Keep an eye on these 5 Fort Worth-area girls basketball teams as playoffs start
The UIL Texas high school basketball playoffs begin Monday.
Here are five Fort Worth-area teams with the potential to make some noise.
North Crowley girls a favorite
North Crowley (27-4, 12-0 District 3-6A) has the utmost momentum after sweeping through a tough district slate, which includes Boswell, the 2025 Class 6A Division II state champion.
The Panthers are ranked No. 2 in Class 6A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and will face Keller Timber Creek (19-12, 10-6 District 4-6A) in a Class 6A Division I bi-district playoff game at the Arlington ISD Athletic Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
North Crowley girls basketball has not made a state tournament appearance in its history. The Panthers will arguably enter the bracket as a state championship favorite.
The only squad ranked above them, Westlake (35-0), is set to enter the Class 6A Division II bracket.
How far can Southlake Carroll go?
Southlake Carroll (30-1, 16-0 District 4-6A) capped off an incredibly strong regular season by finishing an undefeated run in District 4-6A.
From this point on, the competition will get a whole lot tougher. Southlake Carroll, ranked No. 6 by the TABC, will face Mansfield Legacy (20-15, 8-5 District 3-6A) at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Arlington ISD Athletic Center in the Class 6A Division II bi-district round.
Although the Dragons have had a relatively easy schedule, and haven’t proven themselves against the state’s top-ranked competition, they have absolutely dominated the opponents in front of them. Carroll has outscored opponents by 916 points.
With the exception of one loss to No. 5 Class 5A squad Argyle, the Dragons have beaten every opponent by 9 points or more. They’ve won 20 games by more than 20 points.
Since a state championship victory in 1975, Carroll has made the regional semifinals 10 times, and had a streak of four consecutive appearances from 2021 to 2024.
Aledo girls keep improving
After a solid 2025 campaign that saw Aledo make it past the area round, the Bearcats have kept improving under head coach Donny Ott.
Aledo (24-7, 12-0 District 5-5A) completed an undefeated district run to win its first district title since the 2019 season. The Bearcats are ranked No. 14 by the TABC and will face Colleyville Heritage (15-16, 6-6 District 6-5A) in the Class 5A Division I bi-district round at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Fort Worth Eagle Mountain High School.
They’ve tested themselves against top Class 6A competition including No. 21 Duncanville, No. 3 Summer Creek, No. 9 Pearland Dawson, No. 20 Wylie and more.
Aledo’s only state tournament appearance came in 2013, back when the program was in Class 4A.
Cleburne girls with program-defining season
Cleburne (24-8, 13-0) has a big opportunity in its Class 5A Division I bi-district game at 7 p.m. Monday against Arlington Heights (12-15, 10-2 District 7-5A) at Wilkerson Greines.
In a contest between Yellowjackets, Cleburne will aim for its first playoff win since 2021. The team, after missing the playoffs the last four seasons, has had what is arguably the greatest season-to-season turnaround in Fort Worth-area basketball.
Head coach Tiffany Hill is in her second season leading Cleburne, a squad ranked No. 16 by the TABC. With an undefeated run, they won their first district title in 12 seasons.
Decatur looks to go back-to-back
In 2025, Decatur won its first state championship since the 1961 season.
Now, the Eagles (31-4, 14-0 District 7-4A) are in a great position to go back to back as the TABC’s No. 1-ranked squad in Class 4A. Decatur will face Fort Worth Carter-Riverside at a time and place to be determined in the Class 4A Division I bi-district round.
The Eagles are spearheaded by the Peck sisters, Bralyn and Sayler, who combine to average 24.8 points. Style Brazile, the 2025 Star-Telegram Newcomer of the year, has been out of action with an injury.
This story was originally published February 13, 2026 at 2:26 PM.
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