Tigers bow out in Sweet 16
After a Cinderella run to a fourth-place finish in the Region 6-AAA tournament the week before, the Ringgold Tigers continued their magical postseason by knocking off Region 8 champion Monroe Area in the first round of the state tournament this past Wednesday night.
Ringgold fell behind 32-27 at halftime after taking a 1412 lead after the first quarter. However, they would outscore the Hurricanes 15-10 in the third to deadlock the score at 42 apiece going into the final eight minutes.
O’Reilly Matthews knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth as he put up 11 total points in the final period to help the Tigers to the upset victory. The junior finished with a game-high 26 points on the night.
Brevin Massengale added 10 points. Caden Dodson had eight and Jordan Wideman dropped in six. Alex Otting finished with four points. Jayden Williams and Cooper Sexton had three each, while Gage Long finished with two.
BURKE COUNTY BOYS 70, RINGGOLD 53
Needing another upset victory to make it into the Class AAA Elite Eight, the Tigers instead saw their remarkable 2022 playoff run come to an end with a road loss at Burke County on Friday night.
Although the Tigers played the Bears within four points over the final three quarters, it was a 19-6 first-quarter deficit that proved to be the difference-maker. Burke County’s Isam Anthony hit three 3-pointers in the opening eight minutes (five total in the first half) to help build the lead for his team.
The rest of the Bears (189) helped preserve it as they went 29 of 36 at the free throw line on the night.
Massengale had 15 points for Ringgold, whose season ended with a 10-21 overall record. Otting, Matthews, Dodson and Luke Rominger each finished with seven points. Williams and Sexton both scored three, while Wideman and Long dropped in two each.
“I’m proud of my guys for fighting,” Ringgold head coach Josh Hensley. “All year, we felt like we were so close. We lost six games by four points or less. With that being said, I feel like we figured out how to win going down the stretch and I’m proud of my guys for winning our first state playoff game since 1981.”