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Highland Park and Frisco Wakeland’s meetings in the UIL Class 4A baseball playoffs have become a tradition like no other.

The teams have met in the playoffs the last two years, and each best-of-three series was decided in Wakeland's favor the final inning of the third game.

This weekend, the tradition continues for the third consecutive year in the regional quarterfinal round.

All of the pressure lies with Highland Park, which has been on the short end of two heartbreaking defeats at the hands of a group of current seniors who have taken part in both Wakeland wins.

“They have three that are definitely killers and that’s (Willie) Schwanke, (Justin) Swanner and (Hayden) Nixon and we’ve faced them the last three years,” Highland Park coach Frank Oliver said. “There’s still three names that are still around and they’re still a good ball club.”

Wakeland was the undefeated champion of District 9-4A. Highland Park finished second in 10-4A, turning its season around after a 1-4 start in district play. Since that sixth game of the district slate, Highland Park has lost just one game.

This will be Highland Park’s first best-of-three series in this playoff run as the Scots look to advance past the regional quarterfinal round for the first time in four years.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if it goes three games again,” Oliver said.

Area teams wiped from 5A Region II

Any hope of a DFW title coming from Class 5A Region II was eliminated in the area round last weekend.

The Metroplex’s chance at gold now lies in the hands of five teams in Region I, four of are facing off.

Southlake Carroll has one of the toughest challenges against District 8-5A runner up Flower Mound in a one-and-done match 7:30 p.m. Friday at Colleyville Heritage.

Two third-place finishers play in the other area pairing between Hurst L.D. Bell and Plano East.

Arlington Martin rounds up the five, continuing it’s West Texas travel to face Lubbock Coronado in the regional quarterfinal.

Lake Highlands playoff run goes viral

Seen the Harvard baseball team’s dance to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” that recently took YouTube by storm?

If not, click here and check out the goofy dance that has tallied over 7 million views.

Well, the Class 5A area round might not have been all fun and games for the Lake Highlands baseball squad on the diamond -- Temple swept the series in two games -- but the Wildcats sure made the best of their bus ride to the Hill Country.

Here is the Wildcats' rebuttal to Harvard to the tune of Wham's “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”.

To say the Flower Mound softball team had a rough week would be a terrible understatement.

The team thought it had Saturday's one-game Class 5A regional quarterfinal against Plano East in the bag on a walk-off hit that scored a runner from second base in the bottom of the seventh.

The play appeared to end when the runner slid past a tag from the Plano East catcher, eliciting a safe signal from the home plate umpire.

But the runner was tagged during the Flower Mound celebration and was called out for not touching home plate.

The controversy boiled down to a small difference in rules between softball and baseball as mandated by the National High School Federation.

Rule 2, section 1, article 9 of the NHSF rule book states: “If a runner misses home plate and the catcher misses the tag, the umpire should hesitate slightly. If no tag is made, the umpire should declare the runner safe. If an appeal play is then made by tagging either the runner or home plate, the umpire should then make a decision on this appeal play.”

In baseball, umpires are instructed to hold position and refrain from making any call if no tag is made on a play and the runner misses the plate.

“The intention of the rule was probably meant to be good but in this situation it was not,” Flower Mound coach Mark Larriba said.

Flower Mound failed to plate any more runners in the seventh and could not come from behind in the eighth after Plano East took a 3-2 lead, ending the Lady Jaguars’ season in a crushing fashion.

And it came while the team was already dealing with tragedy.

Earlier in the week, Flower Mound catcher Christy Lisenby's father died in a car accident. The team did not practice Wednesday and had a memorial service to attend after the Saturday's game.

“There was a lot of emotion going around and then to have that happen,” Larriba said. “It was difficult to tell the girls the right thing. We realized softball is like life – it’s not fair. Sometimes things go against you but how you react to adversity is what coaches teach you and we really had to apply that.”

Larriba said he has no hard feelings toward the umpire, whom he said was trying to do his job to the best of his abilities, and wished Plano East the best of luck in their journey deeper in to the playoffs.

He just chalks it up to the human element to the game – which includes those who write the rules.

“The lesson is that people make mistakes. If we never forgave people for making mistakes, the world would be a hateful place,” Larriba said.

At least one area team destined for Austin

All that remain in the Class 4A Region II bracket are four strong teams from the Metroplex, meaning one will earn a bid to the state tournament in Austin.

Defending state finalist Forney returns to the regional semifinal to face a hot Rockwall squad that has yet to face much of a challenge in its playoff run. The first two games will be held at Forney on Thursday and Rockwall on Friday, with a rubber match Saturday at Plano West if necessary.

