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  • Greg Wille
    • Mar 22, 2023
    • 7 min read

CLAWING OUT A WIN: Weaver's walk-off double in 11th gives Leopards 3-2 victory, DH split vs. Ranger


THRILL OF VICTORY: Temple College freshman Jake Weaver (far right) runs toward left field as teammates sprint out to congratulate him after Weaver's run-scoring, walk-off double in the 11th inning gave the Leopards a 3-2 win over Ranger in Wednesday's doubleheader finale at Danny Scott Sports Complex. Pinch runner Colby Christian scored the final run. Weaver had three hits in Game 2 for TC (17-11, 6-4 NTJCAC), which lost the opener 2-0 despite pitcher Clay Westbrook's 12-strikeout, complete-game performance. The Rangers (22-8, 7-3) will host the Leopards on Saturday for a noon doubleheader. (Photo by Greg Wille, TempleBeltonSports.com)





By GREG WILLE


Temple College’s offense did major damage in its first four home baseball games of the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference season, racking up extra-base hits in bunches and exploding for 53 runs.

But on a blustery Wednesday afternoon at Danny Scott Sports Complex, run-scoring hits by the Leopards were few and far between against a feisty, competitive Ranger College squad that came in tied for first place.

Fortunately for a Temple team that endured a mostly fruitless day at the plate with a strong breeze blowing in, freshman outfielder Jake Weaver delivered a couple of clutch-situation swings that helped the Leopards avoid a doubleheader sweep.

After Ranger’s Caleb Bunch pitched a three-hitter to outduel fellow right-hander Clay Westbrook and Temple for 2-0 win in the seven-inning opener, Weaver’s RBI single finally got the Leopards on the scoreboard in the second inning of the scheduled nine-inning finale.

Weaver’s third hit of the game was the most important. In a 2-2 deadlock in the bottom of the 11th, Weaver rocketed a Micah Ford slider into the right-center gap for a double to drive in pinch runner Colby Christian for a 3-2 walk-off victory before his TC teammates swarmed him in left field for a festive celebration.

His uniform soaked after an ice-water bath, Weaver was asked when he had recorded his last game-ending hit.

“I don’t think ever. I think that’s the first one. I can’t remember . . . maybe in Little League or something,” said the grinning Weaver, a left-handed-hitting left fielder from Waco Midway.

It’s interesting, then, that Weaver displayed so much outward confidence as the Leopards prepared to come to bat in the 11th, according to 25th-year head coach Craig McMurtry.

“Jake actually told me when the inning started, ‘If I get up, this game’s over.’ That’s what he said,” McMurtry said. “And then of course afterward he goes, ‘I told you! I told you if I get up the game’s gonna be over!’ He’s not cocky, but he’s confident in himself and knows what he’s trying to do. He puts his bat on the ball.”

Temple’s pitchers – Westbrook in a three-hit, 12-strikeout complete game and then Game 2 starter Joel Burgess Jr. plus Garrett Baumann, Tyler Cooper and Christian Okerholm – combined for 25 strikeouts and allowed seven hits in 18 innings against Ranger, which entered with a .393 batting average and 118 stolen bases.

After being limited to 11 hits overall by an effective trio of Rangers pitchers, the third-place Leopards (17-11) moved to 6-4 in NTJCAC play going into Saturday’s noon doubleheader at Ranger (22-8, 7-3) to finish the four-game series.

“When you lose the first game, then a split’s really nice. It would’ve been great to take two, but you put yourself in a situation where you have to win the second game and we did, so kudos to the players,” McMurtry said. “You’ve just got to take it and understand that you’ve got to make some adjustments. Because that’s probably what (Ranger’s pitchers are) going to do to us at their place, is just spin it a lot and stay away, away, away. So we’re going to have to make adjustments tomorrow at practice.”

With sophomore right-handers Westbrook and Bunch dealing in Game 1, not much separated Temple and Ranger. However, a few ill-timed miscues by the Leopards proved crucial.

Dominican Republic native Jhanel Bautista hit a two-out single in the top of the first, then attempted to steal second base. When neither TC middle infielder covered the bag in time, catcher Ty Marthiljohni’s throw went into center field and Bautista raced to third. Westbrook then was called for a balk, allowing Bautista to trot in for a 1-0 Ranger lead.

