Hampton gym reopening a major milestone for recovering community

HAMPTON — Across our region, many communities big and small find pride in and rally around their high schools. An example can be found in sports-crazed Hampton, where no matter the season, much of the 1,695-person community can be found in droves supporting Bulldog athletics. The normalcy felt for generations came crashing down in late September 2024. On a fateful Friday morning, the remains of Hurricane Helene impacted the spine of the lower Appalachian Mountains, wrecking havoc on much of the Tri-Cities. Hampton was one of the hardest-hit communities. Roads were ruined, houses were damaged, and the Hampton High campus bore the brunt of flood damage due to its location on the banks of the Doe River. As the community began to rebuild, its high school students had to find a new, temporary home. In the classroom, that home became the old Keenburg Elementary School building. For the basketball team, it was forced to migrate to Hampton Elementary for the 2024-25 season. The folks of Hampton continued to show up to the smaller gymnasium to support Bulldog basketball, one of the most proud programs in the area. The Hampton boys have made 16 state tournament appearances and have won a pair of state championships. The Lady Bulldogs haven't been too shabby themselves, making eight appearances to Tennessee's big dance. Still, coaches, players and fans alike all hoped and prayed for a day where Hampton felt normal again. And that normalcy would eventually come. Carter County officials and community members worked tirelessly to repair Hampton High's campus, with a target date to return before the end of the 2025-26 school year. After plenty of grit, determination and fresh paint, Hampton High reopened its doors to students on Wednesday. Then on Friday, the community participated in one big homecoming at Van Huss-White Gymnasium for Hampton's games against Johnson County. Aided by a white-out by the fans, the early January night had a postseason feel. "That is as much of a sub-state atmosphere as you'll ever get on January 9," girls' basketball coach and athletic director Dewayne Humphrey said after the Lady Bulldogs picked up a 47-44 victory. "That is an amazing, amazing community right there. They have shown these kids and this school so much. They showed up and they showed out." One of the community members in attendance was Leon Tolley. His son, Ezra, is a senior on the basketball team. Meanwhile, Tolley was a standout himself for Hampton hoops, earning the 1983 Class A State Tournament MVP, even as the Bulldogs lost in the state championship. "There's no place like Van Huss-White Gym," Tolley said. "To see the community rally around the school and everybody get to celebrate it tonight, makes it a special occasion." Before the main event of the evening – the boys' varsity game – Hampton recognized boys' head coach Ned Smith by officially naming the playing surface "Coach Ned Smith Court." Smith has led the Bulldogs since the 2011-12 season, and has overseen Hampton make six state tournament appearances. In 2023, the Bulldogs reached the mountain top by winning the state championship. "It's all about the assistants," Smith said of the honor. "Coach (Mike) Matheson has been here since I've been here. Wesley (Murray) and Coach Humphrey was an assistant for a long time. (Cadon) Buckles now. They work as hard as I do. Truly blessed with great assistants. Great players, too." Following the festivities, the Bulldogs used a massive second quarter to secure an 81-42 rout of the Longhorns. The victories by both squads were the cherries on top of a night of celebration. While some areas of the Hampton community still aren't all the way back from pre-Helene, Friday night made things feel normal for the first time in a long time.