Stats

Sexton, Kemp lead way

     Jeremy Sexton scored a game-high 26 points and James Kemp added a career-high 21 points to lead Temple to a thrilling 69-66 win at Silverdale Baptist Academy Friday night.

     The Crusaders trailed by as many as six points in the fourth quarter before rallying for the win. Sexton scored seven of his 26 in the fourth quarter – all from the free throw line – and Kemp had seven of 21 in the fourth to help their team overcome the six-point fourth quarter deficit and eventually pull out the win.
     “We had a lot of guys step up and play well, but Jeremy and James carried us tonight,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said.
     Temple, which had dropped two of its last three games including a disappointing home loss to Ooltewah the previous night, improved to 7-4 overall and 3-0 in district play.

     Marcum, who was making his return to Silverdale where he coached and taught last year, went with a different starting lineup. He inserted Josh Reaves at wing and moved Kendall Petersen from the wing to the post as he looks for ways to compensate for the loss of Brandon Andrews (season-ending shoulder surgery).

     “I thought it worked out pretty good,” Marcum said. “I think Josh has a lot of potential…he gives us another shooter on the wing. And Kendall seems more comfortable in the post.”

     Temple led 16-13 at the end of the first quarter and 30-22 at halftime. But the Crusaders stopped playing with the same intensity on the defensive end, and Silverdale made them pay. The Seahawks erupted for 22 points in the third quarter and 22 more in the fourth quarter, building as large as a six point lead midway through the fourth quarter in the process.

     But, Temple answered behind Sexton and Kemp. Nathan Rector also came up big in Temple’s fourth-quarter comeback, nailing two jump shots from the baseline.

     “Those shots were huge,” Marcum said. “He hit them when we had to have them.”

     As disappointed as Marcum was with the way his team played defense in the second half, he was just as pleased to come away with the win.

     “We really didn’t need to lose this one, especially after losing (last night) to Ooltewah,” Marcum said. “Winning a game like that, in that kind of environment on the road, should help our confidence.”

Stats

Jeremy Sexton 26 points

James Kemp 21 points

Jarrod Johnson 8 points

Josh Reaves 4 points

Nathan Rector 4 points

Kendall Petersen 4 points

Temple rallies for win

     DALTON, Ga. - Temple shot 19 of 60 from the field, gave up 18 unanswered points during one horrid eight minute stretch, missed 19 layups and trailed by as many as 13 points midway through the third quarter on Friday night.

     And the Crusaders still won. Final score: Temple 58, Dalton 54.

     “You don’t see a team shoot 19 of 60 and win very often,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “But we found a way. We guarded, that was the main thing. We got a few breaks, too. And we stepped up and made our free throws.”

     The come from behind win, which came on the second night of the Dalton Carpet Classic, lifted Temple to 8-4. The Crusaders have won two straight and three of their last four heading into Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. game against Murray County.

     Jeremy Sexton once again led the way, pouring in a game-high 26 points to go along with nine rebounds, five steals and three assists. Sexton had an off night shooting by his lofty standards, yet still found a way to eclipse 20-plus points for the fifth straight game. He made 11 of his 12 free throws, including eight of nine in the fourth quarter.

     Although Sexton was only Temple player in double figures, it was far from a one-man show. The Crusaders got solid contributions throughout the lineup. Kendell Petersen had nine points, including an and-one 3-point play midway through the third quarter that jump-started Temple’s rally. Ben Montgomery added seven points off the bench, including a big-tip in late in the fourth quarter. Nathan Pendergrass, playing extensive minutes in the second half, hit a huge 3-pointer from the left wing and also added a layup to account for five of Temple’s 23 fourth-quarter points. James Kemp, who nearly got his one of his front teeth knocked out in the first quarter, bounced back with a solid floor game, turning the ball over just once to go along with four points and four assists. Jarrod Johnson hauled down a game-high 13 rebounds. And Josh Reaves drained a 3-pointer in the second quarter when the Crusaders were struggling offensively.

     “That was a big, big win for us,” Marcum said. “We didn’t really play one of our better games and we still found a way to win on a neutral floor against a good basketball team. Jarrod Johnson was a beast on the boards. Without him we wouldn’t have had a chance to win the game. Nathan Pendergrass really stepped up and gave us some great minutes in the second half. And I thought James and Jeremy stepped up as leaders…that’s big for this team.”

Jeremy Sexton 26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists

Kendell Petersen 9 points

Ben Montgomery 7 points

Nathan Pendergrass 5 points

James Kemp 4 points, 4 assists

Jarrod Johnson 4 points, 13 rebounds

Josh Reaves 3 points, 5 rebounds

Hot start keys win

     DALTON, Ga. - Temple sported new red uniforms Saturday night. Apparently the Crusaders liked how they looked and felt.

     Temple bolted out of the gate, jumping to a 19-4 lead in the first quarter en route to a 64-54 victory over Murray County on the final day of the Carpet Capital Holiday Classic at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center.

     “I really like the way we came out and played in the first quarter,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “I think the guys are finally realizing that they have to be ready to play night in and night out. We kind of relaxed in the second quarter and let them back in it a little bit. But we settled down and did what we had to do to win the game.”

     One of those things was to get the ball in the hands of Jeremy Sexton, who pumped in a game-high 26 points, including 15 in the second half to help Temple fend off every rally Murray County could muster. Sexton, who is averaging 25.5 points in his last six games, has scored 26 points in three straight games.

