Cleburne girls basketball turns belief into wins during breakthrough season
It’s been quite the year for the Cleburne girls basketball team.
After missing the playoffs the past four seasons, the team is back in the postseason. And the Yellowjackets didn’t just sneak in the bracket, but thoroughly dominated their competition, sweeping through 14 games to win an undefeated district title, the school’s first in 12 seasons.
And Cleburne wasn’t satisfied with an appearance.
On Monday at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, Cleburne (25-8, 14-0) continued its sizzling season and seized its first playoff victory since 2021 with an 80-15 Class 5A Division I bi-district victory over Fort Worth Arlington Heights. Cleburne started the game on a 39-2 run.
“Our kids have bought in from the beginning,” Cleburne head coach Tiffany Hill said. “It started last year, when we lost by two points and we missed the playoffs. We came back hungry, and we knew what was right in front of us. So, we took advantage of every opportunity to get better and grow.
“I’m super excited to help lead this team during this playoff run.”
With a well-rounded team defense and constant pressure of the ball handler, Cleburne created plenty of opportunities for its fast-break offense to thrive. The team was fast, relentless and smart, showing elite conditioning while making team-first plays with the ball.
The Yellowjackets completed what Hill believes to be one of the team’s pillars.
“Defensive pressure and defensive intensity,” Hill said. “Just being solid all the time and scoring in transition. We didn’t have to run too many sets tonight because we put a lot of defensive pressure. We got up quite a bit early, and we were just able to execute throughout the game.”
At a school that has struggled to compete in team sports against some of the area’s fiercest competition, the girls basketball team gives Cleburne ISD a winner — and an extremely dominant one.
The Yellowjackets, ranked No. 16 by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, have cemented their status not just as one of the best Class 5A teams in the Fort Worth area, but one of the best in Texas.
One of the driving forces of Cleburne’s stellar campaign is senior Lily Sheppard, a transfer from Mansfield Summit who earned Star-Telegram All-Area and TABC All-Region honors as a junior.
“Lily is special,” Hill said. “She is one of the only high school kids I know that has gone to four different schools in four years. ... She is resilient. She has helped us out so much on the offensive side and defensive side. She’s a great kid. ... I’m just blessed to be able to coach her this year.”
The turnaround
Hill is in her second season leading Cleburne girls basketball. In her first campaign, the team posted a 7-7 district record, which was a vast improvement from the 5-11 record the season prior. The Jackets didn’t make the playoffs, but set up a strong foundation for future success.
“It gave us a belief,” Hill said. “It let us know what we’re capable of. And we just kind of use this year to build on what we already had — that base and foundation.”
According to Hill, the basketball growth has been key, but so have the relationships that have been built off of it. That chemistry has created a winning environment and a trust that finds its way back to the court.
“Getting them to play not just for you, but for each other,” Hill said. “That’s really what it’s about. Getting them to enjoy the game and do things that are new. To challenge them.”
Hill also said player-led faith and prayer are a vital aspect of the team experience.
“Most importantly, we keep God first,” Hill said. “We pray, and we know that everything is through God’s work. And we’re just grateful to be able to ply this game.”
Looking ahead to Denton Ryan
The path ahead, however, is treacherous, even for a promising team. In the area round, Cleburne will face the TABC’s No. 2-ranked Class 5A squad, Denton Ryan, at 7 p.m. Friday at the Arlington ISD Athletics Center.
Facing a program like Denton Ryan fresh off an undefeated run in district is a tough matchup, and a product of split-division formats creating early challenges. Cleburne, however, knows it’ll have to face Denton Ryan eventually.
Sheppard echoed Hill, saying that defense has made Cleburne a championship-caliber team. Against Ryan, the Jackets will continue to rely on it.
“It’s not just a one-person show, it’s all of us together,” Sheppard said. “Straight defense for 31 minutes, and then work out offense to get what we want.”
Hill said the team is ready and emphasized that the schedule the Jackets created helped prepare them for this moment. Cleburne holds wins over Class 6A schools Allen and Mansfield and two wins over a really solid Mansfield Summit squad.
“We’re prepared for the battle,” Hill said. “And we know Denton Ryan is a great team. ... I feel like our team is ready. They’ve been battle-tested. We put them through a hard preseason and a hard district. Our district is very tough.”
This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 4:30 AM.
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