A little blood, a whole lot of sweat, and both happy and sad tears wrapped up this year’s story of the Frank Hughes High School Lions boys’ basketball team. This year’s appearance of the FHS Lions in the State Tournament marks the first time a boys’ basketball team from Wayne County has made it to the Championship Game. This team has certainly made history in high school basketball in Wayne County!
In what can only be called a true Cinderella story, this team of young men started the 2023-2024 season with determination and grit, and that spirit only grew stronger as the season went on. FHS is the 4th smallest high school in the state, with an enrollment of 93. Of the four smallest high schools in the state, only two have a boys’ basketball team, making FHS the second smallest high school in the state with a boys’ basketball team. After putting that into perspective, just think about this for a moment…this team made it to the Championship Game of the State Tournament!
Consider the team’s come-from-behind path in the quarterfinal and semifinal games. The Lions overcame a 12-point deficit in their Class 1A quarterfinal game against Jellico, coming from behind in the second half and taking the victory, 77 – 62. Lead scorer for the Lions was Alex Ronchetti with 29 points. Others scoring were Aiden Dicus with 18, Weston Lineberry and Devin Dicus with 12 each, and Konnor Lineberry and Levi Tuck with 3 points each.
After winning the quarterfinal game, the Lions moved on to take on Gordonsville in the semifinal game. The pressure was on at this point more than ever before, but the Lions didn’t back down. After once again coming from behind, the Lions earned the hard-fought victory, 48 – 43. Weston Lineberry was the high scorer of the game with 18 points. Making it even more memorable, Lineberry scored his 1000th career point during the semifinal game! Others scoring were Aiden Dicus with 11 points, Devin Dicus with 10, and Levi Tuck with 9.
The semifinal win set the FHS Lions up to play where they had never played before – the Championship Game of the State Tournament. The Glass House at MTSU was packed with fans for both teams as the Lions took on Chattanooga Prep. Lots of Clifton residents showed up to support the Lions, and the ones who weren’t able to be there in person were watching or listening from home. Clifton was not the only town with Lions fans that day; both Waynesboro and Collinwood were cheering on this historic team as well.
As both teams took the court, you could see the determination in the Lions boys’ eyes as they faced off against the intimidating Sentinels of Chattanooga Prep. The Lions never lost their fighting spirit, but ended up suffering their final loss of the season to the boys from Chattanooga, 64 – 41. Lead scorer was Aiden Dicus with 16, followed by Alex Ronchetti with 12 points, Devin Dicus with 8, Weston Lineberry and Tucker Staggs with 2 apiece, and Hazen Simmons with 1.
The 2023-2024 FHS Lions are a team that will go down in the history books, and they will be remembered for many years to come. Even the fans from other teams have commented not just on the team’s basketball skills, but on their great sportsmanship as well. Young players coming up in the game can watch this year’s Lions basketball team and learn not only how to play the game, but also learn how young athletes should behave while still having a passion for the sport. Congratulations to the Frank Hughes High School Lions for a truly great run!