The winner of that series has either Frisco Wakeland or Ennis to look forward to in the region final.

Wakeland has been impressive, outscoring opponents 53-2 through four games in the first three rounds of play.

In 4A Region I, Birdville is the only area team still alive.

Hebron ousts Plano in regional quarterfinal

Plano will not make a return trip to Austin after falling to Hebron 4-2 in a one-game Class 5A regional quarterfinal Saturday.

That leaves just Plano East and Hebron representing the area in the 5A bracket, both in Region I. Plano East faces Lubbock Coronado and Hebron takes on El Paso Americas in the regional semis this weekend.

Frisco Centennial and Dallas Hillcrest have a lot at stake in their area-round matchup.

Centennial drew the short end of the stick last season, facing a strong Highland Park squad in the first round that sent the team packing after one quick game.

Centennial finished 2012 as the second seed in District 9-4A behind Frisco Wakeland and has a playoff win under its belt, but Hillcrest stands in the way of a long-overdue playoff run.

Hillcrest took the District 12-4A crown this season, running the table in one of the area’s weaker districts. However, Hillcrest has playoff experience from a run to the regional quarterfinals last season that took a talented Rockwall-Heath team to the third game in a best-of-3 series.

The winner of this area-round duel will then potentially face Rockwall-Heath in the regional quarterfinal next week.

Highland Park, Wakeland headed for rematch

In one of the more epic wins of the playoffs last season, Frisco Wakeland knocked off Highland Park on a two-run, walk-off homer in the third game of the regional quarterfinals.

Those two are one win away from another meeting in the same round this season.

Highland Park eked past Carrollton Creekview in the bi-district round, 1-0, and has North Dallas in its sights this weekend.

Wakeland found late life against McKinney North, taking the third game of the series 13-0 after two close games to begin the series. It will face Dallas Bryan Adams in the area round.

Class 5A Region I bracket heating up

Before the playoffs began, Arlington Martin head coach Curt Culbertson said the lack of DFW schools deep in the baseball playoffs was due, in part, to Metroplex teams falling to other local teams early in the brackets.

This year is no different.

The bottom of the Region I bracket will see two strong DFW teams fall at the hands of another North Texas team.

District 7-5A champion Southlake Carroll will face District 6-5A runner up Grapevine in area-round action this weekend. Also, District 8-5A runner up Flower Mound and District 5-5A champ Mansfield face off to play the winner of Carroll and Grapevine.

The setup will leave just one Metroplex team with the chance to advance to the bottom region semifinal in Region I.

Rockwall and McKinney faced off twice this softball season in District 10-4A play, with district champion Rockwall winning both times, 3-1 and 8-2.

Just because district play is over doesn’t mean these two are done battling.

Rockwall and McKinney are slated to square off again in the regional quarterfinals of the 2012 UIL softball state playoffs in a best-of-three series at Allen High School.

Rockwall rides a high into the regional quarterfinal after knocking of Frisco Centennial decisively in the bi-district round. Centennial eliminated the Yellowjackets last year in the regional semifinals, Rockwall’s deepest trip into the playoffs under head coach Shadie Acosta.

Rockwall did not return the veteran experience it had last season but has peaked at the right time, taking a few lumps throughout the regular season to prepare for the challenging grind of the playoffs.

“You’re going to have some rough times in the beginning if you have a young team and you have to build that chemistry,” Acosta said. “I think we decided that we were going to make this work. We’ve had many opportunities this season to touch on those things and how important it is to have that common respect for each other on and off the field and how your work ethic will always pay off.”

Two of the highs in Rockwall’s roller-coaster season were wins over McKinney.

While the second score was lopsided in Rockwall’s favor, McKinney proved it could play with the Yellowjackets in the first matchup, leading 1-0 through the sixth inning before Rockwall mounted a three-run rally.

“They have a great pitcher and a few good players so we know that they’re not going to roll over for us," Acosta said. "They are our district rival and one of the better teams in our district so we’re always excited to face off against them.”

Plano and Plano East destined for playoff duel

Over the past two years, high school football fans have dubbed Allen-Euless Trinity playoff matchups as the biggest must-see games this side of the state championship.

In high school softball, the matchup of that caliber is looming just two rounds away.

Plano and Plano East share a district and placement in the ESPNHS Fab 50, with East coming in highest at No. 11.

Plano East took the season series and in turn claimed the district title over second-place Plano.

Before that matchup can happen, the two Plano schools will have to face their most challenging opponents to date in the regional quarterfinals.

