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Season Recap: MS Basketball
The MS basketball teams treated fans to a memorable season, both for the boys and girls. Both squads surged through a long season with appearances in the Tri-State Conference Championship games. The boys won to go back-to-back, while the girls finished Runner-Up.
The Indians had a roster brimming with seasoned veterans, and fresh off the conference title in 2022-23. Coach Nathan Stanley had the boys rolling in the second half of the season, with the first half seeing the team go 5-3 overall. After the break, TFS went 9-1 to the finish.
Throughout the season, Brantley Addison dominated in the paint as a near double-double every time out. Asa Popham was stellar on the offensive end, and key performances by Lincoln Hicks, Ethan Phasavang, Grantley Smith, Woods Irvin, and others were instrumental in the team's run.
Despite falling twice to rivals Towns County in the regular season, including in overtime at home, the boys finished on top in the one that mattered most. But to get there, the Indians had to roll past both Nantahala and Rabun Gap, the latter of which made it close late in the semifinal round. In the championship, TFS beat Towns County 41-37 with a second-half comeback to claim the second straight title. Tallulah Falls ended the season 14-4.
The boys B-Team, coached by Jake Carver, went 0-7 on the year with a youthful roster. Many of the players on the team look to contribute to the A-Team next year as several 8th-graders move up.
The Lady Indians, coached by Jenny Long, opened the season with a win over Trinity Classical, then dropped the next three before finding some traction. From there, Tallulah went 10-5 the remainder of the schedule. At one point, the girls won four in a row to close out the 2023 portion of the schedule. Then the squad won five consecutive until falling in the championship.
TFS beat Highlands in the opening round of the Tri-State tournament at home. Then came a 33-28 monumental win over Towns County in the semifinals. That marked the first win over Towns in three years. A tough Summit Charter team had a great shooting night in the title contest, giving Tallulah Falls a final mark of 11-8.
Payton McEntire often led the team in scoring, along with Handley James, Mia Kerr, Nora Mitchell, and Linda White. The entire team contributed to the season's success. McEntire, White, and Sofia Alderfer all move up to the high school next year, but next year's group will have big-game experience and progressed in their skills on the court.