Knights won’t look ahead after earning 23-5A crown
Elkins has done it before, and it didn’t work in its favor.
So the Knights, after holding off Texas City 5251 on Tuesday to claim the outright District 23-5A title, won’t be looking over the entire playoff bracket.
Even though the road may look easier on paper, Knights coach Albert Thomas kept with the old adage.
“Two years ago, that was something I looked at and worried about, and it didn’t work out like we wanted,” said Thomas, who led the Knights to the state tournament a year ago. “So last year, we didn’t care how it laid out.
“You’re not going to get around playing good teams. For my own sake, I just try to take it one game at a time.”
Elkins (23-7, 14-2) is the outright champion after tying for the top spot in each of the previous two seasons. Texas City (23-8, 13-3) is tied for second with Fort Bend Marshall, which beat Santa Fe 102-46 on Tuesday.
Thomas is right in that good teams dot Class 5A’s Houston-centric Region III, including three of the state’s top six teams and six total in the latest statewide rankings. Three of those are in 23-5A, with a fourth (Manvel) ranked for part of the regular season.
But now moving into the postseason next week, not every road is the same. That’s why the win might mean more than just a district title.
A goal-tending call on a Texas City 3-point attempt cut the Knights’ lead to 5048 with 1:40 to play. The teams traded baskets before an Elkins turnover gave the Stingarees a chance to tie or win.
Tee’Shawn Garrett was fouled with 5.9 seconds left. He made his first free throw but missed the second to seal the Knights’ win.
“That’s been the nature of this team this year, especially down the stretch,” said Thomas, whose team led by as many as seven points in the fourth quarter. “Every time it looks like we’re going to spread out, something happens.”
Whoever takes the second seed (Texas City or Fort Bend Marshall) drops into the bottom half of the Region III bracket. That playoff road now includes a potential second-round matchup with No. 15 Port Arthur Memorial or Beaumont Central. The third round could bring No. 22 Humble or 23-5A’s thirdplace team.
And don’t forget about No. 1 Waco University, which would be waiting in the region semifinals. The 18-5A champions haven’t lost a game since December.
The other side isn’t a cakewalk. Madison and Brenham both have double-digit win streaks entering the playoffs. Same goes for 21-5A runner-up Porter, which is now at full strength and gave Humble its lone district loss earlier this month.
“One game at a time and one round at a time,” Thomas said. “You may look at the bracket and say, ‘This team is good and that team is good.’ You know who they are, but you’re going to eventually have to play them.
“I’ll go to the old Ric Flair line — ‘To be the best, you have to beat the best.’ ”