Plano East will face the third-place finisher from its district, Flower Mound, in the regional quarterfinals this weekend.

In an interesting twist, Flower Mound handed Plano East its only two district losses of the season.

Plano faces Hebron, which finished fourth in District 8-5A but knocked off District 7-5A champion Keller and 6-5A runner-up Hurst L.D. Bell in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Plano went the distance in its three-game area-round series before dispatching Mansfield Legacy, making nothing certain against a hot Hebron squad.

IRVING, Texas -- The way Donnie Brake remembers it, the field was "partial grass, dirt and rocks."

It was about 20 yards wide and 38 yards long, give or take. When the offense wanted to work on the passing game, they went the long way. When they wanted to run, they went the wide way.

James Hanna was a 16-year-old sophomore then, playing six-man football at Coram Deo Academy in Highland Village, Texas, with Brake as his coach.

"I remember practicing outside of our building on really not very good fields over there," Hanna said, "and thinking about going to play football for Oklahoma and then I'd go play for the Dallas Cowboys because my stepdad went to Oklahoma and has been a Cowboy fan, so I grew up watching Oklahoma and the Cowboys. As luck would have it, it's worked out that way. Literally, it's a dream come true."

How many kids have those dreams? Hundreds? Thousands?

Hanna, whom the Cowboys selected in the sixth round in last week's NFL draft, is one of the few who get to live it.

Read the full column here.

Ron Brooks was drafted Saturday as the 124th overall pick by the Buffalo Bills as a cornerback, a position he has played for only three seasons.

Brooks was recruited by LSU out of Irving MacArthur as a wide receiver after spending the majority of his snaps at quarterback in high school.

“He was just a step quicker than anyone else on the field,” MacArthur coach Brian Basil said. “He played quarterback for us his senior year because we wanted the ball touching his hands every snap, but the main thing that separated him at the high school level was his speed and his level of toughness.”

Brooks made the shift over to cornerback his sophomore year at LSU, which Basil believes is proof of his devotion to the game -- one of his many intangibles.

“He understood that whatever it took to get him on the field he would do it,” Basil said. “That’s why when he went to LSU, he was receptive to play defense and on special teams. Those intangibles are what allowed him to make it to this level.”

Brooks played in 53 games at LSU, finishing with 90 tackles and 5.5 sacks. All three interceptions Brooks pulled in were returned for touchdowns.

“For him, I think wherever he had an opportunity to play would be a great fit.” Basil said. “To play at that level is a dream come true and I bet he’s thrilled to death and we’re thrilled for him.”

Redskins pick Plano East/UT linebacker

The Redskins picked up the athlete that “could do it all” for Plano East coach Johnny Ringo.

Keenan Robinson was selected as the 119th overall pick as a linebacker out of Texas, the fourth player to make it to the pro level out of Plano East.

“He was a tremendous leader for us and played both ways,” Ringo said. “He’s just a kid that could do it all. He was a great track athlete and had to give up basketball. He was a tremendous player for us and will be a tremendous representative of Plano East in the NFL.”

Robinson hit Twitter immediately after his selection, affirming his excitement with the team that selected him.

“God is Good… Im right where I needa be,” Robinson tweeted, followed by, “Oo whats up Washington… Im glad to be a Redskin #NoQuestion.”

Robinson started in 39 games for the Longhorns, tallying 317 tackles and 4.4 sacks.

He joins other standouts from the state of Texas in Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III and Richardson Berkner/SMU lineman Josh LeRibeus as a part of the Redskins' draft class.

Other area draftees:

Josh LeRibeus (OG, Richardson Berkner/SMU): Selected 71st overall by the Redskins.

Jamell Fleming (CB, Arlington Seguin/Oklahoma): Selected 80th overall by the Cardinals. First player drafted from Arlington Seguin to be drafted.

Chris Givens (WR, Wylie/Wake Forest): Selected as the first pick of the fourth round, 96th overall, by the Rams.

Taylor Thompson (DE/TE, Prosper/SMU): Selected 145th overall by the Titans.

Cyrus Gray (RB, DeSoto/Texas A&M): Selected 182^nd overall by the Chiefs.

James Hanna (TE, Flower Mound/Oklahoma): Selected 186th overall by the Cowboys.

Robert T. Griffin (OG, Euless Trinity/Baylor): Selected 203rd overall by the Jets.

Emmanuel Acho (LB, Dallas St. Mark’s/Texas): Selected 204th overall by the Browns.

