How Ava Wheeler's surge saved Cocke County in TSSAA girls basketball state tournamentTyler Palmateer, Knoxville News SentinelThu, March 12, 2026 at 2:48 AM UTC·2 min readMURFREESBORO — Ava Wheeler absorbed the contact.
On the court, it would’ve been a foul. But on the sideline, it was pure joy.
The Cocke County sophomore guard withstood a celebratory chest bump from coach Boddie Bible in the second half of his team's 59-44 comeback win over Liberty Creek in the Class 3A TSSAA girls state tournament quarterfinals on March 11.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“That was pretty exciting,” Wheeler said.
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Wheeler was scoreless in the first half but finished 5-of-11 from beyond the 3-point line with a team-high 19 points.
“I just went to the locker room (at halftime) and I was beating myself up,” Wheeler said. “Then I was like, we went home in the first round last year. We’ve been working so hard to get here, so I have to contribute my part. I just kept shooting like my coaches and teammates told me to.”
Cocke County (34-4) advances to the state semifinals and will play the winner of Covington (26-5) and White County (32-5) at 2:15 p.m. CT on March 13.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCocke County was in trouble as it began its third straight state tournament. Liberty Creek, making its first state tournament appearance, jumped out to a 20-7 lead after the first quarter but was outscored 13-0 in the second.
Karmine Carmichael (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Blakelyn Clevenger (10 points) came alive, but it was Wheeler who really poured it on. Her 3s ignited the contingent of fans who made the 3-hour, 26-minute drive from Newport.
“Once I hit my first one, I pretty much know I’m on,” Wheeler said.
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at [email protected] and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe also contributes to The Tennessean's high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Cocke County wins TSSAA girls basketball state tournament opener
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