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The competitive nature of the District 9-4A boys playoff race suggested the district would be competitive in the playoffs as well.

It hasn't panned out that way.

District 10-4A went 3-1 against 9-4A in the bi-district round, with 9-4A's one win being Frisco's 54-52 win over Rockwall.

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Even that game went down to the wire despite Frisco being the 9-4A champion and Rockwall being the fourth seed from 10-4A. Frisco won after RJ White connected on a putback at the buzzer.

District 10-4A's wins were convincing. McKinney North took a 68-58 win over Carrollton Creekview, which was enjoying a resurgent season that saw it push Frisco for the 9-4A crown.

McKinney held off a late rally to beat Frisco Centennial 53-51, and Highland Park topped Carrollton Newman Smith 46-34 despite not having its top scorer, David Allen.

Things get tougher for 10-4A as it moves on to face teams from Dallas ISD. Highland Park, which still won't have Allen (who is suspended for the week in compliance with the district's policy regarding arrests and participation in extracurricular activities), faces defending 4A champion Dallas Kimball, the No. 5 team in ESPN Dallas' final Class 4A area rankings.

McKinney North takes on No. 4 Dallas Woodrow Wilson and McKinney gets No. 2 South Oak Cliff. Frisco plays Dallas Lincoln.

CARROLLTON, Texas -- Carrollton Creekview students spent all night trying to get under RJ White's skin, singling him out with mean-spirited taunts and barbs.

Apparently that's the last thing you want to do to Frisco's leading scorer.

Fueled by the chants, White erupted in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of his team-high 16 points in the final frame to lead Frisco to a 75-73 win over Creekview on Friday.

The win caps a remarkably good week for Frisco (20-9, 9-2 in 9-4A). The Raccoons beat Creekview and Frisco Centennial to join them in a three-way tie for first place in 9-4A.

"He's been doing what we've asked him to do for the last four years," Frisco head coach Andrew Steele said of White. "When you find that fire and you can get him mad at something, he gets to be a man-child out there and he's pretty hard to stop."

Creekview (19-12, 9-2) held a 64-58 lead heading into the fourth quarter after outscoring Frisco by 15 points in the third quarter. But the Mustangs' hot shooting didn't last. Frisco spent most of the final frame on a 13-3 run created by feeding White in the paint.

The senior gave Frisco the lead back with a three-point play with a little over two minutes remaining in the game, and Creekview missed a pair of shots in the final 20 seconds.

"Bottom line: We got fortunate at the end," Steele said.

If anger sparks White during games, he must get mad a lot. The 6-foot-7 senior leads Frisco in scoring (16 points per game) and rebounding (9 per game) and has helped Frisco overcome a sluggish start to district play.

The Raccoons opened 9-4A play with a losses to Carrollton Newman Smith and Centennial, but they've now won eight straight games, including victories over Newman Smith and Centennial.

White couldn't get much going in the first half against Creekview. Officials called a tight game through 16 minutes, doling out 30 total fouls in the first half.

"They blew it too much," White said of the referees. "I wish they would have let us play."

That hampered White's physical inside game, but Frisco's supporting cast stepped up to give the Raccoons a 46-37 lead at the break.

Including White, Frisco had six players with at least nine points -- Ryan Thomas (13), Kanetis Mays (10), Brady Culbertson (9), Adrian Singletary (9) and Kevin Stephens (9).

Creekview found its game in third quarter. Justin Cueto, who tweaked his ankle in the first half, came out on fire. Coupled with Stephen Buckner (24 points) and Ali Zia (14 points), Creekview turned a nine-point halftime deficit into a six-point lead in just eight minutes.

"I think during the first half our kids were too focused on the crowd, the officials, other things besides doing what we need to do on the basketball court," Creekview head coach Jonathan Ellis said. "We had to fire them up. We got after them."

But as the officiating loosened up, White was able to take advantage of his size in the paint.

And those pesky Creekview fans provided a little motivation, too.

"Knowing fans are talking, I just try to put up 30 a game," White said. "That's what got me going."

FRISCO, Texas -- Carrollton Creekview has had trouble with Frisco Centennial's zone defense since dropping down to Class 4A two years ago.

The Titans do a fantastic job of clogging passing lanes and collapsing to the ball in the paint, making it difficult for the opposition to get off a high-percentage shot.

