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HIGHLAND PARK, Texas -- Two home runs sparked McKinney North to a key 4-2 district win over Highland Park on Friday night.

North starting pitcher Aaron Rhodes opened the game's scoring in the top of the fifth, hitting the first pitch he saw over the right-center wall.

North's Heath Beasley continued the Bulldog offensive roll in the top of the seventh, sending another first-pitch ball out of Scotland Yard over the left-field wall. The Bulldogs scored two more runs in the inning to stretch the lead to 4-1.

The Scots drove in one in the bottom of the seventh and moved runners to second and third with two outs but couldn't complete the comeback.

Rhodes picked up the win, allowing two earned runs on four hits in his complete-game effort.

McKinney North is 3-2 in District 10-4A with the win. Highland Park falls to 1-4 in district play, which is a skid coach Fred Oliver said hasn't been seen at Highland Park for as long as he can remember.

"We can't seem to buy a hit when we need to," Oliver said. "Our backs are against the wall. We have to win."

Marcus Smart, who led Flower Mound Marcus to its second consecutive Class 5A state championship, has been named the 2011-12 Gatorade Texas Boys Basketball Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.

The award, issued in collaboration with ESPNHS, recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also academic achievement and exemplary character.

Smart, a senior, averaged 15.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while leading Marcus to a 39-2 record. The McDonald’s All-American Game selection has signed a letter of intent to play for Oklahoma State.

Smart is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award, which will be handed out later this month.

After a Cinderella trip to the 5A Division II state football semifinals, Mansfield Timberview now has an opening for a head football coach.

Mark Walker jumped on the opportunity to become the assistant athletics director for the Mansfield ISD last month, leaving his former post as coach and school AD currently open.

“From a business standpoint, staying in education, this is an opportunity that maybe wouldn’t happen again,” Walker said. “To get to work with the quality of people in our athletic department and the support of our superintendent we have here ... when opportunity knocks, you have to walk through the door.”

Timberview overcame the death of its offensive coordinator midway through the season and went 12-3 last season, making its first state semifinal appearance.

Walker said he was able to talk to his players before leaving his post at Timberview and said they understood his situation. Walker said the 2011 season allowed him to mark several coaching goals off his list of desired achievements, but when it came down to it, he had to live up to a mantra he preached to his team -- family comes first.

“We always talked about family first,” Walker said. “It’s just a chance to take care of my family.”

His time away from coaching will open up weekends he hasn’t had off in many years to spend time with his family and be a fan in the stands for Mansfield ISD games.

Walker said he would be actively involved in the search for a new coach and AD at Timberview, which Mansfield ISD administrators hope will be filled by the beginning of April.

“We’re in the process right now, the screening and interviewing," Walker said, "and by the end of the month or April we should have a new coach and athletics coordinator in place.”

MANSFIELD, Texas -- A triple by South Grand Prairie designated hitter Patrick Stratton in the top of the sixth put his team ahead of district rival Mansfield Timberview for good, leading to a 9-7 win Friday.

Stratton roped a triple to the left-center field wall, driving in two runs to give South Grand Prairie an 8-7 lead. It was the first lead change since the bottom of the first.

South Grand Prairie added on one more run in the sixth on a single up the middle.

Timberview scored seven runs in the first two innings and out-hit South Grand Prairie 11-9, but couldn't hold on.

South Grand Prairie reliever Austin Fleming picked up the win, while Timberview reliever Cody London took the loss.

South Grand Prairie exited with its first district win of the season. Both teams were 0-2 in district entering Friday.

Coppell's Nick Jordan might not have any time to watch and learn during his freshman year at Texas.

With the kickers the Longhorns have on campus struggling this spring, the job could be Jordan's for the taking.

HornsNation's Carter Strickland took a look at the Texas kicking situation Wednesday. Here's an excerpt about Jordan.

Jordan has the credentials. He was considered one of the top five kickers in the country, played in the U.S. Army All-American game and missed only five field goals in high school.