     The junior guard also had a season-high 10 rebounds to go along with 6 steals, 5 assists and 3 blocks.

     James Kemp added 11 points and Jarrod Johnson 10 for Temple, which has won three straight and four of its last five. The Crusaders, who beat host Dalton on Friday night, improved to 9-4 heading into the Christmas break.

     “It was good to finish the first half off with a pair of wins (in the tourney),” Marcum said. “We’ve had a good first half of the season. We’re 9-4 and could easily be 11-2. . . Cleveland beat us at the buzzer and Ooltewah hit a late 3-pointer. But 9-4 is not bad, especially with a young team, with a lot of guys who really haven’t played much before this year.

Stats

Jeremy Sexton 26 points, 10 rebounds, 6 steals, 5 assists, 3 blocks

James Kemp 11 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals

Jarrod Johnson 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

Nathan Pendergrass 8 points, 1 assists

Ben Montgomery 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal

Soddy-Daisy whips Temple

     Temple wasn’t scheduled to return from Christmas break until Tuesday, Jan. 8. That’s one reason the Crusaders chose to take off for an extended period of time.

     That was the plan, anyway.

     Until, that is, Grace Academy called needing a last-minute replacement for it’s annual tournament. Temple obliged, even though coach Caleb Marcum knew his team wasn’t in shape to play anybody – much less a well-schooled Soddy-Daisy team coached by his mentor Kevin Templeton – after taking 14 days off.

     Understandably, the results weren’t pretty – especially for Temple.

     Soddy-Daisy, coming off a lopsided win over host Grace the night before, rolled to a 66-48 victory. The Trojans bolted to a 25-15 first quarter lead and led 42-24 at halftime en route to the 18-point victory.

     “It was obvious we weren’t in any kind of shape. . . most teams aren’t after taking nearly two weeks off,” Marcum said. “But I’d rather play (to get back into shape) than practice.”

     Jeremy Sexton, who was slowed by an ailing knee, led Temple with 20 points. Nathan Pendergrass added 10 points off the bench.

     Also not helping Temple’s cause: Starting point guard James Kemp picked up three fouls in the first four minutes of the game, and Sexton was whistled for his third foul in the second quarter. The Crusaders also had a hard time stopping Soddy-Daisy big man Travis Langley, who scored 16 of his 20 points in the first half.  

Stats

Jeremy Sexton 20 points

Nathan Pendergrass 10 points

Josh Reaves 9 points

James Kemp 3 points

Jarrod Johnson 2 points

Kendell Petersen 2 points

T.J. Butts 2 points

Crusaders drop second straight

     For the second time in five days, Temple coach Caleb Marcum faced one of his former coaches. And again, the Crusaders came up on the short end.

     McCallie, coached by former longtime Temple coach Dan Wadley, defeated Temple 56-46 on Tuesday night at McCallie.

     On Friday, Temple lost to Soddy-Daisy, coached by former Temple coach Kevin Templeton. Marcum played Wadley while at Tennessee Temple Academy and for Templeton at Tennessee Temple University.

     “I have a lot of respect for both of those men,” said Marcum, who is in his first season at his alma mater.

     McCallie, led by a game-high 25 points from Jesse Taylor, held Temple to a season-low 46 points. The Crusaders’ leading scorer, Jeremy Sexton, was held to a season-low 12 points – nearly 12 points below his season average.

     While McCallie’s defense deserved credit for slowing down Sexton, foul trouble also played a major role. Sexton was whistled for two fouls in the first quarter and picked up his third early in the second quarter, forcing him to the bench. Temple led 14-13 at the time but was outscored 18-5 the rest of the quarter to fall behind 31-19 at halftime.

     James Kemp, also plagued by foul trouble, led Temple with 14 points (including four 3-pointers) in a losing cause. It marked the first time this season Sexton did not lead the team in scoring.

     “They did a good job defensively against us,” said Marcum, whose team fell to 9-6. “And losing Jeremy (to foul trouble) didn’t help us any, either. We’re just not playing or executing the way we should be right now. Maybe it’s the inexperience. . . I don’t know. We’re going to be OK, though.”

Stats

James Kemp 14 points

Jeremy Sexton 12 points

Jarrod Johnson 6 points, 11 rebounds

Nathan Pendergrass 4 points

Ben Montgomery 4 points

Kendall Petersen 3 points

Nathan Rector 2 points

Josh Reaves 1 point

     It hasn’t helped that Temple doesn’t have much height, but it really hasn’t hurt the Crusaders, either.

     That all changed Friday night, though, as Grace took advantage of a decided height advantage inside to post a 74-59 victory over visiting Temple.

     Grace’s two big men – Patrick Shaughnessy and Carter McMasters – combined for 36 points and 25 rebounds – as the Golden Eagles overpowered the Crusaders. Shaughnessy had 20 points and nine rebounds while McMaster, a Liberty signee, contributed 16 points and 16 boards.

     Temple trailed by just six points, 30-24, at halftime before Grace took command in the second half, jumping to a double digit lead and never looking back.

     “I liked our chances going in at halftime because we had shot the ball so poorly and (Grace) had shot it pretty good and we were only down by six,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “But I think the key was Shaughnessy down low. He really hurt us.”

