Three things I think, three things I know about high school sports

It’s a busy time of year for high school sports.

UIL basketball is gearing up for the playoffs as girls teams started the second round of district play this week. The boys wrap up the first round of district on Friday night.

Soccer teams are doing their final tune-ups in tournament play this weekend, while trying to stay as warm as they can.

UIL softball gets going on Friday with the first practice of the year, and baseball begins the following Friday.

Let’s not forget about the king of Texas, football. Even though the season has been over for weeks, recruiting is hot as National Signing Day approaches on Feb. 7.

It’s also UIL realignment time. Where will your favorite school end up for the next two years? We all find out on Feb. 1.

Three things I know

1. Girls basketball runs through Mansfield Timberview. Picture this: All-American Chennedy Carter and her 20 points per game graduate from Timberview and head to Texas A&M. What are the Wolves to do? Don’t sweat it, the Wolves are favorites in Class 5A, ranked No. 1 in the state by Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. They’re 27-2 overall and 8-0 in District 10-5A. Class 6A will run through 10-time state champion Duncanville.

2. Arlington Sam Houston boys soccer started the season ranked No. 1 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. After making the UIL state tournament for the second time in three years last season, the Texans are 4-2 this winter with losses to Brophy Prep (Phoenix), the new No. 1 team, and No. 14 San Antonio Reagan. The Texans, ranked No. 15, are still in good shape to get back to Georgetown especially with sophomore forward Jose Ortiz, last year’s Texas Gatorade player of the year, still on the team.

3. Development Academy programs have had an affect on girls high school soccer this winter. Many of the top area players are no longer on high school rosters because of it, but that won’t stop a few teams from making a playoff run. Last season’s state teams Keller and Aledo lost multiple players to DA, but others will step up to fill the void. Southlake Carroll lost Texas and Oklahoma commits, but the Dragons have more than enough depth to be a threat.

Three things I think

1. Where will Cam Jones end up? One of the area’s top football prospects, Mansfield senior safety Cam’ron Jones has a big decision to make. Where will the four-star recruit spend the next four years? Suitors Nebraska, Baylor, Ole Miss, Utah and Texas Tech, and the rest of the Metroplex will receive the news when Jones commits live on NBC 5 Inside High Schools Sports Special, 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 27. The feeling here is that he ends up in Lincoln. According to 247Sports.com, Nebraska leads the way with a 90 percent chance.

2. Realignment, realignment, realignment. Just when we got used to district teams, it’s time for new ones. The UIL will announce realignment for the next two years when area coaches get together on Feb. 1 at Birdville Fine Arts Athletic Complex. The biggest change this time around is the new rule on splitting Class 5A into two divisions. Speculation is there’s movement in the Fort Worth district. Dunbar and Western Hills could move down to Class 4A.

3. Mansfield Timberview boys will be OK. Mansfield Lake Ridge got the upset of the week after edging defending Class 5A state champion Timberview 67-63 on Tuesday night. The Wolves, No. 2 in 5A by TABC, have lost back-to-back games for the first time since December 2015, which was also the last time Lake Ridge won in the series. Despite the small bump in the road, Timberview will make the playoffs and be a favorite to come out of 5A Region II.

This story was originally published January 18, 2018 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Three things I think, three things I know about high school sports."