BASKETBALL PRIMER: Holliday girls, Hirschi boys top final TRN Top 10 rankings
GIRLS TRN TOP 10
1. Holliday (26-3, 1) – The Lady Eagles went end to end as the No. 1 team in the TRN Top 10. The Lady Eagles haven’t been challenged since playing against Class 5A competition in the Caprock Classic in Lubbock the week after Christmas. However, the challenges will return by the second round of the playoffs in what is a very tough region.
2. Nocona (32-0, 2) – There’s been a dropoff in these rankings after Holliday and Nocona. No one in the area has played either team closer than 17 points. On paper, the Lady Indians look like they’ll finally advance to that elusive regional tournament this season.
3. Windthorst (24-4, 3) – Windthorst is the team that played Nocona closer than anyone in the area, including the 4A and 5A programs the Lady Indians faced this season. The Trojanettes could be poised to be playing past the first week of the postseason.
4. City View (22-9, 5) – The Lady Mustangs and Bowie have traded spots in these rankings throughout the past month. City View’s 14-point win over the Lady Rabbits last week has it hurdling them one last time.
5. Bowie (22-9, 4) – Despite City View jumping them, the Lady Rabbits are still in line for the No. 2 playoff seed if there aren’t any upsets Tuesday. And the difference in the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds are significant to start the postseason.
6. Quanah (19-10, 10) – Quanah makes the biggest jump in the final TRN Top 10 after upsetting District 2-2A leader Wellington last week. The Lady Indians have a good complement of scorers that can make advancing difficult for the Panhandle teams they’ll matchup with in the postseason.
7. Iowa Park (18-12, 8) – It wasn’t easy, but Iowa Park did finally seal its postseason berth. The Lady Hawks will start the postseason with No. 6 Peaster, giving them the tough bi-district matchup that typically comes with finishing fourth in district.
8. Seymour (22-7, 7) – The Lady Panthers haven’t locked up the No. 3 seed yet and could end up in a tie with Petrolia if they can’t knock off Windthorst, and the Lady Pirates handle Archer City on Tuesday
9. Harrold (14-7, 9) – The Lady Hornets are in the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and just the third time since 1990. It’s going to take some real research to find the last time this program won a playoff game. This team has a genuine shot at making program history.
10. Benjamin (NR) – Benjamin is tied with Harrold for the District 16-A lead, earning its own mention in these rankings. The Lady Mustangs have been the area’s most consistent Class A program over the past five seasons.
Dropped out – Throckmorton (6)
BOYS TRN TOP 10
1. Hirschi (13-12, 1) – The Huskies are finally over the .500 mark for the season, and they continued to establish themselves worthy of this spot by handling Sanger last week. The TABC has noticed, too. The Huskies are back in the state rankings at No. 25.
2. Burkburnett (20-8, 2) – But the Bulldogs are also worthy of the No. 1 spot with only the recent loss to Hirschi keeping them out of it. The rematch is Friday.
3. Holliday (23-3, 3) – The Eagles find themselves alone atop the District 7-3A standings with three games to play, but it’s going to be a fight to the end. But the Eagles have turned on the jets offensively since losing to Vernon, scoring at least 65 points in its last three games.
4. Vernon (18-8, 7) – The Lions are arguably the hottest team in the area as we enter the final week of the regular season. They’ve injected themselves into the 7-3A title conversation, beating Holliday and City View in the past two weeks.
5. City View (20-6, 4) – The Mustangs enter the final leg of a very challenging three games in a five-day span. They opened it with an impressive win against Bowie on Friday but couldn’t keep up with a rested Vernon team on Saturday. Now, the Mustangs need to beat Holliday on Tuesday to have a shot at the 7-3A title. A loss could drop City View into the third seed.
6. Nocona (18-11, 9) – What a difference a week makes. The Indians are now atop the District 9-2A standings following a win against Seymour on Saturday.
