Jaz Williams and Knoxville Catholic played Father Ryan in the TSSAA Division II Class AA state tournament semifinals at the Hooper Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tennessee, on Friday, March 5, 2021. The Fighting Irish won. (Photo by Danny Parker)
By JESSE SMITHEY
COOKEVILLE — They weren’t supposed to be here. But they just may win the whole thing.
In what continues to be one of the more remarkable seasons and program-changing turnarounds in area high school girls’ basketball history, the Catholic Lady Irish won their Division II-AA state semifinal with ease Friday afternoon at Tennessee Tech to advance into Saturday’s finale against Hutchison (17-2).
Catholic freshman Sydney Mains scored 23 points with eight rebounds, and the Lady Irish ousted a 21-win Father Ryan team, 50-38. Jeila Greenlee and Jaz Williams had 12 apiece in the win.
Meanwhile, Catholic improved to just 15-16 and, in their maiden appearance in a state tournament, will play at 4:30 p.m. Central on Saturday for a chance to win a title.
Five years ago, Catholic won one game.
And it hasn’t had a winning season in more than two decades.
“I can’t believe this,” said Catholic’s first-year coach Travis Mains. “I really can’t. It’s pretty awesome.”
“Basketball is about chemistry. It’s about making runs,” Coach Mains added. “The kids care about each other. They’re willing to make the extra pass. It’s unbelievable.”
Any first-timer nerves didn’t hinder the Lady Irish. They played like veterans in the first half, staking a 31-13 lead at the break and shooting 56.3 percent from the floor.
Sydney Mains put Catholic on the board first, calmly making two free throws and then posting seven first quarter points. The move from high school gym to spacious college arena didn’t affect her normal scoring ability.
Greenlee hit a late 3 and a midrange jumper to get the Lady Irish lead 13-8 after the first quarter.
Mains caught fire from the perimeter in the early minutes of the second quarter, and her consecutive 3s gave Catholic a 22-8 lead at the 5:51 mark. Grayce Lane added another 3 on the next possession to bump the lead to 17.
Mains flashed a big smile after that second 3, as if she almost knew it was her and the Irish’s night.
“I just enjoy the game. And what I’m doing is fun,” she said. “If you get a steal or no matter what you do, it’s fun. So I just try to enjoy the game while I’m in it.”
Mains’ free throws with 2:58 left in the half gave the Lady Irish a 29-11 advantage. Her putback on a missed Greenlee 3 pushed the lead to 20.
Mains went 5-for-5 from the floor in the first half, netting 17 points and four rebounds. Father Ryan (21-4) shot less than 25 percent from the floor in the first half and finished the game at 21.8 percent.
Mains exited the third quarter with foul trouble, and Father Ryan cut the lead down somewhat. But a corner 3 from Greenlee kept the lead at 20 midway through the third until Mains’ return.
Mains’ 3-point play with 26.8 left in the third pushed the lead to 39-20.
Father Ryan cut their deficit to 12 with about 2:25 to go. Catholic’s free-throw shooting was just good enough to keep the buffer in double digits. The Lady Irish went 9-for-16 at the foul line in the final eight minutes.
But the job was done.
They had proved the experts wrong yet again.
“It’s been fun. We had eight (newspapers) wrote about us and we were only winning in one of them,” said Sydney Mains.
“So it was nice to prove them wrong.”
5STAR PHOTOS: Knoxville Catholic 50, Father Ryan 38 (2021 Division II-AA semifinals)