Greg McCoy (DB/KR, Dallas Woodrow Wilson/TCU): Selected 220th overall by the Bears.

With the rich talent pool of boys soccer in the area traditionally on teams like Southlake Carroll, Coppell and the Plano schools, who would have thought District 9-5A would have two of the best teams, not only the area but in the country?

As expected, one team is 2010 5A state champion Dallas Jesuit, which enters the 5A playoffs as the ESPNHS Fab 50 No. 9 team in the nation with an 18-2 regular season record.

The other took many by surprise.

Richardson Berkner won the District 9-5A title and finished the regular season 18-1 and is ranked No. 3 in the nation, the highest of any Texas team.

“I didn’t see that they had that from the JV team last year,” Jesuit coach Charles DeLong said. "They kind of came out of nowhere.”

It’s Berkner’s first trip to the playoffs in six years with coach Juan Beracochea at the helm.

Knocking off defending 5A state champion Southlake Carroll in the fourth game of the season gave Berkner the confidence to claim that playoff berth and garner national attention during the journey.

Credit a large portion of the success to senior Jack Wolf, who leads Berkner in all-around scoring with 25 goals and six assists. His effort stuck out to DeLong and has been adopted by the rest of his teammates. Wolf, a National Honor Society member and Division I prospect, single-handedly won Berkner’s second game against Jesuit, scoring both of his team’s goals in the 2-0 win.

“He’s very athletic. Very determined and he’s got decent skills,” DeLong said. “He plays on a team that gives him appropriate service. It’s hard to score that many goals unless you have players around you that can pass you the ball at the right time and the right place and you can’t score that many goals unless you have something going for you as an individual. He’s a handful.”

Going from zero to the top could easily go to the heads of most high school players, but that’s not the nature of this blue-collar squad which enters the postseason as even-keeled as possible, Beracochea said.

“We have never been in this position, so we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves,” Beracochea said. “We’re a very humble team.”

The 5A girls bracket has seven UIL teams in the top 16, most of which will face each other in the first three rounds. Two out of the seven are guaranteed to see their season come to an abrupt halt after the second round.

The most intriguing of these future pairings is the potential second-round match between No. 6 Flower Mound and No. 5 Mansfield in the area round. The winner of that area Super Bowl could then face No. 7 Plano West before reaching the regional tournament.

Saved from that mess is No. 2 McKinney Boyd, which returns to the postseason trying to repeat as 5A state champions.

FLOWER MOUND, Texas -- The Flower Mound girls basketball team has a bright future with junior point guard Ashley Deary at the helm of its offense.

Only Irving MacArthur and national standout Alexis Jones is ahead of her in points per game in the area. Deary is averaging 17.3 points this season.

She has made small but important improvements each year of her high school career.

"Ashley's a hard worker. She's developed more scoring opportunities from her freshman to sophomore year," Flower Mound coach Sherika Nelson said. "Our defense creates a lot of baskets for her."

Not only is Deary a threat in transition and through penetration, but she has also become a threat from the perimeter. Over the last two years, Deary has increased her 3-point percentage by 20 percent.

However, the real strength that has developed in her junior year is her ability to score the mid-range jumper off the dribble that opens up thanks to her speed and ball-handling ability.

"It used to be either a layup or a 3-pointer for her," Nelson said. "She's developed a mid-range game to pull up and shoot a jump shot in transition or off a pick-and-roll."

Deary's play on offense and especially on defense is characterized by intensity and emotion. Off the court, she turns into a quiet leader in the locker room.

Nelson said the guard can be shy at first but has opened up to her teammates and enjoys the fun-loving nature of the Flower Mound girls squad.

As Flower Mound continues this season and then in Deary's senior campaign, she can only continue to improve as she learns the mental aspects of the game that are taught through experience.

"She's learning game management much better. That's something a point guard has to learn throughout their career, and she's starting to understand when to pull up and when to slow down or when to go," Nelson said.

FLOWER MOUND, Texas -- The 3-ball was hot for the Plano West girls Monday night, helping raise the Wolves over Flower Mound, 76-56.

Allison Staley led the charge from the perimeter, hitting four 3-pointers in the game, including three in the fourth quarter.

Paige Womack led West’s scoring with 16 points.

Flower Mound (15-10, 2-4) caught West (24-2, 6-0 District 8-5A) off guard to begin the game, jumping out to a 21-19 lead thanks to eight points from standout junior point guard Ashley Deary.

Monday’s win continues West’s undefeated streak through District 8-5A play as it moves another step closer to its fourth straight district title.

