Opinion: This DFW school will win a boys hoops state title this week
There will be no more high school basketball after Saturday as the UIL boys state tournament gets underway on Thursday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Insert sad emoji.
But for you high school sports fanatics, the soccer playoffs are getting close. The bi-district rounds start March 29.
Softball teams have one or two district games under their belt and baseball continues tournament play later this week.
Three things I think
1. Northwest will win state - We'll see all DFW state finals in 6A and 5A. South Garland is going to state for the first time with one of the best players in Texas in junior Tyrese Maxey, who has more than 20 scholarship offers. Allen is at state for just the second time, joining the 2014 team. The Eagles beat No. 1 Denton Guyer in the Region I final. South Garland beat its semifinal opponent Katy Tompkins 76-50 in December. It also beat Allen 68-62 earlier this season so the edge goes to the Colonels in 6A. Justin Northwest and Midlothian are in 5A. Northwest goes to San Antonio for the second straight year and is the highest ranked team left at No. 2. Midlothian played in the toughest district in the state and knocked off defending champ Mansfield Timberview and Lancaster to get to the tourney for the first time. Give me those two in the 5A final with Northwest winning.
2. Dallas Carter and Grandview will win semifinal games, but will come up a game short of a state title. Carter will face No. 1 Silsbee in the 4A final, the defending state champs. Grandview is the baby of the 3A tournament with its second trip to state. Bowie, Mount Vernon and Santa Rosa have been to state a combined 20 times. The Zebras will face one-loss Mount Vernon on Saturday for the championship. But don't be shocked if both find a way to win. They've been tested all season, Carter lost the season series with Lincoln before winning the Region I final. Grandview upset No. 1 Jarrell in Region III.
3. Muenster will win its fourth state title in a year. The Hornets won state titles in basketball, baseball and football during 2017. In last year's basketball title game, they routed Clarendon 73-45. Give me Lipan too in 1A, which would be a second straight for the Indians in San Antonio.
Three things I know
1. Haslet Eaton girls soccer hasn't lost since the season opener. The Eagles dropped a game against Colleyville Heritage on Jan. 4, but have now won 19 in a row following their 4-0 victory over Saginaw on Tuesday night. The win also improved their district record to 12-0. Sophomore Cassidy Savoy scored three times to increase her season total to 26, putting her into third among players in the area. Castleberry senior Mitzy Guereca has 35 and Nolan Catholic freshman Abby Geiser recorded 34.
2. Keller junior pitcher Dylann Kaderka had a ridiculous week. The reigning Star-Telegram softball player of the year went crazy last week as the Indians went 5-0-1 and earned two wins over 5A state champ The Colony. Kaderka pitched 25 innings and allowed just one run while striking out 16 batters. She allowed three hits in 12 innings in both games against The Colony as the Indians won 3-0 and 8-1. Keller has won back-to-back 6A state titles.
3. Cleburne baseball is ranked No. 2 in the state. The Yellowjackets went 4-0-1 and won the Fort Worth Southwest Classic over the weekend and found themselves the No. 2 team in 5A by txhighschoolbaseball.com. Cleburne beat Fort Worth Christian 10-2 in the title game. It also beat Brewer 3-0, Arlington Heights 11-0 and Fort Worth Country Day 4-0. Other Star-Telegram area teams ranked in the Top 25: Southlake Carroll (6A), Weatherford (6A), Colleyville Heritage (5A), Grapevine (5A), Aledo (5A), Mansfield Legacy (5A), Godley (4A), Midlothian Heritage (4A), Kennedale (4A) and Brock (3A).
This story was originally published March 7, 2018 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Opinion: This DFW school will win a boys hoops state title this week."