Creekview's guards decided to go ahead and settle for the outside shots against Centennial on Friday, and their stellar sharp-shooting allowed the Mustangs to finally solve Centennial's 2-3 zone and escape with a 65-60 win.

Creekview (16-11, 6-1) is now in first place in District 9-4A, with the win giving the Mustangs the tiebreaker over Centennial (15-9, 6-1).

"That's the best we've ever done [against Centennial's zone]," said Creekview head coach Jonathan Ellis. "At halftime I was shocked we already had 32 points. I thought that might be our final total."

Its success against the Titans' zone is just one of many examples of Creekview's improvement this season. Last year the Mustangs lost in a playoff play-in game after losing 10 lettermen, but with much of that team returning for 2012, Creekview has improved dramatically.

In nondistrict play, the Mustangs have beaten strong teams such as Highland Park and Rowlett this season, in addition to pushing perennial powers The Colony and Garland Lakeview Centennial to the brink of defeat.

"We have come together as a team a whole lot more than last year," said guard Justin Cueto, the team's leading scorer. "We didn't have as good of chemistry last year as we do this year. This year we all have a year under our belt, so we have a lot more experience and that helps us win games."

Creekview's stellar guards have led the way, and Friday was no different. Cueto scored a game-high 24 points and backcourt teammates Stephen Buckner and Ali Zia added 13 and 10, respectively.

And most of their points came from behind the arc or on long-distance 2-pointers as Centennial's zone was in full force, especially starting off the game.

"They're our go-daddies," Ellis said of his guards. "They are kind of what make us go, and they did a good job tonight. Zia was getting through the creases and finding the ball. They did their job and knocked down their shots."

Centennial led for much of the first half behind the inside/outside play of forwards Alex Terrian (16 points) and Zander Petersson (13 points) on the Titans' girth of set plays.

"We knew they ran good stuff and we spent two days trying to go through all their stuff, but you really don't know it until you see them up close," Ellis said of Centennial's offense. "They're very impressive. They're tough to defend."

But Creekview took a one-point lead into halftime after it held the ball for the final minute of the second quarter before Aaron Brown scored just before the buzzer.

The bucket was part of a 10-0 run by the Mustangs that started at the end of the first half and extended into the third quarter.

That's due in part to Ellis' halftime adjustments. Creekview mixed in some zone to go with its base man defense in the third quarter, and Centennial struggled with it early in the frame.

Creekview took a 12-point lead with just under three minutes remaining in the game. Centennial made a final push to get as close as five, but the Mustangs made enough free throws down the stretch to hang on for the win.

"Their zone is the toughest thing we face all year," Cueto said. "It's one of the toughest in the area. We got used to it after awhile."

The Carrollton schools are having a tough time competing against their Frisco ISD counterparts in District 9-4A this season.

Newman Smith (0-5, 0-2), Creekview (0-5, 0-2) and R.L. Turner (1-4, 0-2) have yet to win a game against a Frisco team this season, leaving the five Frisco teams in the top five spots in the standings.

A similar situation developed last year, but Newman Smith rebounded from a slow start to make the playoffs, preventing a sweep of the four 9-4A playoff spots for Frisco ISD.

It may be tougher for Trojans to rebound this year. Aside from their own issues, they face a tougher group of Frisco teams.

While Frisco Liberty (5-0, 2-0) and Frisco Wakeland (3-2, 1-1) may have taken a step back, Frisco (4-1, 2-0), Frisco Centennial (5-0, 2-0) and
Frisco Heritage (2-3, 1-1) have gotten better.

Newman Smith hasn’t played the latter three, but it already lost to Liberty (18-17) and Wakeland (38-24) despite getting quarterback Shawn Holmes back from injury.

This weekend’s games will be telling for the district. Newman Smith takes on resurgent Frisco, and Centennial hosts Liberty in a game that will go a long way toward crowning a 9-4A champion.

And if there’s any consolation for Carrollton ISD fans, they're guaranteed at least one win this week with R.L. Turner hosting Creekview.

