and Jack Kyker 2.

Tuesday's amazing fete left the Warriors and Lady Warriors in a quandary, however. Championship games at both tournaments have nearly the same start times on the same day. But, the decision was actually an easy one. With their semifinal victories at the Area 3 Tournament, both the Warriors and Lady Warriors qualified for the TMSAA Sectional Tournament, which is as high as you can go in middle school basketball.

So, the Warriors and Lady Warriors will forego the Three Rivers Conference championship games tonight in favor of the Area 3 championship games.

The Lady Warriors will go against Seymour in the Area 3 Girl's Championship at 7:00 tonight, followed by the Warriors and Sevierville in the Boy's Championship at 8:15. Both games will be played at Sevierville Middle School.

Wow!