The 2021-22 CHS hoops season began in the spring
The 2021-22 high school basketball season may seem like it’s a long time away.
But not really.
Clinton High School, it seems, always boasts a competitive program.
And the work always begins in the summer for Coach Chris Lockard and his players
The Dragons have enjoyed deep postseason runs over the years and have had years where they’ve advanced to the state tournament.
Clinton and all other athletic programs are on a TSSAA break as it is a dead period.
But before getting their rest, the Dragons did their usual offseason work. This year, Clinton, its players and its longtime head coach turned things up a notch in anticipation of the 2021-22 season that lies ahead.
“This year I did what I usually do,” Lockard said. “We had two weeks of spring practice, we had our individual camp where our kids came in and worked with the little kids, and we had some summer workouts.”
This summer, however, Lockard and the Dragons made a trip to Florida State’s team camp in Windermore, Fla.
There, the Dragons enjoyed a little success against some of the top teams in the Southeast as they competed against teams in the camp’s top tier.
“This year, we went to the team camp at Florida State,” Lockard said. “The boys wanted to go down there and they wanted to play against some upper-level teams.
“There were some teams down there that were a little more upper level than I thought they would be. We saw some great teams, we saw some good teams from Florida and Georgia, of course and then we saw a team from South Carolina, which was probably the best team that we played down there.”
The Dragons, coming off a 22-5 campaign last season that saw them reach the Region 2-AAA semifinals before being eliminated by 2019 Class AAA State Champion Bearden, went 5-2 during their stay in the Sunshine State.
The new season may be a long way off , but Clinton’s showing in Florida gave Lockard, its longtime coach, more reason for optimism.
The Dragons return everybody from last year’s team and have a pair of transfers ready to enter the fray.
“I think we’re going to have a good season this year; this is a special team and the guys are really fun to coach,” Lockard said. “They’re all great kids and they love being around each other all the time.
“I’ve had runs where we’ve made it to the state tournament and we’ve had years where we’ve made deep runs in the substate, but we just couldn’t get past Tennessee High or Science Hill. But this team can be special.”
Top players for Clinton include Jackson Garner, Lane Harrison, Jeremiah Blavett, Trace Thackerson, Rishon Bright, Rodayvian Truss and Hunter Rupert.
All return from a team that finished second in the District 3-AAA tournament after taking second during the regular season.
Transfers Barrett Maddox and Brent Reynolds will look to make an immediate impact for the Dragons in the post.
“We’ll have a couple of transfers and they are much needed,” Lockard said..
To make a deep postseason run, Clinton will no longer have to beat Bearden and Maryville.
The Dragons will also no longer be in the league against Oak Ridge since the TSSAA added a Class 4A to basketball.
The Bulldogs, Rebels and Wildcats are now in Class 4A, while Clinton remains in Class 3A.
The 2021-22 season also marks the 50th year that Clinton’s boys basketball coach will be a Lockard.
Chris’ father, Don, took the helm for the Dragons in 1971-72. Chris served for a time as an assistant under his father before becoming head coach in 2000.
“The Lockards have coached Clinton basketball for a half-century,” Chris Lockard said. “I’m looking forward to a great 50th year.”