Boys basketball regional final Fast Break: Birdville finally gets past Denton, more

By Darren Lauber

Updated March 7, 2026 10:33 AM

Welcome to The Fast Break, a Star-Telegram series featuring the top Fort Worth-area high school basketball news, performances and results from the UIL boys basketball regional finals.

No. 6 Birdville finally beats No. 3 Denton when it counts

The old sports adage states that it’s hard to beat a good team three times in the same season. The North Richland Hills Birdville boys basketball team proved just that.

Birdville’s Avery Webb hit a three-point basket with 10 seconds remaining, and the Hawks held off Denton 50-49 in the Class 5A Division I Region 1 Final on Friday at Flower Mound High School.

Birdville guard Avery Webb (13) lines up the game-winning three pointer over Denton’s Lojok Loliwa (10) in a UIL Class 5A Division I regional final at Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas, Friday, March 6, 2026. Miles Meador Special to the Star-Telegram

“It felt good,” said Webb of the pressure-packed, clutch 3-pointer coming off his hand. “We knew they had a lot of pressure coming in and playing us. They already beat us twice.

“We were the underdog, and we love playing as an underdog, and we came out there, and we did our thing.”

Avery Webb makes a huge three with 10 seconds left to give Birdville a 50-49 lead over Denton in the 5A DI Region I Final. @BirdvilleHoops @hoopinsider @swaggarly pic.twitter.com/PgGLVq77Br
— Darren Lauber (@darren_lauber) March 7, 2026

With the win, Birdville (31-5), ranked No. 6 in the state in Class 5A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, moves on to the state semifinals and a date with No. 1 Frisco Heritage (32-2), which defeated West Mesquite 87-59 on Friday night.

Birdville defeated Heritage 77-71 in the state semifinals last season before falling in the state title game to Beaumont West Brook in overtime.

No. 3 Denton (29-5) had beaten the Hawks 64-62 in overtime on January 20 and the Broncos prevailed again on February 13 by a score of 55-46. But Birdville jumped out quickly in the third meeting, building a 7-point lead in the first quarter.

A lay in by Gabriel Zachariah gave the Hawks a 15-8 lead with 59 seconds left in the opening frame, but Denton rallied with an 11-2 run and finally took its first lead, 19-17, on a basket by Reid Robinson with 2:37 left before the intermission.

The teams traded leads from that point and Denton went into halftime with a 22-21 lead. The game was close throughout the third quarter, but the Broncos came out in the fourth period with a 7-2 run to push their lead to 45-38 with 5:56 left in the game.

Birdville forward Sawyer Dotson (1) goes up to the rim for a dunk on a fast break against Denton in a UIL Class 5A Division I regional final at Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas, Friday, March 6, 2026. Miles Meador Special to the Star-Telegram

Then the Hawks did the impossible according to head coach Anthony Holman. Birdville went on a 9-0 run and tied the game on a basket by Gabriel Zachariah and took a 47-45 lead on a lay in by Webb with 2:56 left.

“Being down eight to Denton in the fourth quarter is insurmountable, in my opinion,” said Holman. “It would be insurmountable because of how good they are and because of how well coached they are. Our kids just went out and made every play.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game, but I knew it wasn’t going to be. We just made every single play, and I couldn’t be more proud of that.”

Denton regained the lead 49-47 after making 4 of 4 free throws in the final 2:07. The Broncos were 8 of 8 from the stripe on the night and Ethan Ashu’s two makes came with 23 seconds remaining.

The Hawks worked the ball up court and got it to Webb who fake a drive to make some space and then drilled a three with 10 seconds left to retake the lead.

“I knew it was going in,” said Holman. “That kid has taken that shot hundreds of thousands of times. He works harder than anybody in the state, him and number one (Sawyer Dotson), work harder than anybody in the state.

“So that shot right there is something he’s prepared himself for. He’s been preparing himself for that since he was in second grade, and I just couldn’t be more happy for him.”

After a Denton time out, the Broncos got the ball to Ethan Sheats who dribbled up court and got almost to the free throw line before D.J. Driver poked the ball away and into the arms of Webb to put the game away.

Birdville guard D.J. Driver (11) screams in celebration with the ball after the clock expired and the Hawks defeated Denton 50-49 in a UIL Class 5A Division I regional final at Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas, Friday, March 6, 2026. Miles Meador Special to the Star-Telegram

Dotson added 13 points for Birdville with Brandon Lohmann chipping in 11. Sheats led Denton with 14 points, all in the second half, and Lojok Loliwa and Reid Robinson had 12 points each for the Broncos.

“I feel like we won that game on the rebounding,” said Webb, who led all scorers with 16 points. “We got out rebounded both times we played them and I feel like we did a really good job of rebounding as a team.

“We also talked about every time they come in the lane that they’ve got to feel us. The more physical team is going to win that kind of a game and I feel like we were really physical and we played really good team defense.”

Birdville players jump and celebrate in the stands with fellow students after clinching a spot in the state semifinals after a 50-49 UIL Class 5A Division I regional final win against Denton at Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas, Friday, March 6, 2026. Miles Meador Special to the Star-Telegram

No. 2 North Crowley runs away from No. 24 Allen

For the full story on this game click here.