“We saw him kick out on a 60-plus-yard field goal, and he pulled it a little bit left,” Brown said. “But so we have seen him with a very strong leg.”

Read the full post here.

Texas' basketball season is over, but parts of the country are still playing and ESPNHS is still updating the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings.

The Flower Mound Marcus boys maintained their No. 5 position after winning their second consecutive state title. Only two teams ahead of Marcus, No. 2 Findlay Prep (Nev.) and No. 4 Chester (Pa.), haven't completed their seasons. Findlay Prep beat Marcus earlier in the year.

Prestonwood Christian remained at No. 12 and fellow TAPPS power Arlington Grace Prep moved up two spots to No. 22.

South Grand Prairie, which lost to Marcus in a regional final, bounced up three spots to No. 46.

In the girls FAB 50, Class 5A champion Duncanville moved up four spots to No. 7 two weeks after completing its season. Irving MacArthur held the No. 18 spot, Dallas Lincoln dropped two spots to No. 42 and Plano West slipped a spot to No. 44.

Travis L. Brown and Damon Sayles look back at all the action last week at the UIL boys basketball state tournament.

Jake Oliver loves to block. In fact, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound wide receiver says one of his biggest thrills each Friday night is getting a chance to knock a defender on his back.

Oliver also loves to catch passes. And the Jesuit (Dallas) junior catches a lot of passes.

This past season, he earned a spot on the ESPNHS Underclass All-American team after hauling in 108 passes for 1,637 yards and 24 touchdowns, numbers that most high school receivers would be happy to have in a career. Oliver has snagged 215 passes during his three years with the Rangers.

Oliver has learned a lot about being a wide receiver from his father, Gary, a former standout wideout at Texas A&M who later served as offensive coordinator at Sam Houston State and led Bishop Lynch (Dallas) to two state titles.

The ESPNU 150 Watch List receiver also had plenty of support from his dad and the rest of his family during the recruiting process. Though Oliver’s father and mother both attended A&M and his brother is a student at Oklahoma, he says none them tried to sway him toward their respective schools.

Instead, they let him handle recruiting on his own terms, and Oliver ultimately decided to commit to Texas last month.

So what does Oliver plan on doing now that his commitment is out of the way? Get Familiar with the standout pass-catcher.

ESPNHS: What’s the most important thing you learned from your father about playing wide receiver?
Oliver: You can have all the athletic talent in the world, but if you can’t get open, it will all go to waste. Practice makes you better all the time. Even going out for 30 minutes helps you a lot. I always catch and throw with my dad. I turn to my left and my right, over-the-shoulder catches — every situation I could be in during a game, he throws me that pass. Every possible catch I can think of, we’ve worked on it. We also work with tennis balls. It teaches you reflexes and hand-eye coordination.

ESPNHS: What’s an underrated aspect of your game?
Oliver: I take a lot of pride in my blocking. I’m a big receiver, and blocking has to be a big part of my game. If you block for your teammates, it can set up big plays. I also like to get after the DBs just to let ‘em know that I’ll be there all night and they better be ready. I love contact and love knocking people down.

ESPNHS: How do you deal with all the attention on the field?
Oliver: Almost every game I see double coverage. You’ve got to fight through it. But I could get zero catches and be happy as long as we got the win. Coach (Brandon) Hickman puts me in good position to run the right routes and break these coverages. You’ve got adjust. It’s usually the corner pressing me and then the safety coming over the top (to help).

ESPNHS: How relieved were you after you committed to Texas?
Oliver: It was a big weight lifted off my shoulders. There were a lot of things to think about leading up to the decision. Everybody trying to sway you, just thinking about what would be the best place to be — it was kind of overwhelming. Texas was always up there with my favorite schools, but since they didn’t offer until their junior day, I wasn’t sure. Once they offered, it was really cool. Not too many people can say that’s happened to them, and I feel blessed it happened to me.