DISTRICT 9-4A

• Carrollton Creekview (2-8, 2-5). Coach: Jay Cline.
• Carrollton Newman Smith (7-6, 4-3) lost in DI regional semifinals. Coach: Paul Ressa.
• Carrollton R.L. Turner (1-9, 1-6). Coach: Tyrone Larkins.
• Frisco (4-6, 3-4). Coach: Vance Gibson.
• Frisco Centennial (6-5, 5-2) lost in DII bi-district. Coach: Mark Howard
• Frisco Heritage (0-10, 0-7). Coach: Che Hendrix.
• Frisco Liberty (12-1, 7-0) lost in DII regional semifinals. Coach: Galen Zimmerman.
• Frisco Wakeland (8-3, 6-1) lost in DI bi-district. Coach: Marty Secord.

THE BIG QUESTION: How will Frisco ISD's expansion affect its football programs?

Nothing wreaks havoc on a high school football program like a school district opening a new school. It can destroy a championship team just as easily and quickly as it can produce it.

Given Frisco ISD's aggressive expansion in recent years, it's hard to project how things will shake out in 9-4A, an eight-school district with five Frisco teams.

Coming off two stellar seasons, Frisco Liberty would be the obvious favorite in 9-4A, but its current senior class was split in half by the opening of Frisco Heritage. Liberty has just one offensive starter returning.

While having a class split has an affect that's easy to predict, but other changes that come with opening schools are more subtle. Zoning lines are redrawn. Players get rerouted to other programs. Growing areas of town may or may not produce football talent.

Who's in line to benefit from Frisco's expansion? Are Frisco Wakeland and Frisco Centennial capable of taking the next step and supplanting Liberty as Frisco's top program? Is Heritage a young program waiting to explode?

One team that's bound to benefit is Carrollton Newman Smith, which can maintain its stability while the Frisco programs deal with change.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

QB Miquan Robinson, LB Chris Weatherd, WR Stephen Buckner, Carrollton Creekview; DB Shawn Holmes, DE Karl Thomas, WR Tripp Abbott, Carrollton Newman Smith; QB Garon Goodspeed, RB J.P. Patterson, LB Fernando Barrera, Carrollton R.L. Turner; QB Eric Allen, RB Carlos Harris, WR Jordan Anderson, Frisco; LB Nick Bush, DB Austin Schotts, QB Lamar Jordan, Frisco Centennial; DE Elie Nabushosi, RB Brandon Guilford, QB Cole-Bailey Cantwell, Frisco Heritage; QB Zach Smith, DB Izaiah Robinson, RB Alonte Ryan, Frisco Liberty; QB Nick West, WR Brad Sicula, RB Devaughn Childress, Frisco Wakeland.

DID YOU KNOW?

Frisco Heritage hopes to tally its first win in school history after going 0-10 in its inaugural season. Heritage already has a new head coach in Che Hendrix, but he has all 22 starters back to work with. ... Newman Smith reached the third round of the playoffs for the second straight year, no small feat for a program that hadn't made the playoffs since 1983 prior to the two-year run. ... Carrollton R.L. Turner has won two games in the last four seasons.

PROJECTED PLAYOFF TEAMS

1. Carrollton Newman Smith
2. Frisco Wakeland
3. Frisco Centennial
4. Frisco Liberty

Fifteen players formerly of Metroplex colleges and high schools were drafted this weekend in the 2011 NFL Draft.

TCU led the area colleges in players picked with five, including the Cincinatti Bengals’ 35th overall pick of quarterback Andy Dalton in the second round. Dalton, a Katy, Texas, native, hold’s TCU’s record for most wins, going 42-7 in his four years as the Horned Frogs' starting QB.

Odessa native Marcus Cannon went in the fifth round to New England as the 138th pick in the draft. Just before the draft, Cannon was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but he told ESPN Dallas’ Richard Durrett he was thankful to be selected. Cannon, an offensive lineman, was a two-time first team All-Mountain West selection at TCU.

Following Cannon for the Frogs was wide receiver Jeremy Kerley at pick No. 153 to the New York Jets, where he will join former Frogs LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Colman. Kerley was a first-team All-American return specialist and ranks ninth all time at TCU in career receptions. Kerley played his high school career for the Hutto Hippos.

Safety Colin Jones went to the San Fransico 49ers in the sixth round as the 190th pick overall. Jones was second on TCU during his senior season in tackles with 80 and tackles for loss with 11.5. He was a standout running back and four-year letterman at Bridgeport High School.

