Bell boys basketball shooting for first playoff berth since 2010

L.D. Bell boys basketball coach Willie Henderson and his Blue Raiders would appreciate a late Christmas gift.

He and his squad are hoping for their first playoff berth since 2010. And Henderson believes the Blue Raiders have moved into the realm of contenders for a postseason spot, particularly if they can make another tweak or two.

“The difference in our team compared to last year is this, last year we were not competitive in a lot of games. This year we can play almost anyone close, we just have not learned how to win,” Henderson said.

But Bell is getting close – literally.

The Blue Raiders (5-10) have had fourth-quarter leads in several of their games this season before seeing victory slip away.

Henderson is hoping that closeness will pay off come district, which begins Saturday with a game at home against Coppell.

“Richland and Trinity have the most talent. They should be the top two. Carroll and Coppell are probably the next two. Us, Heritage and Haltom could challenge for a playoff spot,” he said.

“Not sure there’s a dark horse. Outside of Richland and Trinity, the other five schools are fairly close.”

The Raiders are led in scoring by Terrell Harrison, who is scoring more than a dozen per game. The top players to watch in district, Henderson said, are Trinity’s Jhivvan Jackson and Richland’s C.J. Roberts, who shared District 7-6A MVP honors last season.

He called the duo “the best two players in the district, hands down.”

Richland won the district last season going away, posting a 12-0 record. Coppell was second at 7-5, followed by a three-way tie between Trinity, Colleyville Heritage and Southlake Carroll, all at 6-6.

Carroll lost a tiebreaker and watched as Trinity and Heritage both advanced to bi-district. Coppell went one round deeper into the area round, as did Richland.

Bell was 1-11 and last in the league, 9-23 overall.

But the Blue Raiders have shown promise through a tough pre-district slate that included their own tournament, which featured a stout field.

“The competition we faced in our own tournament is tougher than anything we will face the rest of the regular season,” said Henderson.

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Bell boys basketball shooting for first playoff berth since 2010."