Hastings heroics: North Crowley bests Duncanville in semifinal with clutch shot
In a Class 6A Division I state semifinal in front of a boisterous sold-out crowd at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, North Crowley senior guard Tyler Hastings, fresh off the bench due to an injury, stepped up to the free-throw line with 17 seconds left.
His team, on the verge of elimination, trailed Duncanville by two points. He missed the first shot. At that point, North Crowley needed some late-game heroics.
Hastings missed the second shot, and North Crowley’s Alex Barther II secured a crucial rebound. Hastings broke to the corner and pulled up with confidence, hitting a clutch go-ahead 3-pointer with 15 seconds left, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Duncanville could not respond, and after officials discussed fans rushing the court with less than a second left on the clock, play resumed and North Crowley won 52-49 to advance to the Class 6A Division I state championship.
North Crowley (34-3) will make its first appearance since 2008, when it won its sole state title, against San Antonio Brennan at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
“It felt amazing, and my teammates had my back,” Hastings said. “And that’s whether I make it or miss it. To me and my teammates, this means everything, and we’re going back to the state championship. And now we just have to go finish it.”
Hastings, who had about two minutes of playing time before entering for the injured Kameron Price, said he practices that shot often and is “always ready” regardless of minutes.
Brakel raved about his commitment to his craft, particularly his shooting, and called his shot one that the team wanted.
“Tyler is one of the best players and best young men in our program,” Brakel said. “... My heart was literally breaking for him. And then somehow, the basketball gods step in turn it around.”
It’ll be the first time the city of Fort Worth is represented in a state championship contest since Northwest’s appearance in 2018, and the first time ever Cowtown will be represented in a boys basketball Class 6A championship.
“This city, this program, this community — it just means the world to me,” Brakel said. “It has been my life. I grew up with this city, school and program. It means a ton.”
It’s been a long time coming for Brakel’s program, which has 11 regional semifinal appearances since its last state title.
“I’ve seen 25 or 30 ex-players tonight,” Brakel said. “We didn’t just win the game for the 14 guys in uniform. We won it for all these kids that year in and year out battled. And got to levels like this but maybe came up just a little but short.”
They’ve had some tough losses the last couple of years, where things simply didn’t fall their way. Luck, which Brakel consistently says is key in Class 6A basketball, was finally on their side.
“I don’t care if its luck, prayers — whatever,” Brakel said. “We’ll take all of it we can get. I’m really excited for the guys. Really excited for Tyler. And really excited for the opportunity to represent Fort Worth in San Antonio.”
North Crowley seized a slight 15-14 advantage in an intense, fast-paced first quarter. The next frame saw both offenses slow down and struggle from the field; Duncanville took a 21-20 lead into the half with North Crowley’s premier defenders Kameron Price and Trey Hall in foul trouble.
“I prayed in the locker room before coaches started talking,” Hall said. “And I told myself that it’s going to be alright. Keep fighting.”
Duncanville picked up the pace in the third quarter, taking a 38-34-lead into the fourth.
“We knew they were going to be athletic,” Brakel said. “They were physical. They were going to play hard. You see all that on tape. They were holding teams in the 40s every game.”
Hall kept the Fort Worth Panthers in the game with 11 third-quarter points and a thunderous slam to give his team some momentum.
North Crowley’s Isaak Hayes struggled with his shot at times but found a groove late in the fourth quarter to keep his team in striking distance for Hasting’s clutch shot.
“We are doing this for the city,” Hayes said. “We are doing this for Fort Worth.”
This story was originally published March 10, 2026 at 10:10 PM.
CORRECTION: The article is updated to show Northwest High School made a state championship appearance in 2018.
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