I can’t imagine being anywhere else. My grandparents come to all my games and I’d love for them to come see my college games. It’s got a great tradition, great family atmosphere and great academics. Those are just some of the many reasons why I picked Texas.

ESPNHS: How did your family deal with your recruitment?
Oliver: My dad loves A&M, but he said, “It’s your decision. It’s not up to me. I’ll support you no matter what." My mom and my brother said the same thing.

JAKE OLIVER
School: Jesuit (Dallas)
Class: 2013
Position: Wide receiver
HT: 6-4
WT: 200
College: Texas

FAVORITES
TV Show: “How I Met Your Mother”
Movie: “Dumb and Dumber” and “Friday Night Lights”
Musical Artists: Blake Shelton and Lil Wayne
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School Subject: World history
Food: Chicken

Flower Mound Marcus guard Phil Forte, MVP of the Class 5A state championship game, was named to the UIL all-state tournament team.

Forte was joined on the 5A team by teammate Marcus Smart after the Marauders defended their state championship.

State champions Dallas Kimball and Argyle also each placed two players on the all-tournament teams.

Kimball's Torrey Henry and championship game MVP Shannon Lilly are on the 4A team. Argyle's Connor York and championship game MVP Clarke Overlander made the 3A team.

Here are the complete all-state tournament teams, as selected by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches:

AUSTIN, Texas -- Flower Mound Marcus guard Phil Forte left last season’s 5A state championship win with some unresolved business.

His 2010-11 season statistically finished well below par and was covered by the gigantic shadow of No. 12 recruit Marcus Smart.

That hunger of regret drove him to finish his senior season with a much better taste in his mouth.

Marcus’ senior big three -- Forte, Smart and Nick Banyard -- went out with a bang, taking the 5A state title for a second straight year in a 56-52 win over Fort Bend Travis on Saturday.

Forte leaves high school with no regrets, picking up the game’s MVP award with a game-high 24 points, 12 of which came from behind the arc. Forte shot 4-for-6 from 3-point range and 6-for-10 overall from the field.

“I wanted to get back and prove to everybody I’m a much better player than I showed last year,” Forte said.

“He did struggle last year,” Smart added, “and for him to come out and do what he did tonight, I’m just so happy for him.”

Almost as important as his long-distance performance, was his perfect, 8-for-8 shooting from the free throw line, including four at the end of the game.

“Our coaches and teammates have the most confidence in me,” Forte said. “I’ve just always loved shooting the pressure free throws. The coaches want to put the ball in my hands when there are pressure free throws on the line. My teammates did a great job of supporting, and I just stepped to the line and knocked them down.”

While Forte demonstrated his prowess on the offensive side of the court, the team showcased its traditionally strong defensive effort against Fort Bend Travis’ high-scoring twins, Andrew and Aaron Harrison.

Andrew Harrison was able to pick up 23 points on the night but was forced to earn the majority of them at the free throw line.

Marcus coach Danny Henderson said the game plan was simply to make it as hard as possible for them to score.

UIL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Boys brackets: 5A »   4A » Girls brackets: 5A »   4A » State tournament: Girls » Boys »

“It was going to take a team defensive effort, which is what our defense is anyway,” Henderson said. “My goodness, those are the two best guards we’ve ever faced. They are incredible. They’re going to be NBA players. I don’t have any doubt.”

Smart and Banyard also closed the books on their high school careers with key efforts in the win. Smart’s stat line proved his balance as an all-around player -- 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Banyard put up a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. He also stole the show with an alley-oop in the third quarter that electrified the Marcus crowd.

That trio, along with senior A.J. Luckey, put up an astounding 115-6 record over the last three years, including three trips to the 5A championship game.

To those players, those three years meant more than just wins, losses and gold medals.

“This is an incredible team,” Smart said. “We’re more than just a group of guys who wear the same jerseys. We’re actually a family, a brotherhood. We definitely stick to being one team.”

AUSTIN, Texas -- Dallas Kimball pulled out a come-from-behind 78-75 win over Houston Yates for its second straight 4A state championship.

