State championship preview: Things to know about Birdville, Mansfield Summit, Kennedale, more
The Texas high school boys’ basketball state championships are here.
Here are things to know, players to watch and more for five teams from the greater Fort Worth-area: Mansfield Summit, Birdville, Kennedale, Duncanville and Denton Guyer.
Mansfield Summit looks to win first state championship
No. 6 Mansfield Summit (32-7) will face No. 2 Fort Bend Marshall (37-2) at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, at the Alamodome in the Class 5A Division II state championship.
It’s a non-district rematch for the two squads. On Dec. 14, Marshall secured a narrow 43-38 victory over Summit in a defensive battle.
The Jaguars have had a stellar season; they won the District 8-5A championship and faced off against two strong opponents: No. 11 Mansfield Timberview and No. 12 Burleson Centennial.
Summit is looking for its first state championship victory in its second state tournament appearance. The first came in the 2023 season; Killeen Ellison handed the Jaguars a 52-50 loss in a state semifinal.
But on Tuesday, March 4, the Jags got their long-awaited revenge, defeating Ellison 48-40 to advance to the state title game. Team defense has been a highlight for Summit all season, and it was once again in the state semifinals; Ellison scored just five points in the second quarter.
One player to keep an eye on is sophomore forward Isaiah Walker, who led the Jags with 16 points in the state semifinal. The Jags have plenty of talent with the potential to score; junior guard Caleb Richard, junior guard Theo Brannan and senior forward Ian Sedah all reached double figures in a regional final victory over Colleyville Heitage.
Birdville looks to make history for Birdville ISD
No. 25 Birdville (35-3) will face No. 4 West Brook (37-2) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, at the Alamodome in the Class 5A Division I state championship.
The Hawks are appearing in a boys’ basketball state championship for the first time in program and school district history. They are fresh off a 77-71 victory over No. 7 Frisco Heritage; in this run, the Hawks have also taken out No. 11 Mansfield Timberview and No. 5 El Paso Chapin.
Birdville has a well-rounded offense, and they thrive behind the energy of their supporters, who are bound to have a big showing in San Antonio. One player to watch is senior guard Trent Bowers, who scored 17 points against Heritage; he brings range and physicality.
Birdville’s leading scorer in the state semifinal with 18 points was junior guard Avery Webb. He also made a few clutch plays to help the Hawks keep a late lead.
Another offensive threat is 6-foot-7 guard Sawyer Dotson, who has an ability to break out for 30 or more. He had a quieter game in the state semifinal, as his teammates were thriving around him, but look out for him to be a focal point in the state championship.
One thing players and coaches agreed on was that the Hawks needed to work on their press break before the title game, as it was a problem against Frisco Heritage. Birdville has a tough task in West Brook, a team that is also looking for its first state title and is fresh off a victory over No. 1 Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial.
Kennedale looks to win first title in 17 years
Under coach Doug Groff, Kennedale has had consistent success since 2008, when the Wildcats won their first state championship.
After a state semifinal appearance in 2014, No. 12 Kennedale is back in state for the first time in over a decade. The Wildcats (32-7) will face No. 8 Houston Wheatley (28-7) in the Class 4A Division II state championship at 5 p.m on Friday, March 7, at the Alamodome.
One Wildcat to watch is junior guard Jacoby Lovings, who came up clutch in the Wildcats’ state semifinal victory with 14 points and two game-sealing free throws.
Junior guard Trey Smith also had a strong showing, leading the way with a team high 19 points.
The Wildcats rally behind Groff, who has over 500 wins in his storied career that has spanned 21 seasons. In Groff’s tenure, Kennedale has missed the playoffs twice.
The Wildcats will head into the state championship as District 12-4A champions. Their hardest playoff game was arguably in the bi-district round, where they secured an 80-76 double overtime victory against Dallas Lincoln.
A star-studded championship: Duncanville looks to claim sixth state
Duncanville last won a boys’ basketball state championship in the 2021 season.
The Panthers won the last game of the season in 2022, but the University Interscholastic League stripped the title due to the use of an ineligible player. Now, they’re looking to reclaim the sixth title.
The Panthers (26-7) hold a No. 6 ranking by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and will face unranked Houston Bellaire (27-10) at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, in the Class 6A Division I state championship at the Alamodome.
Duncanville is fresh off a state semifinal victory against No. 2 Allen. In that game, sophomore guard Beckham Black, a 247Sports four-star prospect, scored 19 points and made crucial plays in the second half. Christopher Hunt Jr., another sophomore guard, also tallied 19 points.
The Panthers have elite depth. Their best and most experienced player is arguably Kayden “Bugg” Edwards, a 6-foot-2, four-star TCU commit. Edwards has the offensive talent to score 25 or more on any given day.
Houston Bellaire will be searching for its first state title to complete its championship Cinderella Run. The Cardinals were not expected to make a deep run and took down No. 1 San Antonio Brennan in the state semifinals.
Leading the way for Bellaire is five-star Duke signee Shelton Henderson, a 6-foot-6 small forward with NBA potential. In the Cardinals’ state semifinal victory, he put up a monstrous 26-point, 20-rebound game.
Denton Guyer looks to win first state championship
Both Denton Guyer and Katy Jordan will play in their first boys’ basketball state championship.
And one of the two programs will leave San Antonio with their first state title. No. 11 Guyer (33-7) and No. 10 Jordan (35-3) will clash in the Class 6A Division II state championship at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, at the Alamodome.
Both programs are coming off sizable state semifinal victories. Guyer defeated The Woodlands College Park by 24 points, and Jordan defeated Harlan by 21 points.
Keep an eye on Guyer senior point guard Jordan Lowery, a 247Sports three-star committed to UT-Arlington. In the state semifinal, Lowery had a team-high 24 points.
One highlight for Guyer’s playoff run is a strong 72-54 victory over No. 12 Crowley in a regional semifinal.
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