     Temple (10-6 overall and 3-1 in District 5-A) has now dropped three straight entering Tuesday night’s home game against South Pittsburg.

     While Grace was doing most of its damage inside, Temple relied heavily on its backcourt. Jeremy Sexton scored a game-high 24 points while James Kemp added 18, including four 3-pointers.

     “As crazy as it sounds, I’m really pretty pleased with how we played,” Marcum said. “I thought we played hard. . . we just didn’t shoot the ball very well.”

Stats

Jeremy Sexton 24 points

James Kemp 18 points

Kendall Petersen 6 points

Jarrod Johnson 5 points

Josh Reaves 4 points

Ben Montgomery 2 points

Crusaders snap 3-game skid

     South Pittsburg destroyed Tennessee Temple in football earlier this year en route to the Class A state championship.

     Temple exacted a little payback Tuesday night on the basketball court, whipping South Pitt 71-50 at Vance Gym.

     The Crusaders improved to 11-6 and snapped a three-game losing streak that included setbacks to Soddy-Daisy, McCallie and Grace.

     Junior guard James Kemp poured in 18 points, including four of Temple’s nine 3-pointers, and Jeremy Sexton added 16 – 11 coming in the first quarter.

     South Pittsburg, which came in averaging around 75 points per game, was held some 25 points below its average. The Pirates shot just 28.8 percent from the field – 20.7 percent in the first half – and made just one of 10 from 3-point land.

     “When an (opposing) team shoots 28 percent that means you’ve done a pretty good job defensively,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “They hurt us on the boards in the first half, but we turned that around in the second half. And we came away with 10 steals and forced 24 turnovers. . . I’ll take that. It wasn’t the best game we’ve played. . . I still think we have a long ways to go to be where we want to be as a team. But I thought tonight we took a step in the right direction. I saw a lot of  good things.”

     One of those was the play of Ben Montgomery and Jarrod Johnson inside. Montgomery, a junior, scored a career-high 11 points and 6 rebounds while Johnnson, also a junior, added six points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Together, they comprised an inside presence Temple has been looking for all season to complement Sexton and Kemp on the perimeter.

     “When Jarrod and Ben can play like that inside, it gives us much better balance offensively,” Marcum said. “That’s one of the things we stressed leading into the game, getting the ball inside more to Jarrod. And I thought we did a good job of at least trying to do that tonight.”

     Temple led 18-8 at the end of the first quarter, 34-22 at halftime and 57-37 through three quarters.

      Tuesday night’s game marked the first of three this week for Temple. The Crusaders travel to Copper Basin on Thursday and Lookout Valley on Friday.

     “It was good to get back on the winning track,” Marcum said. “Hopefully, we can go out and win our next two this week and start a nice winning streak.”

Stats

James Kemp 18 points, 7 assists, 3 steals, 3 rebounds

Jeremy Sexton 16 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals

Ben Montgomery 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

Kendell Petersen 7 points, 1 assist, 1 steal

Jarrod Johnson 6 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal

Nathan Pendergrass 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist

Dexter Petersen 4 points, 2 assist, 1 rebound, 1 steal

Josh Reaves 2 points

Temple routs Copper Basin

    COPPER BASIN - Jeremy Sexton scored a game-high 18 points to lead three Temple players in double figures as the Crusaders rolled to a 80-43 victory at Copper Basin on Thursday night.

    Ben Montgomery added 13 points – his second consecutive double-figure game – and Jarrod Johnson chipped in with 11 points for Temple, which won its second straight to improve to 12-6 overall and 4-1 in District 5-A.

     Temple has defeated Copper Basin by a combined margin of 95 points in a pair of victories this season. The Crusaders won 86-28 in mid-December.

     “That’s how I would like to see us play every night,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “We came out ready to play. We were determined to put (Copper Basin) away early, and that’s what we did. We really got after them defensively, and offensively, we moved the ball around pretty good against their zone and made some shots. And, again, we got contributions from everybody. I believe everybody who played scored.”

     After dropping three straight over an extended Christmas break, Temple has now won two straight entering Friday night’s game at region foe Lookout Valley.

     “I’m really starting to see this team come around,” Marcum said. “I’m liking what I’m seeing. The more games we play, the better we get. Some of the guys who hadn’t played much before this year have now got some experience under their belts. . . we’ve played nearly 20 games.”

     Temple came out hot and jumped to a 27-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. At that point, it was just a matter of not if, but by how many. The Crusaders were up 75-40 after three quarters, prompting the officials to order that the clock run throughout the fourth quarter – even during free throws.

     Temple’s bench combined for 31 points – 13 coming from Montgomery, a junior post who is playing despite an injured ankle. Not known for taking deep outside jump shots, Montgomery nearly posted the first 3-pointer of his career. But the officials ruled his foot was on the line, so instead he had to settle for a long 2-pointer.

     “Ben’s a good shooter, but that’s not exactly the shot we’re looking for out of Ben,” Marcum said, smiling. “It was the funny, one of the officials came over and was teasing Ben, saying that one of the other officials had taken Ben’s 3-pointer away from him.

     “Overall, I thought our bench did a great job,” Marcum said. “It’s good to have a game like this where those guys get to play and contribute. They work hard. . . they deserve a chance to play.”

