Stafford slips past Boerne to claim Region IV-4A crown

Stafford won the Class 4A Region IV tournament on Saturday with a 49-48 win over Boerne at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

The Spartans defeated Pleasanton in Friday’s semifinal in a 58-54 win.

It’s Stafford’s first state semifinal since 2009-10. Stafford actually has seen three state semifinals since 2005-06, but will be playing for its first appearance in a state final since the team won it all in 1992.

Head coach David Montano

is taking another team to the state tournament.

Montano was the head coach when La Marque made the state semifinals in 2014-15 and in 2015-16. He coached La Marque from 2012-17 and has been at Stafford since 2018-19.

As of press time the state tournament draw was not official, but Stafford (32-9) winning IV-4A brings an extra wrinkle for the Houston area at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Yates (26-3) won the

Region III-4A tournament with wins over China Spring and Life Waxahachie in Huntsville. It could make way for an all-Houston state final.

The Class 4A state semifinals are 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Friday, with the final at 7 p.m. Saturday.

COLDSPRING 67, DIBOLL 57

Coldspring is headed to its first state tournament.

The Trojans (37-4) bested Diboll in the Region III-3A title game at Midway

High School in Waco.

Duke Lawniczak led Coldspring with 24 points. Dante Eldridge had 16 and Jacoby Bishop added 13.

It’s been a long climb to this point for head coach Greg Devers’ program 62 miles northeast of downtown Houston.

“After last year’s regional semifinal disappointment and with only losing one key player from last year’s team, the kids have been on a mission to reach their goal to be the first

Coldspring basketball team to reach and win the state tournament,” Devers said.

The head coach was referring to last year’s two-point loss to Crockett in the regional semifinals. Coldspring defeated Crockett in a 76-65 win in this year’s regional semifinals before topping Diboll.

Coldspring finished the regular season fourth in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches 3A poll.

The 3A state semifinals are at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Thursday at the Alamodome with the final at 10 a.m. Saturday.

KILLEEN ELLISON 77 WESTFILED 62

Westfield fell to Killeen Ellison, 77-62 in the II-6A semifinals on Friday. Westfield finished the season with 33 wins and ranked 19th in the state 6A poll at regular season’s end.

Westfield saw its fifth regional tournament since 2004-2005 this season.