Not this year: North Crowley boys basketball thrashes Keller, advances to area round
When it comes to boys basketball in Tarrant County, two of the best are North Crowley and Keller.
With the UIL split division format change, the Panthers and Indians were pitted against each other in the Texas high school basketball Class 6A Division I bi-district round to open the playoffs.
The two North Texas powerhouses have played in the postseason in three consecutive years. In 2024, Keller stunned North Crowley and moved on to make a regional final appearance. In the third installment of the trilogy, the Panthers got the upper hand, securing a dominant 79-50 victory on Monday, Feb. 18, at Arlington Martin High School.
“In the first half, we followed the defensive scouting report well,” North Crowley head coach Tommy Brakel said. “(Keller) shoots the ball so well from the perimeter. So, we wanted to stay connected and make all their three-point shots as contested as we could. They’re also great in transition, and we did a great job in defensive transition.”
North Crowley (30-5) will face Permian or Montwood in the area round at a time and a date that is to be determined. Permian and Montwood’s bi-district game is scheduled for Tuesday.
North Crowley, the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ No. 9 ranked 6A squad, got off to a hot start with a 6-0 run, but Keller (18-15) slowly clawed back to make it a 16-13 game at the end of the first quarter.
“We played well early,” Brakel said. “We’re typically a three-point shooting team, and the majority of our offense was coming on the interior, so we knew that would be a good sign for us.”
The second frame was all Panthers; North Crowley took a 36-24 lead into the half.
In the third, North Crowley sophomore guard Isaak Hayes took over, making three 3-pointers. The Panthers quickly seized all the momentum and took a dominant 59-31 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
“For us to come out and play that well in the third quarter was big,” Brakel said. “We struggled with consistency at times. So, I felt like we were more consistent tonight.”
At that point, the game’s intensity escalated. Multiple technical fouls were issued to both squads. Brakel said he wants to review the footage to see what actually transpired and to see if the “chippy” situations were preventable.
“We want to make sure that we’re playing with composure and within ourselves,” Brakel said. “But it got chippy. And once it gets chippy — you gotta hand it to Keller. They’re not going to back down from anybody.
“They are fighting for their playoff lives. Those seniors are fighting in their last game. Our guys weren’t going to back down from it either. So, then the game gets a bit carried away.”
Hayes, who spent a large chunk of the season out with an injury, ended with a game-high 21 points. Brakel said Hayes is “not 100%” but has worked extremely hard to get back from the injury.
“It was phenomenal,” Brakel said. “Just watching him in the gym every single day doing everything they allowed him to do, but also having enough composure not to do too much.”
Trey Hall was also a key contributor with 15 points. Hall also brought energy and intensity and was a standout defensively, securing hard-fought rebounds and consistently battling for position.
Moving forward, Brakel wants to see more consistency from his squad. The Panthers will face a challenge in Permian, an athletic squad, or Montwood, a patient team with an old-school tempo.
Keller ends its season in the bi-district round after losing Steven Ramirez, the 2024 Star-Telegram Offensive Player of the Year, to a season-ending injury. Despite being shorthanded, Keller managed to win the District 4-6A championship.
This story was originally published February 17, 2025 at 9:19 PM.
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