Boys Basketball Postseason Projections

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

EAST TEXAS – District competition is nearing an end on the court for the area boys’ teams and the playoff jockeying is beginning to heat up.

Many of the area teams have secured a spot in the postseason with two games left to play. Some are still battling for a better seed while a few others have already been eliminated.

At the Class 4A level, the Palestine Wildcats are sitting at 3-3 in District 18-4A and should go in as the third seed behind Athens and Madisonville. However, they could move up to the second seed if they beat Madisonville and get a little help along the way.

Moving to the Class 3A level, Westwood is currently ranked as the fourth best team in the state and should finish play in District 18-3A with a record of 12-0. The Teague Lions are only team who has an outside shot of knocking off the Panthers. The Lions currently sit at 8-1 and close out district play at home against Westwood.

The Malakoff Tigers, Frankston Indians and Buffalo Bison are battling it out for the third and fourth seeds, with Buffalo likely being the odd man out.

In District 21-3A, the Crockett Bulldogs are in – well – a dogfight for the second seed. As of Monday, Feb. 5 Crockett sported a 6-3 mark which was tied with the Hempstead Bobcats for second. The Coldspring-Oakhurst Trojans are in first with a 9-0 record.

The Anderson-Shiro Owls are just behind the Bulldogs and Bobcats at 6-4 and the Trinity Tigers are lurking on the outside hoping to slip into the fourth spot should one of the other teams stumble down the stretch.

Crockett has games at home against the Owls – who they lost to by one point on the road – and the Bobcats, who the Bulldogs defeated by seven in Hempstead. Crockett will close out the district play against the 0-9 Onalaska Wildcats.

At the 2A level, the District 20-2A title is still up for grabs between the Big Sandy Wildcats and the Grapeland Sandies. The Wildcats defeated the Sandies on Jan. 23 by three points in a game Grapeland should have won.

The rematch is scheduled for Feb. 9 in Dallardsville. If Grapeland defeats Big Sandy, it will force a playoff for the top spot. If the Wildcats win, they will break the Sandies’ run of nine consecutive district championships. Both scenarios assume victories by Grapeland and Big Sandy on Feb. 6 and Feb. 13.

The Lovelady Lions have the inside track on the third seed from District 20-2A and will more than likely be joined by the Groveton Indians in the playoffs as the fourth seed. The Latexo Tigers have been eliminated from playoff contention.

To the north, in Districts 19-2A and 21-2A, the Cayuga Wildcats have been eliminated from a trip to the postseason while the Neches Tigers are in a battle with the Cushing Bearkats for the top seed from District 21-2A.

At the Class A level, only three teams qualify for the playoffs. Unfortunately for both the Kennard Tigers and Slocum Mustangs, it appears as if both teams will miss the postseason. The Tigers still have a chance to slip into the third spot, but they will need some help.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].