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By Charles Peters

The Hampton Middle School Bulldogs left no doubt about their dominance in the regional championship, steamrolling Providence Academy of Johnson City 55-37 at Happy Valley High School. Under the leadership of Coach Leon Tolley, Hampton jumped out to a commanding 15-9 lead in the first quarter and never looked back.

Gabe Vines was the star of the night, controlling the boards and pouring in 24 points to lead the Bulldogs to victory. His outstanding performance earned him the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award. After the game, Vines expressed his confidence in the team’s future, stating, “We have been playing really good as a team, and we feel that we have a good chance to make it to state if we play the way we are capable of playing.”

Coach Tolley’s squad took a commanding 31-20 lead into halftime and continued their dominance in the second half, outscoring Providence 23-17 to secure the regional title. Rylan Jones contributed 14 points to the Bulldogs’ cause, while Jordan Cosey added nine.

Tolley, a seasoned coach with experience at both the middle and high school levels, knows what it takes to win big games. He won his first regional title coaching Siam Middle back in 1985 alongside his mentor, J.R. Campbell. As a player, Tolley was the state MVP for the Hampton Bulldogs in 1983. He praised his team’s resilience, stating, “Our team has overcome a lot of adversity this season, and they are playing their best basketball of the season.”

With the regional title secured, Hampton now advances to the sectional round, where they will face the winner of the Lamar-Newport matchup on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The game will be held at John Sevier Middle School in Kingsport.

Vines, who played a pivotal role in the championship victory, emphasized the importance of teamwork. “It’s not about points for me. I like to get my teammates involved by getting assists and just want to do everything I can to help us win,” he said.

As the Bulldogs set their sights on the state tournament, they will look to carry their momentum forward and continue their impressive run. With Coach Tolley’s experience and leadership, Hampton appears poised for even greater success in the coming weeks. Hampton also won the league and area tournament last week. At Christmas, they won the Cherokee Christmas Tournament held at Lamar.

Hampton 15 17 18 5 — 55
Providence 9 11 7 10 — 37

Hampton: Jones 14, Vines 24, Cosey 9, Ian Foutch 6
Providence: Bentley 3, Myles 6, Caveron 10, Antonids 4, Xavier 2, Sammuel 2, Gabe 4, Hoover 1