SOCCER

Trojans take round 1 from rival Waco High

As the resident big dogs in District 33-4A, the Waco High and University soccer teams tend to divert attention when they clash. It’s typically for good reason — even this early in the schedule, it’s with the district title on the line.

It’s a peculiar scheduling quirk that pits the two district powers against each other on the first day of district, setting the tone for the rest of the season from the outset. And across the board, round one went to University on Tuesday.

University coach Mike Chapman, who coaches both the girls’ and boys’ teams, enjoyed a purple fireworks display at Waco ISD Stadium on Tuesday night. He coached the boys’ team to a rousing 3-0 win over Waco High in the opener, and then watched the girls’ team dismantle the Lady Lions, 7-1, in the nightcap.

“It was something nice to sit back and watch,” Chapman said. “Especially when you see the kids, both boys and girls, doing the things we ask them to do and seeing the results pay off.”

While the girls’ team returns nearly every significant piece from last year’s district championship team, the boys’ team lost more than 20 seniors and was considered a mystery. A 4-1 setback against Midway earlier this year sent Chapman back to the drawing board, leading him to re-emphasize the Trojans’ strengths: speed and a heavy insistence on possession soccer.

A pair of goals from Carlos Carrizales and another from Jon Lozano, one of the few holdovers from last year’s squad, only confirmed what seemed inevitable after 80 minutes — that at least for now, the Trojans are the class of 33-4A.

“I think the key was that we just came out, had a tremendous amount of effort and we possessed the ball real well,” Chapman said. “We did all those things we had been doing, and it all came together against Waco High.”

— Will Parchman

BOYS’ HOOPS

Streaking University has Austin in sights

The milestones have been falling like rain for University this week.

With a game left to play in the regular season, University locked up its first outright district crown in 15 years Friday with a 57-45 win over Waco High. On Tuesday, the Trojans’ lopsided season-ending win over San Angelo Lake View locked up a perfect 10-0 District 8-4A campaign.

Just don’t expect the Trojans to be satisfied.

“We love it and we’re very proud of that,” University coach Rodney Smith said. “But our goal is to get that (state championship), and we’re going to take it one step at a time. I know a lot goes with getting to Austin, but that’s our goal.”

The Trojans’ foundation has been defense, and they expect that to carry them through the playoffs. That journey starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Everman, when the roster gets its first taste of the playoffs as a No. 1 seed.

Point guard Ray Washington has been streaking lately, hitting a bevy of athletic shots and typically locking down the opposition’s best player. Smith expects Washington, who’s averaging a team-leading 14 points per game, to be one of the team’s keystones for a deep run.

“Everything runs through Ray,” Smith said. “He runs the offense, he gets us started on defense. It’s great to have a player like Ray. He’s a guy who never gives up. He’s not one that talks about it, he’s going to go out and do it.”

— Parchman

Clutch comeback lifts Waco High to playoffs

As Waco High’s otherworldly run was unfolding Tuesday night in Stephenville, Lions coach John Weeks could hardly believe what he was witnessing.

Waco High entered the fourth quarter against Stephenville trailing 48-32 in a game that would send the winner to the playoffs and the loser home for the offseason. The Lions turned the fourth quarter into a 26-10 run to take it into overtime at 58-all, and Josh Porter’s 3-pointer to start OT set the Lions on a path to an eventual 65-62 win.

“That was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever been involved in,” Weeks said. “Just real consistent with what’s gone on all year long, just the main difference is our kids didn’t let challenging calls get them down. They were able to fight through the adversity.”

It was a poignant ending after last year’s heartbreaker on the last day of the regular season. Stephenville took the Lions to overtime on their home floor and hit a dagger 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left to win by a point and end any hope of the postseason.

For their reward in the bi-district playoffs, the Lions get No. 8 Arlington Seguin, a 28-5 team that lines up 6-foot-9 center Kelvin Downs, 6-7 forward Greg Wesley and 6-5 guard Brandon Parrish.

The game will be played at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Midlothian.

— Parchman

La Vega closes out undefeated campaign

With a 56-45 road win over Connally on Tuesday night, La Vega finished a rare basketball feat — an undefeated regular season.

“It was awesome,” La Vega coach Clay Cody said. “I was really happy for the kids, the community and the school. Everybody is really excited about it. It’s something they can remember for a long time. No La Vega team had ever done that.”

The Pirates also ended the regular season unbeaten in football before suffering a devastating area-round playoff loss to top-ranked and eventual Class 3A Division I state champion Tyler Chapel Hill.

On the hardwood, however, La Vega enters the playoffs as the No. 1-ranked 3A team. Cody knows there are plenty of tough opponents in the Pirates’ region, but he’s only concerned about reversing his team’s recent playoff history.

“We’ve lost in the playoffs two years in a row in the first round,” Cody said. “We’ve got Lufkin Hudson or Tyler Chapel Hill, and we’re not going to talk about anything else. We’ve got something to prove.”

The Pirates will take on Dallas Hillcrest on Saturday in a warmup game before beginning their playoff journey.

— Jason Orts

Whitney eyes bye, postseason success

Whitney coach Troy Doyle’s second season with the Wildcats has brought success back to the program.

This year’s District 15-2A championship team is the first district title Whitney has seen in 10 years and the first time the team has made the playoffs since the 2005-06 season.

“We want to start a tradition here,” Doyle said. “These boys haven’t made the playoffs in any sport, and starting a tradition starts with one win.”

The familiarity with Doyle’s system as well as the addition of summer league competition this past summer have enabled the team to improve considerably.

Whitney (22-9, 11-3) finished as co-champions and will have a first-place tiebreaker with Italy at 7 p.m. tonight at Midlothian. A win would give the team a bye through the bi-district round and some well-needed rest.

