This group had the right attitude, and I’m really proud of them.”

Cascade Champions HC Doug Worsley

LYLES, Tenn. – Following Saturday’s thrilling upset win at Hickman County, the Cascade Champions (16-14, 4-4) were unable to find the same kind of offensive rhythm against the Loretto Mustangs (17-10, 7-1) in a 65-43 defeat on Tuesday night at East Hickman High School. 

“They had some guys that we said were going to have to beat us [around Tidwell and Wilkerson], and they did,” Cascade head coach Doug Worsley said postgame, “You can’t stop Tidwell, and you can’t stop Wilkerson. They’re well coached – he [Greg Tipps] shortens the clock by holding onto each possession – and we tried to speed them up but it just wears you out. And then they didn’t miss. They made shots.”

In the first two district meetings in the regular season, the Mustangs made just three total three-pointers. On Tuesday, Loretto surpassed that mark in the first 12 minutes, finishing 6-of-10 from downtown for the entire game. Overall, the Mustangs shot a mind-numbing 67.6% from the field, and finished with a 38-20 points-in-the-paint advantage . Meanwhile, Cascade shot just 31% from the floor, and was held to just a single three-pointer until the final minutes, finishing 2-of-16 from outside.

Early on, Grant Fisher, who scored just two points in each of the first two meetings, connected on a pair of corner threes in the first half, including one in the opening period to help give the Mustangs a 9-2 lead just a few minutes into the game. Cascade responded with a run of their own, eventually trimming the Loretto lead to 16-12 at the end of the opening period.

In the second, a Ryder Pilkington layup got Cascade within two points, 18-16, with 5:29 to go in the period, but the Mustangs almost immediately responded with a 10-0 run over the next 2:45 to take a 28-16 lead at the 2:44 mark. Wilkerson, who finished with 18 points and five rebounds, knocked down a three as well as Fisher hitting his second of the night in the stretch. Loretto ultimately outscored the Champions 19-9 in the second quarter to take a 35-21 lead into the halftime locker room. The Mustangs connected on an improbable 14-of-18 shot attempts (77.7%) in the opening 16 minutes.

Coming out for the second half, Cascade just was unable to connect from the outside. The Mustangs methodical offensive attack resulted in them outscoring the Champions 16-11 in the third quarter, growing their lead to 51-32 heading into the final frame.

Cascade never quit fighting, trimming the lead down to as little as 12 points, but they never could find that key shot to get within single-digits in the second half, ultimately getting outscored 14-11 in the fourth period en route to the 65-43 defeat.

“Every year is special in some way, but this group of kids really were special,” said Worsley, “When you come into a place and you have a bunch of seniors, sometimes that is a recipe for disaster because they’re used to doing things their way, a different way. These guys didn’t balk at what we did. They asked questions, but for the most part they just dove in both feet and just did it. Their hard work and their effort was a big reason why this year was special. The younger guys’ growth was a big reason why it was special. I don’t care what the record looks like. We played a brutal schedule with the exception of a couple teams, and the kids just came back to the gym after every game to continue working.”

“What was special about this class of Seniors was their general attitude and their want to get better. A lot of times you can get to your senior year and think that you’ve figured it out, but these guys were not like that. They only wanted to get better, and they did,” he continued.

Those seniors – Tyler Barrett, Tristin Billings, Kaleb Kelso, Tyler Rodgers, Henry Stone, Ze’Shawn Swaggerty, and Noah Watson – welcomed their first-year head coach from Murfreesboro Central Magnet with open arms, and the buy-in was evident in how they formed together to play out on the floor as the season went on.

“Those guys were consistent all year long,” Worsley concluded, “Consistency is what gets you through life. These guys had a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset. This group had the right attitude, and I’m really proud of them.”

Cascade’s 2025-26 campaign ends with a 16-14 record overall. 

CASCADE: C. McElroy 11 (1), Kaleb Kelso 10, N. Watson 7, H. Stone 6, R. Pilkington 4, T. Rodgers 2, Frazier 3 (1).

LORETTO: M. Tidwell 18 (1), K. Wilkerson 18 (2), C. Andrews 11 (1), G. Fisher 8 (2), J. Aaron 2, C. Burleson 2, S. Franklin 2.