Hampton locks down Oneida for first state tournament berth since 2023

HAMPTON — The unofficial theme song of Hampton's postseason has been, "Drift Away" by Uncle Kracker. Courtesy of its defensive effort in Monday's Class 1A Sectional against Oneida, the Bulldogs will be doing anything but drifting away from Murfreesboro. The Bulldogs started the night in the same way they ended it, a steal, en route to a 54-49 victory over the Indians. In the opening seconds of the evening, Bulldog (25-9) senior Bryce Fagan came up with a steal before Oneida could get into a set. In the closing seconds up three, Chase Davenport tapped the ball from behind to force another key turnover. Fagan then hit a late layup at the horn to officially ice Hampton's win over the Indians (21-8). "We stayed with our press all night," Bulldogs head coach Ned Smith said. "They handled our press. We got a few steals, but finally at the end, we got some steals to get us a lead and keep us ahead." It was a slow offensive start for the Bulldogs, who trailed 16-6 with around three minutes left in the first half. Hampton was sparked by a Colby Clark layup to end a 7-0 Indian run, which sparked an 11-0 run for the 'Dogs to give them their first lead of the night. However, Drayton Wade got behind the Bulldog defense to get an easy layup at the halftime buzzer, putting Oneida up by a point at the break. The Indians extended their lead to four in the opening moments of the second half, but the Bulldogs answered with an 8-0 spurt to take the lead back. They stayed in front the rest of the quarter, thanks in part to their work on the offensive glass. Hampton totalled 11 offensive rebounds in the game, with the majority coming after halftime. Despite an eight-point cushion, the affair was far from over. The Indians opened the fourth quarter by scoring 11 of the first 14 points of the frame, tying the game at 40 with four minutes to play. Hampton executed down the stretch, including getting a layup to Davenport with around 10 seconds to go to put the hosts up by three. The senior then followed the ensuing action to get a steal. Davenport led Hampton in scoring with 15 points. "I've dreamed of this moment my whole life," he said. "I really have. I've dreamed of this moment ever since I was really little coming to games. I always wanted to go to Murfreesboro and play a home sub-state game. It's awesome." Elsewhere for the Bulldogs, Tuff Robinson and Bryce Fagan each netted a dozen points while Colby Clark netted 11 points. Fagan paired his 12 points with eight rebounds and Robinson dished out seven assists. The win clinches the 17th trip to the state tournament for Hampton, its first since winning the Class 1A state championship in 2023. This year's senior class were freshmen on that team. Smith said having that experience paid dividends on Monday. "These six seniors, they've worked hard," he said. "They may not all get to play. But they work hard every day. They're good kids. Super proud of this bunch to get the opportunity to play in 'The Glass House.'" Oneida's Ben Gilbert posted a game-high 16 points, including 10 in the final quarter. Long Time Coming Monday marked six years to the day of the last time Hampton played host to the Class 1A Sectional round – a 67-28 drubbing of Harriman. Bulldog basketball, as well as the greater Hampton community, has been through quite the roller coaster. The COVID-19 pandemic quashed the 2020 team's chance at making a run in the state tournament, cancelling the boys' tournament before it started. In 2023, the program won its second-ever state championship and the first since 1960. The next two seasons, Hampton moved up in classification to 2A. But before the team could play its first game up, Hurricane Helene ravaged the community. Damage from the storm forced Hampton High off its campus from late September 2024-January 2026. Up Next Hampton will play in the Class 1A state tournament starting on March 19.