Birdville defeats Frisco Heritage in thunderous environment to advance to state championship
As Birdville boys basketball looked for its first state championship appearance in program history, supporters of the program created an electric playoff environment in a packed arena at Lewisville High School.
Drapped in all white, the Birdville student section’s cheers were thunderous, and Frisco Heritage’s crowd matched their energy.
In a physical Class 5A Division I state semifinal, No. 25 Birdville grabbed a slight early advantage. The Birdville Hawks managed to maintain it despite several strong comeback attempts from No. 7 Frisco Heritage, and they secured a 77-71 upset victory to advance to the state championship on Tuesday, March 4.
Birdville (35-3) will face West Brook in the Class 5A Division I state championship at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 8 at the Alamodome.
Birdville’s Trent Bowers said it was a high school version of a Duke-North Carolina. It was an environment fit for a classic, and the Hawks and Coyotes delivered one.
“We’ve got the best student section in the nation. These dudes show up,” Birdville guard Sawyer Dotson said. “I love every one of them. They’re the reason we’re going to state. We wouldn’t be here without them.”
The victory gives Birdville ISD its first boys’ basketball state title game appearance.
“I’ve been a part of the basketball program for over 20 years,” Birdville head coach Anthony Holman said. “It’s just an absolute blessing. I’m just so fortunate to see these kids take the program to the next level.”
In the first quarter, Birdville seemed unaffected by the noise levels; according to multiple players and coaches, they played through a similar environment in multiple playoff games due to consistently strong fan turnout.
The Hawks focused on shutting down Heritage’s perimeter offense and took a sizable 23-14 lead into the second quarter.
“We knew we had to disrupt them offensively,” Holman said. “And if we could disrupt them with a little bit of pressure, we were going to get open looks because I thought we could handle their pressure. And so we got those open looks. We knocked ‘em down and made it tough enough on them.”
In the second frame, Heritage trailed by 13 with less than two minutes to half, but the Coyotes responded with an 8-2 run to cut the Hawk lead to seven before the break; Birdville led 42-35.
In the second half, Frisco Heritage (32-5) started a full-court press that made things difficult for Birdville, but the Hawks fought through the pressure and extended their lead to 11 points entering the final frame. In the fourth, the Coyotes continued their press, and Birdville had trouble breaking it.
“(Frisco Heritage) is pretty physical,” Holman said. “The referees did a great job. I think we have to do a better job of handling the physicality and understanding that, in the state tournament, you’re going to get hands put on you. Their press was very good, and we made just enough plays to get the job done.”
The Hawks did just enough to stay ahead. One key moment was a three-pointer from Bowers, who finished with 17 points.
“(Bowers) in him,” Dotson said. “He’s all state. He’s our leader. He’s D1.”
In the game’s final moments, junior Avery Webb made a near full-court inbounds pass to Tasshir Pina Warren for an easy layup, and he also made a clutch free throw to help protect Birdville’s lead. Webb finished with a team-high 18 points.
Birdville, the No. 25 ranked TABC 5A team, wasn’t expected by many to advance to a title game.
“I want to ask them, ‘What are we now?’” Dotson said. “Twenty-five? What are we now? We’re going to state.”
To Dotson, his squad’s perseverance is what has led them to the grand stage in San Antonio.
“All of us trusting God and putting our heads down,” Dotson said. “Working and staying together as a team. The first game. The first practice. We knew this could be something special. All summer, we worked for this.”
To Holman, the squads’ togetherness and sense of family stand out. Birdville basketball has a motto: It’s always us.
“It’s sometimes you, it’s sometimes me,” Holman said of the motto. “But it’s always us. Sometimes, it’s going to be your night. Sometimes, it’s not going to be my night. But as long as it’s always our night, then we’re going to be fine.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 9:20 PM.
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