“We’ve got one of the toughest districts in the state,” Flower Mound coach Sherika Nelson said. “West is a good team and they’re probably going to run away with first.”

Boys: Plano West 81, Flower Mound 61

Sixth man Connor McWilliams provided the spark Plano West (17-6, 3-1 District 8-5A) needed to overcome a slow start and put away Flower Mound (11-13, 1-3).

McWilliams hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter to help bring West within striking distance, and Holt Harmon hit two technical free throws and made a layup on the next play to give West a lead it wouldn’t lose.

McWilliams would go on to hit four more 3s, two in the third and two in the fourth, to complete the rout of its district rival.

The Wolves held Flower Mound to just six points in the second quarter while scoring 23 to pull ahead 45-26 at the half.

That opened up the chance for some of West’s reserves to check into the game, providing a fun break in the middle of a tough district race, coach Anthony Morgan said.

West’s win over Flower Mound came after a key victory over Hebron last week, putting the Wolves in prime position to earn the second seed out of District 8-5A behind Flower Mound Marcus, which is perfect in district play.

“There are going to be some very close games,” Morgan said. “I think Marcus will be the clear front runner. I don’t think they’ll lose a game. Hopefully we can get them, but I think the rest of us are playing for second, third and fourth, and I think we’ll be in the mix if we continue to put some games together.”

DUNCANVILLE, Texas -- Three wins down and two to go in Duncanville’s bid to keep the Sandra Meadows Classic championship trophy within city limits.

“This tournament remains very important to our community,’’ said Duncanville coach Cathy Self-Morgan after her team’s 77-39 rout of Kennedale in a Wednesday night quarterfinal at Sandra Meadows Memorial Arena. “They expect us to win it.’’

Duncanville has won the prestigious 61-year-old holiday tournament 18 times.

“Our goal was to win all of our tournaments, but if we had to pick just one to win, this is it,’’ said Duncanville senior guard Empress Davenport, a Texas signee. “The community depends on us and we don’t want to let them down.’’

The Pantherettes’ have hardly been pushed in the first three rounds. Wins have come by 48, 34 and 38 points. But Self-Morgan expects her team to be tested on Thursday.

Duncanville (20-1) faces last year’s Class 5A Louisiana state champion, Lafayette St. Thomas More, in the second semifinal at 10:30 a.m. And if the Pantherettes advance to the 7:30 p.m. title game, waiting will be either Plano West or Little Rock (Ark.) Hall. Plano West is responsible for Duncanville’s only defeat.

Tasia Foman, a 5-foot-6 sophomore guard, led Duncanville with 24 points against Class 3A Kennedale, playing its third game in two days with only eight players.

“We’re a small school with not a lot to choose from and I like to keep my younger players on the junior varsity,’’ Kennedale coach Vance Hughes said. “This tournament is good for us. The goal for many of the girls is to play college ball and these are the people they are competing against for scholarships. It helps us in another way, too. No matter who we play in our playoffs, we can say at least they aren’t as tough as Duncanville.’’

Two area teams in Meadows Classic semifinals: Plano West joined Duncanville as a semifinalist, thanks to a comfortable 73-54 triumph over Flower Mound in a Wednesday quarterfinal.

Tyara Cox-Warren, a 5-foot-8 sophomore, led the Lady Wolves (20-1) with 22 points. Senior Kiran Lakhian missed most of the game after injuring her ankle for Plano West. Junior guard Ashley Deary led Flower Mound with 24.

The Lady Wolves face Little Rock (Ark.) Hall in Thursday’s first semifinal at 9 a.m.

Out of-state teams reach semifinals: The two teams that crossed the state line to play in the Sandra Meadows Classic easily moved through the quarterfinal round on Wednesday. St. Thomas More of Lafayette, La., suffocated THESA, 61-37, and Little Rock (Ark.) Hall took out 2010 Meadows champion Fort Bend Hightower, 66-41.

The last out-of-state champion was Fayetteville, Ark., in 2008.

Game of the day: Little Rock Hall 54, Southlake Carroll 50: The Lady Dragons (18-1) owned a 13-point halftime lead in the second-round contest, but couldn’t stop Hall’s hot-shooting junior guard Tyler Scaife. In the second half Scaife outscored the entire Carroll team, 27-16, and helped put the game away by sinking 9-of-11 free throws in the fourth quarter. Carroll built its lead with dead-eye 3-point shooting, canning 10 for the game. Senior 5-foot-10 post Kayla Reinhart led the Lady Dragons with 21 points. Caitlin Barrett hit four 3-pointers for Carroll.