“Those things come back to bite you in the rear end when you’re playing in a one-run game or a 2-0 game,” McMurtry said. “You can’t make little mistakes. Whoever flinches first is going to lose, and that’s what happened in the first game.”

The 6-foot-6, lanky Bunch (5-1) worked around singles by Cole Tabor in the first and Marthiljohni in the second before Ranger extended its advantage to 2-0 in the third.

Westbrook (4-2) walked leadoff batter Jaden Adams, then Gilberto Torres of Puerto Rico doubled into the corner in left. The runners had to hold on Bautista’s groundout, but Adams came home on an RBI groundout by EJ Alanis to give the Rangers a two-run lead.

Mixing his hard fastball and sharp-breaking slider, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi transfer Westbrook notched nine strikeouts in the final four innings – fanning the side in the fourth and sixth – and retired the last 11 batters.

However, his stellar performance went for naught because Temple never advanced a runner second base against Bunch, who struck out five and walked none. Trent Rucker’s two-out infield single in the fifth was the only hit he permitted in the final five frames.

“Both pitching staffs did a really good job,” McMurtry said.

Added Weaver: We didn’t play a great game. Clay Westbrook had a great game on the mound, but as an offense we didn’t really string hits together when we needed to.”

In the scheduled nine-inning finale, freshman lefty Burgess was efficient and effective as he limited Ranger to a single and two walks through four scoreless innings. The Leopards finally broke through with a two-out rally in the second inning to supply him with a 2-0 lead against righty Emir Encalada.

Rucker stroked a single to center and stole second before Weaver lined a single to right-center to drive in Rucker for a 1-0 advantage. Weaver stole second and took third on a balk before Raithen Malone walked to give TC runners at the corners. Malone then intentionally got into a rundown between first and second and Weaver broke toward home at the perfect time, narrowly beating the catcher’s swipe tag with a deft slide to make it 2-0.

But the next eight innings were highly frustrating for Temple’s offense. The hard-throwing Encalada allowed only one more hit as he made it through six innings, and the Leopards couldn’t add to their lead even after executing successful sacrifice bunts.

Meanwhile, Ranger finally got to Burgess in the fifth. J.T. Thompson drew a leadoff walk and took second on a two-out balk before Xavier Sanchez flared an RBI single to right to cut Temple’s lead to 2-1.

After striking out seven in 4 2/3 strong relief innings in a 10-6 home win over Grayson last Saturday, Baumann replaced Burgess to begin the sixth and allowed a leadoff double to Adams as TC’s right fielder misplayed the wind-blown ball. A wild pitch moved Adams to third before Bautista’s hard-hit sacrifice fly to center drove in Adams for a 2-2 deadlock.

Ranger threatened to grab the lead in the eighth after Baumann issued consecutive one-out walks, but lefty relief ace Cooper came in and struck out Torres before Weaver snared Bautista’s soft liner in left to strand two runners in scoring position.

Temple had a prime scoring opportunity in the eighth after Tabor led off with a pinch-hit single and Cash Russell bunted him to second. After Texas A&M-bound slugger Cade Climie was intentionally walked, an error on the catcher put Leopards on the corners with one out. However, Ford escaped the jam by striking out Hogan Heller looking and retiring Lance Cantrell on a hard-hit grounder to the second baseman.

Cooper thwarted another Ranger bid in the ninth with an inning-ending strikeout of Joshua Comeaux, then he fanned two more Rangers in a scoreless 10th.

Freshman righty Okerholm (1-0) took over for Temple in the 11th and the Georgia Tech transfer notched two strikeouts in a perfect inning, setting the stage for Weaver’s heroics in the bottom half.

Cantrell drew a leadoff walk against Ford (5-2), and Rucker’s sacrifice bunt moved pinch runner Christian to second as the potential winning run. With two hits in the game and first base open with one out, Weaver said he didn’t expect Ford to throw him a hittable fastball.

“I had seen this guy two times already. On the sac bunt (in the seventh) I got a little knowledge on him – how his fastball’s playing, where his arm slot is. Second at-bat, I got a hit off him on the fastball,” Weaver explained. “And then they came out to talk to the guy right before my AB (in the 11th), I knew I wasn’t going to get a fastball. I saw a slider that I thought was down, and then I was sitting slider that whole (final) pitch. He was going to make his pitches and see if I would swing at one.”

