Weather to force new delays for Texas’ high school basketball playoffs
Severe winter weather, which has left hundreds of thousands of local residents stranded without power, also continues to alter the state’s high school basketball playoff schedule.
So far, the UIL and TAPPS girls bi-district and area rounds have seen postponements. Three to five inches of snow fell between Sunday and Monday, and the overnight temperatures have plunged into the single digits. Another four inches of snow is expected to fall between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
Monday marked the start of the UIL girls basketball second round, but a few area teams have yet to play first-round games. Mansfield, DeSoto, Duncanville and Cedar Hill, the four playoff teams from District 11-6A, are still stuck in the opening round.
Mansfield and Harker Heights have postponed their first-round game four times, including Tuesday night. More games are expected to postpone, and Mansfield is in jeopardy of having to play multiple rounds in consecutive days if the Tigers win.
Mansfield ISD announced that it will remain closed through the week with no in-person or virtual classes and all after-school activities and practices are canceled. This includes the boys and girls basketball playoff games for Mansfield, Timberview, Summit and Legacy.
Keller and Keller Timber Creek, who both won their openers on Thursday, are still waiting for their next opponent. El Paso Franklin, Midland Lee, El Paso Eastwood and Wolfforth Frenship are scheduled for Wednesday.
But as of Tuesday, the UIL state championships are still on track for San Antonio during the first two weeks of March. The girls games are scheduled for March 5-6. The boys games will be March 12-13.
In an email sent to state superintendents, the UIL stated that it has extended certification deadlines for playoff rounds. The UIL said that schools who are able to safely travel and complete games should do so and that there is no plan to determine playoff winners via coin toss.
Class 2A schools Panhandle, Wellington and Gruver, from northwest Texas, all won area round games Tuesday.
“With wintery conditions delaying basketball games, UIL will be extending certification deadlines. Once we know more about when travel conditions will improve, UIL will communicate extensions to facilitate girls basketball playoff rounds and the completion of boys basketball district play. There are no plans for determining playoff round winners via coin toss. We will release a plan that allows for games to be played once more information is available related to the weather. Schools who are able to safely travel and complete games should do so according to the posted certification deadlines.”
The weather continues to push back the start of the softball regular season, which could begin Monday, as well as soccer district games and boys basketball playoffs. The boys are set to start on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with Monday and Tuesday being used for tiebreakers and seeding games.
Joshua, which played on Friday, awaits its playoff fate. The Owls can make the playoffs for the first time since 1982 if Red Oak loses to Waco University, but that game has yet to be played.
This story was originally published February 16, 2021 at 3:00 PM.