Moriah of the UConn: Moriah Jefferson, a 5-foot-8 senior signee of Connecticut, was held to one field goal and six points in a 61-37 quarterfinal loss to St. Thomas More (Lafayette, La.). THESA faces Kennedale at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in a fifth-place bracket semifinal.

Day’s top scorer: Scaife‘s 41 points for Little Rock Hall was the individual high-point game of the tournament so far. She had three 3-pointers, 11 2-pointers and connected on 10-of-12 free throws. She scored 20 in her team‘s quarterfinal victory over Fort Bend Hightower to finish the day with 61 points. Tiffany Davis, a 5-foot-8 senior guard for Houston Westbury Christian had 32 points in a 62-58 second-round consolation loss to Denton Ryan. In that game, Ryan’s Teana Odgen, a 5-foot-3 junior guard, scored 31 points, hitting six 3-pointers.

On tap Thursday: In addition to the championship bracket semifinals, Southlake Carroll faces DeSoto in a Silver Bracket semifinal match-up at noon. That game has been moved to the from the Blue Gym to the Arena. In the 9 a.m. consolation semifinals, Garland faces Atascocita and Denton Ryan meets Houston Bellaire.

DUNCANVILLE, Texas -- Just because Kiran Lakhian is the tallest Plano West player, don’t expect the 5-11 senior to be limited to playing in the paint.

The versatile Lakhian did a little bit of everything, even handling the ball in the backcourt at crucial times, to help the Lady Wolves defeat DeSoto, 57-49, in the second round of the 61st Sandra Meadows Classic on Tuesday evening at Sandra Meadows Memorial Arena.

“To tell you the truth, I’m not really sure what my position is any more,‘’ said Lakhian, who led the Lady Wolves with 11 points. “Our whole team is versatile. I think I’m a guard. That’s what I played when I was a freshman.’’

Plano West coach Don Patterson said he utilized Lakhian at all five positions during the 2010-2011 season.

Lakhian contributed one of the eight 3-pointers that helped Plano West (19-1) nullify DeSoto’s interior size advantage. Seven of the 3’s came in the first half.

“We’re known for our 3-point shooting,’’ Lakhian said. “That’s about an average game for us. We can do better.’’

DeSoto (17-5) overcame a seven-point halftime deficit and took a three-point lead into the fourth quarter. But Plano West went on a 12-1 run in the first five minutes of the final period to regain control.

Earlier on Day 1 of the 32-team tournament, Plano West reached the 97-point threshold for the second time this season in a 97-37 rout of Fort Bend Kempner. And the Lady Wolves did it without a player scoring more than Mattie Swearingen's 17 points. Plano West placed five scorers in double figures and all 12 in uniform scored.

Plano West advances to a 4:30 p.m. quarterfinal Wednesday against either The Woodlands College Park or Flower Mound.

No trouble for host team: Duncanville (19-1), taking aim at its 19th Sandra Meadows Classic title, is off to a 2-0 start after first-day routs over Garland Naaman Forest (76-28) and Mesquite (72-38). Guard Empress Davenport led the Pantherettes with 27 points in the nightcap and totaled 43 for the day.

Still unbeaten: Southlake Carroll defeated Mesquite Horn, 67-55, in the opening round to remain undefeated on the season. Carroll (17-0), the top-ranked team in the tournament, was led by Kayla Reinhart’s 30 points. The 5-10 senior forward/post scored all but eight of her points in the second half.

Game of the day: Mesquite 80, Euless Trinity 76 (2OT): Mesquite rallied from an eight-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to force overtime in its opening-round encounter. The teams were tied after one quarter and at halftime in addition to ties after regulation and the first overtime. Sophomore guard Briana Caro hit clutch shots at the end of regulation and overtime to extend the game for Mesquite. Cemetra Jenkins, a 5-5 senior guard, led Mesquite with 29 points and Tori Henderson, a 6-foot senior forward, scored 28 for Trinity. Later in the day, Trinity gained some satisfaction with a fourth-quarter rally of its own, coming from seven points behind to defeat Garland Naaman Forest, 47-45, in a consolation game.

Moriah of UConn: Moriah Jefferson, a 5-8 senior signee of the University of Connecticut, helped her home school team, THESA, to a 67-56 win over Garland with a 27-point effort. Jefferson was 8-of-8 on free throws and got off to a blazing start with 14 points in the opening quarter. She added a game-high 17 points in a 49-39 second-round win over Temple on Tuesday evening.