That’s exactly what Weaver did, bashing Ford’s elevated slider through the stiff breeze and beyond the outfielders in right-center to let Christian jog home with the winning run.

After touching second on his dramatic walk-off double, Weaver continued to run into left field in a futile effort to evade his jubilant teammates, who quickly caught up to Weaver, surrounded him and doused him with a bucket of icy water to celebrate the 11-inning victory.

“It’s nice to know we can win even without our best offense and that our pitching can be there. Our pitching pitched great all day and we should’ve won both games, honestly. But that’s just the way it falls sometimes,” Weaver said. “We’ve got a great group of guys. Your name’s always going to called at some point in the game, and you’ve got to be ready for it. That’s what we’re taught to do.”

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  • Greg Wille
    • Feb 24, 2023
    • 12 min read

BIG RED BREAKTHROUGH: Junior star Johnson spurs Belton to playoff win; Tigers set to battle Connally


TIGERS READY FOR ROUND 2: Belton head coach Jason Fossett (left), junior guard Trap Johnson and the Tigers pulled out a 57-50 overtime win against Magnolia West in a Class 5A bi-district playoff game Tuesday, earning the program's first postseason victory since 2004. Johnson, who averages 23.1 points and 9.2 rebounds, scored 21 of his career-high 42 points in the fourth quarter and OT. No. 23-ranked Belton (27-8) plays District 23-5A champion Pflugerville Connally (26-9) in the area round at 7 tonight at Burnet High School. (Photo by Greg Wille, TempleBeltonSports.com)





By GREG WILLE

gwille2@hot.rr.com


BELTON – With 26 wins and a third consecutive playoff berth under its belt, a Belton boys basketball team described as “surprising” by its coach already had achieved plenty this season when the Tigers took the court against Magnolia West in a Class 5A bi-district playoff game Tuesday night in Giddings.

However, Belton knew that it wouldn’t be satisfied or fulfilled without recording its program’s first playoff victory since 2004.

So when the No. 23-ranked Tigers – who built a 12-point lead in the first half -- found themselves trailing by 10 with only 3½ minutes remaining, high-scoring junior guard Trap Johnson had to ponder the sobering possibility of a third straight first-round defeat.

“It would have been hard. You never want the last game to be something like that, where you know you can win and then you just give it up in the first round of the playoffs,” Johnson, a varsity starter since his freshman season, said after practice Thursday morning at Tiger Gym. “I’ve already had two years now of losing in that first round, so I was there on the court thinking, ‘I really don’t want this to be the last one.’”

So he made sure it wasn’t.

Coach Jason Fossett’s resilient Tigers chipped away at their deficit, then the 6-foot-5, 190-pound Johnson made a 3-point shot from near the left sideline while getting fouled and sank the ensuing free throw for a pressure-packed, game-tying four-point play in the final minute.

Belton’s defense stuffed Magnolia West’s final possession to send the back-and-forth battle into overtime, then the Tigers outscored the Mustangs 13-6 in the extra period to earn a 57-50 victory and notch their program’s first playoff triumph in 19 years.

On a rough shooting night for most of Belton’s team, Johnson made seven 3-pointers overall and scored 21 of his career-high 42 points in the fourth quarter and OT to help his Tigers secure what Fossett called “a breakthrough win.”

“I didn’t think we played well as a team, but Trap played really, really well,” Fossett said Thursday. “It was just one of those deals where nobody else was hitting any shots and Trap just said, ‘We’re not gonna lose.’”

As Belton’s only returning starter from last season’s 29-6 team that was led by his older brother, Tigers all-time leading scorer TJ Johnson, Trap Johnson said his current squad feels a great sense of accomplishment and excitement to finally end the program’s two-decade playoff drought.

“It means a lot,” said Johnson, who averages 23.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and surpassed the career 1,500-point milestone in the first-round win. “We would have loved to do it any of the years, but for it to be this year and just nobody expecting us to be able to do it this year, it was huge. The guys stepped up big-time. It’s really big.”

