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A return trip to the Class 4A regional baseball semifinals did not seem to be in the cards for Waxahachie.

The Indians were faced with the daunting task of beating Corsicana in a best-of-3 regional quarterfinal series after losing twice to the 15-4A champion in district play. One of those defeats was a no-hitter in which Corsicana run-ruled Waxahachie, 10-0.

It appeared to be more of the same after the first game of the playoff series, a 3-2 Corsicana win. However, Waxahachie won the final two games in Corsicana to take the series.

"It's a different time of the year," Waxahachie coach Tracy Wood said. "We're playing better baseball. It came down to them making more mistakes when it was time. We'll take district losses to still be playing now."

While Waxahachie is making a second consecutive trip to the regional semifinals, it is by no means the same team that was knocked out by Rockwall-Heath just a round short of state. The Indians returned just four players from last year's squad.

The team has rallied around fundamentals, which Wood has stressed from Day 1, and depended on a committee of pitchers to make up for what they lacked in experience.

Wood started a different pitcher in the first game of every series Waxahachie has played so far this playoff season. David Marinelli, the starter in the opener of the last series, had just one start in the regular season.

"It was a gut feeling," Wood said. "Just a hunch I had and he did a good job. We have different guys getting it done for us for sure."

Waxahachie now has Frisco Wakeland in its sights. Wakeland knocked Highland Park out of the playoffs last week for the third consecutive season.

Wood says his team's success comes down to minimizing Wakeland standout Willie Schwanke in the series either on the mound or at the plate.

"He's their best player for sure," Wood said. "He's the guy you don't let beat you."

The series begins Thursday night in Waxahachie and will be completed Saturday at Frisco's Dr Pepper Ballpark.

Martin moves up in national rankings

Arlington Martin stands firm at No. 10 in the ESPNHS Fab 50 rankings, moving up two spots after its regional quarterfinal win over Lubbock Coronado.

Martin faces Hurst L.D. Bell in the regional semis this weekend.

Arlington Martin moved up a spot to No. 11 in the latest ESPNHS FAB 50 national baseball rankings.

Martin (28-2-1) swept Odessa in a bi-district series, 10-0 and 8-2, and will face El Paso Franklin in an area-round series.

Colleyville Heritage (25-4), the only other area team in the FAB 50, climbed from No. 47 to No. 38 after sweeping Midlothian in bi-district play. Heritage will face Plano East in the next round.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Typically, a district baseball championship is won on the arm of a dominant pitching ace or the hot bat of a great hitter.

That’s not the case with District 4-5A champion and ESPNHS Fab 50 No. 12 Arlington Martin.

The Warriors have five batters hitting over the .400 mark and have split their wins among eight different pitchers.

“This team is not a team that has a superstar,” Martin coach Curt Culbertson said. “That’s what makes this team the type of good and competitive team it is. It’s a team that competes and that doesn’t quit. They just go.”

The senior-heavy Martin pitching staff came into the season with a chip on its shoulder after a below-par year last season and has created a kind of fight that's resonated throughout the team, Culbertson said.

The proof is in the Warriors’ 13 come-from-behind wins out of their 27 victories.

At the plate, Martin is no underdog.

At the team’s home field, players muscle hits into a fierce south wind that knocks down fly balls. Instead of that being a drawback, Culbertson believes it can have a positive psychological effect on his players when they find themselves in a stadium with the wind at their back.

They might get a taste of that this weekend out on the West Texas plains, taking on Odessa in the bi-district round at Abilene's Hardin-Simmons University.

Beyond the first round lies a tough region that includes the likes of Mansfield, Colleyville Heritage, Plano and Southlake Carroll.

But it’s the South Texas teams that have dominated in the state tournament the past decade.

Corpus Christi Carroll’s Class 5A championship last season continued a streak that began in 2002 of schools from the Corpus Christi or Houston area bringing home a state title in either 4A or 5A. This season, both Corpus Christi Carroll and Calallen enter the playoffs in the top 11 of the Fab 50 and are poised to continue the streak.

