4th time a charm: CAK boys trip Lions; Lady Warriors region champ, too
CHATTANOOGA — While the Christian Academy of Knoxville girls basketball team made it three out of four this season against Lakeway in the Division II-A East Regional final, with a blowout, J.D. Johnson’s CAK boys made it one out of four this season against rival nemesis Concord Christian School.
However, this “one” really was sweet, earning Johnson’s boys a region crown following a 53-46 win against the Lions at Silverdale Baptist Academy Saturday evening, Feb. 20.
“I’ll tell you what, I think we fully figured it out in the second half,” Johnson said about overcoming a 28-20 halftime deficit to improve the team’s overall record to 22-12, as the Warriors get a first-round state bye as a No. 1 seed. They need only one win — Saturday, Feb. 26, at CAK — to earn a trip to the “final four” state tourney in Cookeville.
“We knew we wanted to pressure them more and we wanted to play a faster pace. We didn’t feel like they could run with us,” he added. “We tried to pick up the pace of the game a little bit. We really just turned up the pressure. We really put a ton of pressure on the ball all over the floor.
“We put some traps on them and made them uncomfortable and forced a lot of turnovers. We turned them over quite a bit.”
Among “three guys who stepped up really big” was Warriors senior guard Denzel Jackson, region tourney Most Valuable Player, who scored 11 against the Lions (26-8).
“He just really controlled the game, found the right people, made clutch shots,” Johnson said of Jackson. “He averaged 13 (points) and four assists” during the three-game region tourney.
About fellow CAK guard Luke Carter, “He was huge again,” the Warriors coach said, as the junior scored 19 against CCS. “Really got to the line and knocked down all of his free throws.”
Wing Evan Coffman, a junior, “was huge as well,” nailing five three-point baskets while scoring 17 Saturday.
Carter and Coffman also earned All-Region Tournament Team honors.
Sectionals
The Warriors will host, on Saturday, Feb. 26, the Evangelical Christian School versus University School of Nashville winner from opening-round action Wednesday, Feb. 23.
CAK’s girls (25-7) will host, on Friday, Feb. 25, the Fayette Academy versus Nashville Christian winner Feb. 22.
Michael Wilkins’ CCS boys hosted Sacred Heart (West Region fourth seed) in first-round action Feb. 23 (after deadline).
A win there would send the No. 2-seed Lions to Goodpasture Saturday against the Middle Region’s top seed.
