Boys Basketball Regional Preview: 10 East Texas Teams Two Wins From State Tournament

With one more week separating us from the boys state basketball tournament in Austin, 10 East Texas teams still have hopes alive of reaching every school's dream location at the beginning of the season.

The area schools still alive in the basketball playoffs, who are all just two wins away from making that dream a reality, are spread out across five regional tournaments throughout the state this weekend.

In 3A, both of East Texas' representatives -- Kilgore and Brownsboro -- are considered heavy underdogs at the Region II tournament at Texas A&M-Commerce.

Kilgore, which disposed of Athens 69-44 on Tuesday, faces defending state champion Dallas Madison at 6 p.m. Friday in one regional semifinal. Brownsboro has a slightly more attainable task at hand -- 12th-ranked Frisco Lone Star at 8 p.m. Friday. The two semifinal winners meet at noon Saturday with a trip to Austin on the line.

Just like 3A, there are two East Texas schools still alive in the 2A playoffs, but each is competing in separate regional tournaments.

New Boston faces fourth-ranked Ponder at 6 p.m. Friday from Tarleton State's Wisdom Gym in Stephenville in a Region II semifinal. Second-ranked Tatum, meanwhile is at the Region III tourney at SFA's Johnson Coliseum in Nacogdoches, and could potentially meet up with No. 1 Kountze at noon Saturday in the regional final if the Eagles can get past surprise regional participant Marlin at 7 p.m. Friday.

Class A has been the strongest conference of East Texas basketball all season long, and there's no surprise that six area teams are still alive in 1A.

Tyler Junior College plays host to the 1A Division I Region III tournament, where all four participants are from right here in East Texas and all four finished ranked in the top 10 in the final TABC poll of the regular season.

Action tips off at 3 p.m. Friday when No. 2 Grapeland tangles with eighth-ranked Tenaha in one regional semifinal. That's followed up at 5 p.m. with a matchup between sixth-ranked LaPoynor and defending regional champion and No. 10 San Augustine. The winners do battle at 4 p.m. Saturday for the Region III championship.

All the way down in New Braunfels, a much-anticipated third meeting between district rivals -- No. 2 Laneville and No. 3 Oakwood -- is a couple of regional-semifinal victories away from taking place. Oakwood faces off against Waelder at noon, followed by Laneville vs. Moulton. The regional final is set for 1 p.m. Saturday.

Brownsboro's Tamrick Pace passes the ball over Tyler Grace's Phillip McKinney during their game at the Wagstaff Holiday Classic in Tyler on Dec. 28, 2013. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)

Class 3A Region II

At Texas A&M-Commerce

DALLAS MADISON TROJANS

Head coach: Rod Johnson
Record: 27-3
Final TABC ranking: No. 1
Road to regionals: def. Anna, 82-35 (bi-district); def. Carrollton Ranchview, 80-50 (area); def. Wilmer-Hutchins, 79-65 (regional quarterfinals)

KILGORE BULLDOGS

Head coach: Jeff Coleman
Record: 23-6
Final TABC ranking: N/A
Road to regionals: def. Van, 59-27 (bi-district); def. Paris, 59-47 (area); def. Athens, 69-44 (regional quarterfinals)

FRISCO LONE STAR RANGERS

Head coach: Jody Brown
Record: 25-6
Final TABC ranking: No. 12
Road to regionals: def. Bridgeport, 64-47 (bi-district); def. Dallas Triple A Academy, 59-58; def. Decatur, 60-50 (regional quarterfinals)

BROWNSBORO BEARS

Head coach: Tobin Reid
Record: 21-12
Final TABC ranking: N/A
Road to regionals: def. Chapel Hill, 45-37 (bi-district); def. Wills Point, 47-44 (area); def. Paris North Lamar, 59-55 (regional quarterfinals)

Schedule

Semifinal: Kilgore (23-6) vs. Dallas Madison (27-3), 6 p.m. Friday (Feb. 28)
Semifinal: Brownsboro (21-12) vs. Frisco Lone Star (25-6), 8 p.m. Friday (Feb. 28)
Championship: semifinal winners, noon Saturday (March 1)

Class 2A Region II

At Tarleton State University, Stephenville

BROCK EAGLES

Head coach: Zach Boxell
Record: 28-7
Final TABC ranking: No. 5
Road to regionals: def. Grandview, 81-32 (bi-district); def. Sunnyvale, 67-36 (area); def. Whitesboro, 72-62 (regional quarterfinals)

RED OAK LIFE MUSTANGS

Head coach: Eddie Berumen
Record: 27-7
Final TABC ranking: N/A
Road to regionals: def. Edgewood, 58-50 (bi-district); def. Clarksville, 62-50 (area); def. Dallas Life Oak Cliff, 68-50 (regional quarterfinals)

PONDER LIONS

Head coach: Jude Stanley
Record: 28-7
Final TABC ranking: No. 4
Road to regionals: def. Rio Vista, 81-36 (bi-district); def. Van Alstyne, 73-70 (area); def. Millsap, 65-43 (regional quarterfinals)

