Sandiettes Ready to Compete in Whataburger Tournament

Tough Field Awaits

By Will Johnson              

Messenger Reporter

GRAPELAND – Following their Championship win in the Great East Texas Shootout, the Grapeland Sandiettes opened play in District 20-2A with lopsided wins over Slocum and Groveton.

After their win over the Lady Indians last Friday, the Sandiettes had a few days off to prepare for perhaps one of the best girls’ basketball tournaments in the state of Texas – the Whataburger Basketball Tournament.  

This is the 62nd consecutive year for the competition that Sports Illustrated and USA Today have called “… one of the nation’s top five holiday high school tournaments.”

According to the tournament media guide, “More than 15,000 high school athletes have played in the tournament since its inception. Each year, nearly 600 basketball players broaden their skills and experience against a variety of teams and showcase their abilities in front of scouts from some of the nation’s top colleges in three days. The tournament has shaped the lives and careers of high school students from communities with a few hundred people to those with a population of millions. It has built a legacy of holiday basketball and community spirit in Fort Worth known across the nation. Little did the Lions Club members who planned that first tournament in 1958 know what a long-standing and far-reaching tradition they would create.”

The Sandiettes will compete in the Blue Girl’s Division. Of the 16 total teams, 12 of them qualified for the playoffs last season. 

Of the 12 playoff teams, five made the trip to San Antonio to play for the state championship.

They are: the Dodd City Lady Hornets who lost in the Class 1A Championship Game to the Nazareth Swiftettes. They are currently ranked #2 in Class 1A.

The Grapeland Sandiettes are making their first appearance in the Whataburger Tournament and are currently ranked #9 in the Dec. 16 Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC). The Sandiettes fell in the 2019 Class 2A Championship game to the Martin’s Mill Lady Mustangs.

The Nazareth Swiftettes are the three-time defending state champions in Class 1A and are currently ranked #1 in the TABC poll with a 9-7 record.     

The Panhandle Pantherettes lost in the 2019 Class 2A State Semifinals to the eventual champion Martin’s Mill Mustangs and are currently ranked #2 in Class 2A.

The Wall Lady Hawks lost in the 2019 Class 3A State Semifinals in OT to the Chapel Hill Lady devils and are currently ranked #9 in Class 3A.

Of the remaining 11 teams invited to the tournament, seven of those are currently ranked in the TABC Top 25. These include: the #1 ranked Class 3A Idalou Lady Wildcats; the #12 ranked Class 3A Brock Lady Eagles; the #3 Class 4A Decatur Lady Eagles; the #17 ranked Class 3A Ponder Lady Lions; the #14 Class 4A ranked Bridgeport Lady Bulls; the #4 Class 3A Jim Ned Lady Indians; and the #2 Class 6A TAPPS Liberty Christian Lady Warriors. 

The remaining four teams are: the Class 4A Kennedale Lady Wildcats; the Class 4A Seminole Lady Indians; the Class 3A Bowie Lady Jackrabbits; and the Class 3A Jacksboro Lady Tigers.

The Sandiettes open play in the tournament on Friday, Dec. 27 against the Wall Lady Hawks on the campus of Saginaw High School at 2 pm. If Grapeland wins, they will play the winner of the Seminole/Liberty Christian game. If they lose, the Sandiettes will play the loser of Seminole/Liberty Christian matchup. 

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

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