A Dallas-area team has not won a 4A or 5A state championship in baseball since Plano West’s 5A victory over Southlake Carroll in 2008.

Culbertson said it’s tough for the North Texas teams that cancel each other out in the early rounds of the playoffs, but the team that separates itself as the best DFW has to offer sure has a good chance of breaking the Metroplex skid.

“All these guys around here believe some of the best baseball is here in North Texas. Once we get [deep in the playoffs], we’ll deal with that out there,” Culbertson said.

High school baseball games average a much smaller fan attendance than those of other programs. Many games would be hard pressed to draw over 100 people.

This season, Fort Worth Christian has been guaranteed to draw anywhere from a handful to 67 spectators for their baseball games, all with radar guns in tow.

That’s right, 67 scouts lined the bleachers to get a report on pitcher Teddy Stankiewicz, coach Tracy Howard said.

The timing of the game was perfect to draw in that number of scouts. It was a week before any UIL schools could begin tournament play and it took place during a tournament hosted by Fort Worth Christian that featured many of the top private schools in the state.

But those 67 scouts were mostly there to check out the Cardinals ace.

Going into the regional final round of the TAPPS 4A state playoffs, Stankiewicz has a 10-2 record with 121 strikeouts and a 1.33 ERA in 79 innings. He is also No. 51 on the ESPNHS 100 top recruits in the nation -- the highest ranking of any player in the Metroplex.

Stankiewicz, an Arkansas signee, averages 90-92 mph on his fastball but has topped out at 95 with good control.

“Teddy is the type of guy that looks effortless when he throws,” Howard said. “He looks very smooth, but he has the ability to throw it by guys. He’s pretty fun to watch.”

Before his senior year, Stankiewicz participated in two Under Armor All-American games -- one at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.

“He’s been invited to some pretty big-time events and he’s done well,” Howard said. “He’s done a good job of getting himself recognized, but he’s also done a good job of competing once he’s there.”

The only question that remains in Stankiewicz’s game is if he’ll be playing SEC or MLB ball next fall.

Frisco Wakeland riding district momentum

Wakeland could be another team to beat in the playoffs. It is coming off a deep playoff run last year that ended at the hands of state semifinalist Mesquite Poteet.

Wakeland is on a 13-district game winning streak heading into bi-district play this weekend. It finished on top of District 9-4A with a 13-1 district record, and its only district loss of the season was the first game of district play to Frisco.

Colleyville Heritage jumps into Fab 50

Heritage jumped into the No. 47 spot this weekend thanks to winning 19 of its last 20 games to claim the District 6-5A crown.

Arlington Martin made a huge jump, moving from No. 33 to No. 12 in the national poll.

Earlier this season in Round Rock, home of the state baseball tournament, Flower Mound Marcus pitcher Colin Poché displayed the superior ability that has made a believer of his coach.

The senior ace limited a historically strong Coppell to four hits in Marcus' 2-1 victory.

Those who weren't there to witness Poché's talent that day may also not be aware of his 0.00 ERA through 57 innings pitched.

“You’ll most likely see him pitching on TV one day,” Marcus coach Dustin Sykora.

Poché has collected six wins in his senior year and has seen opposing runners cross the plate during his time on the mound. However, all runs under his watch have been unearned.

Sykora said his pitching star has everything you can ask for in a left-handed pitcher, including a tall frame that he’s grown into during his time at Marcus.

Poché has committed to Arkansas, but Sykora believes he won't set foot on campus with major league aspirations looming in the pitcher's immediate future.

Crazy finish for District 10-4A

Always strong Highland Park began district play already on the ropes. The Scots picked up their four 10-4A losses quickly, sitting at 1-4 through the first five district games.

However, the Scots haven't lost since falling to McKinney North and even knocked off previously nationally ranked Rockwall-Heath twice.

Rockwall-Heath sits in control of the district at 10-3 but could lose its grip to either Highland Park or Rockwall if it loses its final game of the season against Wylie East.

