Lady Mustangs enter playoffs with ‘30’ on their backs

The new reality for the Grapevine girls basketball program is that it is now a marked team. That’s what happens when the number three is the first digit of the overall record.

Grapevine (30-2) opened what it hoped would be a deep playoff run on Monday in the Class 5A Region bi-district round against Saginaw at Keller Timber Creek. The Lady Mustangs won the District 6-5A title with a perfect 12-0 record.

Coaches can try to set the reset button all they want and stress to their teams that everybody is 0-0. However, everybody has access to information and knows very well what teams like Grapevine have accomplished. The Lady Mustangs haven’t lost since Dec. 5 to Lake Country Christian in the Burleson tournament.

“I feel like they’re really focused and are bringing great maturity into the playoffs,” coach Lindy Lombard said. “They understand the magnitude of the situation. It’s a lose-and-you’re-done type of situation. They know they needed to come focused and take a really good approach to everything.”

It was new territory for the Lady Mustangs, as this program didn’t make the then-Class 5A playoffs in 2014.

“They know they’re a team to beat,” Lombard said. “We know we’re going to get everybody’s best effort. They’re going to be hyped to play. But it’s about moving on the next challenge.”

Had the Lady Mustangs won, they were moving on the area round to meet the winner of Fort Worth Arlington Heights and Cleburne.

Roster additions

While the focal point of this offense could center on senior point guard Nicole Taake and junior shooting guard Abby Sandy, Lombard was expected to add five junior varsity players to the postseason roster.

The guards are juniors Maia Bolden, Andrea Shone and Sarah Gilbert. The posts are sophomores Jessi Prater and Molly Heygood. Both Prater and Heygood were with the varsity at the Boswell tournament and a couple of spots January in games against Fort Worth Carter-Riverside and Fort Worth Poly.

“They’ve really done a good job of being our scout team and helping us prepare for the playoffs,” Lombard said. “But as far as a go to player, it’s really going to be the same setup for us that it has throughout the season. It could be Nicole, Abbey or Reem Bayaa or Tatum Tellin. Everybody has to contribute.”

Colleyville Heritage update

By sitting freshman Bryn Gerlich (sprained ankle) in the season finale against Carroll, coach Dianna Sager wanted to have her star scorer as healthy as possible for the playoffs.

The Lady Panthers (19-13) finished the District 7-6A season in third place at 8-4 as they faced Cedar Hill in the Class 6A Region I bi-district round on Tuesday at Fort Worth Nolan Catholic. The winner was going to face the winner of Keller and Plano East in the area round.

“Bryn looked good, especially on Friday and Saturday,” Sager said. “I was concerned through first day or two. But she handled everything fine since then. So that was good to see.”

Cedar Hill brought a very athletic trio between Cenecia Newman, 6-3 forward/guard Joyner Holmes and Adrianna McBey. Colleyville Heritage was going to have to slow the pace to give itself a chance. Cedar Hill was a team that consistently scored in the 60s.

“It is what it is in terms of the matchups,” Sager said. “If we execute and get the shots we want, then we’ll have a chance.”

This story was originally published February 16, 2015 at 4:15 PM with the headline "Lady Mustangs enter playoffs with ‘30’ on their backs."