Stats

Jeremy Sexton 18 points

Ben Montgomery 13 points

Kendall Petersen 9 points

James Kemp 9 points

Josh Reaves 8 points

T.J. Butts 4 points

Nathan Pendergrass 4 points

Dexter Petersen 2 points

Temple rolls

     After suffering through a season-worst, three-game losing streak, Temple coach Caleb Marcum challenged his team to turn things around.

     The Crusaders have done just that, and then some.

    Temple won its third straight game on Friday night, pounding host Lookout Valley 85-24.

    During their current three-game winning streak, Temple has outscored its opponents 236-117 and improved its record to 13-6 overall and 4-1 in District 5-A in the process - not to mention the added confidence that goes along with playing that well.

    “We’ve played three teams, that if you look at it on paper, we should beat,” Marcum said. “But, regardless of the points, regardless of the score, I like the way we’re playing right now. We’re playing so much better than we were when we came back from the Christmas break. Our guys have really bought into the system, and they are playing together which are both big pluses.”

    Jeremy Sexton, the team’s leading scorer, pumped in a game-high 27 points – one shy of his career-high (28) against Cleveland earlier this season. The junior guard connected on six 3-pointers, four in the first half and two in the third quarter before sitting out the rest of the game on the bench as Marcum rotated in his reserves.

    Sexton wasn’t the only Temple player hot from 3-point land. James Kemp made five 3-pointers – all coming in the first half – to match his career-high of 21 points set earlier this season at Silverdale.

    Together, Sexton and Kemp combined for 11 of Temple’s season-best 12 3-pointers. Lookout Valley sat in a 2-3 zone throughout the game and Sexton, Kemp and Co. had a field day from beyond the arc.

    “Jeremy and James were stroking it,” Marcum said. “That’s fine. If the other team is going to play zone and they don’t guard those guys, I tell them to fire it.”

    Temple again got solid contributions from its bench. The reserves combined for 24 points to help the Crusaders establish a season-high winning margin. Temple led 27-8 at the end of the first quarter, 48-12 at halftime and 72-18 through three quarters.

Stats

Jeremy Sexton 27 points

James Kemp 21 points

Nathan Pendergrass 9 points

Jarrod Johnson 8 points

Dexter Petersen 7 points

Kendall Petersen 5 points

T.J. Butts 4 points

Josh Reaves 4 points

    The first time Temple and Silverdale met this season, the Crusaders escaped with a three-point victory.

    The rematch wasn’t nearly as close.

    Temple came out smoking and never looked back, cruising to an easier-than-expected 77-49 victory on Tuesday night at Vance Gym.

    The Crusaders (14-6 overall, 5-1 in District 5-A) have now won a season-best four straight games. During that winning streak, they’re averaging 78 points per game, allowing just 41.5 points per game and have outscored the opposition an eye-popping 313-166.

    All this on the heels of a season-long three-game losing skid coming back from an extended Christmas break in which the team had 14 days off.

    “Considering the way we squeaked one out at their place, and considering they usually play us real tough, I was expecting a much closer game,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “And I’m sure a lot of other people were, too. But we wanted to come out and leave no doubt from the very beginning.”

    And Marcum’s team did just that. Temple led 17-8 at the end of the first quarter and 35-19 at halftime. The Crusaders then went on a 15-0 run in the third quarter to push their advantage to 34 points (57-23) - one away from invoking the mercy rule.

    Jeremy Sexton led three Temple players in double figures with 25 points. James Kemp added 17 points and Jarrod Johnson 16 for the Crusaders, who shot 56 percent from the floor. Sexton (3), Kemp (3) and Johnson (1) combined for all seven of Temple’s 3-point baskets.

    Meanwhile, Silverdale shot just 28.6 percent in the first half before the game really got out of hand.

    “Our defense really set the tone tonight,” Marcum said.

    Following Temple’s three-game skid, the players held a player’s only meeting in which they put several issues out on the table and cleared the air. Since then, the Crusaders have been a different team. Practices have been better, and as a result performance in the games has been better.

    “We’ve been preaching that you play like you practice, and we have a lot of guys who are stepping up and being leaders,” Marcum said. “Right now, I think we’re really understanding what it takes to be a championship-calibre team. Everyone is trusting each other and things are coming together.”

    Temple will go for its fifth straight W on Friday night when it hosts Pickett County for homecoming. “Everything started clicking about two weeks ago in practice,” Marcum said. “Hopefully, we can maintain this.”

Stats

Jeremy Sexton 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals

James Kemp 17 points, 4 assists

Jerrod Johnson 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists

Ben Montgomery 6 points, 11 rebounds

Dexter Petersen 4 points

Josh Reaves 4 points

Nathan Rector 3 points

Kendall Petersen 2 points

Win streak halted

    There’s an old adage that goes ‘All good things must come to an end.’

    That was case Friday night at Vance Gym as visiting Pickett County rallied for a 66-58 victory over Tennessee Temple on homecoming, snapping the Crusaders’ season-best four-game winning streak.

    Temple (14-7) had outscored its opponents 313-166 during that four-game winning streak and was playing arguably its best basketball of the season. Pickett County (18-3 and ranked No. 8 in the state in Class A) refused to let that streak reach five – even after falling behind by as many as 15 points in the second quarter.