For Belton (27-8), the District 22-5A runner-up to second-ranked Killeen Ellison, the reward is an area-round showdown with 23-5A champion Pflugerville Connally (26-9) at 7 p.m. Friday at Burnet High School. The winner will advance to a Region III quarterfinal early next week against 21-5A co-champion Bryan Rudder (32-5), which edged Austin LBJ 57-53 on Thursday night in Giddings.

“They’re a good team and they won their district. They’re very athletic and can just play,” Johnson said about Connally’s Cougars, who went 13-1 in district play and clobbered Austin Liberal Arts & Science Academy 74-37 on Tuesday. “Coach told us we have to play our game and mentally lock in and be ready to go.”

Added Fossett about Connally: “They’re very similar to us record-wise. When you look at them on film, they’re very similar to one of the district teams we play, (Killeen) Shoemaker – very quick, very athletic. It’s a very even matchup and it’ll be a toss-up game. Whoever plays well that night will be the one that wins. Nobody’s just going to go in and blow the other one out.”

In his fifth season at the helm and 22nd overall as a high school head coach, Fossett said the long-awaited playoff win was the necessary next step for Belton’s steadily growing program that has compiled a 73-22 record the last three seasons. It also eased some of the lingering pain from the Tigers’ crushing 63-59, double-overtime loss to DeSoto in a 6A bi-district duel a year ago, in which Trap Johnson was plagued by foul trouble and fouled out in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve been in the playoffs three years in a row, and we needed a breakthrough win. The first year that we got in (in 2021), we were just happy to be there and we played Waxahachie, who was ranked No. 1 in the state,” Fossett said. “Last year we were really disappointed. We were playing DeSoto, who’s a perennial power but we thought we were better, and they got us in double overtime.

“Trap didn’t play but probably a third or a half of the game. It was one we felt we should have won and we thought we played well enough to win, but it just didn’t bounce our way. It was important this year to get that playoff win.”

Although Trap Johnson desperately wanted to win a postseason game alongside his brother and two-year varsity teammate, a happy ending against DeSoto did not materialize. But given another shot to help Belton attain the playoff success it’s hungered for, the Tigers’ current go-to guy didn’t let another opportunity slip from his grasp.

“That DeSoto game, I was in foul trouble the whole time and fouled out in the beginning of the fourth. It was so hard for me knowing that it was my last game with TJ and I wasn’t even able to be in the game and help him,” said Trap Johnson, whose older brother now is redshirting as a freshman basketball player at NCAA Division I Lipscomb in Tennessee. “So for me to have the chance the next year without him but still be in the same situation, it felt great.”

Johnson poured in 42 of Belton’s 57 points against Magnolia West, but both he and Fossett said it took a team effort for the Tigers to rally back late and finally prevail. Junior guard Gian Carlo scored 10 points, senior point guard EJ Foutz made four crucial free throws in the fourth quarter and overtime and 6-9 senior center Jayden Ford was scoreless but contributed nine rebounds and six blocked shots.

Senior guard Chris Scott completes Belton’s starting lineup. The Tigers’ reserves include seniors Desmond Adams and Druw Bramlett and juniors Isaac Abel, Shawn McLean and Brett Shadrick.

Fossett proudly pointed out that Bramlett, Foutz and Scott all rank within the top 30 academically in Belton’s senior class of 501 students.

“You’ve got three really, really smart kids, and that helps when they’re out there (on the court) more than people think,” Fossett said. “That’s pretty impressive. There’s probably not many basketball teams that have something like that.”

The 5-8, 145-pound Foutz has become a vital performer in his only season as a starter, aiding the Tigers with gritty, selfless play as a “glue guy.”

“EJ Foutz has done a really good job at the point guard. He handles the ball really well, gets us in our offensive sets and is very smart,” Fossett said. “He’s going to make the right play. He doesn’t shoot it a lot, but he’ll make an opportune 3.”

Trap Johnson praised the sometimes-overlooked contributions of Foutz and Scott.

“EJ takes great care of the ball, makes great passes and takes charges, and Chris takes charges and is in the right spot on defense,” Johnson said. “Those are things you don’t really see much if you’re just looking at the stat line, yet they’re there. They impact the game greatly and the coaches love it.”

