On Thursday a group of young men, their coaches, and parents departed Hampton Elementary School for a trip that would carry them to Smyrna and Stewart’s Creek Middle School to prepare for an opportunity not afforded many middle school basketball teams.

But for this group, it was something that burned in their gut and heart since their initial trip last year about this time that found them in the Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association’s inaugural state championship.

They battled through the semifinal game to earn a spot opposite Lester Prep out of the Memphis area that is a private school that had players that could probably filled some high school rosters with their talent level.

In that game, the Hampton Jr. Bulldogs suffered a defeat that left a very unpleasant taste in their mouth – a taste that has left a bitter and lasting one in their mouth for over a year.

Together, as a family and not just a team, each one made a commitment to do whatever it took to get a measure of redemption if you will.

While many started their season just a month before the regular season started during this past basketball season, this group listened and bought into what their head coach Dewayne Humphrey and the rest of the coaching staff had to say.

So, instead of just waiting for a new season, this group decided to hit the road and seek out the best of the best in their playing division so they embarked on playing a travel ball schedule.

It was a schedule that would pit them against teams that they would never see in their regular-season play and they knew they were going to take their beatings but it would be necessary to learn, grow, and improve.

They faced teams that could even dunk over them and were whipped in the early part of their travel ball season.

But with each lump and knock that they took, they learned something about themselves finding that no matter how bad the adversity that as long as they stood together as a team, they could face any challenge.

It was hard for their head coach to stand by and see those early games because he saw these young men as ballplayers – he saw them as his own and knew they were all special in their own way.

So they stuck with the commitment by playing teams from places like Atlanta, Spartanburg, and Memphis with one goal in mind and that was what lied ahead at the end of the postseason road – a trip back to the state championship.

So as the travel season came to an end, they found they might have still been losing to the experienced travel teams they faced off against but something else happened.

They became more competitive with each tournament and instead of taking those bad beatings, they were making teams have to play them to the final horn.

Fast forward to the 2019-2020 basketball season and this same group of young men and coaches took the floor against teams from the Tri-Cities area and the results showed what their coaches saw during travel ball.

This team was pretty darn good.

Over the course of the season, these Hampton Jr. ‘Dogs outscored their opponents 1454 points to 833.

They have won 26 games against only three losses. Two of those losses came against a very strong AAA school out of Morristown – East Ridge and a AAA John Sevier team from Kingsport.

Even though each player contributed in some form or fashion, the Jr. ‘Dogs have relied on two eighth-graders who would love nothing more than to leave a legacy at the elementary school by bringing home a state title.

Those two players are Dylan Trivett and Hayden Campbell. Trivett has scored 438 points on the season – a pretty hefty total even for a high school basketball player while Campbell has scored 403, again an amazing total.

Trivett has shot 45 percent from beyond the arc and collected 173 rebounds on the season.

Campbell, a giant that is gentle until unleashed on the basketball court, has pulled down 206 rebounds to this point and blocked 83 shots on the season.

But there are other contributors who although they may not have scored a ton of points or hauled in a wheelbarrow full of rebounds have played their roles with an understanding its all about the team.

There is Chandler Smith who seemed to calm the team during the recent Area and Sectional tournaments with some big shots early.

Then there was the ball handling of Michael Anspaugh and the hustle of Dominic Burleson whose gazelle speed made it tough on opponents.

Elijah McKinney turned his entire game around when his team needed him the most and brought pleasant energy to the team down the stretch.

There were players like Caden Davis, Grayson Young, and Elijah Church who knew what their roles were on the team and each time called upon they were ready to do their part.

And while during the season, there was some adversity with the loss of a couple of starters for unnamed reasons and the loss of a heavy contributor in Geno Carrico who broke his hand – the Jr. Bulldogs kept battling through each obstacle placed in their paths.

The Jr. ‘Dogs got some good news just this week as Carrico has the cast off his hand and could be available for the state games.

And last but not least, there is Humphrey who has been the building block of many a Bulldog who has advanced on to play high school ball at Hampton High.

The long-time coach takes nothing less than the best from his players because he knows entitlement gets no one anywhere in life – what you get has to be earned.

Under his leadership and surrounding himself with great assistants like Coach “G” – Joy Gardner and Ricky Burchett who expect the same as Humphrey, the team has thrived and excelled.

He also has great support staff in Rob Fritts whose blood is as blue as the uniforms the team wears keeps stats each game that the coaches rely on to make their team better along with bookkeeper Brandy Trivett keeping up with fouls, timeouts, and everything else that transpires throughout the games.

The hard work is paying dividends, great teams have been played, adversity has been overcame, and now just one thing remains.

Taking care of the first semifinal tonight against Lester Prep at 8:30 pm central time (9:30 pm Carter Co.time) is the first of two tasks that remain on the season.

And the last thing will be taking care of business in the state championship game on Saturday.

This team has made Hampton and Carter County proud by reaching this level yet again for two consecutive years.

The future of boys basketball at Hampton High looks bright and head coach Ned Smith can’t wait.

However, first things first. Bringing home the state championship trophy and the net is the only thing on this team’s mind.

GO JR. BULLDOGS! Bring home that title.