No. 7 Mansfield Summit keeps rolling, rips Burges

Mansfield Summit freshman Joseph Creal III led all players with 12 points as the Jaguars knocked off El Paso Burges 50-30 in the Class 5A Division II Region I Final on Friday night at Midland Christian High School.

Summit (31-6), No. 7 in the 5A state rankings according to the TABC, will play Lucas Lovejoy (29-8) in the state semifinals. Lovejoy upset No. 9 Frisco Memorial 74-64 on Friday night.

Summit is two wins away from winning back-to-back titles. The Jaguars beat Missouri City Marshall in last year’s final for their first state championship.

Friday night’s game marked the sixth-straight season Summit played at least four playoff games. The Jaguars also reached state in 2023. David Bardere tossed in 10 points for Summit with Javon Ross chipping in 8. Burges (24-12) was led by Alex Bermudez who scored 10 points and Anthony Rubio who added 9.

No. 10 Kennedale can’t handle top-ranked Dallas Carter

Kennedale’s title defense came to an end on Friday night against Dallas Carter, 76-58, in the Class 4A Division II Region 2 Final at Midlothian High School.

Carter (29-6), No. 1 in the 4A state rankings according to the TABC, advances to its first state semifinal since 2018 where the Cowboys will play No. 24 Brock (28-9). Brock knocked off No. 9 Lubbock Liberty 56-42 on Friday night.

After No. 10 Kennedale (31-6) got a steal and layup in the first five seconds, Carter scored the next seven points and 16 of 19 following a dunk by Kaiden Eason. The Cowboys led 23-8 after the first quarter.

Kennedale’s Trey Smith, who scored a game-high 25 points, had eight in the second quarter to help the Wildcats get into a rhythm on offense, but their defense continued to struggle with containing Carter.

Carter’s lead extended to 21 before Kennedale pulled within 39-21 at the intermission after Jacoby Lovings hit a step-back three-pointer to beat the buzzer. The Wildcats couldn’t get close enough to pose any threat in the second half.

Lovings chipped in 13 points and Kennedale hit 10 three-pointers. Amarion Hunter led Carter with 21 points followed by Eason (15), Landen Higgs (14) and Terrell Jackson (11).

No. 24 Brock upends No. 9 Lubbock Liberty

Eli Paez surpassed a career milestone on Friday night, leading Brock to a 56-42 upset win over Lubbock Liberty in the Class 4A Division II Region 1 Final at Clyde High School.

Paez, a junior, dropped in a game-high 17 points to go over 1,000 in his career. Brady Williams and Will McGee chipped in 13 and 11, respectively for the Eagles.

Brock (28-9), No. 24 in the TABC’s Class 4A state rankings, advances to its first state semifinal since 2021 to take on No. 1 Dallas Carter (29-6). Carter defeated No. 10 Kennedale 76-58 on Friday night.

No. 9 Liberty (30-5) got 16 points from Pierce Fioroni.

No. 2 Paradise reaches state semis, downs No. 18 Leonard

Paradise broke open a close game in the third quarter to ease past Leonard 61-51 in the Class 3A Division II Region 2 Final on Friday at Lewisville High School.

Paradise (35-2), No. 2 in the state in TABC’s Class 3A poll, will be making its second consecutive trip to the state semifinals where the Panthers will face Henrietta (18-14). Henrietta defeated Lamesa 48-33 on Friday.

No. 18 Leonard (27-7) only trailed 26-24 at the half, but Paradise’s Max Jordan scored 14 of his team-high 22 points in the third quarter where the Panthers opened a 10-point lead. Paradise hit 11 of 16 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Cooper Jones opened the game on fire for the Panthers hitting 3 threes as part of his 16 points. Creek Gibson had 7 of his 13 points in the first quarter as well for Paradise.

Paradise reached the state title game in 2025, but lost to 67-41 to Kountze. Leonard senior Jacoby LaCook led all scorers with 25 points.

No. 3 Little Elm too much for No. 17 Grand Prairie

With the winner moving on to the state semifinals for the first time, it was Little Elm that made history after the Lobos dismantled Grand Prairie 82-57 in the Class 6A Division II Region 1 Final on Friday night at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center in Fort Worth.

Little Elm (35-2), No. 3 in the 6A state rankings according to the TABC, extended its winning streak to 21 games.

The Lobos will play No. 13 Cypress Springs (34-4) in the state semifinals. Cy-Springs beat Spring Grand Oaks 60-50 on Friday night.

Joshua Weems led all scorers with 29 points for Little Elm, including 20 in the first half. The Lobos led 44-25 at the intermission.

Ian Berry added 13 points for Little Elm while Kensington Candler posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Little Elm made 9 three-pointers against Grand Prairie’s 2.

The No. 17 Gophers (29-5) were led by 6-foot-8 junior Steven McLeod, who scored 27 points and went 11 of 15 at the free-throw line.

For a complete list of state-wide scores and schedules for the UIL boys regional finals click here.