HJR 7018

                                                                           <BillNo> <Sponsor>
                                 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 7018
                                               By Howell
                                A RESOLUTION to honor Jason Reuter on the occasion of his
                                             retirement.
        WHEREAS, we take great pleasure in paying tribute to an outstanding high school
basketball coach, a gentleman who has earned the respect and admiration of his peers and
basketball fans across Tennessee during the course of his exemplary career; and
        WHEREAS, Jason Reuter is taking a much-deserved retirement after sixteen years
spent coaching the Bradley County High School (BCHS) Bearette basketball program; and
        WHEREAS, Mr. Reuter first distinguished himself as a standout high school player on a
Kentucky state championship team; he went on to play for four years at Lee College, after which
he began his coaching journey as an assistant coach at Meigs County High School in the
1990s; and
        WHEREAS, legendary BCHS boys' coach Kent Smith recognized Mr. Reuter's talents
and recruited him to join the Bears' program, where he served with distinction from 1998 until
joining the Bearette program in 2009; and
        WHEREAS, in 2010, Mr. Reuter accepted his first head coaching position and took the
reins of the Bearette program; he had an immediate impact, turning things around from just the
second sub .500 season in the team's 104-year history and leading his team to a 27-6 record
and the first of fifteen TSSAA sectional appearances; and
        WHEREAS, Jason Reuter compiled a noteworthy overall record of 489-46, including 161
straight district victories; he directed the Bearettes to fifteen regular district titles, winning sixteen
district crowns and fifteen Region 3 championship titles; and
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       WHEREAS, throughout his distinguished tenure, Mr. Reuter achieved a truly remarkable
milestone, winning an impressive 91.4 percent of all games over the span of the past sixteen
seasons, an achievement rarely matched in the annals of high school athletics; and
       WHEREAS, his current senior class, which includes two-time Ms. Tennessee Basketball
and all-time leading Bearette scorer Kimora Fields, compiled the best career record in program
history, amassing a 136-4 mark; and
       WHEREAS, Mr. Reuter's influence extends far beyond the hardwood, as he has played
a pivotal role in sending thirty-four players to the collegiate level; notably, one of his athletes
was chosen as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft and became a three-time All-Star, while
another achieved the distinction of representing the USA as a Summer Olympic medalist; and
       WHEREAS, no stranger to recognition, Mr. Reuter is a four-time recipient of the TSSAA
Coach of the Year Award and was also named the 2025 MaxPreps National Coach of the Year,
most befitting honors that recognize his commitment to athletic excellence; and
       WHEREAS, although he is retiring from his coaching career, Mr. Reuter looks forward to
remaining an integral part of the faculty at BCHS and continuing his tenure as a teacher; and
       WHEREAS, over the course of sixteen years, Mr. Reuter built a program defined not
only by competitive excellence but a strong commitment to student development,
sportsmanship, and school pride; and
       WHEREAS, Jason Reuter has distinguished himself as a great basketball coach, role
model, and leader, and he should be recognized on this special occasion; now, therefore,
       BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we honor and commend Coach Jason Reuter for his incomparable career
at Bradley County High School, praise his many contributions to Tennessee high school
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basketball and the growth and maturation of hundreds of young people, and extend to him our
best wishes for every future success and happiness.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.
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