Broncos heading to state for first time
BELTON — If Cypress Ranch wasn’t undisputedly the state’s top team this year, the Mustangs weren’t far from the top.
But their season stopped short of where they wanted.
McKinney Boyd topped Cypress Ranch 8-3 in the Class 6A Region II championship series finale on Saturday at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Boyd (30-14) won 1-0 in Thursday’s Game 2 to even a series that had a completely different tone considering the no-hitter from Cypress Ranch senior pitcher Matt Thompson in Game 1.
Game 3 was tightly contested, too, with the two teams tied at three after four innings.
The fifth inning is where Boyd’s bats took over, scoring four running in the top half of the frame and adding one more in the sixth inning.
A three-run third inning proved huge for Boyd, too, as it erased the first-inning two-RBI single from Cypress Ranch’s Fabian Mayfield, who finished with all of the Mustangs’ RBIs Saturday.
Boyd is state-bound for the first time. Cypress Ranch was looking for a second consecutive state semifinal and a fourth state tournament appearance all-time, which is impressive considering the high school is just 11 years old. Cypress Ranch won state championships in 2012 and 2015.
And concerning this Cypress Ranch team (34-6-1), all eyes turn toward the MLB First-Year Player Draft beginning Monday. Thompson and pitcher J.J. Goss — both seniors and Texas A&M commitments — are expected to be high draft picks.
The Cypress Ranch and Magnolia West losses makes it two Houston-area teams in the state tournament field next week in Austin.
Ridge Point won 6A Region III with a sweep of Kingwood. The Panthers are state-bound for the first time.
Sweeny, 60 miles southwest of Houston, won the 4A Region III championship series against Robinson 2-1 and is in a state semifinal for the second consecutive season.
Sweeny fell victim to a historic run by an undefeated Argyle team last year.