Fort Worth’s return to girls basketball state: Will Boswell bring a title back to Cowtown?
The Texas UIL girls’ high school basketball state championships start on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Here is a preview for three teams from the greater Fort Worth-area: Fort Worth Boswell, Paradise and Decatur.
Fort Worth’s return to state: Can Boswell bring the title back to Cowtown?
Fort Worth Boswell will appear in a title game for the first time in program history. The Boswell Pioneers (38-2), ranked as the No. 2 6A squad by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, will face No. 9 Fort Bend Hightower (34-5) at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 1.
Boswell, representing Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, is located in Fort Worth. The Pioneers are the first team from Cowtown to appear in a title game since Fort Worth Dunbar won a 4A state championship in the 2007 season; the drought has lasted 18 years.
Boswell is the first team from Fort Worth to appear in a 6A championship and the first from Tarrant County to appear in a large class (5A or higher) state championship since Mansfield Summit’s 5A championship in the 2009 season.
The 2024-25 school year has been an eventful one for Fort Worth with North Crowley football’s 6A Division I state championship run. Boswell will enter the state championship as a favorite.
Led by senior Camille Williams, the No. 36 ranked recruit in the nation by ESPN, the Pioneers have overcome a gauntlet of tough teams: No. 4 Lancaster, No. 13 Wolfforth Frenship, No. 6 Denton Braswell, El Paso Eastwood and Southlake Carroll.
In the playoffs, Boswell has outscored its opposition by 100 total points. Its closest game came against Braswell in the regional semifinals; the Pioneers secured a 52-44 victory.
Despite shooting 22 of 45 from the free-throw line, Boswell secured a strong 48-32 victory over No. 4 Lancaster to advance to the title game. Junior guard Salena Carrasco led the Pioneers with 14 points.
Carrasco averages 8.5 points, which is the fewest among Boswell’s starters. Carrasco’s stellar state semifinal performance captures what makes Boswell an elite team; any starter can score 20 plus, or be the offensive leader on any given day.
Although Williams commands a strong spotlight, Boswell’s main strength comes from its depth. Williams averages a team-high 16.5 points, eight rebounds and 4.2 assists.
Senior Haleigh Jackson averages 13.2 points and eight rebounds. Sophomores Sydney Durrah and Seleste Massey round out the scoring with 12.5 and 11.7 points per game, respectively.
They’ll have a tough task in Hightower, a team entering the state championship with a 32-game win streak and on the heels of a 41-32 victory over No. 19 San Antonio Churchill. Hightower had four state appearances and has yet to win a championship.
Paradise to face Kountze for 3A D2 title
Paradise girls basketball is unranked by the TABC, but that didn’t stop them from punching a ticket to a state championship for the first time in program history.
Paradise will No. 5 Kountze (31-3) at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, at the Alamodome. It’ll be the Panthers’ first state championship appearance in program history.
The Panthers have had an up-and-down season, but they’ve persisted despite setbacks. Paradise (27-10) finished second in District 10-3A to Ponder. The Panthers, along with Houston Summer Creek (29-11), are the two teams in a state championship game to have double-digit losses.
Kountze has made a state semifinal seven times but is still searching for the program’s first state championship.
Decatur to face Waco La Vega for 4A D1 title
Decatur has a reputation for having strong all-around athletics, and the girls’ basketball program meets the Eagle standard.
Decatur (35-2) is ranked No. 4 in Class 4A by the TABC and is looking for the first state title in program history. The Eagles will face No. 2 Waco La Vega (33-6) at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28 at the Alamodome.
To advance to the title game, Decatur handed Mabank a 53-34 loss. The Eagles have three state appearances, with their last coming in the 1961 season.
La Vega has eight state appearances and three state championship wins. The Pirates won titles in 2023 and 2024 and will be aiming for a three-peat against Decatur.
For the Eagles, two players to watch are Bralyn Peck and Style Brazile. Peck, an offensive leader, averages 17 points and scored 25 in the state semifinal. Brazile, a standout freshman, averages 14.2 points and a team high 4.3 assists; her play has improved as the season has progressed.
This story was originally published February 27, 2025 at 9:58 AM.
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