KFDM COOP Posted November 12, 2007 Report Posted November 12, 2007 DISTRICT-BY-DISTRICT OUTLOOKCy Springs may have winning combo in boys basketball; St. Pius picks up key transferDistrict 15-5APlayoff favorites: Lufkin, College Park, Conroe, The Woodlands. Dark horse: Magnolia.Top players: College Park F Kirk Van Slyke, Lufkin G Xavier Roberson, Conroe G Theo Payne, The Woodlands F Grant Clark, College Park F Garrett ConstanceOverview: With all five starters back and three all-district picks, College Park might be in for a breakout season. The Woodlands returns just one starter but has a lot of potential.• • •District 16-5APlayoff favorites: Klein Collins, Klein Forest, Westfield, Tomball. Dark horse: Spring.Top players: Klein Collins G Demetri Goodson, Klein Forest G Touré Murry, Klein Collins F Jared Holzworth, Klein Forest G Chris HinesOverview: Klein Collins and Klein Forest are coming off regional tournament appearances and each returns key players from last season's squad.• • •District 17-5APlayoff favorites: Cypress Springs, Strake Jesuit, Cypress Falls, Langham Creek. Dark horse: Cy-Fair.Top players: Cy Springs W Phillip McDonald, Strake Jesuit W Joey Brooks, Langham Creek W Tommie Tyler, Strake Jesuit G Trent Rogers, Cy Falls G Kris Dao, Cy Springs P Erik WilliamsOverview: The combination of McDonald and Williams makes Cy Springs one of the top teams in the area. The Panthers return four starters from a 27-8 team. Strake Jesuit returns four starters from a 19-11 squad that played one of the tougher schedules in the area last season. Brooks and Rogers will lead the way. Dao and Josh Struble will help Cy Falls remain a playoff team. Cypress Woods joins the mix with its first varsity season.• • •District 18-5APlayoff favorites: Hastings, Elsik, Alief Taylor, Katy Taylor. Dark horse: Morton Ranch.Top players: Katy Taylor P Corbin Ray, Morton Ranch G Kevin Foster, Alief Taylor G Kalif Bakare, Hastings G Chris Iles, Katy Taylor F Blake Matocha.Overview: At the top, this will be one of the area's most competitive districts with Hastings and Katy Taylor battling for the district title. Iles and Tevin Holmes will lead Hastings; Ray and Matocha will lead Katy Taylor.• • •District 19-5APlayoff favorites: Nimitz, Eisenhower, Aldine, Stratford. Dark horse: Memorial.Top players: Aldine G Brandon Williams, Eisenhower F Ella Ellis, Nimitz F/G Dailon Wilson, Stratford G Rodney Milum.Overview: There's a lot of youth in this district. Nimitz graduated a trio of talented guards, and Aldine lost Gary Johnson, but both should be playoff bound. Williams was one of the area's top guards in scoring, assists and steals.• • •District 20-5APlayoff favorites: Madison, Chavez, Bellaire, Westside. Dark horse: Milby.Top players: Madison G Tommy Mason-Griffin, Chavez G Jamal Fenton, Chavez G Jared Maree, Madison F Richard Brown, Lamar G Josh Bonney.Overview: Madison and Chavez will fight for the district title, and both can score a lot behind their respective point guards, Mason-Griffin and Fenton. Bellaire is young, with all its projected starters being sophomores and freshmen.Sam Houston has a new coach: former Rockets player Adrian Caldwell.• • •District 21-5APlayoff favorites: Kingwood, PA Memorial, Beaumont West Brook, Humble. Dark horse: Atascocita.Top players: PA Memoral G J'Covan Brown, PA Memorial F Jacovin Buckner, Bmt West Brook F Lanard Whittington, Atascocita F Shawn Toran, Kingwood F Nick James.Overview: As was the case last season, the district title will come down to Port Arthur Memorial and Kingwood. Memorial brings back more experience, led by all-district selections Brown and Buckner; Kingwood must replace all five starters but knows what it takes to win after three straight state tournament appearances.• • •District 22-5APlayoff favorites: La Porte, North Shore, Dobie, Deer Park. Dark horse: South Houston.Top players: La Porte G Drew Parker, North Shore G Jeremiah McGinty, Dobie G Scott Talton, La Porte F Randy Collins; Pasadena Memorial P Shane Hamaker.Overview: La Porte's sophomore trio of Parker, Collins and Cedric Jones gives the Bulldogs one of the most impressive groups of young players in the area. They'll be short on size but will still be good.• • •District 23-5APlayoff favorites: Elkins, Hightower, FB Marshall, Dulles. Dark horse: Bush.Top players: Elkins G Elston Turner, Hightower G Daryl Taylor, Bush P Terry Bembry, Marshall G Bradley Gay, Dulles G Thomas Galliguez.Overview: One of the area's deepest districts welcomes a new varsity team (Travis), but it's the usual suspects at the top. Elkins and Hightower are both state-ranked and appear to have what it takes to be regional title contenders. FB Marshall lost all five of its starters but isn't short on talent. Bush has a new coach (former Willowridge and TSU skipper Ronnie Courtney), and Dulles returns four starters from a 27-10 playoff squad. • • •District 24-5APlayoff favorites: Clear Brook, Clear Lake, Clear Creek, Ball. Dark horse: Brazoswood.Top players: Clear Brook G Anthony Miles, Clear Creek G Logan Lancon, Clear Lake F Andrew Goric, Brazoswood F Drew Sellers.Overview: Clear Lake must replace all five starters from a 33-7 regional finalist and has just three lettermen back. Clear Brook returns four starters and six lettermen from a 19-17 playof team. Clear Creek's two returning starters, Lancon and Ian Davis, were first-team all-district picks last season.