TAPPS basketball state tournament preview: 5 Fort Worth-area schools to compete
Forty-eight teams, representing 44 schools, descend on the Waco area Wednesday through Saturday for the TAPPS state basketball tournament to crown 12 champions — six apiece in the boys and girls divisions (6A through 1A classifications in each).
Houston Second Baptist (5A), Lubbock Christian (4A), Waco Live Oak Classical (3A) and Dallas First Baptist (2A) advanced their boys teams and girls teams to the Final Four.
The 3A, 2A and 1A contingents begin with semifinals Wednesday — six Boys games at Robinson High School and six Girls contests at University High School.
4A, 5A and 6A semifinals will be played at University HS — six Girls games on Thursday and six Boys games on Friday.
All championship games will be hosted by Robinson High School — 3A, 2A and 1A Thursday; Girls 6A, 5A and 4A Friday; Boys 6A, 5A and 4A Saturday.
The Arlington Grace Prep 5A Boys team headlines a group of five local schools Waco-bound hoping to return with a championship.
Fort Worth Southwest Christian (5A) and Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (4A) are seeking to secure Girls division crowns, while Fort Worth Covenant Classical (3A) and Granbury Cornerstone Christian (1A) vying for Boys titles.
Following is a capsule of the five Fort Worth-area teams competing in the TAPPS state tournament:
Arlington Grace Prep Boys
Record: 27-1
TABC TAPPS Boys 5A/SPC 3A ranking: 2
Head coach: Josh Duke
State tournament appearances: 14
State titles: 5
Semifinal opponent: Bullard Brook Hill Guard (33-4)
Path to the state tourney: Bi-district -- Bye; Area -- Austin Brentwood 69-38; Regional -- Midland Christian School 62-42
- 26-game win streak entering state tourney longest in program history
- Lone defeat this season to TAPPS 6A Parish Episcopal 66-60 second game of season
- Moved up to 5A from 4A in 2025
- State runner-up each of last two seasons
- Fell in overtime to Houston St. Thomas Episcopal in 2024 4A title game
- Dropped a 65-47 decision to Houston Second Baptist in 2025 5A championship
- Sophomore sensation MJ Boyd, first-team all-state as a freshman a year ago was injured in regional round and missed last year’s state tourney
- Boyd is No. 8 state prospect in the 2028 class rated by 247Sports
- A title rematch with top-ranked Houston Second Baptist looms, whose team features reigning TAPPS 5A Boys Player-of-the-Year junior Reese Alston, the No. 2 state prospect, and eighth nationally, in the 2027 class by 247Sports.
- Second Baptist has pummeled two playoff opponents, winning by 46 and 45 points
- AGP won last state crown in 2022 in 4A title game versus Schertz John Paul II to cap a 34-4 season, the most wins ever in AGP boys hoops (surpassing previous high 32 victories)
Fort Worth Southwest Christian Girls
Record: 30-8
TABC TAPPS Girls 5A/SPC 3A ranking: 5
Head coach: Fred Jones
State tournament appearances: 6
State titles: 3
Semifinal opponent: Austin Hyde Park Panthers (24-8)
Path to the state tourney: Bi-district -- Bye; Area -- Bullard Brook Hill 48-33; Regional -- Midland Christian School 34-31
- Upset top-ranked, reigning state champion and district 1 foe Midland Christian School in regional round after two regular season losses to MCS
- Junior Maley Campbell averages team-leading 17 points and six rebounds per game
- Lost 45-38 to Austin Hyde Park in 2025 area round
- Won state championships in 2024, ‘21 and ‘20
- Eight-game win streak entering state tourney after a third-place District 1 regular season finish
- Defeated Houston Second Baptist 63-58 in 2024 title game in which then-freshman Campbell knocked down five three-pointers and finished with 16 points
- Campbell had drained four treys and recorded another 16 points in the 2024 state semifinal 48-46 triumph over Argyle Liberty Christian
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian girls
Record: 31-5
TABC TAPPS Girls 4A rankings: 2
Head coach: Rachel James
State tournament appearances: 16
State titles: 7
Semifinal opponent: Lubbock Christian Eagles (27-9)
Path to the state tourney: Bi-district -- Bye; Area -- Colleyville Covenant Christian 55-29; Regional -- Willow Park Trinity Christian 46-18
- Fourth straight Final Four
- Lost to Lubbock Christian in 2025 championship
- Defeated League City Bay Area Christian 56-49 in 2024 title game
- Senior Erika Hancock 2025 first-team all-state and 2024 second-team all-state
- Senior London Chandler 2025 second team all-state and 2024 first-team all-state.
Fort Worth Covenant Classical boys
Record: 21-11
TABC TAPPS Boys 3A rankings: 9
Head coach: Jonathan Barker
State tournament appearances: 2
State titles: 0
Semifinal opponent: Dallas Akiba Yavneh Bulldogs (16-7)
Path to the state tourney: Bi-district -- Bye; Area -- Gainesville Lone Star High School 79-56; Regional -- Dallas Lakehill Prep 52-46 (OT)
- Began season 0-6
- District 1 champs with 10-0 record
- Lone previous Final Four in 2022
- Semifinal opponent Yavneh is the 3A defending state champion
- Senior Ellis Mitchell, second team all-state selection last season, leads the team in scoring, averaging over 13 ppg.
Granbury Cornerstone Christian boys
Record: 18-7
TABC TAPPS Boys 1A rankings: 5
Head coach: Brandt Lockhart
State tournament appearances: 1
State titles: 0
Semifinal opponent: Nacogdoches Regents Academy Eagles (12-11)
Path to the state tourney: Bi-district -- Bye; Area -- Rockwall Providence Academy 61-27; Regional -- Wichita Falls Christ Academy 39-35
- Initial state tourney appearance
- Lockhart in his second season as HC of program
- Fourth season in TAPPS after competing in TCAF previous nine years and TCAL in 2011 and 2012.