The Patriots dipped into the Fort Worth talent pool again in the seventh round, taking cornerback Malcom Williams No. 219 overall. Williams was a two-year letterman for the Frogs and played in high school at South Grand Prairie.

SMU sent a receiver to the NFL through the draft for the second straight year with Aldrick Robinson going to the Washington Redskins as the 178th pick overall, in the sixth round. He follows Emmanuel Sanders who went 82nd overall to the Pittsburg Stealers in the 2010 draft. Robinson, a Waxahachie native, set a school record at SMU with 14 touchdowns and finished second with 1,301 receiving yards in 2010.

Linebacker Von Miller formally of DeSoto went second overall to the Denver Broncos after recording 59 tackles and 1 INT in his 2010 season at Texas A&M.

Following Miller in the first round was Colleyville Heritage’s Christian Ponder as the 12th pick overall to the Minnesota Vikings. Ponder threw for 2,044 yards and 20 TDs in 2010 at Florida State.

In the fourth round, former Dallas St. Mark’s and Texas defensive end Sam Acho went to the Arizona Cardinals as the 103rd pick overall. In 2010, Acho made 60 tackles and forced two fumbles.

The Cowboys selected former Cedar Hill cornerback Josh Thomas in the fifth round, 143rd overall. Cedar Hill head coach Joey McGuire told ESPN Dallas’ Tim MacMahon that Thomas will be a very hard worker for the Cowboys.

Ten picks before Waxahachie’s Robinson was selected, offensive lineman Demarcus Love of Dallas Carter was selected by the Vikings in the sixth round.

Former Metroplex players flew off the board in a flurry in the seventh round, beginning with former Southlake Carroll quarterback Greg McElroy, 208th overall to the Jets. Along with winning a national championship at Alabama in 2009, McElroy threw for 2,987 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2010.

At pick 216, defensive back Mikail Baker, formally of Dallas Skyline and Baylor, went to the St. Louis Rams, three picks before South Grand Pairie’s Williams.

Bringing up the end of the draft were two players from the University of Oklahoma who had come from the Metroplex, Jonathan Nelson and Jeremy Beal. Nelson, a cornerback from Mansfield Summit, went to the Rams as the 229th pick. Beal, a defensive end from Carrollton Creekview, went to the Broncos as the 247th pick.

Although district play wrapped up Tuesday for boys basketball, three playoff spots remain unsettled.

In District 7-5A, Justin Northwest and Keller Fossil Ridge finished in a tie for fourth place after splitting their regular-season series. The two teams will play a play-in game at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Keller Central.

Fossil Ridge forced a play-in game by beating Northwest, 66-58, in the regular-season finale on Tuesday.

The Panthers won their last three games to get into playoff positioning, including a 52-50 upset of Southlake Carroll to get the run started.

In District 9-5A, Richardson and Lake Highlands finished in a tie for fourth after Richardson beat Lake Highlands, 59-53, on Tuesday.

Richardson won three of its last four to force the play-in game. Conversely, Lake Highlands has lost four straight games. The two will play at 7 p.m. on Friday at Richardson Berkner.

Whichever teams win these two games won’t have much time to celebrate.

The winner between Northwest and Fossil Ridge will play Flower Mound Marcus, No. 1 in the ESPNDallas.com Class 5A area rankings.

The winner between Richardson and Lake Highlands will open the playoffs against No. 2 Garland Lakeview Centennial.

In District 9-4A, Carrollton Creekview failed to clinch the last playoff spot by losing to Frisco Centennial, 48-45, on Tuesday. Frisco Liberty won three of its last four to pull even with Creekview in fourth place.

The Creekview-Liberty play-in game will be 7 p.m. Friday at Frisco Lone Star.

DALLAS -- Highland Park's boys were ready to run from start Tuesday.

The Scots' game-long run began with the opening tip, which was followed by a single pass and a layup with just seconds gone from the clock.

The Scots never slowed down on their home court, beating Wylie East, 84-67, and securing the District 10-4A championship in the process.

"We wanted to get off to a quick start, obviously," Scots coach David Piehler said. "They're the type of team that if you let them hang around like we did, they'll stay in the game. It really wasn't over until the last few minutes. Getting off to a quick start was really key for us tonight."

