As the Texas high school girls basketball season churns toward the end of district play and boys teams jockey for positioning with a couple of weeks to go, last week’s play around the state didn’t do too much to shake up the landscape. 
Brandon Peters, Yates
File photo by Jim Redman
Of course, if you are talking about one team in particular for any week, it is naturally those polarizing Lions from Houston Yates, the Class 4A juggernaut that usually not only hangs a hundred on opponents, but often beats them by 100 (or more). Last week saw Yates ramble past Houston Austin, 142-52, with Brandon Peters scoring 37 and Joe Young 32.
But the game everyone was waiting for was the Saturday District 21-4A game between Yates and Houston Lee’s Generals, a team Yates vanquished 170-35 earlier in district play to raise the ire of many across the nation for the perception of Yates running up the score, while others came to the team’s defense of playing as hard as it could for the length of the game.
While less eventful, Yates still pinned a 125-26 loss on Lee to go to 22-0, 8-0 in league play. Along the way Yates picked up its 14th 100-point game and won its 46th game in a row.
One team that has designs on meeting Yates at the state tournament is Dallas Kimball, which lost to Yates in last year’s state championship game. The Knights were discussing a possible return engagement with Yates after knocking off Dallas Pinkston, 70-59, in District 11-4A play to go to 18-7, 9-0 while dropping the Vikings to 17-8, 7-2. Kimball entered the game at No. 12 in the state in the TABC/Tex Preps Basketball state rankings while Pinkston was No. 17.
Ozen senior breaks school’s single-game scoring record
Kendrick Perkins does his toiling manning the middle for the Boston Celtics and in his decorated past scored 43 points in a 2003 game against Houston Smiley while he played for Beaumont Ozen. That scoring mark stood as the school’s best until it was broken last week by senior DeCarlos Frank, who pitched in 46 points in an 81-49 win over Nederland. Frank was on fire from long distance, as he drained 12 of 16 3-pointers in the win.
On the subject of lighting it up, Fort Worth Eastern Hills senior Daylon Guy could not have picked a better time to score 47 points than in a pivotal District 7-4A game against Fort Worth Dunbar to lead the Highlanders to a 96-79 win. Eastern Hills is now 19-6, 11-2, while Dunbar is 11-13, 8-5. The Arkansas-Little Rock signee had 19 points in the first quarter and 30 points by halftime.
LeBryan Nash, Lincoln
File photo by Keith Owens
Key contests
A number of games last week included matchups of state-ranked teams. Staying in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, District 12-4A upstart Dallas Woodrow Wilson got to measure itself against perennial power Dallas Lincoln but came out on the short end of the stick, 65-54. The Tigers rode the vast talent of 6-foot-7 junior LeBryan Nash and his 27 points and 10 rebounds to the win. Nash had 23 points and seven rebounds by halftime. No. 4 Lincoln moved to 21-2, 7-0 on the season while No. 7 Woodrow Wilson fell to 19-7, 5-2.
Another tilt involving a pair of teams both ranked in the top 10 in Class 4A saw No. 5 Austin Lake Travis top No. 8 Killeen, 48-46. Bob Carlton made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to hand the Kangaroos their first loss at home since a 49-26 setback to Killeen Ellison on Jan. 22, 2005. Lake Travis now stands at 25-3, 5-0 while Killeen dropped to 21-8, 4-1.
From District 27-5A, San Antonio Wagner showed why it is No. 2 in the state with a 66-41 thumping of rival No. 12 Converse Judson. The Thunderbirds advanced to 28-1, 9-0 despite trailing by 11 after one quarter. The turning point came with an 18-0 Wagner run in the third quarter. Jordan Clarkson had 20 to pace Wagner. Judson dropped to 24-4, 7-2.
Milestone wins
Congratulations are in order for Brenham boys coach Bruce King, who won his 200th game last week. King has been at Brenham for eight years and his No. 14 team in Class 4A is 21-4, 9-0 this season.
Elsewhere, McGregor girls coach Kimberly Johnson got her 100th win as the Lady Bulldogs defeated Hamilton, 44-32, to move one win away from the District 16-2A title. McGregor is 20-6, 11-0 this year.
Seeing double
From the Broken Record Department: In District 18-3A boys play last week, it was Lufkin Hudson 58, Jasper 47. In District 18-3A girls play last week, it was Lufkin Hudson 58, Jasper 47. Those aren’t typos, folks!
Welcome back
Pflugerville welcomed back junior Nneka Enempkali, who played her first game last week since hurting her knee in last year’s state tournament. Enempkali, a Texas commit, scored 13 points to help her team to a 79-38 win over Austin High.
R.V. Baugus is editor and publisher of Tex Preps Basketball magazine and www.texprepsbasketball.com.
