Congratulating the Bearden High School Lady Bulldogs
Floor Speech
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Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Bearden High School Lady Bulldogs basketball team for winning their first Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association title in program history. Bearden won the Class 4A State championship game on March 12, defeating the Farragut Lady Admirals 52-34.
Both teams reached the State tournament after a season's worth of perseverance and teamwork. The Lady Bulldogs compiled 36 wins during the regular season while the Lady Admirals won 39 games. In the State tournament, Bearden and Farragut sailed through the quarterfinals and semifinals to set up a clash with each other in the championship game. It was the fifth time these two teams met during the season.
This was a historic matchup, Madam Speaker. Neither Bearden nor Farragut had appeared in a girls' State championship game before that. It also marked the first time two Knox County schools competed against each other in the State championship game. Regardless of the winner of this game, Knox County would have its first girls' basketball State championship team since the Austin-East Roadrunners won it all in 2007.
As a Bearden High School alumnus, I am excited that my Lady Bulldogs were victorious in the championship, but I represent both these communities in Congress. The Lady Admirals should be proud of what they achieved this year, and I am happy to recognize Farragut for an incredibly successful season. Both squads did an excellent job representing east Tennessee in the State tournament. Congratulations to the girls and their coaches. Go, Bulldogs.
Congratulating University of Tennessee's Basketball Programs
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Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate the University of Tennessee's basketball programs on making their respective 2022 NCAA tournaments. By punching their tickets to the big dance, both the men's and women's teams built on UT athletics' long history of college basketball success.
The University of Tennessee is the only school to qualify for every women's NCAA tournament. The women's program is making its 40th straight--40th straight, Madam Speaker--NCAA tournament appearance after winning 23 contests during the regular season. Competing as the number four seed in the Wichita region, the Lady Volunteers won't need to travel far for their first game of the tournament. Thompson-Boling Arena will host it in Knoxville. This venue will be the first for this year's competition, which is where the Lady Volunteers will take on the Buffalo Bulls on March 19.
On the men's side, the Volunteers defeated the Texas A&M Aggies last Saturday to win the 2022 Southeastern Conference tournament championship. It is not in my notes, but I do want to note, since Representative Barr might be watching this, we also defeated Kentucky very handily also. This is the fifth tournament championship in program history and the first since 1979. The team earned the number three seed in the South Region for its regular season performance and faces the Longwood Lancers in the first round this afternoon in Indianapolis, Indiana.
I wish the best of luck to the Lady Volunteers head coach Kellie Harper and the Volunteers men's head coach Rick Barnes, all their players, coaches, and support staff as they compete in this year's NCAA's basketball tournament. I was also an alumnus of the University of Tennessee, and I still have 4 years of eligibility left in basketball. Go Vols. Buddy's Bar-B-Q Celebrates 50 Years
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Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Buddy's Bar-b-q, a local favorite in east Tennessee, and one of my local favorites as well. My mama and daddy and I always used to eat there after church on Sundays. It was always delicious. I ate there with my best friend Chris Heagerty last week, and it was still delicious, and it was very price conscious, I will say. It is not too expensive.
Buddy and LaMuriel Smothers dreamed of opening a restaurant that served quality, homestyle barbecue with classic southern hospitality. In 1972, they made that dream a reality by opening the first Buddy's Bar-b-q in Knoxville. It quickly became a hit. Crowds packed into the restaurant to enjoy LaMuriel's delicious recipes, which are still on the menu today, and listen to the wonderful bluegrass bands that played on Friday nights. I remember a band called Knoxville Grass used to play there, and I would sing a little bit of the tunes here, but I don't want to run everybody off or be called out.
Ten years later, of course, Buddy's Bar-b-q was featured at the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, where I worked at the always very loud and impressive video expo. After appearing at the fair, though, the word spread far and wide that Buddy's Bar-b-q was outstanding. The restaurant became a barbecue staple in Tennessee, a reputation that it has maintained for the past 40 years.
Complementing the outstanding food at Buddy's Bar-b-q are the restaurant's charitable efforts in our community. The restaurant launched Buddy's Race for the Cure to honor Buddy after he died of cancer in 1992 and supports Alzheimer's Tennessee in honor of LaMuriel. It also hosts Mission Mondays and supports local schools, regional nonprofits, and the University of Tennessee. Additionally, Buddy's Bar- b-q will provide catering and support for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's annual gathering to honor all the living Medal of Honor recipients. This event is again being held in Knoxville this year for the second time, and Buddy's will provide classic southern hospitality.
I congratulate the entire Smothers family; my good friends Anthony and Lisa Edwards, Mark and Jaime Lemoncelli; and everyone involved in making Buddy's Bar-b-q a wonderful success these past 50 years. It is good. If you all ever get to Knoxville, please stop in.
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