While Highland Park never let Wylie East get within striking distance, the Raiders never said die, remaining around 10 points down until the final minutes of the game. Wylie East found success shooting from distance and was led by freshman Kevon Mack, who finished with 15 points.

"Wylie East is a great team," Piehler said. "They've got a bunch of young guys and I'm not looking forward to playing them next year."

The Scots were sparked by wing David Allen, the game's leading scorer with 22 points. Allen was a welcome sight at the top of the scoring list for Piehler after the high-scoring wing had missed six games earlier in the season with an injury.

Highland Park finished with a 12-2 district record, the same as McKinney. But the Scots swept the Lions in the season series to earn the tie-breaker for the top seed from 10-4A.

As "We are the Champions" blared in the Scots' locker room, Piehler remained astounded at his squad's achievments.

"I don't know how we did it," Piehler said. "I've been here five years now and Highland Park has a way of just stepping up. These guys believe in themselves and they believe in the tradition. Our whole district this year was very tough from top to bottom. I don't know how we did it."

Highland Park will face Carrollton Creekview, fourth place in District 9-4A, in the bi-district round of the 4A state playoffs next week.

Frisco ISD could send four schools to the playoffs in District 9-4A.

Currently, Wakeland (16-4, 6-0), Centennial (16-8, 4-2), Frisco (15-8, 4-2) and Liberty (11-10, 3-2) occupy the top four spots in 9-4A. The only Frisco school behind any of the three Carrollton schools -- Creekview (10-14, 3-3), Newman Smith (10-13, 2-3) and R.L. Turner (3-14, 1-5) -- is Heritage (3-15, 0-6), which is playing its first varsity season and has yet to win a district game.

Frisco’s dominance of the district has a lot to do with Carrollton losing the head-to-head matchups. Not counting games against Heritage, Creekview is 0-3 against Frisco schools, Newman Smith is 1-2 and Turner is 0-3.

The Carrollton schools have a chance to make up some ground on Friday though when Wakeland hosts Newman Smith, Turner hosts Frisco and Creekview hosts Centennial. Heritage has a bye.

Frisco Wakeland's girls basketball team is following its breakout 2010 season with another strong one in 2011, topping numerous Class 4A state rankings.

But Wakeland (24-2, 4-0 in District 9-4A) had to adjust to a smaller lineup after graduating two strong post players. The team now relies on strong guard play led by sisters Haley and Kindell Texada and at times will use five guards on the floor at once.

“We’re not real big,” said Wakeland head coach Darilyn Krempin. “We’re athletic and fast.”

Wakeland, No. 1 in ESPN Dallas’ 4A rankings, has blown through a schedule that’s included numerous Class 5A teams and competitive tournaments such as the Frisco Tournament, the Allen Hoopfest and the Dallas ISD Coca Cola Tournament.

The team’s only two losses came against DeSoto, No. 1 in ESPN Dallas’ 5A rankings. In the first game, DeSoto jumped out to an early lead that Wakeland couldn’t overcome. In the second game at the Coca Cola Tournament, the Lady Wolverines got a better start but faded in the second half.

“What got us with DeSoto is that they have a lot of depth with that team,” Krempin said. “They’re just a very good basketball team. What we were able to take away was the opportunity to play against a very good team. Games like that help you down the road.”

Wakeland hosts Carrollton Creekview at 6 p.m. on Friday.

After missing the postseason in 2009, Frisco Centennial clinched a playoff spot in District 9-4A with its 36-15 win over Carrollton Newman Smith last week.

Having a healthy Nick Foster for the entire season has helped the Titans (5-4, 4-2). The quarterback has missed at least a game in every season dating back to his seventh-grade year.

He’s been incredibly efficient in Centennial’s short passing game in 2010, completing 67 percent of his passes with 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions, three of which came off tipped balls.

“Nick is probably a very underrated, unheard of quarterback in the area,” said Centennial head coach Mark Howard. “One of Nick’s strong points is he’s very accurate. We have a real good short passing game, quick passing game, but Nick can throw it down field, too.”

Centennial has also improved dramatically on defense. The team switched to the 3-4 from the 3-3 stack because Howard felt his personnel better suited the 3-4. The Titans are giving up 27 points per game, down from 39.9 a year ago.

“It wasn’t an overnight success, but it definitely has proved to be a lot better and more effective for us, especially as the year’s gone on,” Howard said.

