Stony Point had magical run to tourney
SAN ANTONIO — Josiah Moseley’s final field goal attempt of his storied high school career came from the corner, right in front of his team’s bench.
It’s one he has made thousands of times in practices and in games, but this time it fell short, as did No. 2 Stony Point’s bid to become the first major team sport in school history to win a state championship.
Plano East 53, Stony Point 41. As the final buzzer sounded, the 40-0 Panthers instead celebrated becoming the first undefeated state champion in UIL Class 6A history. Meanwhile, Moseley — the Villanova signee and reigning Central Texas player of the year — stood shoulder to shoulder with his teammates on the other end of the Alamodome court.
They made no attempts to hide their heartbreak. The tears flowed.
Second-year Tigers coach Antoine Thompson graciously accepted the second-place trophy, shook hands with UIL officials and posed for a couple of photos, but he made sure to quickly get back to his team He wanted to be near them in their final game of the season. Losing in a state final is heart wrenching and he wanted them to know he was feeling the same hurt.
“I’m extremely proud of them, the run that we’ve had and the opportunity that we’ve been given,” Thompson said. “Those guys gave it their all tonight. We just fell short of the goal. We left some things out on the floor we had in the script and there were numerous things that we could have done better. It was a great run.”
Moseley finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds in his final game and wiped away watery emotion from his eyes as he met with reporters just a few feet from Plano East’s championship celebration.
“Stony Point has never done this before,” Moseley said. “I’m proud to say I’m a senior and I’m a captain on the team that did this for the first time. Even though we didn’t get the job done, we still put Round rock and Austin on the map. We showed everyone who doubted us that we’re good.”
A second-place trophy and silver medals draped around the Stony Point players’ necks were a source of pride for a great fan turnout from the 512, but the Tigers didn’t make the trip to the Alamo City for anything less than the ultimate prize. But only one team can be crowned the state champion. The top-ranked Panthers were simply better. Even better than they were when they beat the Tigers by five points at a December holiday tournament in Mansfield.
They played cleaner and made winning plays in the season’s biggest game. Frankly, Plano East played like a 40-0 team that wasn’t going to miss its date with destiny.
Unlike Friday’s state semifinal win over Beaumont United, the Tigers were unable to make the key plays that separate winners from runners-up. Plano East’s guards played cleanly down the stretch while the Tigers committed 20 turnovers, double their total from the night before. They missed 13 of their 16 3-point attempts and talented guard Uzziah Buntyn, the hero in the semifinals with 19 points, never got on track with four points and seven turnovers in 29 frustrating minutes.
‘They had a fantastic season’
For Stony Point to not play with peak efficiency on a night that demanded it ... that will stick in their collective craw for awhile, but the Tigers should find comfort in knowing that 62 other teams would have given almost anything for the opportunity to play for the biggest prize in the biggest division.
It’s why Thompson and his players walked out of the Alamodome with their heads held high. In just his second season, the Manor grad is already an emerging star in the profession and a more than capable leader of young men. The Tigers are 70-4 in his first two years. He has raised the bar in Central Texas hoops, which should bring a smile to face of anyone in our area who loves good ball.
“They had a fantastic season,” said a proud Round Rock ISD athletic director Jeff Cheatham. “They represented the district well and I can’t say enough about how well they played and gave it everything they had here at the end.”
Fuel for Stony Point’s future
The Tigers earned this state title opportunity after showing tremendous poise in the postseason. Sure, they were new to the bright lights of the state tourney and some may have let the large stage affect their play in the biggest 40 minutes of the year. The good news is this experience will serve as a motivator for future teams.
Before you go feeling sorry for the state runners-up, be advised that their outward emotion should in no way be confused with weakness. Those were warriors’ tears, a testament to the fighting spirit that got Stony Point to this point and a nod to a 32-year-old head coach who was a few missed jumpers shy of becoming the youngest to win a 6A state title.
Thompson understands the hurt in the faces of his young charges can be a hardening agent for next season’s team and others that follow trying to take that final step to the winner’s circle. So it’s OK to remember this feeling and feel that hurt when they’re back in the weight room and on the track in offseason conditioning.
“We’ve got to allow them to have the emotion ,” Thompson said. “You know so many people try to discredit emotion, but that emotion is fuel. That emotion is motivation and I hope they allow that to just be a driving force for what they want, to continue to get better, both on the floor and off the floor for what we’re building within the program.”
A season to remember for the Tigers
One day when they’re old and gray, these players will sit on a porch somewhere and reflect upon this incredible 2024 season. They will remember their fiery young coach who pushed them to heights never before reached by a Round Rock ISD school.
They will remember Moseley’s consistent excellence and poise under pressure.
They will remember post Davaughn Hueitt’s 20-foot jumper at the buzzer to beat San Antonio Brennan in the regional semifinals, one day before they punched their state tournament ticket with a blowout of San Antonio O’Connor. They will remember their only two losses coming to the best team in the state. They will remember the pride on the smiling faces of their coaches, parents, teachers and classmates.
Above all, they will remember the shared joy that only an incredible playoff run can create in a locker room of likeminded young people united for a common goal.
Well done, Stony Point Tigers.
Well done.