Kimball trailed state nemesis Yates, 75-73 with just over twelve seconds left as forward Sheldon Yearwood held the ball at the free throw line.

Junior star recruit Keith Frazier, who had a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, was on the floor. Last year’s 4A championship MVP Shannon Lilly, who had hit five 3-pointers as a part of a game-high 27 points, checked in.

Yearwood's pass went to junior Torrey Henry, who threw up a wide-open 3-point attempt.

“I had confidence in him,” Yearwood said.

The ball hadn’t finished spinning through the nylon before most of those in attendance at the Frank Erwin Center jumped to their feet.

Seconds later after a missed Yates 3-point try, Kimball (34-5) celebrated its 4^th boys state basketball championship, the second in as many years, over Yates (33-6).

“All year long this group of kids -- they're a young group -- but someone always found a way to step up,” Kimball coach Royce Johnson said. “That’s what we talked about before the game and at halftime and going into the fourth quarter -- someone was going to have to hit a big shot.”

Returning to the spotlight was Lilly, hitting clutch 3-pointers in the second half that led to his second MVP award in two years. His personal additions to the Kimball trophy case rank him among some of the most influential players in the storied Kimball basketball program, Johnson said.

That intense action from Lilly and the Knights wasn’t there throughout the entire game. Kimball began the game hesitant, which showed in the free throw column of the first-half score sheet.

Yates hit 17 of 21 from the stripe, counter to Kimball’s meager 4-for-7. Kimball settled for the outside shot, which gave it a 33.3 percent shooting percentage and a 36-30 deficit at the break.

Kimball ignited some passion in the second half, picking up its pace on offense. In turn, the Knights dominated the fast-break game, scoring 23 points in transition.

UIL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Boys brackets: 5A »   4A » Girls brackets: 5A »   4A » State tournament: Girls » Boys »

Ironically, it was perimeter shooting that would ultimately seal the game for Kimball.

Lilly began the Knights' comeback with a step-back 3-pointer with just under two minutes to play, which Johnson said “opened the door” for Kimball’s resurgence.

When the ball found Henry’s hands in the corner, Johnson first tried to shout a reminder to his player that Kimball trailed by only two.

“I was trying to remind him what the score was and tell him to drive. “I always tell my players to have confidence,” Johnson said. “As a coach, I’m going to tell you what I think, but don’t be afraid to make a play and I think that’s what he did. He locked in and when he let it go, I felt good because he didn’t hesitate. He was trying to win.”

That 3 exercised two demons that have haunted Kimball in the last ten years. It vindicated the Knights from a loss to Yates in the state finals in 2009. It also put Kimball on the winning side of a last-second victory, healing the emotional wounds inflicted on Johnson after losing the state championship in 2002 on a half-court prayer.

“Tonight we got over ’02. We hit the big shot and we’re over it," Johnson said.

With those shortcomings put to rest, Henry began a new chapter in the collective memory of Kimball basketball by burying one shot.

“It was history,” Johnson said.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Forgive Kimball head coach Royce “Snoop” Johnson. He admitted Saturday that he’s kept a decade-old secret.

Back in 2002, Johnson was on the sidelines when his Knights were robbed of a Class 5A championship when San Antonio Jay’s Chris Ross drained a half-court, buzzer-beating shot. Kimball lost, 54-53.

Johnson told reporters after winning last year’s Class 4A title that the 2002 game was out of his mind. Deep down, that loss has stayed with him, silently gnawing at his insides and making him constantly ask, “What if?”

Until Saturday.

Exactly 10 years and a day later, the Knights were on the positive end of a dagger heard around the Texas basketball world. Torrey Henry drained a 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining to take the lead from Houston Yates, and Kimball repeated as 4A champion with a 78-75, come-from-behind victory.

“Tonight,” Johnson said, “we got over ’02. We hit the big shot. We’re over it.”

