Super 25 No. 12 Bartlett wins first state championship in 25 years
Bartlett solidified itself as one of the nation's top teams with a dominant championship performance.
Even though it had been 25 years since Bartlett's boys basketball team last won a state championship, there was no shortage of expectations for the Panthers entering this year's TSSAA Class 4A state tournament. The No. 12 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Super 25 rankings , Bartlett was viewed by a majority of the state as the overwhelming favorites to win the program's second gold ball.
On Saturday, they lived up to those expectations, as the Panthers got out early and never let up, rolling to a 69-47 win over Walker Valley. With the win, Bartlett (35-4) finished the 2025-26 season without suffering a loss to a team from Tennessee. Their four losses came to No.
1 Paul VI (Chantilly, VA), twice to No. 7 Principia (St. Louis, MO), and to No.
17 Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, NY) . A group loaded with elite junior and sophomore talent, it was senior Axton Perry who led them in scoring against the Mustangs (31-4). The Southeast Missouri State signee scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked four shots.