BHS, RHS, BA coaches try to find right amount of time for rest, but not rust

By CAROL STUART
Brentwood Home Page
High school basketball players hardly get out of exams and have much time to celebrate Christmas with their families before it’s time for some games in a holiday tournament – or two, or three.

Brentwood High boys coach Dennis King’s team has a similar schedule as last season, with last weekend’s play in the Hendersonville Classic, a berth in the Ensworth Holiday Shootout this Tuesday-Thursday, and next week’s Hickman County Above the Rim tourney Dec. 28-30.

“Of course we get a break. We’ll go four days without a practice or game,” King cracked. “Besides, what would basketball families rather be doing? The boys want to play; the relatives get a chance to come into town and watch.

“Beats stuffing your face with cookies and watching meaningless bowl games on TV.”

Ravenwood Coach Patrick Whitlock has the Raptors off to their best start in school history at 9-1. (Photos by Peg Fredi for BHP)

Ravenwood boys coach Patrick Whitlock said his team deliberately scaled back its winter break schedule from last season, which included a trip to Memphis for a holiday tourney. The Raptors, off to their best start in school history, played a regular-season game Friday night and is off until participating in the Beech tournament Dec. 28-30.

“We made some major changes. Last year we played 8 games in 13 days and it took a lot out of us,” Whitlock said. “This year we will play just 3 games in a two-week period. This allows the kids to enjoy their families some this year.”

Brentwood Academy girls coach Rhonda Blades Brown, whose team played in a Friday-Sunday tourney at Bradley Central near Chattanooga after Thanksgiving, said her team wanted a long break again this Christmas. But the former Vanderbilt standout said it’s a tricky proposition to figure out just how long of a layoff to take.

“You don't want too much of a break,” Brown said. “We’re just now getting in game shape. A few days is good.”

The Lady Eagles played in the Mt. Juliet Classic this past weekend and will compete in the Franklin Road Academy tournament after Christmas.

Ravenwood’s Whitlock said having little time off while other teachers, students and families have a bigger break is just part of the sport.

“It comes with the territory,” the Raptors coach said. “I haven’t had a legitimate Christmas break since 1995 because of basketball, but it has been a privilege to have basketball be part of my life for that long.

“The kids feel the same way. They want to be part of it.”

For BHS, the busy holiday schedule may be a blessing to tune up for the new year’s district schedule with the Bruins getting some injured players back in the lineup.

BHS playmaker Jack Montague returned this past weekend from an ankle injury.

Point guard Jack Montague had back-to-back nights with at least 20 points in the Hendersonville event, although his ankle was still tender. Ryan Meacham, who had broken both wrists, played some last Tuesday against Station Camp.

“Cody Shelton is ahead of schedule and may see a little action in the Ensworth tourney,” King said about the 6-6 junior forward who had a knee injury.

King said the team hadn’t beaten a quality Class AAA squad with its record, which went to 7-4 after Friday's loss to Blackman and Saturday's win over Lavergne.

The BHS coach said he picked the holiday tourneys to face some excellent competition from out-of-state teams and traditional powerhouses. The Bruins will open at Ensworth at 5 p.m. Tuesday against McAdory, Ala., and its first opponent at Hickman County at 6 p.m. Dec. 28 is defending Class A state champion Lake County.

Whitlock says he chose the Beech tourney for Ravenwood as “a good local tournament that will test us against some good competition.” RHS opens against host Beech at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, and has Riverdale and White House in its semifinal bracket.

The Raptors are ranked No. 5 in The Tennessean’s Midstate poll and improved to 9-1 Friday night with a victory over Smyrna.

“Those are nice accomplishments and the kids enjoy it but that is not our goal,” Whitlock said. “Everything changes in January when we get into district play.”

Playmaker Devin Robinson, who sank two free throws to seal Friday’s win, is averaging 18 points a game for RHS. Sharp-shooter Andy Moore and post player Joey Barnes are contributing 13 points per contest.

But River Matich is out for several more weeks with a broken wrist for Ravenwood, and Joe Allen is sidelined a few weeks with a high ankle sprain.

Last season Ravenwood girls went to Florida during the winter break, where the Lady Raptors won the Hernando Holiday Tournament on their way to a sub-state season.

This year RHS (7-3) will stay closer to home, playing in the Trousdale County tournament and doesn't play until a 10 a.m. game Wednesday, Dec. 28, vs. Smith County.

While the Lady Raptors will get a longer break this season at Christmas time, Coach Ron Brock said "in years past we tried to make our trips fun."

Brentwood's Lady Bruins will be playing in the Beech Christmas Tournament on Dec. 28-30, with a 10 a.m. game against Siegel on Wednesday, Dec. 28. BHS girls coach Ron Siegenthaler said his team has played in that tourney the past several years.

"As a basketball coach you don't really think much about that," he said about playing through the break. "You are just trying to get your team better in December than you were in November."

Junior Paige Parker is scoring at a 14-point pace and averaging 8 rebounds a game, while senior Halle Jarnagin averages 13 points, 7 boards. Halle is hitting 81% from the free-throw line, while Paige Hood is dishing out 5 assists a game.

Seigenthaler said three other players are also scoring, rebouding and defending well: Sara Jarnagin (8 ppg, 4 rpg), Mille Tunnell (8 ppg, 8 rpg) and Olivia Shealy (7 ppg, 3 assists per game).

Brentwood's highlights so far have been playing well together and how physical the team has been, the coach said. While the Lady Bruins have avoided injuries, the team did have an illness that spread through the team for a couple of weeks but the squad has been able to weather it.

Williamson County Schools, which includes BHS and RHS, aren't out officially until Tuesday. Brentwood Academy ended its semester before the Lady Eagles' victory over Shelbyville on Friday and defeat against once-beaten Blackman on Saturday. 

The BA girls beat Class AAA power Wilson Central to take third in the Bradley Central tourney, and have also posted an overtime victory over Christ Presbyterian in the non-region schedule.

Brown said she chose the Mt. Juliet last weekend and the upcoming FRA tourney to face great competition that “will push us and make us better.”