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MURFREESBORO ― Alcoa started four underclassmen during its TSSAA basketball boys state tournament Class 2A championship game against Loretto Saturday afternoon at MTSU's Murphy Center.
But it was the senior class that got Tornado coach Ryan Collins choked up following the team's 68-66 overtime loss to unbeaten Loretto.
"All I care about is that they know I love them," said Collins, trying to keep his composure, when asked what he told his players following the heartbreaking loss. Then the tears flowed.
"We've got a senior class that I really care about. I mean that. Four years ago it did not look like this. Period. It didn't. Those kids walked into the gym every single day, put believe in me, put trust in me, and they kept showing up and trying to set a standard. And the hardest part is setting the standard. It's easy to uphold it once it's set, but it's hard to set it."
Those seniors helped Alcoa win back-to-back Class 2A state championships. The Tornadoes were close to a TSSAA Division I record-tying third in a row, but let an eight-point halftime lead slip away. A Loretto layup with 1:50 remaining in overtime put the Mustangs ahead for good.
Condis Cherry led Alcoa with 20 points while Jamir Dean added 17 points and 14 rebounds. Grayson Burleson led Loretto (35-0) with 20 points while tournament MVP Kasen Buie added 19 points and 14 rebounds.
Alcoa's Class 2A state title streak ended, but can the Tornadoes start another in Class 3A?
Alcoa will move up to Class 3A next season, joining some state heavyweights like Upperman and Greeneville.
MORE: Why Chattanooga Prep might not be able to win third straight TSSAA basketball state title in 2026
While playing up might be a daunting task, Collins and Co. will do it with four returning starters. Cherry and Dean are just sophomores.
"It's a lot of different competition and we're just looking forward to trying to make it back next year," Cherry said.
Alcoa will be in a district with county rival Heritage, along with Loudon, Sequoyah and South-Doyle while competing in a region that includes teams from the Chattanooga area, including Brainerd, Red Bank, Soddy-Daisy and Signal Mountain.
"We're excited about the move up," Collins said. "To be the best, you want to beat the best, regardless of level. We're excited for new competition, we're excited to go against different programs and different coaches. We'll still put together a great non-conference schedule, and there's some really good teams from upper East Tennessee. The expectation is to be back here. It's a difficult one to uphold, but you uphold it with a standard."
Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: TSSAA basketball state tournament 2025: Alcoa loses title to Loretto
Continue reading...
But it was the senior class that got Tornado coach Ryan Collins choked up following the team's 68-66 overtime loss to unbeaten Loretto.
"All I care about is that they know I love them," said Collins, trying to keep his composure, when asked what he told his players following the heartbreaking loss. Then the tears flowed.
"We've got a senior class that I really care about. I mean that. Four years ago it did not look like this. Period. It didn't. Those kids walked into the gym every single day, put believe in me, put trust in me, and they kept showing up and trying to set a standard. And the hardest part is setting the standard. It's easy to uphold it once it's set, but it's hard to set it."
Those seniors helped Alcoa win back-to-back Class 2A state championships. The Tornadoes were close to a TSSAA Division I record-tying third in a row, but let an eight-point halftime lead slip away. A Loretto layup with 1:50 remaining in overtime put the Mustangs ahead for good.
Condis Cherry led Alcoa with 20 points while Jamir Dean added 17 points and 14 rebounds. Grayson Burleson led Loretto (35-0) with 20 points while tournament MVP Kasen Buie added 19 points and 14 rebounds.
Alcoa's Class 2A state title streak ended, but can the Tornadoes start another in Class 3A?
Alcoa basketball moving up to TSSAA Class 3A in 2025-26
Alcoa will move up to Class 3A next season, joining some state heavyweights like Upperman and Greeneville.
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MORE: Why Chattanooga Prep might not be able to win third straight TSSAA basketball state title in 2026
While playing up might be a daunting task, Collins and Co. will do it with four returning starters. Cherry and Dean are just sophomores.
"It's a lot of different competition and we're just looking forward to trying to make it back next year," Cherry said.
Alcoa will be in a district with county rival Heritage, along with Loudon, Sequoyah and South-Doyle while competing in a region that includes teams from the Chattanooga area, including Brainerd, Red Bank, Soddy-Daisy and Signal Mountain.
"We're excited about the move up," Collins said. "To be the best, you want to beat the best, regardless of level. We're excited for new competition, we're excited to go against different programs and different coaches. We'll still put together a great non-conference schedule, and there's some really good teams from upper East Tennessee. The expectation is to be back here. It's a difficult one to uphold, but you uphold it with a standard."
Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: TSSAA basketball state tournament 2025: Alcoa loses title to Loretto
Continue reading...
