Speed vs. stall matchup highlights boys state playoff pairings

Cypress Falls’ first trip to the state tournament will begin with a matchup against an unconventional opponent.

In Friday’s Class 6A state semifinal, the Eagles will play Dallas Skyline, which upset previously undefeated Klein Forest on Saturday by stalling for much of the game. Although Skyline (34-1) doesn’t always stall, it successfully used the tactic to knock off Klein Forest 3329. Cy Falls (33-3) likes to play at a much faster pace and averaged nearly 70 points per game during the season.

Marshall (31-7) opens the 5A state tournament against Justin Northwest (32-5), which narrowly escaped Region I, needing overtime to beat El Paso Andress in the regional semifinals, then clipping El Paso Burgess 65-62 in the final.

Marshall, on the other hand, dominated the Region III tournament, bouncing Waco University, which was ranked No. 1 in the state by 20, then defeating Manvel by 25 on Saturday.

A pair of Southeast Texas teams appear to be on a collision course in Class 4A.

Silsbee and Brazosport have dominated the playoffs, with Silsbee scoring at least 93 points in each postseason game, including a 124-point regional quarterfinal effort against North Forest.

Brazosport has cracked 100 twice in the playoffs, including Saturday’s 10051 win over Corpus Christi West Oso.

Silsbee and Brazosport were put on opposite sides of the state tournament bracket, with Silsbee opening against Argyle on Friday. Brazosport will play Midlothian Heritage.

The 4A state championship game is at 7 p.m. Saturday.