    “We knew they were a good team coming in,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “There’s a reason they’ve got the record they do, and there’s a reason they’re ranked as high as they’re ranked. That’s basically the same team that beat Temple last year, and as you know Temple went on to win the state championship team.

    “Even when we were up big in the first half, I figured they were going to make a run on us,” Marcum said. “That’s what good teams do. They weren’t going to quit. I thought we played hard, we just didn’t play smart, escecially in the second half. We had too many defensive lapses and the turnovers killed us.”

    Jeremy Sexton led Temple with 23 points, 15 coming in the second half. James Kemp added 18 on six 3-pointers – all in the first half. Kemp hit his first six 3-pointers, several from really deep range.

    “James came out on fire,” Marcum said. “Everything he was throwing up was going in.”

    Kemp’s torrid start helped Temple erase an early 10-0 deficit to bolt to a 34-19 lead with just over three minutes remaining before halftime. That 15-point lead dwindled was dwindled to six, 36-30, by halftime – setting up a wild and wooly second half in which the ranked Bobcats finally seized control late by outscoring the Crusaders 19-8 in the fourth quarter.

    Pickett County was led by Jacob Wright (23 points) and Brent Logan (20 points). Logan proved to be a touch matchup, making five of the Bobcats’ nine 3-pointers.

    “He killed us,” Marcum said. “I thought we did a decent job on Wright. . . he’s one of the top players in the state. And we did a good job on their big post guy (T.C. Capps). But we didn’t have an answer for No. 11 (Logan).”

    The momentum seemed to shift in the second quarter with Temple leading 34-19. Pickett County made a 3-pointer and was fouled; after that the Bobcats outscored the Crusaders 47-24 to go from down 15 to up eight.

    Free throws played a big role in that final margin as Pickett County made 14 of 19 compared to just 3 of 4 for Temple. The Bobcats were 12 of 13 in the fourth quarter.

    “We put them in the bonus very early in the fourth quarter, and I knew that wasn’t a good thing,” Marcum said. “They’re a good free-throw shooting team.”

Stats

Jeremy Sexton 23 points

James Kemp 18 points

Kendall Petersen 7 points

Jarrod Johnson 6 points

Nathan Rector 2 points

Ben Montgomery 2 points

Temple bounces back

    Temple didn’t play one of its better games of the season Tuesday night at Vance Gym.

    Fortunately for the Crusaders, they were still able to pull out a win.

    Led by Jeremy Sexton’s 18 points, Temple jumped to a big lead early and then held on for 60-44 victory over David Brainerd.

    Tuesday’s game marked the first time Temple had played since Friday’s loss to ranked Pickett County. The Crusaders had a little bit of a layover effect from that game and also appeared to be looking ahead to Friday’s showdown against Region rival CSAS.

    “That was a classic case of a team looking past one team and looking ahead to another,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “I thought we were past all of that, but apparently not. It was an off game. Sometimes you’re going to have those. Some nights you just don’t have it. I thought we played well early on, but after that we didn’t play very well.”

    Temple, winners of five of its last six games, improved to 15-7 overall and 6-1 in District 5-A. Jarrod Johnson had another double double (14 points, 17 rebounds) and James Kemp added 13.

    Sexton, a junior guard, who leads the team in scoring, was honored early in the game after officially joining the 1,000-point club. A 3-pointer in the first quarter put him in the exclusive club, and he still has another year to go. Officials stopped the game, and Sexton was presented a game ball.

    “I’m glad we were able to do that for Jeremy,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “I’ve said this before, he may end up being the best player ever to come through Temple. I thought it was important that we recognize his accomplishment of scoring 1,000 points in his career.

    Marcum was extremely pleased with the play of Johnson, who was dominate inside. The 17 rebounds were a season-high.

    “Jarrod played good,” Marcum said. “That was one of his best games offensively. He went to the boards. The problem is, we can’t rely on him to get all of the rebounds. We’ve got to have other people going to the boards, too.”

    Temple led 25-5 in the early going with many of those points coming via points off turnovers created by its press. The visiting Wildcats regrouped, though, and outscored the Crusaders 14-8 in the second quarter.

    Although David Brainerd would never go away, Temple was never truly in danger of losing the game, either. Kemp hit two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help keep the Wildcats at bay.

    “As bad as we played, we were still able to come away with the win, and that’s the main thing,” Marcum said. “We’ve still got to learn how to put teams away early. We did that with Copper Basin, Lookout Valley and Silverdale recently, but we weren’t able to do that tonight. . . for whatever reason.”

Stats

Jeremy Sexton 18 points

Jerrod Johnson 14 points

James Kemp 13 points

Kendell Petersen 6 points

Nathan Pendergrass 4 points

Ben Montgomery 4 points

Nathan Rector 1 point

Temple loses late lead, game

    Tennessee Temple led CSAS by six points with 25 seconds left on Friday night and appeared well on its way to its first signature victory of the season.

    Not so fast.
    In a wild and crazy finish that nobody could see coming – even a Hollywood movie writer – CSAS some how, some way pulled out a highly-entertaining, out-of-nowhere 81-76 victory.

    The Patriots scored 11 straight points in the final 16.3 seconds to steal the win – their second this season over the Crusaders.
     “I thought we really had a good chance to win the game,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “Any time you’re up six with 25 seconds left, you should win the game. But unfortunately, the breaks didn’t go our way, we missed some free throws and we didn’t finish the game. We preach in practice every day to finish the practice, because that carries over into games. We didn’t finish the game tonight.