NEW BOSTON LIONS

Head coach: Michael Hill
Record: 17-6
Final TABC ranking: N/A
Road to regionals: def. Bogata Rivercrest, 67-60 (bi-district); def. Dallas Faith Family, 50-43 (area); def. Lone Oak, 48-38 (regional quarterfinals)

Schedule

Semifinal: New Boston (17-6) vs. Ponder (28-7), 6 p.m. Friday (Feb. 28)
Semifinal: Brock (28-7) vs. Red Oak Life (27-7), 8 p.m. Friday (Feb. 28)
Championship: semifinal winners, 2 p.m. Saturday (March 1)

Tatum's Kyshaun Smith works his way around White Oak's Hayden Nichols during their game Jan. 7 at Eagle Coliseum in Tatum. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)

Class 2A Region III

At Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches

KOUNTZE LIONS

Head coach: Duane Joubert
Record: 31-5
Final TABC ranking: No. 1
Road to regionals: def. Woden, 78-54 (bi-district); def. Waskom, 57-44 (area); def. Crockett, 77-70 (regional quarterfinals)

JARRELL COUGARS

Head coach: Drew Sumner
Record: 27-10
Final TABC ranking: N/A
Road to regionals: def. Bruceville-Eddy, 85-70 (bi-district); def. Corsicana Mildred, 71-50 (area); def. Franklin, 70-59 (regional quarterfinals)

TATUM EAGLES

Head coach: Brett Carr
Record: 32-4
Final TABC ranking: No. 2
Road to regionals: def. Frankston, 94-59 (bi-district); def. Newton, 70-43 (area); def. Nacogdoches Central Heights, 56-54 (regional quarterfinals)

MARLIN BULLDOGS

Head coach: Devon Noble
Record: 16-13
Final TABC ranking: N/A
Road to regionals: def. New Waverly, 62-44 (bi-district); def. Little River Academy, 36-16 (area); def. Salado, 51-50 (regional quarterfinals)

Schedule

Semifinal: Kountze (31-5) vs. Jarrell (27-10), 5 p.m. Friday (Feb. 28)
Semifinal: Tatum (32-4) vs. Marlin (16-13), 7 p.m. Friday (Feb. 28)
Championship: semifinal winners, noon Saturday (March 1)

Grapeland's Patrick Walker pulls down a rebound during the Sandies' area-round playoff win over Martin's Mill in Frankston on Feb. 21. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)

Class A Division I Region III

At Tyler Junior College

GRAPELAND SANDIES

Head coach: Owen Clifton
Record: 31-4
Final TABC ranking: No. 2
Road to regionals: def. Martin's Mill, 71-68 in OT (area); def. Kerens, 88-70 (regional quarterfinals)

TENAHA TIGERS

Head coach: Todd Bodden
Record: 20-3
Final TABC ranking: No. 8
Road to regionals: def. West Sabine, 52-46 (area); def. Dallardsville Big Sandy, 81-78 (regional quarterfinals)

LAPOYNOR FLYERS

Head coach: Dean Nuckolls
Record: 30-4
Final TABC ranking: No. 6
Road to regionals: def. Mart, 46-29 (area); def. Waco Meyer, 78-59 (regional quarterfinals)

SAN AUGUSTINE WOLVES

Head coach: Tory Barnes
Record: 28-8
Final TABC ranking: No. 10
Road to regionals: def. Martinsville, 66-38 (area); def. Alto, 72-65 (regional quarterfinals)

Schedule

Semifinal: Grapeland (31-4) vs. Tenaha (20-3), 3 p.m. Friday (Feb. 28)
Semifinal: LaPoynor (30-4) vs. San Augustine (28-8), 5 p.m. Friday (Feb. 28)
Championship: semifinal winners, 4 p.m. Saturday (March 1)

Oakwood's Dominique Johnson (center) chases a loose ball with Laneville's Donta Harris and Kendrick Anderson close behind during their game Jan. 24 in Laneville. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)

Class A Division II Region IV

At Canyon HS, New Braunfels

OAKWOOD PANTHERS

Head coach: Ronnie Dunn
Record: 25-4
Final TABC ranking: No. 3
Road to regionals: def. Spurger, 76-50 (bi-district); def. Lometa, 94-56 (area); def. Dime Box, 80-43 (regional quarterfinals)

WAELDER WILDCATS

Head coach: David President
Record: 15-9
Final TABC ranking: N/A
Road to regionals: def. McMullen County, 66-49 (bi-district); def. D'Hanis, 41-38 (area); def. San Perlita, 64-47 (regional quarterfinals)

LANEVILLE YELLOW JACKETS

Head coach: Hosea Lee
Record: 30-6
Final TABC ranking: No. 2
Road to regionals: def. Round Top-Carmine, 100-48 (area); def. Calvert, 69-55 (regional quarterfinals)

MOULTON BOBKATZ

Head coach: Kevin Fishbeck
Record: 22-8
Final TABC ranking: No. 21
Road to regionals: def. Rocksprings, 62-49 (area); def. San Isidro, 59-51 (regional quarterfinals)

Schedule