Last-second shot gives Arlington Heights upset of Tech

By Darren Lauber

Special to the Star-Telegram

Damontre McFarland’s put-back of a missed shot at the buzzer propelled third-place Fort Worth Arlington Heights past District 7-4A champion Fort Worth Trimble Tech 40-38 in a boys Class 4A Region I quarterfinal Tuesday at Billingsley Field House.

Arlington Heights (21-11) will meet Amarillo or El Paso Burges in a Region I semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday at The Coliseum in Snyder. Amarillo (20-11) and Burges (20-12) will play tonight at 6 p.m. at Odessa College after their game was postponed on Tuesday due to the weather.

Coming out of a timeout with nine seconds left in the game, Heights worked the ball around to get it in the hands of A’Shawn Robinson, who had dominated the inside against the smaller Trimble Tech front.

Robinson pulled up for a jumper just inside the free throw line, but the rebound came right to McFarland who gently laid it in. McFarland’s feet hit the floor as the buzzer sounded and classmates rushed the court in celebration.

“It was really supposed to be all A’Shawn and it just happened to come my way and I just put it back in,” said McFarland who finished the night with 5 points, but had several blocked shots. “I still don’t even know that I made it. I’m still in shock.”

Trimble Tech (25-8) led 38-35 with 2:12 left following two made free throws by Jordan Gales, but a made free throw and a fast-break layup by Justin Hemphill, off of a rebound and quick outlet by McFarland, tied the game at 38 with 1:42 left.

The Bulldogs had defeated the Yellow Jackets twice in District 7-4A play and were in position to make it three in a row, but after three missed attempts from the field, Hemphill, who led all scorers with 13, finally secured the rebound for Arlington Heights to set up McFarland’s heroics.

“They knew how to play the inside, so they started cheating it and we really couldn’t do anything,” said McFarland. “It was a big shot at the end, but I wouldn’t have done it without my team.”

Looking for comments?