    “I hate that we lost. . . I thought we had the game won. . . but at the same time I have to look at how far our team has come since earlier this season. We’ve really improved. The first time we played CSAS, they beat us by 26 at our place and we turned it over 29 times. Tonight, at their place, we’re up six with 25 seconds left with a great chance of winning the game. So, that shows you just how much better we are now than we were a couple of months ago.”

    The game – featuring the two teams who played for last year’s Class A state championship – was tied 49-49 at the end of the third quarter, setting the stage for a frantic, back-and-forth fourth quarter.

    Following a technical on CSAS coach Mark Dragoo, Temple’s Jeremy Sexton made both free throws. He added two more with 25.2 seconds left to give the Crusaders a six point lead, 76-70. As it turned out, those were the last points of the night for Temple.

    CSAS’s Hassan Cobb, who scored 13 of his 22 points in the decisive fourth quarter, drained a 3-pointer with just over 16 seconds remaining to pull his team within three, 76-73. Then, the Crusaders turned the ball over attempting a long inbounds pass, leading to a Temple foul and two free throws by CSAS’s Dontay Hampton. Those freebies made it a one-point game, 76-75, with 11 seconds remaining.

    CSAS sent James Kemp to the free throw line, and Kemp, Temple’s top free throw shooter at 86 percent, missed both. CSAS Daleon Deere grabbed the rebound on the second miss and fell out of bounds after tripping over one of his own players. The official, however, whistled Temple’s Ben Montgomery for the foul – although Montgomery never touched him.

    Deere sank both free throws, and just like that CSAS led by one with 8.1 seconds left. The drama wasn’t over, though.

    After an inbounds pass, Kemp stepped slightly out of bounds as he made his way up the sideline and shortly thereafter Temple coach Caleb Marcum was whistled for a technical. Deere hit both free throws to put his team up by three, and he put the game away with two more three seconds later.

    “I was just yelling at my guys to foul because we were down,” Marcum said. “I guess that one official thought I was yelling at him, but I wasn’t. I was just telling our guys to foul.”

    It was just one of many breaks that went against Temple, who slipped to 15-7 with its second loss in its past three games. The other loss came to ranked Pickett.

    Jeremy Sexton finished with a game-high 27 points to lead Temple. Jarrod Johnson added a career-high 20 points in arguably his best game of the season. And Ben Montgomery contributed 13 for the Crusaders, who travel to 21^st Century on Tuesday for a key District 5-A game.

   “Jeremy played great,” Marcum said. “I know I’m biased, but he’s really good. And Jarrod was a beast inside. When he plays like that, we play at such a higher level. He’s really starting to be a scoring threat for us inside, and that’s what we need from him. I want him to be aggressive on offense.”

Stats

Jeremy Sexton 27 points

Jarrod Johnson 20 points

Ben Montgomery 13 points

James Kemp 8 points

Nathan Rector 6 points

Kendell Petersen 2 points

    James Kemp busted out a pair of retro Jordan’s for Tuesday night’s game at 21^st Century.

    Maybe he should wear them more often.

    Kemp poured in a career-high 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, as Temple escaped with a 69-63 road victory.

    The junior guard drained five 3-pointers in the first half against the Stars’ 2-3 zone and added two more in the second half en route to best his previous career-high of 21 set earlier this season at Silverdale. He would’ve reached the 30-point plateau if not for a missed free throw in the waning seconds.

    Jeremy Sexton added 23 points and Jarrod Johnson 15 for the Crusaders, who beat 21^st Century for the second time this season to run their record to 16-8 overall and 7-1 in District 5-A.

    “We knew it was going to be tough to go into their place and get a win,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “They’re very athletic. . .they’ve got a good team.”

    Temple, coming off and emotional loss at CSAS on Friday night and with Friday’s showdown against Grace just a few days away, trailed 37-36 at halftime. The Crusaders seized command at the outset of the second half, though, sprinting to a 10-point lead early in the third quarter.

    Temple led by six at the end of the third quarter and kept a somewhat comfortable cushion the rest of the way.

    “We really stepped it up on defense in the second half,” Marcum said. “We got three or four stops to start the second half, and that was the difference. I thought Ben (Montgomery) and Nathan (Rector) did a good job on their big guy in the second half, too. That was big.”

Stats

James Kemp 29 points

Jeremy Sexton 23 points

Jarrod Johnson 15 points

Nathan Rector 2 points

Comeback bid falls short

    Grace defeated Temple on Saturday night for the second time in as many meetings this season.

    Once again, Patrick Shaughnessy was the difference.

    Shaughnessy, Grace’s powerful, 6-8 junior post, bullied his way to a game-high 24 points to lead his team to a hard-fought 66-59 victory over Temple before a packed house at Vance Gym.

    “He’s tough to stop, especially when he gets it that close to the basket,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “We had no answer for him.”

    Grace (18-7 overall, 10-0 District 5-A) clinched the District 5-A regular season title and completed a regular-season sweep over Temple (16-9 overall, 7-2 District 5-A). The Golden Eagles, who will be the top seed for the upcoming district tournament, defeated the Crusaders 74-59 earlier this season.

    Shaughnessy scored 20 points and hauled down nine rebounds in the earlier meeting, giving him 44 points and 16 rebounds in two games against Temple.