Both Highland Park and Rockwall have one game remaining as well.

Arlington Martin remains only DFW Fab 50 team

Martin (24-2-1) gained ground in this week’s ESPNHS Fab 50 poll, moving into the No. 33 spot after a big district win over state-ranked Weatherford. Martin previously sat in the No. 46 spot a week prior.

Leading the Texas pack is Corpus Christi Calallen at No. 7, followed by Corpus Christi Carroll at No. 21 and Deer Park at No. 25.

The Granbury baseball team (12-13, 8-4) had to win Tuesday’s District 7-4A game against Crowley to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

There was no question who Granbury coach Brad Hart would give the starting nod to for the important match, his senior ace Wade McClintock, who lost to Crowley, 2-0, earlier in district play.

McClintock not only led his team a 2-0 win and a playoff berth, but he also picked up his first career no-hitter.

“It was a cool deal, without a doubt, especially with so much on the line,” Hart said. “That was a huge game for us to lock up that playoff spot and stay in the race for the district championship and everything that went along with that. I had no doubt he was our guy even though he faced them the first time. I had no doubt.”

The senior, who is working for a college scholarship, boosted his resume by striking out 15.

Crowley managed only two base runners in the game -- one by a dropped third strike and another by walk.

It wasn’t until the fifth inning that Hart realized his pitcher was on the verge of a no-hitter and joined with the rest of the team in the traditional vow of silence toward McClintock.

McClintock sat down the final three batters in order and was greeted by a group tackle from his teammates.

“To be honest with you, I expected a good performance out of him and he came out and topped it with a no-hitter,” Hart said.

Once the dog pile cleared and McClintock had a few minutes to let his achievement set in, he was as amazed as anyone else on that field, Hart said.

“I think he just smiled a lot.” Hart said. “I don’t think he knew what to say.”

Sachse outfielder turning heads

Earlier this week, ESPN HS featured some of the top outfielders in the Class of 2013, which included one Metroplex star.

Sachse center fielder Eric Williams definitely has the stats to back up the high praise this season.

As his team’s No. 3 hitter, Williams is batting .405 with one home run, two triples and five doubles, which contribute to a .485 on-base percentage and a .587 slugging percentage.

In center, Williams can showcase his powerful arm, which coach Chris Burrow utilized on the mound last season and will again his senior year, throwing around 87 mph with a good breaking ball.

Williams has already verbally committed to Texas Tech as a junior, allowing him to play a stress-free remainder of his high school career as the team’s spark plug.

“He’s very high energy and works hard,” Burrow said. “He takes extra cuts a lot of the time. He does everything I ask him and is one of those guys that tries hard.”

Martin falls, but remains nationally ranked

Arlington Martin took a tough loss to Arlington Heights that dropped the Warriors in the ESPNHS Fab 50 poll this week, but they remain the only area team in the poll at No. 46.

Martin sits atop District 4-5A with a 12-0 district record and a 22-2-1 overall record.

The Warriors have three games remaining this season, including a nondistrict matchup with South Grand Prairie at 1 p.m. Saturday.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Add Kyle Hicks' name to the impressive stable of running backs the Longhorns will be able to turn to in the coming years. He committed to Texas Saturday.

Hicks, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound back from Arlington (Texas) Martin called Texas co-recruiting coordinator Bruce Chambers this evening to confirm his decision to become the Longhorns' first running back commitment for 2013.

"I just felt like it was time to commit to Texas," Hicks said. "It was the only schools that I kept thinking about. I knew it was time. They have a great coaching staff. I could definitely see myself going there and not missing home. It's a great school and I can play football there, which is a bonus."

You can read the rest of the story here.

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas -- The makeup changed very little or not at all in four of the area’s nine Class 5A districts at Thursday's UIL reclassification and realignment.

*The current District 4-5A (five Arlington schools, Fort Worth Paschal, North Crowley and Weatherford) remained intact but, because of district consolidation in West Texas, changed its number to 3-5A.