There are plenty of words and phrases to describe Saturday’s impressive win. Vindication. Exorcising of past demons. Silencing harsh critics.

Shocking the world.

Kimball did all of that, and it got the job done against a Yates team that many felt was heavily favored. The Lions were averaging 100.8 points in their first six playoff games. They were back-to-back state champions in 2009 and 2010. Several of the seniors were sophomores on that last championship team.

Yates was a favorite to many. Johnson, however, didn’t feel that way.

“Before the game, I thought we were the favorite,” Johnson said. “Back in ’09, we were talking upset. [Saturday] before the game, we said if we lost, it was going to be an upset.

“All year long, this group of kids has always found a way to step up. That’s what we said start of the fourth. Someone has to make the big shot. They found a way to win and were not afraid to lose.”

What makes Kimball’s win that much more impressive is that the Knights were down five with 33 seconds left to play. Henry hit a 3-pointer to trim Yates’ lead to 75-73 with 29 seconds left. Following a missed free throw, Henry took a pass from Darian Hancock and drained a 20-footer in the corner -- right in front of the Kimball bench -- and hit the biggest shot of his basketball career.

“I knew I had to step in, shoot with confidence and follow through,” Henry said. “I knew I had God on my side, and I let it go.”

UIL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Boys brackets: 5A »   4A » Girls brackets: 5A »   4A » State tournament: Girls » Boys »

While Henry provided the game-turning moment, Shannon Lilly Jr. provided multiple big-game shots that led to Henry’s basket. Lilly scored nine of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, including the last two free throws of the night. It was Lilly’s play that not only spearheaded Kimball’s miraculous run but also earned him his second-consecutive state tournament game MVP award.

Lilly, who Johnson called “Mr. Big Shot,” said winning state was special, but defeating Yates was a bonus. He was a freshman when Kimball lost to Yates in the state-title game in 2009.
“I had to do it for my brothers that lost in ’09,” Lilly said. “I know they’re feeling good about it. I wanted to do it for them and the community.”

Kimball left Austin with tons of confidence and the opportunity to gloat -- even though the players chose not to after the game. Knowing that they were the two-time defending 4A champions allowed them to write their own tickets without saying a word.

For Johnson, knowing that the Jay game wouldn’t haunt him anymore made him smile that much brighter.

“We’re not really caught up in the back-to-back [talk],” he said. “I just know that the trophy’s still at home. They know we’re trying to be relevant every year. The kids meet the expectations. They don’t shy away from it.”

Damon Sayles covers Midlands recruiting for ESPN Recruiting. He can be reached at dsaylesespn@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DamonSayles

AUSTIN, Texas -- Defensive-minded Flower Mound Marcus coach Danny Henderson’s top priority in Saturday’s 5A state final is slowing the offensive production of Fort Bend Travis’ Harrison twins.

Henderson wouldn’t reveal his thoughts on defending Aaron and Andrew Harrision, a pair of 6-foot-5 guards.

“We’ve been working all week on all three teams that are down here, but we’ll make some decisions [Friday night] on how to guard them,” Henderson said after Marcus’ semifinal win Friday.

However, one of Marcus’ top defenders, Nick Banyard, said he wants a shot at one of the twins, and he will mostly likely have his wish granted.

“I told coach after the game that I would be ready to guard one of them,” Banyard said. “It doesn’t matter to me -- I just want to guard one of them.”

Banyard, a New Mexico signee, said he has guarded both Harrison twins in various AAU games, which he believes gives him an edge by “kind of knowing all their moves”.

Banyard said his best defense will be to get under their skin and try to frustrate them out of good play.

“I know what gets in their head," Banyard said. "If you get in their, head they get real frustrated real easily. You’ll probably see me talking a lot.”

Both Banyard and Marcus Smart agreed that Henderson would most likely use Banyard and A.J. Luckey to guard against the twins, mixing Smart into the mix sporadically throughout the game.