    Brandon Herman scored 12 of his 18 points in the first quarter to help Grace build a 21-14 lead. Temple was never able to overcome that lead, thanks in large part to Shaughnessy, who dominated inside as the Golden Eagles extended that lead to 11 points at halftime and as many as 14 (49-35) late in the third quarter.

    Temple ended the third quarter with a 7-0 run to trim Grace’s lead to single digits and put together another 7-0 run late in the fourth quarter to pull to within four points, 61-57, with 1 minute, 45 seconds remaining. Following a technical on Grace, Temple’s James Kemp sank four free throws and drained a 3-pointer to account for all of those points.

    Trailing by only four, Temple had opportunities to pull even closer, but it missed a wide open layup and a short jumper rolled in and out. Grace, meanwhile, stepped to the free throw line and secured the victory.

    “We dug ourselves a hole in the first half,” said Marcum, whose team has lost three of its last five games entering Tuesday’s regular-season finale at David Brainerd. “We came out and played hard in the second half, but have to learn that you can’t just play for 16 minutes, you have to play for 32.”

    The fourth quarter was an eventful one. To go along with Temple’s comeback bid, Temple’s leading scorer, Jeremy Sexton, fouled out, as did Shaughnessy. Both teams missed their respective stars, although the Golden Eagles were able to hold on for the win and the Crusaders nearly pulled even in the waning minutes.

     Jarrod Johnson led Temple with 18 points, continuing his stellar play as of late. Sexton, who entered averaging nearly 23 points a game, finished with 16.

    Carter McMasters added 10 points for Grace.

    Temple actually out-rebounded the much-taller Golden Eagles 30-28, including 15 offensive rebounds. But the Crusaders turned the ball over 16 times, leading to 21 Grace points.

Stats

Jarrod Johnson 18 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal

Jeremy Sexton 16 points, 2 assists

James Kemp 7 points, 6 steals, 5 assists, 2 rebounds

Ben Montgomery 7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist

Nathan Rector 4 points, 2 rebounds

Kendall Petersen 4 points, 3 rebounds

Josh Reaves 3 points, 2 rebounds

    Tennessee Temple recorded its second win over David Brainerd in a 15-day stretch, cruising to a 72-44 road victory on Tuesday night.

   It was the regular-season finale for both teams.

   “I was glad that we came out and took care of business the way we did,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “We got a big lead on (David Brainerd) the first time we played them, and we let up a little bit and allowed them to hang around. That didn’t happen this time.”

    Temple finished the regular season 17-9 overall and 8-2 in District 5-A. The Crusaders will be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming district tournament to be staged across the street at Tennessee Temple University. They will play Saturday at 4:30 p.m. against the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal pitting 21^st Century vs. Copper Basin.

   Temple swept both teams this season. If the Crusaders were to win their semifinal matchup, they would advance to the championship game, where more than likely top-seeded Grace would await.

    Grace beat Temple twice this season.

    “I’m sure that’s the game a lot of people want to see, but there’s a lot of work to be done before we can even talk about that game,” Marcum said. “21^st Century has a good team. .  .we barely got out with a win when we played them at their place last week. And Copper Basin could win. Who knows? This is a new season. Everybody is 0-0.”

    Jeremy Sexton, the team’s leading scorer, led three Temple players in double figures with 23 points. James Kemp contributed 13 points and Josh Reaves added 10.

    “Josh had a good game,” Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. “Josh has a lot of potential. He’s 6-3/6-4, he can shoot it, and he’s a good rebounder. It was good to see him play like that. Josh could be a key player for us in the upcoming weeks.”

    Temple led 22-10 at the end of the first quarter and 39-20 at halftime. The Crusaders extended their lead to 59-30 at the end of the third quarter and were never threatened.

    Max Archey led David Brainerd with a game-high 27 points.

    One of Temple’s goals prior to the start of the season was to win 20 games. That goal is still possible, although it will take three wins in the postseason to make it happen.

    “We played a tough schedule,” Marcum said. “Look at it, we played McCallie twice, Soddy-Daisy, Van Buren, Pickett County, Cleveland, Ooltewah, CSAS, Grace. . . that’s a lot of good teams. We could’ve scheduled lighter, but I don’t think that would’ve helped us. The quality of our schedule is going to help us in the next few weeks, I really believe that.”

    Temple was without the services of starting post Ben Montgomery, who missed the game due to illness. Nathan Rector, a freshman, got the start in Montgomery’s absence.

    “We miss Ben,” Marcum said. “We’re hoping he’s going to get better soon; we’re going to need him in the postseason.”

Stats

Jeremy Sexton 23 points

James Kemp 13 points

Josh Reaves 10 points

Kendall Petersen 6 points

Jarrod Johnson 6 points

Nathan Pendergrass 6 points

Nathan Rector 4 points

Dexter Petersen 4 points

Jeremy Sexton 22.3 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 3.7 apg., 2.7 spg., 1 bpg

James Kemp 12.4 ppg., 2.2 rpg., 3.3 apg., 2.1 spg,

Jarrod Johnson 9 ppg., 9.2 rpg., 1.3 apg., 1 spg.

Ben Montgomery 5.2 ppg., 3.4 rpg.

