Broncos put an end to Highlanders’ run
CORSICANA — Immediately after the final strike was called, McKinney Boyd pitcher Chase Peterson calmy stepped off the mound as his teammates poured out of the dugout and swarmed him.
Another chapter in a historic season for Boyd spelled a somber conclusion for The Woodlands on Saturday as the Broncos prevailed with a 6-1 victory in Game 3 of the Class 6A Region II semifinals at Corsicana High School.
The Highlanders (30-8) were on a quest for another state tournament appearance, but the Broncos (2913) had other plans. Boyd is currently on the deepest playoff run in school history and has won three consecutive three-game series. The program had not advanced past the regional quarterfinals prior to this season.
The Broncos will face No. 1 state-ranked Cypress Ranch in the Region IIfinals next week with a trip to the UIL state tournament on the line. Cypress Ranch (324-1) is ranked No. 11 in the country by MaxPreps and swept Rockwall in the regional semifinals this week, winning 10-0 and 5-1.
“It’s been unbelievable,” Boyd coach Brooke Court said. “It’s been a great run for us, and this group is a special group. They have a ton of chemistry with the coaches and with each other, and they believe in each other. So when you get those two things coming together, it’s dangerous.”
The Woodlands made a second consecutive appearance in the regional semifinals this season after reaching the state tournament last year. Highlanders coach Ron Eastman was proud of what his players accomplished.
“I’m just really proud of them,” Eastman said. “This is a great group of young men that has worked extremely hard all season. They brought the district championship back in a very challenging district. You’ve just got to tip your hat to Boyd — they played better than us this weekend, and in high school playoffs, that’s the name of the game. You just have to advance, and they were able to come out on top in Game 3. Our guys gave it their best all year.”
The Broncos received a standout pitching performance from Peterson, who spun a four-hit complete game. He finished with five strikeouts and just one walk.
“Chase did a great job today,” Court said. “He had all three of his pitches going, and he was able to work both sides of the plate. (The Woodlands) can really hit, so we had a game plan coming in, and we executed it. We were fortunate enough to keep them at bay and win.”
The Woodlands entered the series averaging more than seven runs per game in the playoffs.
“Our 1-3, 1-4 (hitters) have been really solid all year, and after that, we’ve been able to just scrap runs,” Eastman said. “We had some great opportunities in Game 2, and that was our chance. We had 11 opportunities to score runs and come out on top in that one, and we weren’t able to do it. We just never seemed to generate any type of offense.”