That’s an agreeable change, said Anthony Criss, football coach at Arlington Sam Houston and former Arlington ISD assistant athletic director.

“It’s great for Arlington because it means we stay in the area for first-round playoff games instead of going to West Texas,’’ Criss said. “We’d still go west once, but not until the second round.''

*The current District 5-5A retained seven of its eight members in the new District 7-5A: Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Grand Prairie, South Grand Prairie, Mansfield and Mansfield Timberview. The only change is Mansfield Legacy drops down to Class 4A and powerhouse DeSoto takes its place.

“A tough district just got tougher,’’ said Grand Prairie coach Gary Bartel.

*In District 9-5A, Dallas Samuell dropped to Class 4A and was replaced by Richardson Pearce, which is moving back up to 5A. The other seven members are unchanged: Dallas Jesuit, Dallas Skyline, Dallas Sunset, Dallas W.T. White, Richardson, Richardson Berkner and Lake Highlands.

“I wasn’t sure Jesuit would stay in,’’ said Skyline coach Reginald Samples. “In fact, we had agreed to play them in a nondistrict game if they weren’t in our district.’’

*The seven Garland ISD schools that made up 10-5A in the last realignment are now without McKinney Boyd as they go forward as District 11-5A with this lineup: Garland, Garland Lakeview, Garland Naaman Forest, North Garland, Rowlett, Sachse and South Garland.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Two Arlington Martin players signed letters of intent Wednesday, and head coach Bob Wager couldn’t help but reflect on how both could have had an unhappy outcome.

Defensive lineman Devonte Fields, who signed with TCU, was very nearly dropped from the program as a sophomore.

“He couldn’t get anywhere on time,’’ Wager recalled. “I brought his mother into a meeting, the three of us. And I asked Devonte how he thought he could be an NFL player without getting anywhere on time. Tears rolled down his cheeks. And I guess mom took over from there. Never underestimate the power of mom.’’

Fields (6-foot-4, 240 pounds) said he thinks about the incident all the time. Even on signing day. And he doesn’t like to think what his life might be like had he not had that meeting.

“Today, I feel like I accomplished one of my goals in life,’’ said Fields, who is No. 73 in the ESPNU 150.

Wager said Mustafa Haboul wound up in football as a high school freshman for one simple reason -- he got in the wrong line.

“He didn’t realize he was in the line to play football,’’ Wager said. “He knew nothing about the game. All he would do was chase the ball wherever it went.’’

Haboul said basketball was the only sport he would watch in those days. He tried to watch football, but didn’t understand the game well enough to be interested.

Gradually he learned the game and he enjoyed the physical aspect.

Haboul (6-foot, 247) wound up at nose guard for the Warriors.

“Last season, we issued him a new helmet,’’ Wager said. “You should have seen that helmet after the season. It was beaten up like one I’ve never seen. It can’t even be reconditioned.’’

On Monday, two days before signing day, Haboul got a scholarship offer from the University of North Texas.

“My mom was jumping around, my dad was laughing,’’ Habou saidl. “The whole thing is amazing. I never thought I’d be a part of this today.’’

Martin had seven players sign FBS scholarships. The previous best for the school was five last year.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Twin brothers Stephen and Eric Amoako made it official, signing letters of intent with Oregon on Wednesday.

The twins finished up careers in the defensive backfield for Arlington Martin in the fall.

“It’s probably a one in a million shot for us to get scholarships to the same school playing the same position,’’ said Eric (5-foot-11, 195), the younger of the two. “We’ve been committed to Oregon for seven months, but it is a big deal to get things done officially.’’

A large contingent of family from Mississippi and Alabama attended the ceremony in support.

“It may be a year or two before we have a chance to see them again,’’ said Stephen (6-foot, 190). "Getting this day over with is more relief than anything.''

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Full-court defensive pressure is a staple of North Crowley boys basketball.

Opponents know it is coming and that can’t be a good feeling.

“It’s the way we play,’’ Panthers coach Tommy Brakel said. “A lot of teams can handle it for eight or 10 minutes or even a half. But we’re used to playing that way and we go a little deeper with our bench than most teams.’’