Kendall Petersen 4.6 ppg., 3.7 rpg.
Nathan Pendergrass 3.4 ppg., 1.2 rpg
Josh Reaves 3.2 ppg., 1.9 rpg.
Nathan Rector 2.3 ppg., 2.1 rpg.
Dexter Petersen 1.4 ppg., 0.5 rpg

T.J. Butts 1 ppg., 1 rpg.

Temple wins tourney opener
    Tennessee Temple was treading water late in its District 5-A tournament opener against 21st Century.
    Although the Crusaders were winning, it wasn't by much. The offensive execution was lacking, the defensive intensity not where it needed to be. An upset loss was a real possibility.
    Enter Jeremy Sexton.
    Sexton stepped up right in the nick of time and showed why he was the district and region player of the year, pumping in a game-high 23 points to lift Temple to a not-so-thrilling 52-44 victory over scrappy 21st Century.

    Twelve of his 23 points came in the second half. Sexton scored many of those points on a high pick-and-roll play that the Crusaders went to often.
    "It's good to have a guy like Jeremy who you can just put the ball in his hands and say win it for us," Temple coach Caleb Marcum said. "Fortunately, we were able to find a play that worked for us, and we just kept going to it. Of course, it helps to have the ball in Jeremy's hands when you call the play."

    Sexton's backcourt mate, James Kemp, also came up big in Temple's first postseason game as it looks to repeat as Class A champions. Included in his 17 points were all three of his team's 3-pointers.
    It marked the third time in as many tries that Temple beat 21st Century this season. The Crusaders won the first game in a blowout, but the last two were close throughout.
    On Saturday, Temple led 26-20 at halftime and 42-35 at the end of the third quarter. The Crusaders never could put the Stars away, though, until the final minutes.
    "We knew coming in it was going to be a close game," Marcum said. "We hoped to come out and finish it early, but they have a lot of seniors and they're very athletic, so it was tough."

    Temple improved to 18-9 and advanced to Tuesday night's district championship game against top-seeded Grace. Marcum knows his team will have to play better Tuesday than it did on Saturday. The Golden Eagles defeated the Crusaders in both meetings during the regular season.
    "Grace is really good," Marcum said. "It's a touch matchup for us, but it's a tough matchup for everybody. You don't see too many teams with a 6-10 and a 6-8. We'll have to play really well. . . shoot it well. . .and hope they have a little bit of an off night to have a chance."
Stats
Jeremy Sexton 23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
James Kemp 17 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
Jarrrod Johnson 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Ben Montgomery 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Kendall Petersen 1 point, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

Sexton-led Temple claims district title

    Tennessee Temple’s boy’s basketball team had posted some nice wins during the course of the regular season.

    Count Bradley Central, Van Buren and Dalton among those.

    But there were also a series of close losses in the “big games,” including a home loss to Pickett County in which Temple led by 14 points in the first half and a 4-point road loss at CSAS in which the host scored 11 unanswered points in the final 25 seconds.

    Those narrow losses left the Crusaders hungering for a W, a signature win if you will to help validate their season and their status as a true contender.

    That time finally arrived Tuesday night in the District 5-A championship game against Grace. Led by Jeremy Sexton’s career-high 31 points, Temple knocked off Grace 57-54 to earn its seventh district title in the past eight years.

    “I trust our guys,” first-year Temple coach  Caleb Marcum said.  “They were prepared, and they laid it all on the line. We’ve lost a lot of close games this year, and I’m really happy that we finally got one.  And this was the one to get.”

    Temple, winners of four of its last five games, improved to 19-9. The Crusaders advance to the Region tournament and will face Lookout Valley in the opening round on Saturday at 7 p.m. at McGilvary Gym.

    Grace won both regular season meetings – 74-59 at Grace and 66-59 at Temple. The Crusaders scored two less points on Tuesday, but still won.

    Sexton was a major reason why. The junior guard scored 17 points in the first half and 14 in the second en route to his career high. Ten of his 14 second half points came in the fourth quarter.

    “Jeremy got off to a slow start, but he turned it on after that,” Marcum said. “And I’m glad he did. He carried us. But it was far from a one-man show. This was a team win. Jeremy scored the most points, but one player didn’t win that game.”

    James Kemp added 13 points, including three key 3-pointers. Jarrod Johnson contributed 10 points, nine coming in the first quarter to help spark his team to a 18-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.

    Nathan Rector had just two points, but his defense (along with Ben Montgomery and Johnson) on Grace big man Patrick Shaughnessy was a highlight. Shaughnessy, a 6-8 junior post who dominated the first two meetings, scoring a combined 44 points, was limited to just four points on five shots.

   “That was huge,” Marcum said. “Not bad for a freshman. Nathan is one of those kids who plays so hard, and he embraces challenges. He knew we needed him to play big in the post for us to have a chance to win, and that’s what he did.”

    Kendall Petersen had just one point, although it was a crucial one. With Temple clinging to a two-point lead in the waning seconds, Petersen stepped to the free throw line and made the front end of a 1-and-1 to give his team a 3-point lead. He missed the second one, giving the Golden Eagles one last chance. They failed to convert, however, and Temple’s players, coaches and fans stormed the court to celebrate.

    Grace built big leads in the first two meetings and were in control for most of both of those games. It was Temple’s turn to jump to an early lead on Tuesday.

    Sexton’s six straight points midway through the first quart