Falcons edge Tigers to earn 1st state berth
Before this year’s playoffs, the Huffman Hargrave boys basketball team had never been to the regional tournament.
Now the Falcons are going to the state tournament after beating Silsbee 62-56 in the Class 4A Region III final Friday evening at La Porte High School.
The score was tied 45-45 going into the fourth quarter.
“The score was 0-0 in our eyes,” senior Jacob Harvey said. “We had them up by 10 in the first half, so we knew we could do it. We believed in ourselves. We just stuck to the game plan, and we executed.”
Hargrave’s Grey Soileau made a layup on the opening possession of the fourth quarter to give Hargrave an early lead in the period, but Silsbee brought the game to within one point four times in the final three minutes of the game.
Soileau helped the Falcons extend their lead the first two times, hitting a layup off a pass from Harvey before grabbing an offensive rebound, getting fouled and making the subsequent free throws.
Gabe Cardenas then hit a pair of free throws to pull away a third time, and Jesse Viramontez made a shortrange floater to distance Hargrave from Silsbee a final time.
Harvey hit a pair of free throws, and Luke Thomas hit a foul shot in the final seconds to put the game on ice.
Harvey threw the ball in the air as the clock expired, and players rushed each other in celebration.
Harvey finished with a team-high 20 points, and Soileau added 19.
Silsbee’s Dre’lon Miller had a game-high 23 points.
Harvey, a four-year varsity starter who eclipsed 2,000 career points earlier this season, said the victory was especially meaningful because Silsbee eliminated Hargrave in the regional quarterfinals two years ago.
Hargrave’s first four playoff wins came by double-digits, including a 68-34 victory over Lumberton in the regional quarterfinals.
“It’s more gratifying,” Hargrave coach Scott Barrett said of the hard-fought victory. “These are better wins than the big wins. When you can find a way to win a game that’s that close, it’s a big deal. That’s a much better win than beating somebody by 30.”
Hargrave, the No. 11 Class 4A team in the final Texas Association of Basketball Coaches rankings, improves to 28-1 and is riding an 11game winning streak.
The Falcons’ one loss came on Jan. 22, a 77-58 setback against District 21-4A opponent Hardin-Jefferson.
Hargrave avenged that loss with a 39-38 win in the second district matchup on Feb. 13.
“We have so much confidence right now,” Harvey said. “We really believe in ourselves. The crowd, the town of Huffman, is amazing. They came out and supported us. They back us up through anything, and that’s awesome.”
Barrett also gave a shoutout to the Hargrave fans who traveled the approximately 30 miles to La Porte, particularly the student section, known as the “Loud Crowd.”
Hargrave will face Region IV champion Boerne (27-3), the No. 5 4A team in the TABC rankings, in the state semifinals.