HANCEVILLE — Seems like the Red Bay and Hatton girls basketball teams are always on some kind of collision course.

The two formidable teams have forged a healthy, respectful rivalry over the course of the past two decades.

For a while, Hatton had the upper hand when all-state player such as Mamie Rutherford and Amber Rutherford were making their annual state championship run.

Lately, including this season, Red Bay has held bragging rights. Today, the two teams meet for the third time this season with a little more at stake — it’s a loser go home game at the Class 2A Northwest Regional tournament in Tom Drake Coliseum.

Red Bay (28-4) is looking to make a clean sweep of the series this year, having won two previous meetings while Hatton (12-15) enters as an underdog. Also, Red Bay is 2-0 against Hatton in regional tournament games.

The winner of today’s 6 p.m. game takes on the winner of Mars Hill-Cold Springs with a trip to the Final 48 on the line.

“I can remember going to Red Bay when I was a player,” Hatton coach Lisa Johnson said. “I think we were the first (Hatton team) to beat Red Bay on its home floor. Girls basketball is huge at Red Bay. That’s what they do.

“Hatton is known for having good girls programs,” she added. “It’s one of those things where its two teams that love to compete. They meet up and end up becoming rivals — not in a bad way, it’s just good competition.”

Red Bay coach Donnie Roberts, who is closing in on 800 career wins, has been an enduring part of the rivalry. He said it took off around 2000 when the teams were put in the same Class 2A area.

“That’s when it really got good,” he said. “Basketball has been good at both schools, but I don’t think it is as intense as it was back when we first got in the area with them. In those days, we’d go to Hatton and you couldn’t find a seat. It was the same when they came to Red Bay. Everybody came to watch us play.”

Since 2000, Red Bay has three regional titles and Hatton has two — and Roberts is 2-0 against the Tigers in regional games.

“We don’t like losing to each other,” Roberts said.

Neither coach has exact records of just how the series stands throughout the years, but both estimate it’s probably about even.

“One year I’ll beat him and the next he’ll beat me,” Johnson said.

“Red Bay has had the best of us for the past few years, though.”

Each team features a franchise player. Johnson’s daughter Jordan, a Tennessee-Martin signee, leads the Hornets while guard Hannah Sharp is Red Bay’s key performer.

“We haven’t stopped Jordan this year,” Roberts said. “She got 29 at our place and 34 at their place. It’s just hard for us to do anything with her.”

For Lisa Johnson, Red Bay’s style is always a concern. The Tigers press all over the floor and when they get a lead in games such as this, Roberts likes to pull the ball out and spread the floor.

“He’s going to do whatever he needs to do to win,” the Hatton coach said. “It’s hard to prepare for and I admit, I don’t like it, but I give him credit. It’s a lot of pressure on a team when you know what’s coming. I wish girls basketball had a shot clock.”

Contact Gregg Dewalt at 256-740-5748 or gregg.dewalt@TimesDaily.com.