Every so often in high school athletics, a special class comes along and lifts a team to new heights when that class gets to its senior year.

It’s four years — sometimes longer than that, if the players grew up in the school system — to learn, improve, grow, and bond.

That’s happening right now at Clinton High School.

And make it double.

The boys’ and girls’ basketball teams are a combined 52-9, District 4-3A regular-season champions, and both are led by some serious star power with the supporting cast to boot.

Coaches Alicia Phillips and Chris Lockard, along with Addi Gamble, the girls player of the year in the district, took time Friday to assess these standout seasons following their team’s respective home wins over Kingston in the regular-season finale…

Clinton Girls

For Phillips, seeing a group of players she’s known since they were little now wrapping up their senior years is enough to give her chills.

That includes Gamble, Josie Moody and Lanee Carmichael.

“I’ve been the girls coach here for 11 years and when they (the senior class) were itty bitty, they were coming to our Lady Dragon basketball camps,” Phillips said.

“Josie, who is now six foot tall, way taller than me, she was this little blond girl with this little bee-bop ponytail, and was the sweetest little thing, and to see them grow into women that are talented and smart, and they have goals and dreams, it gives me chill bumps because these ladies have flourished.”

Phillips said the trio has started every game since they were freshmen.

Gamble echoed that the familiarity plays a big factor in the season the Lady Dragons (27-2) are having.

“Me, Lanee and Josie, I’ve been playing basketball with them since I first picked up a basketball, and in middle school we added Kenzlee (Hutchinson), and we added Kyleigh (Gallaher),” Gamble said.

“Now we’re here and we know each other, we know how we play the game together so we’re able to roll on smooth and know where we are on the court.”

Gamble averaged — yes, averaged — 7 steals per game in district play, and set a school record with 14 steals in a win over Gibbs on Feb. 3.

While those stats certainly jump off the page, you can see why they happened when you watch Clinton’s aggressive brand of defense. The Lady Dragons pressured Kingston early and often, forcing 10 first-quarter turnovers during Friday’s 59-41 win.

“We try to switch things up defensively to keep teams on their toes,” Phillips said.

“When you’ve got Addie out there, so aggressive on defense, and I’ve got several role players, Topanga Easterday, who comes off the bench, she’s aggressive on defense, you’ve got (Webb transfer) Cailyn Taylor, you’ve got Josie, who’s so long and tall.

“Defensively we’ve got what we need, and when they bring that effort and they get it in their mind to grab the 50-50 balls, we’re going to be hard to beat.”

Phillips said the Lady Dragons’ lone district loss — 48-47 to Anderson County on Jan. 9 — was a turning point in the season. Since then, Clinton has rattled off nine wins in a row, all by 17 or more points, including a 48-31 win at Anderson County in the rematch.

“Our main focus has been us, Lady Dragons basketball, which is pushing tempo, being aggressive defensively and rebounding the basketball, and they responded in the second half of the season to those things,” Phillips said.

Stat lines like the 22 points, eight rebounds, seven steals, six assists and four blocks that Gamble, a Carson-Newman commitment, produced Friday are not uncommon.

Some examples of games she’s had this season include:

  • 33 points, 14 steals, seven 3-pointers
  • 23 points, seven rebounds, seven steals
  • 19 points, eight rebounds, six steals

“I don’t know that you could ask anything more of her,” Phillips said.

“She’s just a phenomenal kid, and to see her grow into the leader she is now, as far as player development from a freshman all the way to a senior, she’s probably been the one I’ve seen grown the most.

“I’ve coached 11 basketball, 4 softball, so 15 years of coaching, she has turned into a true leader, and I continue to see her getting better and better.”

Clinton Boys

It’s been a similar story for the boys this season, going undefeated in district play, including two wins over rival Anderson County by a combined three points.

Kingston offered little resistance on Friday as Clinton scored the game’s first 20 points on its way to a 75-43 victory.

The only concern came internally, with senior star and Middle Tennessee State football commitment Bryson Maddox suffering an ankle injury in the closing seconds of the first half.

Maddox was hurt colliding with a Kingston player after the release of an over-the-shoulder pass to Isiah Williams for a 3-pointer with four seconds remaining before halftime. He was helped off the court and did not return to the game or bench in the second half.

“It’s just an ankle injury. He hurt it this summer, our trainer thinks he just tweaked it a little bit, should be OK in a few days,” Lockard said.

“He’s such a big part of our program, obviously it makes him nervous, makes everyone nervous, but he’s a tough kid. There’s a reason he’s one of the top football players in the state and one of the top basketball players in the state, you’ve got to be tough to do that, so he’ll bounce back for us.”

Before exiting, Maddox was getting to the rim with ease, scoring 16 first-half points, all in the paint on layups or dunks.

While not under the circumstances the Dragons would have wanted, the second half offered a chance to showcase the supporting cast that has also propelled Clinton to a 25-7 record.

Starting senior guard Tristan Lundy scored 15 points for the game, reserve Cam Anderson drew two charges in the second half, Braylen Hayden had an open-court steal and slam and the Dragons totaled 15 bench points after halftime.

Like the girls, the boys are also experienced, with senior starters Maddox, Lundy and Hayden, and junior starters Jaxson Alcorn and Camden Nelson.

Lockard, in his 26th season as the Dragons’ coach, said this season has been different in terms of his process.

“We had a little different process with this team. I’ve been doing this a while, and I’ve always split the season up into sections of we’re learning, improvement and narrowing it down, but this year has been a little bit different.

“We’ve had a different process, and so I’ve seen this team grow from start to finish. We’re 25-7 overall, we went undefeated in the district, but that has nothing to do with our process.

“Our process is certain things we’re trying to accomplish along the way, and we’re doing that. We had a little bit of a lull during Christmas and we bounced back. This is a fun team to coach because we’re very defensive and rebound-oriented, but our offense as of late has become the catalyst for everything that we’ve done.

“Just changes, and adapting and learning is what this team has done. And hopefully this being the last regular-season game I have them ready to go for the tournament.”

Article written by Matthew Lutey/5Star Preps. To read more on area high school sports or to see photo galleries, videos, stat leaders, etc., visit 5StarPreps.com — and use promo code New2025 for 30% off your first year or month subscription.

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