North Crowley, No. 6 in ESPNDallas.com's Class 5A Top 10, used its ball-hawking skills to defeat Arlington Martin, 73-59, in a match-up of two 3-0 District 4-5A teams Tuesday night at Martin High School.

The win for North Crowley (18-4, 4-0) was its 62nd consecutive district victory, a streak that began in 2007.

Leading the way for the Panthers was 5-11 junior guard Jalen McCloud, who scored 30 points and added eight steals. Good defense led to some easy baskets.

“My job on the press is to do a lot of trapping,’’ said McCloud. “It is all about trapping and rotating.’’

On the offensive end, McCloud connected on four 3-pointers, confirming that a wrist injury that troubled him early in the season is completely healed.

“The wrist hasn’t bothered me really for the last three weeks and I’m shooting with confidence now,’’ said McCloud, who transferred to North Crowley from North Carolina in the second semester of his freshman year. “The points don’t matter to me. It is all about wins.’’

Brakel was impressed not only by McCloud’s shooting, but in his other contributions.

“It was a solid game he played with the steals and some key rebounds, too,’’ the coach said. “We’ve known for a while that he is going to be a good one. We have several guys that can step up on a given night.’’

Only one time all evening did North Crowley face a deficit (at 12-10). McCloud drilled a 3-pointer and then came up with a steal and a layup to begin a 8-0 run in the final two minutes of the first period to turn momentum.

Martin (14-6, 3-1) was kept at arm’s length the rest of the way, despite 16 points from 6-4 sophomore Nick Babb. The Warriors dropped into a second-place tie in 4-5A with Arlington Lamar.

“This is a good win on the road in front of a nice crowd,’’ Brakel said. “We played through some adversity and that’s what you have to do when you look ahead to the playoffs.’’

Girls: North Crowley 67, Arlington Martin 49: Kiara Davis connected on six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 37 points to lead North Crowley (16-7, 6-0).

A healthy Davis is finally getting a chance to show what she can do. She had left and right ACL tears in her freshman season and at the end of her sophomore season.

Davis likes the way the direction her team, ranked No. 9 in 5A by ESPNDallas.com, is headed.

“Our chemistry is getting a lot better,’’ the 5-10 guard said. “We’re starting to do things together off the court.’’

Bethany Gonzalez led Martin (12-10, 3-3) with 15 points.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Class 5A: Devonte Fields, Arlington Martin, DE

Devonte Fields helped Arlington Martin do the unthinkable -- shut down Euless Trinity's running game.

2011 FOOTBALL AWARDS
Dec. 27: Coaches of the year Dec. 28: Games of the year Dec. 29: Newcomers of the year Dec. 30: Best of the rest Jan. 2: Defensive POYs Jan. 3: Offensive POYs Jan. 4: MVPs

Fields and Martin held Trinity to just 135 rushing yards en route to a 19-7 win over a Trinity team that had long tortured the Warriors in the playoffs.

But that was just one of the standout performances from Fields. The TCU commit had 55 tackles -- 27 for a loss -- and nine sacks in a year that ended with him being named to the Associated Press all-state team.

Fields' play turned Martin into one of the better defenses in the area. Aside from finally getting past Trinity in the playoffs, Martin's defense led the Warriors all the way to the region finals, where they lost to eventual state champion Southlake Carroll.


Class 4A: Mario Edwards, Denton Ryan, DE

Injuries hampered Edwards throughout the season, but it didn't stop him from turning in another banner year and being named ESPN Dallas' defensive player of the year for the second consecutive season.

Even on a Ryan defense loaded with FBS-caliber players, Edwards stood out. He had 56 tackles -- 28 for a loss -- and 10 sacks en route to being named to the Associated Press all-state team.

With Edwards leading the way, Ryan gave up just 16.8 points per game. That number could have been even lower and is slightly misleading because the Raiders often played backups late in blowouts, allowing opponents to add to their totals.

