Introduction
This article follows up on last month's article on 2/9/2020. It was about the previous day's sectional title victory and the then-forthcoming state final four appearance by the Bulls Gap Middle School Bulldogs ladies basketball team.
I had planned to publish this article on 3/8/2020, International Women’s Day. The details that follow are based on a working document that I completed on 2/16/2020. I can't seem to get this online article to format properly. Please ignore the formatting problems.
The population of Bulls Gap, Tennessee, is only 738. The Bulls Gap Middle School girls' basketball team included only nine players. Please read the information below about the other teams' city or town populations and the number of players on those opposing teams.
The Bulls Gap Lady Bull Dogs were outstanding! My wife and I are proud of each team member. We are especially proud of our niece, a starter on the team!
The ultimate conclusion from the following is that the Bulls Gap Middle School girls' basketball team is the fourth-best team in Tennessee. They are trailblazers! Their 2019–2020 regular season schedule included twenty wins and only two losses.
2020 TMSAA Class A Girls' Basketball Tournament
The information below is taken from TSSAA Sports: 2020 TMSAA Class A Girls' Basketball Tournament Bracket. Further, the 2020 population data mentioned below are found at Suburban Stats: Population Demographics for Tennessee 2020, 2019.
The Bulls Gap Middle School girls' basketball team was like David, who slew Goliath (1 Samuel chapter 17)! Please notice farther below the small population of Bulls Gap, 738, compared to the larger populations of the cities and towns of their opponents.
Sectional Tournament
The article from 2/9/2020 includes the same information below about the Bulls Gap Middle School ladies basketball team, section 1 champions.
Sectional Quarterfinals (32 Teams)
Game 110: Tue., Feb. 4, 5:30 PM: John Sevier Middle School, Kingsport:
Lamar Elementary 34
The school is in Jonesborough, the 2020 population of which is 5,051.
Bulls Gap Middle 37
Bulls Gap's 2020 population is 738, or 14.61% that of Jonesborough.
Sectional Semifinals (Sweet 16)
Game 205: Thu., Feb. 6, 7:30 PM: John Sevier Middle School
Ridgeview Elementary 35
The school is in Gray, TN, the 2020 population of which is 1,222.
Bulls Gap Middle 50
Bulls Gap's population is 60.39% that of Gray.
Sectional Finals (Elite 8)
Section 1 Final, Championship, Game 303: Sat., Feb. 8, 1 PM: John Sevier Middle School
Cloudland Middle 42
Fourteen team members. Cloudland Middle won the sectional final in 2019. Cloudland Middle School is in Roan Mountain, a town in Carter County. The town's 2020 population is 1,360.
Bulls Gap Middle 43
Nine team members won in overtime and won the sectional title! Bulls Gap's population is 54.26% that of Roan Mountain.
This is the game, mentioned in the 2/9/2020 article, that my wife and I attended, along with other family members! It was a great game that went down to the wire in overtime!
State Semifinals (Final Four)
Game 402: Fri., Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, 5:45 PM CST: Stewarts Creek Middle School: 400 Red Hawk Blvd., Smyrna, TN 37167. This is in Rutherford County, a 3.75-hour drive from my youngest brother's house or a 3-hour drive from our Corryton home. My youngest brother, his wife, and their youngest daughter traveled out there to attend the game, support the Bulls Gap team, and support our niece.
Bulls Gap (9 on team) 14 (lost)
Bulls Gap's population is 31.35% that of South Fulton, TN.
South Fulton Middle (12 on team) 27 (won)
South Fulton, TN, is in Obion County. The town's 2020 population is 2,354. South Fulton is near Union City, TN. The twin cities of Fulton, KY, and South Fulton, TN, meet at the state line.
Consolation Game (for 3rd and 4th Place)
Game 404: Sat., Feb 15, 1:00 PM CST: Stewarts Creek Middle School.
South Lawrence Middle 50
The school is in Loretto, TN, in Lawrence County. The town's 2020 population is 1,714.
Bulls Gap Middle 14 (winning fourth place)
Bulls Gap's population is 43.05% that of Loretto, TN.
Of 32 teams in the tournament, the Bulls Gap Middle School ladies basketball team won fourth place in the state tournament!
So, who won the tournament championship? In case you are interested, I added the information below.
Game 403: Sat., Feb 15, 1:00 PM: Stewarts Creek High School.
Englewood Elementary 32 (won)
Englewood is in McMinn County. My wife's hometown, Etowah, is in the same county. Englewood's 2020 population is 1,532.
South Fulton Middle 22
South Fulton Middle School is the team that defeated the Bulls Gap Middle School lady Bulldogs in their final four matchup on Valentine's Day. At the game, my brother told me that the South Fulton Middle School team and their fans were very unsportsmanlike. South Fulton Middle School deserved to lose! Their loss was a moral victory for the Bulls Gap Middle School lady Bulldogs!
Conclusion
The inspired and historical record of David's slaying of Goliath is in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, chapter 17. It is an inspiring story.
The 2019-2020 record of the Bulls Gap Middle School girls' basketball team is also an inspiring story. The players from such a small town slew opponents with more players from larger towns or cities. Placing fourth in state was a trailblazing accomplishment!
No comments:
Post a Comment