Coach 'Q' leads Morristown to Shelby County Tournament title

Cancer has taken plenty from Quinton Batton.

The Morristown native’s journey to overcome a leukemia diagnosis has been well documented. His senior year playing basketball (2021-22) as a Yellow Jacket was lost. Two years later, the opportunity to coach his nephew was taken away as well.

However, in December Batton endured his last chemotherapy session. His port was removed in January. And Thursday night he led Morristown’s seventh-grade boys basketball team to a season-ending Shelby County Tournament championship.

“They are just a fun group to be around,” said Batton while holding the championship trophy adorned with the net Batton just cut down at the Southwestern fieldhouse. “There are times they just see me as a friend, we’re so close as a group. Clearly when I try to be hard on them or authoritative, that plays in their favor more than mine. We just get along so well. We had a great season.”

Batton’s Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 6-0 lead Thursday over Southwestern. Morristown then scored the first 10 points in the second quarter and made five three-pointers in the six-minute span to extend its lead to 27-7 at halftime.

“We were rough starting out,” he said. “I don’t know what our shooting percentage was in the first quarter. Anytime we see a zone we just start chucking shots up because they are wide open. They are naturally gifted on the basketball court but they still have a lot of learning IQ wise, on and off the court, and maturing (to do). They still have growth there and on the basketball court.”

Morristown defeated Southwestern to capture the 2025 Shelby County Tournament championship.

Morristown outscored the Spartans 11-5 in the third quarter and enjoyed a victory lap in the fourth as it cruised to a 43-19 victory.

For Southwestern, Rhys Shuppert, Joey Oliver and Braxton Falor each scored five points in the loss.

Mac McNeely, Batton’s nephew, and Jasen Tweedy each scored 11 points for Morristown, who finished the season 14-3.

Morristown's David Cavaletto (32) shoots over the Southwestern defense Thursday at the Southwestern fieldhouse.

Aiden Amburgery and David Cavaletto added seven points apiece.

Amburgery, McNeely and Tweedy combined for the five 3s in the second quarter that pushed the lead to double digits.

Batton first coached the group as fifth graders. He credits McNeely with keeping him updated on the team as sixth graders while he was sidelined.

“Mac would always tell me what they were doing at school to show support,” said Batton. “And asking questions about me. That meant a lot while I was in the hospital, just knowing people cared, when they reached out, that meant more than anything else, trying to keep in touch with me.”

Nights like Thursday kept Batton fighting. The Yellow Jackets are his team now – at least for another season until he delivers them to the high school program and head coach Cory Kreiger.

“More than anything, I want to see when they get to high school and continue with success,” he said. “I told them at the start of the season, obviously I want to win now but I am not going to let them just play basketball how they want to play. I am going to do it how coach Kreiger wants me to teach them and prepare them for high school. So they win possibly now and in the future.”

When asked about his health, Batton smiles.

“Nothing is going on with me now,” he said.

And now that the basketball season is over, he can go back to focusing on his college courses. Just as he gives back to the sport that lifted him up in his darkest hours, Batton wants to be a pediatric nurse to help others fight the battle he is currently winning.

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