Edwards gave an oral commitment to Florida State in the summer but has since backed off from it, expressing interest in Oklahoma and Texas, among others.

The little stories that arose during the 2011 high school football season are what made it so memorable. Here are some of the ESPNDallas.com high school team's picks for "Best of the Rest" awards commemorating those stories.

Best 2-way player: Sabian Holmes. Holmes was Southlake Carroll quarterback Kenny Hill's No. 1 option in the Dragon's pass game throughout the season and tallied 138 yards on 11 catches and a touchdown in the 5A Division I state championship. He also was a reliable defensive back and made a touchdown-saving, diving swat late in the title game that became one of the key plays that allowed Carroll to win its eighth state football championship.

Best individual performance: Robbie Rhodes. The Fort Worth Southwest receiver tied a national record and set a state record when he scored eight touchdowns in a 66-21 win over Fort Worth Arlington Heights. He had 10 catches for a state-record 390 yards.

2011 FOOTBALL AWARDS
Dec. 27: Coaches of the year Dec. 28: Games of the year Dec. 29: Newcomers of the year Dec. 30: Best of the rest Jan. 2: Defensive POYs Jan. 3: Offensive POYs Jan. 4: MVPs

Honorable mention: Wesley Harris. The Southwest quarterback also broke the state record for touchdown passes with nine in the same game.

Best matchup on paper: Johnathan Gray vs. Cameron Washington. Two 3,000-yard rushers met for the first time in the playoffs when Gray and Aledo faced off against Washington and Corsicana in the 4A Division II state semifinal. The game turned out to be not nearly as great as it was billed because of the effort of Aledo’s defense to hold Washington to just 91 yards. Gray tallied 218 yards and claimed his 204^th career touchdown, tying the national record.

Best milestone: 300 wins. Highland Park coach Randy Allen earned win No. 300 when his Scots beat Richardson J.J. Pearce 41-27 at Highlander Stadium. The win tied Allen for 10^th all-time in the state with Gregory-Portland’s Ray Akins.

Best school districts: Arlington, Mansfield and Frisco ISDs had a lot of work still left to do long after the regular season ended as each sent two schools into the third round of the playoffs. Two Keller ISD schools made the playoffs in the always-tough District 7-5A. Mesquite ISD sent three teams into the playoffs and not many would have expected the Mesquite Skeeters to be the only team left alive in the 5A Division I region semifinals.

Best revenge wins: Skyline and Arlington Martin. It took five tries, but Arlington Martin finally ended Euless Trinity’s season early for once, beating the Trojans 19-7 at Trinity’s home stadium, Pennington Field. Skyline and DeSoto met for the fourth straight time in the playoffs and Skyline avenged it’s 38-0 loss to the Eagles last season with a 41-31 win in 2011.

Best under the radar star: Jake Oliver. Oliver of Jesuit had 108 catches for 1,637 yards and 23 touchdowns and was key in Jesuit’s district run after starting quarterback Jack Brezette was lost for the season with a knee injury. Oliver was a finalist for the Tom Landry award.

Winner's bracket:

Richardson Berkner vs. Milwaukee King, 9 a.m.

Flower Mound Marcus vs. Richland, 11 a.m.

Semifinal between these winners is at 8 p.m.

DeSoto vs. Plano West, 12:30 p.m.

North Crowley vs. Little Rock Parkview, 2 p.m.

Semifinal between these winners is at 9:30 p.m.

Consolation bracket:

Coppell vs. Fort Worth Arlington Heights, 8 a.m.

Hurst L.D. Bell vs. Houston Klein Forest, 3:30 p.m.

Justin Northwest vs. Garland Naaman Forest, 5:00 p.m.

Arlington Martin vs. Duncanville, 6:30 p.m.

Game 8: Little Rock Parkview 73, Hurst L.D. Bell 51.

The ESPNHS No. 42 team, Little Rock Parkview, turned out to be quite the unlucky draw for Hurst L.D. Bell in the opening round of the tournament.