After splitting his sophomore season between Belton’s junior varsity and varsity teams, the 6-1, left-handed Carlo has emerged as the Tigers’ second-leading scorer. The skilled, confident combination guard averages approximately 13 points per game and has shooting range that extends far beyond the 3-point arc.

“Gian has stepped up and been really good for us. He can shoot it from anywhere and can get hot in a hurry. He’s not shy to shoot it,” Fossett said. “He’s a basketball junkie.”

Said Johnson: “Gian’s definitely stepped up big-time from last year. For him to come in and be our second-leading scorer, he’s played well and it’s helped. He’s willing to let the ball fly.”

After the 6-6 TJ Johnson and eight other experienced seniors graduated, Belton received a pleasant surprise last year when the towering, slender Ford moved in from Georgia. He’s a defensive force inside (3.5 blocked shots per game) and an offensive threat outside.

“Jayden’s been a big move-in. Skinny as you can get but he really shoots it well. You see a 6-9 guy and you don’t think he’s going to be outside shooting 3s, but he’s had some games where he’s hit four or five,” Fossett said. “(Against Magnolia West) he didn’t score but he had nine rebounds and six blocks, so he affects the game on both ends of the floor.

“On the defensive end obviously it’s rebounding and blocking shots, but on the offensive end he’s more of a perimeter player and he draws their big out from the paint, which opens up the lane for us to do some other things.”

Said Trap Johnson about Ford’s contributions: “He blocks a lot of shots and just tips a bunch of passes. He affects (opponents) and makes them change direction and where they finish. And he gets a lot of rebounds, so having him here is great.”

Belton shared last season’s 12-6A championship with perennial playoff program Harker Heights, which currently is ranked seventh in 6A. That was the Tigers’ first league crown since 2004, when star guards Matt Braeuer and Ramonce Taylor led the charge in the final season for successful head coach Ed Braeuer, who died in 2014.

Despite dropping to 5A in the University Interscholastic League’s latest reclassification and realignment, Belton couldn’t quite match Ellison (33-3) in the battle for the 22-5A championship, losing 66-54 and 57-46. However, the Tigers performed well in both meetings with the Eagles and Oklahoma State-signed guard Jamyron Keller.

“We were competitive. We were proud of the way we played them,” Fossett said. “Of course we want to win every game, but we had no shame in the way we played against Ellison both times. We were one of the more competitive games they’ve had this year. Those gave us confidence.”

Fossett was pleased by how Belton came back from an unexpected 0-2 start in 22-5A, including a 45-41 home setback against Waco University.

“We started district with Ellison and were feeling pretty good about ourselves, then we go lay an egg against University and we’re sitting at 0-2 in district with basically one guy back from last year. You’re thinking, ‘Man, this could go bad in a hurry.’ But the kids have done a really good job of fighting and staying in there,” said Fossett, whose Tigers went 11-1 in their final 12 league games, including wins of 17 and 22 points over district rival Lake Belton.

“No, I didn’t (see any panic from the players). A lot of that stems from Trap. The guys look to Trap. He’s been here three years now on varsity, and he didn’t panic. The coaches didn’t panic. We just kind of steadied the ship and plugged away.”

Although he’s now produced a stellar all-around junior season, Trap Johnson had to overcome more than just the departure of his brother TJ, last year’s 12-6A MVP and perhaps the best player in Belton hoops history.

While playing in his final summer basketball tournament with his AAU travel team late last July, Trap Johnson suffered a fracture in his left (non-shooting) wrist.

“I didn’t get it checked out for about a month. They put me in a cast for a month and then that didn’t do anything, so I had to go into surgery and then I was out for I think six weeks after that,” said Johnson, who missed all of Belton’s fall league schedule and preseason scrimmages and wasn’t medically cleared until the day before the Tigers’ season opener.

“I lost a lot of weight and couldn’t shoot much because I only had one hand. I couldn’t lift (weights) with my left hand. Even when I was playing I had to have it taped and I was worrying about if it gets banged around, so coming back from that was definitely difficult.”

Johnson, who also plays baseball for Belton as TJ did, used the early portion of the season to play his way back into peak shape as his wrist continued to heal.

“It took a while. During the game I wouldn’t worry about it; I’d just worry about playing. But my mobility (in the left wrist) was off. It wasn’t back to normal,” he said. “Honestly it wasn’t until maybe a week before district when I started feeling like I’m actually good (to play at full capability).”

