*3A State Team Previews*

[KFDM COOP]

SOUR LAKE HARDIN-JEFFERSON HAWKS

Record: 36-4

State ranking: No. 3

Road to Austin: First-round bye; d. West Columbia 59-53 in area round; d. Navasota 57-50 in regional quarterfinals; d. Waco Connally 51-46 in regional semifinals; d. No. 15 Silsbee 85-79 in overtime in regional final.

About Hardin-Jefferson: The Hawks are making their sixth trip to state but their first since 1994. ... The Hawks have scored 90 or more seven times, topped by a 109-52 victory over Hamshire-Fannett. ... Six-foot-8 senior center Duane Durley (10 points, eight rebounds per game) scored 19 points and 6-1 senior guard Ryan Donahoe had 26 against Silsbee as the Hawks rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit. H-J also came back from 17 points down vs. Waco Connally.

TYLER CHAPEL HILL BULLDOGS

Record: 30-7

State ranking: No. 4

Road to Austin: First-round bye; d. Texarkana Liberty-Eylau 74-52 in area round; d. Pittsburg 80-75 in regional quarterfinals; d. Kennedale 65-49 in regional semifinals; d. No. 12 Princeton 53-52 in regional final.

About Tyler Chapel Hill: This is the first state tournament trip for the Bulldogs, which have only one player taller than 6-foot-3. That one player is 6-4 junior Chris Mass, who is averaging 20.5 points and 12.3 rebounds in the playoffs. ... Junior point guard Tony Riley (19.8 ppg in the playoffs) had 10 points in the fourth quarter of the victory over Princeton. ... Tyler Chapel Hill has won 15 consecutive games.

ARANSAS PASS PANTHERS

Record: 23-17

State ranking: Unranked

Road to Austin: d. No. 20 Yoakum 49-48 in bi-district round; d. Hidalgo 74-51 in area round; d. No. 11 Corpus Christi West Oso 48-47 in regional quarterfinals; d. Hondo 57-50 in regional semifinals; d. Gonzales 67-61 in regional final.

About Aransas Pass: The Panthers finished third in District 30-3A but have won seven in a row. ... Aransas Pass leans on its inside duo of 6-8 senior Shannon Johnson (10.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and 6-7 senior Cody Hall (4.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg). ... Senior guard Brandon Garcia (17.1 ppg) scored 32 against Gonzales. ... Possible good news for Wylie: In each of its previous three trips to state (2002, 2003 and 2005), Aransas Pass lost in the semifinals to the eventual state champ.

WYLIE BULLDOGS

Record: 32-3

State ranking: No. 2

Road to Austin: First-round bye; d. Vernon 67-60 in area round; d. Perryton 53-44 in regional quarterfinals; d. No. 10 Fabens 60-44 in regional semifinals; d. Brownfield 75-53 in regional final.

About Wylie: Senior guard Gary Edwards is averaging a team-best 21.3 points per game in the playoffs, highlighted by his season-best 29-point effort against Vernon. ... The Bulldogs have been boosted by 6-foot-5 JV call-up Ryan Carlson, who scored six points against Brownfield. Carlson's presence will be needed against Aransas Pass' tall interior players, especially if Cory Davis is unable to go. ... Wylie is allowing just 43.3 points per game.

CLASS 3A STATE SEMIFINAL

Who: Wylie (32-3) vs. Aransas Pass (23-17)

When, where: 3:30 p.m. today, Frank Erwin Center, Austin

__________________