Centennial finishes the regular season against Frisco Heritage (0-9, 0-6) on Friday.

With Frisco Liberty, Frisco Wakeland and Centennial having clinched playoff berths, only one spot remains for either Newman Smith (4-5, 3-3), Frisco (4-5, 3-3) or Carrollton Creekview (2-7, 2-4).

Having beaten Frisco earlier in the year, Newman Smith can clinch the spot with a win over Creekview on Friday, but with multiple three-way tie scenarios, it gets muddy after that. District 9-4A employs the plus/minus 14-point tiebreaker.

Rebound seasons by Frisco and Frisco Centennial have created a tight playoff race in District 9-4A.

Frisco (3-4, 2-2) and Centennial (3-4, 2-2) are tied with Carrollton Newman Smith (3-4, 2-2) and Carrollton Creekview (2-5, 2-2) for third place in the district with Frisco Liberty (7-0, 4-0) and Frisco Wakeland (6-1, 4-0) tied for first.

Frisco is coming off back-to-back winless seasons but has found success running the ball behind quarterback Carlos Harris (785 yards, eight touchdowns) and Austin Allen (436 yards, six touchdowns).

Centennial quarterback Nick Foster may be one of the most underrated signal-callers in the area, helping Titans fans forget about last year’s 3-7 campaign. He has 1,927 yards and 18 touchdowns to just four interceptions.

The two teams will decide who’s improved the most when they play on Friday at Pizza Hut Park.

Of the four teams tied at 2-2, Newman Smith and Centennial have the most favorable schedules. Both have already played and lost to Wakeland and Liberty.

Frisco Liberty running back Jay Ajayi will be a game-time decision for Thursday's game against Carrollton Creekview.

Ajayi left in the middle of Liberty’s 41-27 win over Frisco Centennial with an injury. Head coach Galen Zimmerman said Ajayi could have returned if necessary but he held him out as a precaution.

It’s easy to see why Zimmerman is cautious. Ajayi’s value to Liberty has been immeasurable, especially considering that Malcom Hill, the running back Ajayi split carries with in 2009, is already shelved with an injury.

Ajayi has rushed for 1,296 yards and 23 touchdowns in six games. He’s second in the area in rushing in Class 4A to Dallas Woodrow Wilson’s Carl Harris (1,396 yards), but Harris has 84 more carries than Ajayi. He leads the area in scoring.

Ajayi, a Boise State commit, has shown marked improvement from 2009. He averaged 7.5 yards per carry in 2009. He’s averaging 12.1 yards per carry this season.

No. 5 Liberty (6-0, 3-0 in District 9-4A) is following its breakout 2009 season with an even better campaign in 2010. While it blossomed late last season in time to make a playoff run, Liberty has been strong from the beginning, having little trouble going undefeated so far in 2010.

The biggest game remaining on Liberty’s schedule is against Frisco Wakeland (5-1, 3-0) on Oct. 29. The winner will likely win the district.

RICHARDSON -- Sachse finally got its first playoff victory in girls basketball.


Sachse (18-12) ran past Carrollton Creekview, 65-57, in a Class 5A bi-district match-up of two pressing teams who love to run at Pearce's Mustang Gym.

"Wow, I'm really happy because this is our senior year," said senior Tiandra Williams, who led the way for Sachse with 18 points, including 3-of-4 free throws in the closing minute. "We've worked so hard this year. It really means a lot. We have 10 seniors, and for us it means more than anything. We wanted to be the first team to be able to do this. I just hope we can go farther."

Sachse, the 10-5A runner-up, advances to take on Mesquite Horn, 53-38 winners over Killeen Ellison.

Sachse and Creekview (19-14), the third-place team in 9-5A, played at such a speedy tempo that the scoreboard twice lost track of the official scorebook, handing points to Sachse that should have gone to Creekview.

Creekview took control early on with bruising play in the low post from junior Alyssa Weatherd, who recorded a double-double with 19 points, 13 rebounds and four steals.

But Sachse took control in the halfcourt game, with senior guard Jillian Goss knocking down three 3-pointers in the third quarter and scoring 11 of her 15 points to swing the tide in Sachse's favor with a 36-29 halftime lead.

Sachse rode that wave through the third quarter before Williams caught fire with 10 of her 18 in the fourth quarter.

