FREE READ: CAK girls and Webb boys both seek elusive state basketball title

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BY DAN FLESER

Claire Brock and Luke Burnett play decidedly different roles for their respective basketball teams.

Brock is the leader of the band for the Christian Academy of Knoxville girls while Burnett is part of the ensemble for the Webb boys.

Their histories with their teams don’t match either. Brock has played varsity for the Lady Warriors since the eighth grade. Burnett didn’t take the court for the Spartans until last December

They are the same, though, in that their presence has been vital to parallel journeys this season. They have played their parts to insure safe passage to the Division II-A state championships at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville.

Webb (28-6) plays Christ Presbyterian Academy (26-10) in Friday’s semifinals at 2:30 ET. CPA eliminated state champion Grace Christian on Monday.

CAK (25-5) follows with a semifinal game against Northpoint Christian (26-7) at approximately 4:15.

Brock’s importance to the Lady Warriors is easily quantifiable by her scoring. Coach Abby Williams said the senior guard is averaging 19.8 points for the season and 29 points for the last four games. The Emory University signee scored 31 in the 62-59 overtime victory over University School of Jackson last Friday, which sent the Lady Warriors back to the semifinals for the first time since 2013 (Division I, Class AA).

Williams’ said that Brock’s knack for patience enhances her scoring skills. Her temperament, in turn, benefits the entire squad.

“She’s one of the most level-headed kids I’ve ever coached,” Williams said. “She never gets too high or too low.

“When things aren’t going our way, she’s the first to say, ‘We got this.’ She leads us in all areas.”

Fellow seniors Ellie Fussell and Kennedy Smith have been capable followers. They’ve stepped up their scoring during the postseason.

Smith scored 16 points in a crucial double-overtime region victory Webb. She was CAK’s leading scorer until late in the game, when Brock helped seal the victory with two baskets.

Fussell, meanwhile, scored 14 against USJ last Friday. She and Smith both hit key 3-pointers late in regulation.

“They’ve kind of put the team on their back and said, ‘We’re not going to let you down,’ “ Williams said.

Burnett, a junior point guard who transferred from Heritage, was one of four double-figure scorers for Webb in a tense 57-55 sub-state victory over Harding Academy on Sunday.

He snuck up behind Harding’s Luke Howard for a crucial steal inside the game’s final minute, when possessions were at a premium. He then teamed with fellow guard Charlie Wyrick to defend Howard and help thwart a potential game-tying shot in the final seconds.

And while Grace Christian isn’t in the field this week at Lipscomb, Webb is still seeking redemption from 2018 — when the Spartans fell to Grace by two points in the state championship.

Spartans coach Ricky Norris said the team wouldn’t have made it back to Nashville without Burnett but added, “I think I could say that about multiple players on our team. You can say that about the whole top six (players). He kind of brought everything together.”

Burnett practiced with the team during the offseason but wasn’t eligible until after the season started. When he officially joined the ranks, the Spartans were 11-2 but entering the toughest portion of their schedule.

Struggles ensued, which could’ve adversely impacted a team that reached the state finals last season. Instead, Norris thinks the Spartans are better for the experience.

“I look back and think it was really good for us to go through that,” Norris said. “Everybody uses the ‘process’ word. It just takes time.”

Burnett has found his place within the group as a multi-dimensional player. Like Brock, he also provides a calm, steady influence.

“He’s a completely underrated defender,” Norris said. “He understands the game on the defensive end and that really helps you.”