Parkview's Anton Beard dropped 17 on the Raiders while Imara Ready and Emmanuel Adoyi both tallied 14 points of their own in the blowout effort.

Bell's Garrett Hammonds managed a team-high 15, hitting Bell's only two 3's of the game.

Bell moves into the consolation bracket to face Houston Klein Forest at 3:30 p.m. Thursday while Parkview will take on North Crowley Thursday at 2 p.m.

Game 7: Flower Mound Marcus 45, Justin Northwest 38.

Game 6: Milwaukee King 67, Duncanville 54.

Rufus King out of Milwaukee proved to be more than Duncanville could handle, holding a lead throughout the course of the game.

King hit six from behind the arch, aiding four players to hit the double digit point mark. Dominique Borom led King's scoring with 16 points.

Duncanville's shot selection was less than optimum and it failed to make the adjustment of penetrating for a higher percentage shot. Duncanville hit six 3-pointers, but two came when the game had been relinquished late in the fourth quarter.

Omar Sherman led Duncanville in points with 14, followed by Brian Hampton with 11. Nine Duncanville players found the scoresheet, but only three contributed more than four points.

Game 5: North Crowley 63, Houston Klein Forest 53.

North Crowley relied on its depth to outlast Klein Forest in its first-round matchup -- a trait not normally common of a Panther team.

Instead of relying on one superstar to carry the team as it has in the past, North Crowley spread its points out between eight players on it's 15 man roster.

Leading the charge was guard Calvin Ward with a game-high 18 points, followed by Taylor Luster with 10. Four other players scored more than five points in the game.

North Crowley built its lead in the first half, outscoring Klein Forest 34-22, which included an 18-point first quarter. Ward was responsible for 10 of those points in the opening frame.

Klein Forest won the battle of the second half by two points, but it wasn't nearly enough to challenge North Crowley for the lead.

Game 4: No. 33 DeSoto 77, Coppell 39.

Game 3: Richland 64, Garland Naaman Forest 58.

Junior wing Leyton Hammonds tore through the Naaman Forest defense to score 22 points and lead his team into the winners bracket of the Whataburger Tournament.

Hammonds hot hand drew the attention of the Naaman Forest defense, making him a useful decoy in Richand's press break in the second half. The majority of Richland's fourth quarter points came on fast break layups out of the break.

The game was won in the third quarter when Richland was able to double up on Naaman Forest 19-8.

Naaman Forest's Demarcus Holland led his squad in scoring with 21 points. Texas commit Price Ibeh was held in check with just 7 points in the game, the final two on a huge dunk in the fourth quarter.

Game 2: Richardson Berkner 73, Arlington Martin 60

After a hot Berkner start in the first half, including several basket-shaking dunks, Martin made a strong push in the second half, but couldn't overcome a very talented Berkner squad.

Berkner junior forward Kendal Harris led his team in scoring with 21-points, tying Martin's Myles Johnson for the game high.

Berkner dominated the glass, with the vast majority of its points coming inside the paint.

Martin football All-American Devonte Fields was the basketball team's force inside, tallying 13 points of his own.

Game 1: Plano West 70, Fort Worth Arlington Heights 60 (3OT)

It took two desperation 3's from Fort Worth Arlington Heights to push the game into overtime and then a second overtime, but Plano West capitalized on turnovers in the third extra frame to put away the Yellowjackets.

Height's Travis Williams received a dish off a rebound with seconds remaining in regulation and drilled a 3-pointer to give his team extra life in overtime. The game then seemed out of reach a gain as the clock ticked away in the first overtime period, but Hight's Marshall Calvin swished a circus shot from behind the arch to force a third overtime.

In the end, West's defense was too much for Heights to handle after three extra periods of basketball, especially when Heights only had five players put up points in the game.

West struggled through regulation to contain Heights small but elusive point guard Harrison Wagner who slashed through the lane for a game-high 31 points.

Plano West's point production was split between forwards T.J. Cline and Holt Harmon, who dominated the post game for 19 points a piece.