"Jill found her streak in the first half and just went crazy, that huge made a difference in the halftime score," Sachse head coach Donna McCullough said. "We came back with the momentum. Tiandra came back in the second half, and she went on a role. That was big for us."

Creekview didn't go quietly, however, shaving a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to 61-55 behind a 3-pointer by Rachel Taylor with a minute remaining, but Williams calmly held Creekview off at the line.

"It was really nerve-racking, but we pulled it out," she said.

The girls basketball playoff picture has cleared up with only one game remaining in the regular season, with most teams playing the finales Tuesday or Wednesday night.

In District 9-5A, Skyline, ranked No. 2 in Class 5A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll, has already locked up first place with a 27-2 record overall and 13-0 run through the district. The Lady Raiders can finish off an undefeated run with a victory over Carrollton Creekview (19-12, 10-3) Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Forester Field House.

Creekview is currently tied for second with Richardson (20-9, 10-3) and must not only hope to upset Skyline to finish alone in second, but also that Molina (0-29, 0-13) can get its first victory of the season to kick the Lady Eagles down to third. If Creekview and Richardson end up tied, they can either play a game to decide their playoff seeding or flip a coin.

The 9-5A run has seen dramatically different results for the two teams battling for the final playoff spot -- Lake Highlands (8-16, 7-6) and Richardson Berkner (13-7, 6-7). Berkner dominated play outside of district but is below .500 in 9-5A, while Lake Highlands struggled outside the district but is slightly above .500 in league. Berkner travels to Sunset (9-19, 4-9) Tuesday and Lake Highlands plays host to W.T. White (7-21, 2-11). If Lake Highlands wins the game, it wins the fourth playoff spot, too.

Naaman Forest finishes first in 10-5A

In District 10-5A, Garland Naaman Forest (22-10, 10-1) has won the district title, and both Garland (19-11, 9-3), which has already finished its district schedule, and Sachse (15-12, 8-3) have shored up playoff spots. The final spot comes down to South Garland (14-14, 4-7), Garland Lakeview Centennial (13-14, 4-7) and Rowlett (7-21, 4-7). The edge here appears to go to Lakeview, as the Lady Patriots travel to North Garland (1-21, 0-11), while South Garland and Rowlett both take on playoff teams -- Naaman Forest and Sachse, respectively.

Four 10-4A playoff teams locked in

All four playoff teams in 10-4A are set, with only third and fourth place still to be settled. Rockwall (30-4, 13-0), ranked No. 3 in Class 4A by the TABC, can finish an undefeated district run with a victory at home over Greenville (14-9, 8-5). Rockwall-Heath (20-7, 11-2) can do no better than second, while Greenville is hoping for an upset over the Lady Yellow Jackets to wrest third-place away from Highland Park (16-13, 8-5). The Lady Scots also have their work cut out for them, as they travel to Heath.

Greenville and Highland Park split their district meetings, so if they both lose or both win on Tuesday, they will play a play-in game for the higher seed in the playoffs at a site and time to be determined.

Final 11-4A berth on line Thursday

Carter (17-6, 12-1) has already won the 11-4A title, South Oak Cliff (13-11, 10-3) will finish second, but the last two playoff spots are still up in the air with Seagoville (11-17, 8-5) currently in third, while Kimball (16-10, 7-6) and A. Maceo Smith (11-16, 7-6) are tied for fourth.

Seagoville, which plays Pinkston (5-19, 4-9), can finish no worse than a third-place tie, since Kimball and Smith face off Thursday night. The winner of that game is in the playoffs, and the loser stays home.

Share of district title in 12-4A still on line

Lincoln (17-3, 11-0) has lived up to its 12th-ranking in the TABC Class 4A poll, running through the 12-4A season unblemished, but the Lady Tigers have not won sole ownership of the district title just yet. They take on second-place Hillcrest (25-4, 10-1) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Loos Field House.

Elsewhere in the district, Woodrow Wilson (18-9, 5-6) and Samuell (16-11, 5-6) are tied for third and must both win on Wednesday -- Samuell at home against Thomas Jefferson (4-17, 0-11) and Woodrow in Cobb Field House against Conrad (10-14, 3-8) -- to avoid falling into a tie with Bryan Adams (12-13, 5-7) for the final playoff spot. The Lady Cougars have already concluded their district schedule.