Heritage boys basketball makes statement in district opener

A tough non-district schedule paid off for the Colleyville Heritage boys basketball team in a big way on Saturday as the Panthers opened up district competition with a victory over Euless Trinity.

Colleyville Heritage will play its next district game at 8 p.m. on Jan. 8 at Haltom High School, and coach Stephen Hamrick said he expects a similar kind of game to what his team faced against Trinity.

“It think they are going to be very athletic,” Hamrick said. “They have a very good rebounder, and they are going to get up and guard us. We’re going to have to have poise and be strong with the basketball, and then we’re going to have to rebound the basketball on the defensive end. I think that if we can do those things, good things will happen for us.”

Colleyville Heritage defeated Trinity 44-43 on Saturday, and Hamrick said that it was a good all-around effort from his team to pick up the victory.

“I’m very proud of them,” Hamrick said. “I loved how they persevered. They were very resilient at times, and they got the necessary stops when we needed them most. With a young team, they fought hard, and I’m very proud of them.”

After struggling record wise in the non-district portion of the schedule while battling hard to prepare for 7-6A competition, Hamrick said it was nice to see his players’ efforts pay off.

“These kids are very mature,” Hamrick said. “They know what our ultimate goal is, and each day is part of the process to get better. They work extremely hard, and they didn’t get caught up or get down, they just continued to work hard and learn from each and every game. It was part of the process with a young group, and it takes time. Experience is such a valuable tool, and they are starting to get that. They are very coachable, and that is something that I am very proud of.”

With district underway, Hamrick said he does believe his team is ready for 7-6A competition.

“Our record doesn’t show it, but we’ve gotten better every single game,” Hamrick said. “As coaches, we evaluate the video night in and night out. We see them every day in practice, and they have progressed. We’re not where we want to be, but we are getting better and making strides.”

Hamrick said he did have a couple of standout performances, but stressed that it was a team effort to get the win over the Trojans.

“One kid who came in and did a fantastic job was Ke’Von Ahmad,” Hamrick said. “He made some plays off the bench. But it was a group effort. Mike Hillebrand got some big rebounds down the stretch, and different guys stepped up at different times, which made it very rewarding. It was truly a team effort.”

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Heritage boys basketball makes statement in district opener."