Region tournaments tip off tonight

Kelsie Smith and the Golden Eaglettes host Siegel tonight in an elimination game as region tournament play gets underway. (T-G File Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The win-loss records for high school basketball teams in Tennessee revert back to 0-0 with region tournament play getting started this evening.

Shelbyville Central's ladies are riding high after their upset of Lawrence County in the District 8-AAA final on Monday. That earned the Golden Eaglettes (16-11) a top seed in the Region 4-AAA tournament.

Coach Lynn Burkey and his girls hope having the duration of the region on their home floor plays a role. They tip off against Siegel tonight. The Lady Stars (18-10) got the better of them the last time the two got together shortly into 2010, but Central was missing floor general Janie Graves.

Three of the four girls teams still alive from District 7-AAA received votes for the final Associated Press Top 10 poll, with Siegel being the lone exception.

On the boys' side of Region 4-AAA, a young Shelbyville lineup takes the floor as a No. 3 seed at Siegel (20-8) on Saturday night. The Golden Eagles (16-12) fell by 10 at home in the previous matchup on Jan. 5.

Central ended the Stars' season in a thrilling one-point decision in the region semis last year. Thus, the Murfreesboro bunch will be looking for some payback.

Eagle coach Kevin Thomas must come up with a scheme to slow down the Siegel offense, guided by Middle Tennessee signee Kerry Hammonds, if they want to advance.

Elsewhere in the county, the Cascade Lady Champions (17-10) are the only other girls team still alive. They enter their first Region 5-A tournament game under coach Chad Spencer tonight when they bus roughly 115 miles up to District 10-A champion McEwen. The last time the Orange and Black gals competed in the region was in 2006, which was a loss at Houston County.

Another local school lays it on the line against a District 10-A title holder when Community's boys travel up to top-ranked Clarksville Academy (29-2) on Saturday. The Vikings (7-21) must get an impeccable performance from players like senior leaders Cody Pierce and Kyle Dyer if they want to pull off a major upset.

East Robertson ventures into Wartrace on Saturday for a date with Cascade's boys. The second-seeded Champions (16-11) claimed their first region tourney win in the Charlie Pope era last season and want to make it two years in a row.

All first-round region games tip off at 7.

The Webb Feet compete in a Division II-A sub-state contest at West Region winner Lausanne on Saturday.