• • •District 18-4APlayoff favorites: Huntsville, Montgomery, Brenham. Dark horse: Livingston.Top players: Hunstville G Drae Murray, Montgomery G Tyler Case, Brenham G Landon Wright, Livingston G Dustin Harris, Huntsville G Justin Ennis.Overview: Hunstville is the team to beat again this season, but the other two playoff spots are up in the air for the remaining five teams. Murray, Ennis and forward Howard Brown make the Hornets tough to deal with. Brenham, the perennial power in this district, returns two starters from a 21-11 squad.• • •District 19-4APlayoff favorites: Wheatley, Worthing, Furr. Dark horse: Sterling.Top players: Wheatley C Josef Brown, Worthing F Emerson Herndon, Furr P C.J. Calhoun, Sterling G Ronnie Williams.Overview: This will be a tight district race that should go down to the wire. The top four teams have several returning players. Wheatley welcomes a new coach (Willie Patrick) who guided St. Pius to a title last season. The Wildcats return four starters.• • •District 20-4APlayoff favorites: Yates, Washington, Waltrip. Dark horse: Reagan.Top players: Yates F Anthony Jones, Yates G Brandon Peters, Waltrip G D'Aric Green, Washington G Kim-Anthony Williams.Overview: Yates is the prohibitive favorite to win the district and the region. Behind Jones and a sophomore backcourt of Peters and Darius Gardner and a new coach (former Hightower coach Greg Wise), the Lions appear to have the tools to go all the way. Green, a first-team all-district pick last season, returns to lead Waltrip.• • •District 21-4APlayoff favorites: Smiley, Forest Brook, Crosby. Dark horse: Galena Park.Top players: Smiley P Augustine Rubit, Smiley G Benny Easter, Forest Brook G Tory Guillory, Crosby F Kendrae Carter.Overview: Smiley is the most talented team in the district — it returns three all-district picks, including Rubit and Easter, who were first-teamers. Forest Brook graduated some of its size but will still be a force behind Guillory.• • •District 23-4APlayoff favorites: Friendswood, Angleton, La Marque. Dark horse: Santa Fe.Top players: Friendswood C James Blasczyk, Angleton G Garrett Brown, Angleton G Justin Meadows, Friendswood G Byron Randle.Overview: Friendswood has one of the area's biggest players in Blasczyk, a 7-0 senior. The Mustangs, who return three starters from a 22-10 squad, open the preseason state-ranked as well (No. 10). La Marque must replace all five starters from a 24-6 team and has a new coach (Cedric Mason).• • •District 24-4APlayoff favorites: Seven Lakes, Lamar Consolidated, Terry. Dark horse: El Campo.Top players: Lamar Cons. G Jacquizz Rodgers, Seven Lakes G Jimmy Abraham, Seven Lakes F Brandon Provost, Terry F Kene AnyigboOverview: Seven Lakes returns three all-district picks, including two first-teamers, Abraham and Anthony Kendrick. Terry finished second last season and brings back four starters. Defending district champion Lamar Consolidated returns two starters and six lettermen.• • •Class 3A/2A Top teams: East Chambers, Navasota, Hempstead, Hitchcock. Top players: East Chambers G Tramain Thomas, Hitchcock F Anthony McClain, Hempstead G Charlie Glover, Splendora G Kris Usher, Coldspring F James Scott.Overview: Thomas is a star on the football field as East Chambers' starting quarterback, but he's also a standout player on the hardwood, having averaged 25 points, 12 rebounds and four assists as a junior for the 29-8 Buccaneers last season. Hempstead is coming off a 28-7 season, returns three starters and six lettermen, and is state-ranked (14th). Anthony McClain was the 27-2A defensive player of the year and will lead an improved Hitchcock squad, which went 26-6 last year, returns six lettermen (two starters) and is ranked 19th in the state. Navasota is the area's highest-ranked 3A team (No. 8). Kingwood Park, coached by former Kingwood assistant Dominic Amorosa, joins 22-3A in its first varsity season• • •Private schoolsTop teams: St. Thomas, St. Pius, HCYA, Cypress Christian, Westbury Christian. Top players: St. Thomas P Antuan Bootle, St. Pius F Dwight Miller, HCYA G Jessie Sanders.Overview: St. Pius is coming off a state title and has Miller, who transferred from Westbury Christian and is one of the most improved players in the area. St. Thomas returns two starters from a 32-7 team, including Bootle, who averaged 16 points and 17 rebounds and was an all-state pick, and Johnathan Strom (15 ppg, 12 rpg), another all-state pick. HCYA was the Home-School national champion last season. St. Thomas (No. 2), Cypress Christian (No. 7), Westbury Christian (No. 9), Second Baptist (No. 11) and St. Pius (No. 14) are all state-ranked among large private schools, The Woodlands Christian (No. 2) and Northeast Christian (No. 8) are ranked among small schools.
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