Early in first quarter
Ridgeway leads 3-0 on Jason Jones 3-pointer…In 1:30, that’s all the scoring we have so far…..Nick Walls called for traveling for Ridgeway….Wildcat possession….

4:16 left in first quarter
J. Jones headed to line for Ridgeway with Roadrunners leading, 5-2….makes first, makes second…..7-2 Ridgeway….Nick Walls layup makes it 9-2 Ridgeway…..That a way MEMPHIS!!!!!!!

2:45 left in first quarter
It’s like Clarksville doesn’t know what hit them so far….Ridgeway now leading 14-2 following Anthony Wooten 3-pointer…..Timeout Clarksville, and it’s long overdue with 2:23 left in first now.

End of first quarter….Ridgeway 18, Clarksville 7
Roadrunners off and running!!!! Biggest lead was 14

7:03 left in second
Ryne Harper 3-pointer has cut lead to 18-10…..Like Whites Creek, Clarksville appears to be getting over early jitters associated with playing a Memphis team….Whites Creek coach Jim Nolner talked about just that following his team’s quarterfinal win over Craigmont…..His Cobras had trailed by 10 in the second quarter, when Nolner said his team got over the “Memphis Mystique”

4:10 left in second
Man, has Clarksville gotten over the so-called Memphis Mystique…..Ryne Harper’s third 3-pointer cuts it to 22-20, Ridgeway, before Martino Brock makes a jumper to push lead back to four……Since leading 18-4, Ridgeway has been outscored 16-6.

2:26 left in second
Goodness, it’s now tied at 24-all following another 3-pointer by Clarksville….I’m starting to get the feeling that beating Memphis is becoming VERY personal for these teams from the rest of the state.

End of first half….Ridgeway 27, Clarksville 27
I’m almost scared to watch the rest. Maybe if I concentrate on getting my Craigmont story done, like I was early in the first quarter of this one, Ridgeway will play like it had been early, when it led 18-4. Be back for second half.

7:10 left in third quarter
Man, oh, man. Clarksville has taken a 33-27, having outscored Ridgeway, 8-0, since the second quarter……Roadrunners make a pair of FTs to cut it to 33-29

4:11 left in third quarter
This feels like a repeat from earlier…..Clarksville has taken its biggest lead at 43-33….Jones misses dunk attempt for Ridgeway on other end, but gets it back, makes basket in lane and is fouled…..heads to line for FT..misses…but Memphis football signee Dasmine Cathey is there for rebound, and he’s fouled…..makes 1-of-2 to make it 43-36, Clarksville.

56.6 left in third quarter
Ridgeway has made this a 4-point game (49-45) on Trevon Malone’s bucket inside…..Tyrone Caldwell back to line….makes both FTs

End of third…Clarksville 53, Ridgeway 48

7:16 left in fourth quarter
Ryne Harper 3-pointer makes it 56-50 Clarksville……Roadrunners just can’t seem to get any defensive stops…..having little trouble scoring….just need some stops, and they get one…Walls gets a steal, then over to Jones underneath basket..misses layup, but is fouled…..Jones heads to line with 6:40 left….makes both….56-52 c-ville

6:15 left in fourth quarter
Martino Brock at line for two….misses first, rattles in second to make it 57-53, Clarksville….damn stat boxes on on the fritz here on press row, so I can’t tell you right now what both teams are shooting, but I can tell you Ryne Harper is on fire from deep for Wildcats….hits another 3-pointer to make it 60-53, Clarksville

5:06 left in fourth
Timeout Ridgeway, trailing, 61-57 on J. Jones layup….unlike Craigmont, Ridgeway’s remaining close enough with enough time still left on clock to steal this one….Unbelievable crowd for Clarksville, which must have half of the Murphy Center full with its folks.

4:35 left in fourth
Trevon Malone with a chance to cut lead to two, but misses both FTs….Clarksville still leads 61-57, and Tyrone Caldwell adds layup to push lead to six…

3:19 left in fourth
Wes Henning forced to call timeout for Ridgeway after Ryne Harper bangs in another 3-pointer to make it 66-57, Clarksville…..This one’s getting away from Roadrunners.

2:51 left in fourth
Six point game after Caldwell splits a pair of free throws for Wildcats…Wooten hits a leaner on other end for Ridgeway to make it a 4-point game (67-63), but Harper to the line now for Clarksville….makes 1-of-2……68-63 Clarksville with 2:24 left

1:28 left in fourth
Caldwell at line now with Clarksville leading 70-63….starting to look like Memphis won’t have a boys team in class AAA final for first time since 1999…..Caldwell makes both to stretch lead to nine

1:06 left in fourth
Wow!! Wooten steal and 3-pointer had made this a 72-68 game…..Ridgeway gets another steal on inbounds pass, and Anthony Boyce is fouled for Ridgeway…..misses FIRST!!!!…makes second……misses second…..NOW ANOTHER TURNOVER by Clarksville….Ridgeway ball with 40 seconds left, and Wooten makes a LAYUP to make it 72-71!!!!!!

17.2 second left in fourth
You would not believe this folks….After Adam Barnes’ misses two FTs for Clarksville…..Boyce gets wideopen underneath basket for Ridgeway, but misses bunny….then Dasmine Cathey, who gets the offensive rebound, misses from the other side…..Both were incredibly makeable buckets….Clarksville almost can’t believe it’s still leading with ball with 17.2 left

6.1 left in fourth
With 6.1 left, R. Harper is at line for Clarksville after Nick Walls fouls out for Ridgeway…..Roadrunners still trail just 72-71, and Henning has now called timeout to ice Barnes and talk about what it will do on its possession. One thing is for sure, the Roadrunners should definitely get a shot off.

6.1 left
Out of timeout now…..Harper to line…..makes first, makes second

Game Over ….Clarksville 74, Ridgeway 71
Wooten and Boyce each miss 3-point attempts over final six seconds and Ridgeway is done. Wes Henning all over Roadrunners for trying to leave floor without shaking Clarksivlle players’ hands…Roadrunners, as they should, come back on his command and do handshakes….This one’s over folks…..Memphis, for the first time in eight seasons, is out of it in Class AAA…I’m out for another round of interviews with sad-faced kids…

Oh well, there’s still Mitchell, and you tell me, who would’ve actually thunk it at the beginning of the season, that Mitchell, which lost everything from last year’s state runner-up team, would be the last Memphis boys team playing in March.