Doyle said he would love to see the team make a run to the regional tournament but knows each game will be a giant step for the Wildcats, who have never advanced past the area round.

“We are playing real well right now,” Doyle said. “We want to win a couple games. If we get the bye, we can win one game and do something Whitney has never done.”

— David Ash

Valley Mills waiting to learn 1st-round foe

Valley Mills may not know which team it’ll face in the first round of playoffs next week, but for now, the Eagles are just enjoying a postseason berth.

“One of our seniors, Sam Callison, is making his first trip to the playoffs,” coach Brad Janek said. “After we won Tuesday, I couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.”

Valley Mills (19-8) will face Holland at 1 p.m. Saturday in Troy for a warmup game, then tackle the Mart-Wortham loser in bi-district.

Valley Mills defeated Mart in a nondistrict game earlier this season, but Mart, coming off a state semifinal run in football, hadn’t had long to practice.

“We’re really hitting our peak, just playing together and playing our offense,” Janek said. “Lots of hustle and lots of unselfishness.”

— Brian Bateman

Panthers excited for 1st berth in 6 years

Mart’s basketball players and coaches understand the obstacles they face every year.

Because of the football team’s annual deep playoff runs, the Panthers hit the hardwood up to four weeks later than most schools. Last season, when Mart won the Class 1A Division I state football title, it didn’t play its first basketball game until after Christmas — and it was a district game.

This year, the Panthers overcame the late start to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

“They’re very excited, and that was our goal when we started the season was the make the playoffs,” Mart coach Joe Woodard said. “Our second goal was to get to the regional tournament, because I felt like we had to have something to extend to after we made the playoffs.”

The Panthers’ seed isn’t determined yet. They’ll play Wortham tonight in a second-place tiebreaker, but the seeding is irrelevant to Woodard.

He’s just happy to be in the postseason, especially since he doesn’t feel his team has played its best yet.

“We’ve only played for about eight weeks,” Woodard said. “Everybody else is in their 25th to 30th game, and we’re in our 16th. You have to get 15-16 games under your belt just to see where you’re at, and you start peaking at that point.”

— Orts

GIRLS’ HOOPS

McGregor cruising into area-round tilt

There may be no team in the state plowing into the Class 2A area round with more momentum than McGregor.

The Lady Bulldogs picked up steam with a play-in victory over Marlin last week, and they hit full speed in the midst of a 27-2 second-half run in a 62-51 win over Clifton on Monday.

They’ll test it at 6:30 p.m. today against Buffalo in Hearne.

“I think we have some momentum because we had to play a play-in game and we had to play a playoff game,” McGregor coach Kimberly Johnson said. “But I think Buffalo has some momentum, only losing one district game and being the district champion.”

Buffalo has strength in its guard play, where it can bomb from outside and create matchup problems. The Lady Bison also have a 6-foot-1 post who will match up with McGregor’s Danielle Brisby.

“I know offensively we can get our points, because we’ve got kids in all positions that can score,” Johnson said. “I think it’s going to be the battle of the boards and taking care of the ball.”

— Parchman

Lady Eagles hope nerves out of system

Bruceville-Eddy got some of its nerves out of the way with a 46-36 bi-district win over Maypearl. The win was the program’s first playoff win since 2008, when the team advanced to the area round.

Coach Amanda Stone credited the nerves to just a lack of playoff experience.

“We didn’t shoot the ball well,” Stone said. “Even though they’ve made the playoffs in other sports, this is the first time they have made it in basketball and nerves affect you different when you shoot the ball.”

Expect a better shooting night from the offense and more intensity when the Lady Eagles face Sunnyvale tonight.

Stone said both teams match up well with one post and talented guards on the outside.

Sunnyvale likes to attack the lane with penetration on offense and is very aggressive on the boards on both ends of the court.

Bruceville-Eddy will need to stay out of foul trouble and limit second-chance opportunities if it wants to continue its successful season.

— Ash

Valley Mills looking for more luck in area

Valley Mills coach Alan Neff freely admits the Lady Eagles were lucky to get past Mart in bi-district play.

He’ll need a little more karma flowing his way against Kerens.

“They’re very quick, very tough,” he said. “They have size and speed, and they play everybody.”

No. 18 Kerens (26-8) likes to push the game’s tempo — something Valley Mills likes to do, too. It would appear to make for a shootout, but don’t expect the Lady Eagles to play along.

“We’re going to have to control the tempo of the game,” Neff said. “Against them, we don’t need to push it.”

Kerens made the regional final last year, and although several players graduated, there’s still plenty of talent and height on the team. Kerens boasts two 5-foot-11 posts and a 6-2 center inside.

The Lady Eagles will need a big day from Sarah Balch — the hero of the Mart game. She went 8-for-8 at the free-throw line that night, including the winning points. She averages 6.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and makes 68.9 percent of her free throws.

The game starts at 7 tonight at Groesbeck.

— Bateman

NOTE TO COACHES

Super Centex hoops nominations needed

Coaches whose seasons are complete are asked to send in nominations for the Tribune-Herald ’s Super Centex basketball team.

Nominations should include a player’s name, position, class (senior, junior, etc.), height and all relevant statistics and honors.

Coaches are also asked to nominate honorees for Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

Nominations may be emailed to jorts@wacotrib.com and jbarnes@wacotrib.com, or faxed to 254-756-7803.

Call Jason Orts at 254-757-5717 with any questions.

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• University takes round 1 from rival Waco High
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• Whitney eyes bye, postseason success
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• Mart excited for 1st berth in 6 years
• McGregor cruising into area-round tilt
• Bruceville-Eddy hopes nerves out of system
• Valley Mills looking for more luck in area
• Super Centex hoops nominations needed