“Eventually I’ll be matched up with them, but I don’t think at the beginning because we have two great defenders with A.J. Luckey and Nick Banyard," Smart said.

Banyard matched up against Garland Naaman Forest’s 6-foot-11 center Prince Ibeh in Marcus’ state semifinal, holding him to six points and seven rebounds.

The players should get what they want in defensive matchups Saturday, but Smart knows the game is really a matchup the entire state has yearned to witness.

“Everyone has wanted to see Flower Mound Marcus versus Travis." Smart said, "and they got it.”

AUSTIN, Texas -- A fan called the Argyle basketball team “the new-school Hoosiers” because of the similarities in offensive pace and strategy between the Eagles and the famous movie characters.

Like the Hoosiers, Argyle finished its season on a high note. The Eagles defeated Corpus Christi Miller, 44-33, in front of 7,946 at the Frank Erwin Center to capture the Class 3A state title.

Argyle (31-8) won its first basketball championship -- and it did so by sticking with what it does best. The Eagles executed an efficient half-court offense and forced Miller to put up unwanted shots on defense. Argyle head coach John King said patience was the key to victory, as it has been throughout the season.

“If we have to make five passes or 25 passes, we have to be patient,” King said. “Our No. 1 goal on defense is to keep people out of the paint and not give up layups. We make people shoot jump shots. Teams want to get transition [games] going, and we want to shut it down.”

No team in the postseason scored more than 37 points against the Eagles. Credit that to the team’s ability to eliminate second-chance opportunities. Miller was held to eight points in the paint and eight second-chance points.

On the flip side, Argyle -- a team noticeably bigger than Miller -- finished with 16 points in the paint and nine second-chance points. Miller’s tallest starter was 6-foot-1.

“They did a great job with controlling the tempo of the game,” Miller coach Maurice Bastian said. “We were never able to get our transition game going. Argyle would take advantage of our mistakes, and with their high IQ, we couldn’t get them rattled with our defensive pressure.”

By the halfway point of the first quarter, Argyle had a 9-2 lead. The Eagles led 16-12 at halftime, as both teams struggled from the field. Argyle made only 30.4 percent (7 of 23), while Miller made 23.8 percent (5 of 21).

Shooting proved to be an Achilles’ heel, especially for Miller, in the second half. The Pirates finished the game making only 11 of 45 (24.4 percent) shots from the field, and they connected on only 3 of 21 (14.3 percent) from the 3-point line.

For Argyle, it wasn’t how many shots were taken, but when shots were made. Connor York hit all three of his 3-pointers within a five-minute span of the third and fourth quarters. His buckets helped the Eagles pull away after Miller had taken an 18-17 lead midway through the third.

“Going into that, I had not hit any [3-pointers],” York said. “They were telling me to keep shooting. I’m a shooter, and that’s my job.”

UIL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Boys brackets: 5A »   4A » Girls brackets: 5A »   4A » State tournament: Girls » Boys »

King added: “Connor has been a key part of this whole run. If you go back to the Madison game and the Lovejoy game, he’s the one who really got us going offensively. He struggled in the first half, but we all had confidence in him, and he had confidence in himself.”

Buckets by Clarke Overlander and free throws by Zach Dickerson gave Argyle a double-digit margin. The Eagles’ largest lead was 13 with 1:35 remaining.

Overlander finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and was named the state tournament game MVP. York added 13 points, and Andrew Resch finished with three points and 13 rebounds, nine of those coming on the defensive end.

“This puts us over the hump,” Overlander said. “Cross country has won state. Girls basketball has won state. Band has won state too many times to count. This puts us over for guys basketball.

“This will be No. 1 on my list. I’ve been dreaming about this one since the first grade.”

Marquis Lewis led Miller (30-10) with 10 points.

Damon Sayles covers Midlands recruiting for ESPN Recruiting. He can be reached at dsaylesespn@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DamonSayles.

Another fantastic high school basketball season wraps up today.

Follow along right here as our experts answer your questions and provide insight and live updates from the state championship games.