7. Seymour (19-8, 5) – The icy weather was not kind to Seymour. The Panthers suffered back-to-back losses to Archer City and Nocona, knocking them from the top of the 9-2A mountain. Bouncing back is critical or the Panthers will find themselves third in the standings.
8. Benjamin (14-1, NR) – The Mustangs debut in the TRN Top 10 but should have been here sooner. After all, star player Grayson Rigdon is averaging more points per game (40.3) than some teams are in the area. No one wants to see this team in the playoffs.
9. Munday (20-4, 6) – The Moguls beat Benjamin once this season but couldn’t stop Rigdon and Co. last week. Now they’re tied with the Mustangs for the District 16-A lead.
10. Archer City (15-12, NR) – Archer City seems to be peaking at the right time as the regular season winds down. The Wildcats started Seymour’s tumble from the top of the district standings and could earn their own spot there.
Dropped out – Bowie (8), Midway (10).
TUESDAY’S GAMES TO WATCH
GIRLS
Hirschi at Gainesville – These two teams have a combined six wins on the season but one of them will make the playoffs. A Hirschi win puts it and rival Old High into the postseason. A loss may leave the Lady Huskies out.
Sanger at Burkburnett – The non-district schedule was rough for Burkburnett, but the Lady Bulldogs have done well in 7-4A action. The exception is their first game with Sanger. But Burk can still claim its share of the district title by beating Sanger on Tuesday.
City View at Holliday – Can City View find the formula to hang with Holliday? There’s a big difference between the second and third seeds for District 7-3A. The second seed gets Breckenridge to start the postseason. The third seed draws 15th-ranked Brock.
Windthorst at Seymour – Windthorst is now locked into the No. 2 seed, but Seymour wants to clinch No. 3. Windthorst won the first meeting by three points.
BOYS
City View at Holliday – City View can force a three-way tie atop the 7-3A standings with a win. Holliday can potentially clinch a share of the district title. This has developed into a great basketball rivalry, and the implications have never been higher.
Vernon at Bowie – Vernon must keep pace with Holliday and/or City View and avenge one of its two district losses. Bowie beat the Lions by 10 points in January.
Windthorst at Seymour – This isn’t the easiest bounce back game for the Panthers. Windthorst is playing well and has a combination of athleticism and shooting that can give anyone in the district trouble.
Slidell at Midway – Slidell likely wins the district and takes the No. 1 seed, but Midway can at least keep the Greyhounds from running through 22-A unscathed.
FRIDAY’S GAMES TO WATCH
BOYS
Burkburnett at Hirschi – The area’s premier basketball rivalry renews for the second time this season, and as usual, a district title is on the line. Hirschi won the first meeting, 64-53.
Vernon at Holliday – Another highly-anticipated rematch. Vernon’s surge up the TRN Top 10 started with its upset win against Holliday. This time around, it wouldn’t be considered any upset. There’s so much to shake out in this district.
City View at Iowa Park – The Hawks are still in the playoff discussion, and as Bowie knows, can upset a team’s plans if overlooked.
Knox City at Aspermont – This is a District 15-A championship game. Aspermont won the first meeting, 51-45, and can claim the district outright by beating Knox City again.
FEB. 14’S GAMES TO WATCH
BOYS
Holliday at Bowie – Holliday runs the gauntlet to finish the season. If the Eagles end up with the District 7-3A title, there’s no argument that they’ve earned it.
Iowa Park at Vernon – Beware the Hawks. They may end up on the outside looking in for the playoffs. But just like with City View on Friday, they’re lurking and capable of ruining a team’s goals.
Archer City at Nocona – Assuming no upsets occur between now and then, this game holds a lot of weight. Nocona would be playing for an outright district title. Archer City could force a three-way tie atop the standings with Seymour and Nocona, leaving a lot to figure out.
GIRLS STAT LEADERS
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita Falls area high school basketball TRN Top 10, stats, standings
