East Hamilton Ready For First Appearance in State Basketball Tournament

Chattanooga:”The wait is over for East Hamilton.
After opening their school doors in 2009, the basketball team has finally qualified for the state basketball tournament.
The Hurricanes will make their first journey to Murfreesboro on Wednesday as they take on Memphis East.
It might be hard for a coach to visualize for his players the dream of going to state, but East Hamilton’s Rodney English could demonstrate he was invested in helping his guys get there.
Said English:”These kids have seen me clean up throw up on the floor. These kids see me wash their laundry every single day, so they saw the work that I was willing to put in, and they came along with me.”
And it seems that hard work gave the Hurricanes confidence they could eventually make it Murfreesboro.
Said guard Justin Dozier:”Me and coach and another player went up to the state tournament and watched them. I was like coach, we’re going to be here next year.”
Yes this is East Hamilton’s first trip to state, but this is not a Cinderella story.
Said English:”I’ve been a Cinderella. When I played at ETSU, and we beat Arizona. That’s all everyone kept saying. Cinderella story. Okay, I’ll accept that then. But the work these kids have put in over the last couple of years, not the last couple of months, but the last couple of years, oh no, they deserve to be here.”
Going to state is great, but the mission is not complete.
Said forward Davae Hughley:”Our goal is to win. Win the state really. I mean not just to be here, but to win. Win a championship. Bring a trophy home.”
Said English:”You know every time someone in our building or in the community stops me and says great job, I stop them and say not yet because we still have a ways to go.”
The Hurricanes would certainly surprise a lot of people if they won their tournament opener.
They face the defending champs in Memphis East.
Said English:”I think we’re going to surprise some people in this tournament. I really believe that because my kids are hungry. We’re ready. They’re going to be prepared for everything that they are going to see. I think we’ve still have got a lot of basketball left in us.”
East Hamilton and Memphis East tip at 2:15pm est on Wednesday at MTSU.