No complaints: Ashley Brodhead-Richard, the coach of 2010 Louisiana Class 5A state champion St. Thomas More, couldn’t complain about her team’s defense, at least not with a straight face, after holding Longview Spring Hill to four field goals in a 75-11 thrashing. Spring Hill did not have a basket in the second and fourth quarters. More prevailed over Bishop Lynch, 61-48, in a second-round evening game, sinking 26 free throws.

A&M signee does early damage: DeSoto guard Jordan Jones, a Texas A&M signee, scored 10 of her 12 points in the opening three minutes, then surrendered playing time in the Lady Eagles’ lopsided 77-43 victory over Denton Ryan. All 12 Lady Eagles scored and Jones finished as leading scorer. In DeSoto’s 57-49 second-round loss to Plano West later in the day, Jones led the Lady Eagles with 20 points, connecting on four 3-pointers.

Defending champion cruises to win: Fort Bend Hightower, the 2010 Sandra Meadows Classic champion, breezed to an easy 59-40 opening-round win over Frisco Liberty. Tyler Gilbert, a 6-2 senior post, led the Lady Hurricanes, scoring 15 of her game-high 19 points in the second half.

Day’s top scorer: Nelsha Peterson, a 5-11 senior forward at Mesquite Horn, took individual scoring honors in the opening-round with 31 points in a 67-55 loss to Southlake Carroll. Peterson outscored the rest of her team by seven points. She had 12 2-point baskets, one 3-pointer and went 4-of-4 from the free throw line.

On tap Wednesday: Southlake Carroll vs. Little Rock (Ark.) Hall in a noon second-round matchup. Quarterfinals begin at 1:30 p.m. with Lafayette, Louisiana entry St. Thomas More facing THESA.

At this rate, Flower Mound Marcus fans might want to get their blood pressure checked.

The Marauders (6-0, 3-0) have opened District 8-5A play with three extremely close contests, including back-to-back overtime wins over Flower Mound (2-4, 1-2) and Plano West (4-2, 2-1).

Marcus outscored Flower Mound 11-0 in the fourth quarter to force overtime and won 38-37 after the Marauders blocked a Flower Mound extra point.

It wasn’t that easy against Plano West. Marcus needed a field goal in the waning seconds of regulation to force overtime and then didn’t prevail until the fourth overtime when Drew Hamrick nailed a 34-yard field goal.

But it’s not just Marcus that’s playing in close games in 8-5A. It’s all of them. The week before its quadruple-overtime loss to Marcus, Plano West beat Plano East (2-4, 0-3) in quadruple overtime.

Excluding Allen’s blowout wins over Lewisville (45-13) and Plano (44-7) and Hebron’s win over Lewisville (36-0), the average margin of victory in 8-5A play has been 7.0 points.

Not only have the games been close, but many of the supposed bottom-feeders have been surprisingly competitive. Plano West didn’t win a game in 8-5A play last year but has been more than competitive.

Even last place Plano East put a scare into first place Allen (6-0, 3-0) on national television.

Parity is alive and well in District 8-5A.

FLOWER MOUND, Texas -- As the seconds ticked away in the fourth quarter, senior Drew Hamrick paced back and forth, almost in a secluded area on the sidelines. All the Flower Mound Marcus kicker wanted was another chance to be clutch for his team.

After missing a field goal to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, Hamrick not only found redemption late by making a game-tying field goal but also kicked the game-winning extra point in overtime to lift Marcus to a 38-37, come-from-behind win against Flower Mound in the game dubbed the Mound Showdown at Marcus Marauders Stadium.

“I don’t even believe it right now. I just wanted a second chance, and I got it,” Hamrick said. “I can’t ask for anything else. This was the greatest game of my life.”

With roughly two minutes left to play, Hamrick missed a 34-yard try wide left that would have tied the game at 31. After holding Flower Mound on the ensuing drive, No. 8 Marcus (5-0, 2-0 in 8-5A) put itself in position for a final attempt to tie, setting Hamrick up with a 36-yard attempt. With four seconds left, Hamrick split the uprights, eventually sending the game into overtime.

Flower Mound (1-4, 0-2) managed to score first in the overtime period, as Marshall Williams connected with Cole McKeel on a 16-yard touchdown pass. The PAT, however, was blocked by Marcus’ Jake Blount, and Flower Mound led, 37-31.

Marcus’ possession featured runs by its tandem of Harvey Giddens and Jeff Smiley, who had more than 450 yards rushing combined. Smiley finished the overtime drive with a 9-yard run to tie the game, and Hamrick gave Marcus the win with the PAT.

