Bulldogs roll into 3A championship game
SAN ANTONIO — Hitchcock has carried a Texas-sized target on its back all season. But if the Bulldogs felt any pressure Thursday afternoon at the Alamodome, it certainly didn’t show.
Hitchcock took care of business and kept its quest for a second consecutive state championship alive and well with a 57-40 victory against San Antonio Cole in the UIL Class 3A semifinals.
“It was tough,” Hitchcock coach Christopher Jordan-Foster said of the matchup. “We’ve scouted, we’ve practiced, we’ve done what we could do, and at this point, it just comes down to getting stops, rebounds and paying attention to detail.”
Hitchcock (34-3), ranked No. 1 in the state for the entire regular season by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, showed why it arrived at the Alamo City as the heavy favorites to hoist the hardware once again.
The Bulldogs used their significant size advantage early and often during their 21st consecutive win. Hitchcock hasn’t lost since a Dec. 29 matchup against Fort Worth Eastern Hills, a team ranked No. 2 in the state for Class 4A at the end of the regular season.
The Bulldogs will take on Region II champion Ponder (36-6) at 10 a.m. Saturday for the championship. Ponder defeated Holliday 62-46 in the other semifinal matchup Thursday.
“We’re pretty hyped about Saturday,” said senior guard Damien McDaniel, who finished with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists. “We want to win back-to-back and bring the championship back to the community we all played in since we were little.”
Hitchcock, making its third straight state appearance, avenged the tough loss it suffered against Cole in the semifinals two years ago. The Bulldogs lacked the experience at that point, but they turned the tables in this meeting.
But beating Cole was never the main objective for Hitchcock. Their efforts have been channeled toward repeating as champions, regardless of the opponents standing in their path.
“I would be lying if I said it didn’t give us a little motivation,” Jordan-Foster said of the previous loss to Cole. “But they’re a different team, (and) we’re a different team with a little bit more experience. So that plays a little bit of a factor, but at the same time, we’re going to handle it like it’s any other playoff game and do what we do.”
Hitchcock defeated its first five playoff opponents by an average margin of 31.4 points. None of those teams came within 14 points of the Bulldogs. They still have not lost to a 3A team.
Hitchcock was dominant in the paint Thursday, outscoring Cole 36-8. The Bulldogs also had a decisive advantage on the boards, outrebounding the Cougars 41-31. Hitchcock maintained defensive pressure and intensity throughout the game, bothering Cole with its length and athleticism. The Cougars shot just 13-for-48 (27%), and their 40 points were the team’s lowest output of the season. Their previous low was 42 points.
Elijah Sherwood led the Bulldogs with a game-high 20 points on 9-for-17 shooting and collected eight rebounds. Lloyd Jones III had a strong double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Bryce Dorsey added nine points, four rebounds and three assists.
Getting the ball inside to Sherwood and Jones, both at 6-5, was a concerted effort for the Bulldogs.
“Most of the games we play, we always try to get an inside touch,” Jordan-Foster said. “Even if it’s not a clean touch, we just want to get a touch and kick it back out and get some movement on the offensive end.”