Johnson’s well-balanced offensive arsenal features a smooth, accurate 3-point shot from beyond NBA range, the athleticism and quickness to drive through defenses and the jumping ability to unleash powerful dunks. Add in the confidence and swagger that comes from three seasons of 6A/5A varsity experience and it’s easy to see why the emerging three-star recruit has Division I scholarship offers from Oral Roberts (Okla.) and Bryant (R.I), with Lipscomb and other programs showing interest.

“It’s been another year, just working out over the summer and developing. The roles on the team have changed since TJ left, so I had to fill in his role and obviously play a different part,” said Trap Johnson, who has room and time to add strength and weight to his lanky frame. “It’s definitely different. I loved playing with TJ. It was amazing.”

With close to 800 points this season, Johnson has eclipsed both the 1,000- and 1,500-point marks for his career. TJ Johnson’s Belton record of 2,672 points most likely is out of reach, but Trap figures to achieve his goal of 2,000 career points with a productive, healthy senior season.

Fossett has had an ideal vantage point to see both brothers do what they do best.

“Both are excellent players, obviously. Trap’s a way different player than his brother. TJ was more of a forward; Trap is a guard. TJ would post you up some; Trap’s really not going to post up,” Fossett said. “Trap is way more athletic than people think. He’s above the rim and dunks regularly. When colleges look at him, the first thing they say is, ‘Man, he’s more athletic than we thought he was.’ He’s 6-5 and can get up and he’s a very athletic player.

“He's really just stepped into TJ’s role, is what he’s done. TJ was obviously our leader the last two or three years – scoring, rebounding, leadership, all that stuff. You worried a little bit because we lost nine seniors from last year. I thought Trap would be able to transition into it, but he’s even done it better than I thought he would – leadership, the kids look up to him and he takes care of the ball.”

In addition, Johnson’s foul-laden finale as a sophomore was not a sign of things to come. Fossett said Johnson often plays the full 32 minutes – or 36, as was needed in Tuesday’s overtime win.

“Trap doesn’t come off the floor. I worried about him this year without TJ. Last year he’d get in foul trouble some. Knock on wood, he has not gotten into foul trouble this year. He’s done a good job with that,” said Fossett, who will welcome the third and youngest Johnson brother into the Tigers' program next season when Ty Johnson is a freshman.

As comfortable as Trap Johnson is as the centerpiece of Belton’s offense, he also has a good feel for when and how to share the wealth with his capable comrades.

“What’s helped Trap more than anything is Gian and Jayden and EJ even being able to knock 3-pointers down, and that keeps the other teams more honest when you have (several) shooters out there,” Fossett said. “If they run two or three guys at Trap, he’s unselfish. He averages over three assists a game. He’ll pass it because he trusts those guys to make it. When they shoot it and make a couple, that deters the double- and triple-teams a lot.”

Johnson’s knack for coming through in crunch time was on full display in the final minute of regulation against Magnolia West. With Belton down by four, he drilled a deep 3 from the left wing, absorbed the contact and hit the tying free throw. Johnson then made a right-wing 3 on the first possession of overtime en route to the Tigers’ win.

“When Trap made a 3 and got fouled and that tied the game up, that was huge. It changed everything,” said Fossett, whose son, Quinton, guided North Zulch to a playoff berth this season in his head coaching debut. “We were pressing them a little bit in the halfcourt, and when he hit that shot we subbed Jayden back in and went back to our normal defense. It changed the whole complexion of the game.”

Added Johnson about Belton’s first-round playoff performance: “It was not good. We were giving up too many easy buckets. They were getting whatever they wanted, and our shots weren’t falling. But we just had to fight through that one.”

During Fossett’s highly successful seven-season run as Killeen’s coach from 2005-12, his Kangaroos were knocked out of the playoffs three times by powerhouse Dallas South Oak Cliff. Although the 5A Region III playoff bracket includes Ellison and No. 3 Fort Bend Marshall, he believes it offers a greater opportunity for Belton to make a deep run than the Tigers previously encountered in loaded 6A Region II.

