The 2021-2022 high school basketball season officially kicked off Tuesday night at Karns with the “KCS Tip-Off Classic Jamboree” sponsored by KOC. Teams got to play one half of basketball, with Karns facing Farragut.

The Beavers are looking to bounce back this year, following a 10-16 season that saw them finish last in district play. 

“We hope to have a better record than last year,” said senior guard Raley Henson. Henson, son of head coach Lee Henson, is one of only two seniors on this year’s team. 

Karns returns all of its young talent from last year, “We return all of our guys from last year, and we’re a young team,” said Henson. Karns’s starting lineup Tuesday saw one sophomore: guard Bubba Faulkner, two juniors: guard Jadarian “J.J.”  Faulkner and forward Jaylen Cabbage , and only two seniors: guard Raley Henson and center Jaden Brown. 

Karns could never catch up to Farragut in the half of basketball they played at the Jamboree Tuesday night, losing 24-14. The Beavers had offensive woes most of the half. 

“A little rust, but we’re playing against a really good team,” said Karns’ Head Coach Lee Henson regarding the Beavers’ performance against Farragut in the Jamboree. This had been the first game in a year with fans in the stands after the COVID-19 pandemic required games to be only attended by immediate family last year. 

The Beavers were out rebounded Tuesday night. Brown and Faulkner led the Beavers offensively in the first quarter of two, both scoring 3 points. Faulkner scored the first points for Karns on a layup he was fouled on. The Beavers shot 1-7 in the first quarter, with all of Brown’s points coming off free throws. The score was 14-6 going into the last quarter of play. 

The second quarter gave an opportunity for some of Karns’ backups to see the court. The Beavers shot 3-5 in the second quarter, seeing life from junior Adarion Patton’s three. Farragut showed no signs of stopping though, forcing three turnovers and controlling play much of the second quarter. Farragut capped off the night with a loud dunk, erupting their side of the gym as time expired. The “final” score, after two quarters of play, was 24-13. 

The Beaver’s open regular season play Thursday, 11/18, when they travel to South Doyle. The Beavers home opener is Tuesday, 11/23, against Carter. 

On having success in the regular season, Coach Henson said, “Consistency, nine out of ten times we’re going to play with effort… they just have to be consistent with what they do.” 

Beavers open district play Tuesday, 12/7, when they host Central High School. The Beavers seek to improve on their last place finish from last year in a district many view as weaker this year.