Goodpasture girls make TSSAA basketball tournament championship game for first time

COOKEVILLE – Goodpasture's success on the basketball court isn't ancient history. It's quite recent. The Lady Cougars are only four years removed from their last state semifinal final appearance. There isn't anyone on the current roster who remembers.

Yet all 14 of coach Taylor Clay's players understand the significance of becoming the first team in the program's history to reach a state championship game.

The tears were flowing after Goodpasture's 58-47 victory over The King's Academy Friday in the TSSAA Division II-A girls state semifinal at the Hooper Eblen Center.

"This means the world to us because this team is so close and we're a family," Goodpasture junior guard Harper Kate Miles said. "But ever since I've been here, we've never been one of those top teams so for us to get here is pretty special."

Goodpasture (25-3) will face University School of Jackson at 4 p.m. Saturday for the championship

Goodpasture is coming off the previous two seasons in which the program lost a total of 24 games. Prior to that, the Lady Cougars were among the best DII-A teams in Middle Tennessee with four straight seasons of 20-plus wins.

During that stretch from 2017-2021, Goodpasture posted win totals of 28, 30, 29 and 23. But it lost in the state quarterfinals twice (2018 and 2021) and lost in its only other state semifinal appearance in (2020) to The King's Academy. That 30-win season in 2018-19 ended in the Middle Region quarterfinals to BGA, 48-47.

"We're just grateful we get to be the team to get over that hump," said Goodpasture junior Ona Hawkins, who finished with a game-high 19 points with four rebounds and three assists.

Clay is in his second season as coach but as a high school basketball player at White House a decade ago, he's familiar with Goodpasture's athletic programs. It was a drawing card when he accepted the position before the 2022-23 season started.

"I grew up in Sumner County," he said. "I'm from that area so it's home for me. But I also know some of the history at Goodpasture. I also was a coach at CPA for four years back when they played in DII-A so playing them in region tournaments so I've known they've had success in the past."

Goodpasture won district championships in 2018 and 2019 and won a Middle Region title in 2019-20. But struggled deep in the playoffs.

"These girls are not worried about their own individual success," Clay said. "They play for one another and it's so much fun to get to coach them. But we're really just taking advantage of every opportunity every day. That's been our mindset from the beginning."

Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.