“Well, it gives you hope, no doubt. If we were back in 6A Region II again, we’re playing DeSoto or one of the Mansfield schools,” Fossett said. “(Competing in 5A Region III) gives you hope not just to try to win the first one but to win maybe two or three games and open it up a little bit.”

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  • Greg Wille
    • Feb 20, 2023
    • 3 min read

BUZZING INTO THE POSTSEASON: 24-win Academy boys begin playoff trek with Fairfield rematch at Midway


PLAYOFF TIME: The Academy Bumblebees (24-9) begin the Class 3A boys basketball playoffs with a bi-district game against the Fairfield Eagles (16-13) at 7:30 tonight at Waco Midway. Bumblebees seniors Cooper Shackelford (left), Cole Shackelford, Jareese White, Scout Brazeal and Lance Wille are pictured after Academy's 69-32 win over Rockdale last Tuesday on senior night at The Hive. Coach James Holt's Bees went 12-2 in District 19-3A to finish as the runner-up to unbeaten champion Lorena (28-5), ranked third in the state. (Photo by Greg Wille, TempleBeltonSports.com)





By GREG WILLE


LITTLE RIVER-ACADEMY – After winning 24 games and placing second in District 19-3A, the Academy Bumblebees now seek to produce another extended run in the Class 3A boys basketball playoffs.

Academy (24-9) takes on 20-3A No. 3 seed Fairfield (13-16) in a bi-district game scheduled for 7:30 tonight at Midway Arena on the campus of Waco Midway.

The Bees of seventh-year head coach James Holt compiled a 12-2 record in 19-3A to finish as runner-up to third-ranked Lorena (28-5), which went 14-0 while winning its league games by an average of 24.7 points.

Lorena’s Leopards will play the first game of tonight’s first-round doubleheader at Midway, taking on 20-3A fourth seed Groesbeck (19-13) at 6.

The Academy-Fairfield winner will advance to the area round later this week to meet the victor of Tuesday’s bi-district matchup between 18-3A champion Palmer (26-4) and 17-3A fourth seed Grandview (20-13).

Academy advanced to the 3A Region III quarterfinals or beyond in each of its previous four seasons, highlighted by a trek to the state semifinals in 2021. The Bees reached the third round a year ago before losing to Franklin.

Lorena snapped Academy’s streak of four consecutive district championships, all of which came in undefeated fashion. The potent, well-balanced Leopards handed the Bees a pair of 27-point losses in district. Academy’s district winning streak ended at 44 games with a Jan. 10 loss at Lorena.

However, Academy was 12-0 against the league’s other six teams, including postseason qualifiers Cameron Yoe (19-10) and McGregor (18-14). The Bees rallied for a 60-59 win at Yoe, then edged the visiting Yoemen 73-70 in overtime.

Academy enters the playoffs on a four-game winning streak, capped by a 69-32 victory over Rockdale last Tuesday on senior night at The Hive.

The district setbacks against Lorena are Academy’s only losses to 3A opponents. The Bees’ other defeats came against 5A squads Killeen Chaparral and Abilene Wylie and 4A foes Gatesville (three meetings), Jarrell and China Spring.

The Bees’ offensive attack – built around 3-point shooting and close-range baskets – is spearheaded by a trio of guards in seniors Cole Shackelford and Scout Brazeal and junior Cooper Chase. They are complemented in the starting lineup by senior forward Cooper Shackelford and junior guard Zane Clark.

Contributing steady production as reserves are senior guard Lance Wille, junior forward Brandon Blatche and freshman guard Isaac Steeves.

Also on Academy’s playoff roster are senior Jareese White, junior Kasey Mraz (out for the season due to injury), sophomore Jackson Lamar and freshmen Davis Fossett, Elijah Lavan and Brayden Ringold.

Academy’s man-to-man defense has limited opponents to fewer than 50 points in 17 wins this season.

The Academy-Fairfield battle is a rematch of last year’s bi-district game in Hearne, a 78-54 victory for the Bees. This season, coach Kris Ballew’s Eagles shared third place in 20-3A with Groesbeck at 9-5, behind No. 13-ranked Mexia and No. 24 Franklin. Fairfield seized the league’s third playoff seed because of its season sweep against Groesbeck by a combined five points.

Fairfield’s leading players include seniors Rex Bean and Jy’ren Canady and juniors Pierre Algood and Camron Daniels.

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