Marcus trailed, 31-20, entering the fourth quarter. The Marauders, however, outscored Flower Mound, 11-0, in the quarter with a Giddens 3-yard touchdown run, a blocked punt for a safety by Dylan Ward and the all-important field goal by Hamrick.

“I’m just emotional right now,” Giddens said. “This is a crazy win. Our team fought hard. We gave everything we had in the fourth quarter, and we took over in overtime. We just don’t stop fighting.”

As for Hamrick’s performance, Giddens was to the point.

“He made it when it mattered. That’s all that matters," he said.

Hamrick’s efforts were only part of a show that featured multiple highlights for both teams. Giddens rushed 32 times for 241 yards and three touchdowns, while Smiley rushed 21 times for 213 yards and two scores.

Flower Mound was led by quarterback Marshall Williams, who threw for 438 yards and five touchdowns. Beau LaFave caught six passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns.

FLOWER MOUND (1-3, 0-1) at No. 8 FLOWER MOUND MARCUS (4-0, 1-0)
7:30 p.m. Friday at Marauder Stadium

When we saw them last: Flower Mound’s sudden lack of offensive production led to a 21-15 defeat at the hands of Hebron, continuing what’s turned out to be a slow start for the Jaguars. Flower Mound hadn’t scored so few points since 2008. Two fourth-quarter touchdowns helped Flower Mound Marcus get past a pesky Plano East team, 20-10, to keep the Marauders undefeated.

2010 result: The teams traded punches -- and the lead -- in the fourth quarter, but Flower Mound landed the last one to grab a 52-49 win. Flower Mound QB Paul Millard threw for 497 yards and five touchdowns to help his team overcome Marcus’ two 100-yard rushers -- Rufus Mason and Dagan Newsome.

What’s at stake: Everything is on the line for Flower Mound because falling to 0-2 in District 8-5A could be fatal, especially given that the Jaguars still have to play Allen and Plano. Marcus has looked strong while going undefeated through four games. A win for the Marauders would help solidify their position as the next-best team in 8-5A.

Key matchup: Flower Mound’s passing game vs. Flower Mound Marcus’ secondary. Aside from last week’s letdown against Hebron, Flower Mound’s offense has looked as potent as ever behind new quarterback Marshall Williams (1,655 yards, 14 touchdowns), running back Connor Ashley (456 total yards, two touchdowns) and receiver Chas Taylor (605 yards, six touchdowns). Marcus has given up more than 200 passing yards just once this season -- last week against Plano East, which threw for 291.

Players to watch: Flower Mound is a long playoff run away from having its quarterback break the single-season passing yards record. If Williams can rally his team into the postseason, he’ll have a shot at it. Always known for its power running game, Marcus has been able to add a productive passing game thanks to sophomore quarterback Cole Erwin, who’s been a great complement to running back Harvey Giddens (718 yards, 13 touchdowns).

Prediction: Flower Mound Marcus 45, Flower Mound 41.

PLANO (3-1, 0-1) at HEBRON (3-1, 1-0)
7:30 p.m. Friday at Hawk Stadium

When we saw them last: After going undefeated in nondistrict play, Plano got a humbling reminder of what life is like in 8-5A as Allen pounded the Wildcats, 44-7, in a game that may have actually been more lopsided than the score indicated. Hebron turned in one of the best defensive performances of the year against Flower Mound last week, holding the Jaguars to their lowest point output since 2008 in a 21-15 win.

2010 result: Plano shutdown Hebron’s explosive offense and put up 16 points in the fourth quarter to take a resounding 33-6 win. Special teams were a huge factor as Blair Burns returned a kickoff for a touchdown for Plano and a Hebron punt snap went over the punter’s head and through the end zone for a safety.

What’s at stake: With so much parity in the district, every game matters in 8-5A. A win would go a long way toward solidifying a playoff spot for Hebron after it cleared one of 8-5A’s pesky hurdles in Flower Mound. Falling into an 0-2 hole would put Plano’s playoff hopes in serious jeopardy, but the Wildcats still have the weakest part of their district schedule ahead of them.

Key matchup: Plano’s offense vs. Hebron’s defense. Plano did absolutely nothing against Allen’s defense last week. It may not get any better against Hebron, which is coming off a win in which it shut down the area’s most prolific offense.

Players to watch: Plano defensive end Xavier Harbert recorded three sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown against Allen last week. Hebron defensive end Deatrich Wise, who has committed to Arkansas, has helped rejuvenate Hebron’s defense, which struggled at times last year.

Prediction: Hebron 28, Plano 24.