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State Championship Recap
North Crowley Captures First State Championship
North Crowley and Fort Bend Dulles treated Texas high school basketball fans to a great finale of the UIL's state championship weekend at the Erwin Center.
It featured two schools that had broken new ground for their programs this year. Both made their first trips to the state tournament and the championship game, but only one could leave the Erwin Center with the first-place trophy.
In the end, it was the best player in the state holding both the state championship and MVP trophies as Willie Warren exploded in the fourth quarter to lead Crowley to a 74-67 win.
Warren was mostly held in check for the first three quarters, but, as you would expect from a five-star prospect, Warren was at his best in crunch time. He scored 15 of his game-high 27 points in the final frame, including a go-ahead lay-up with 2:07 to play. Just over a minute later, Warren got free on a fast break and threw down an emphatic dunk that blew the roof off the building.
For more on this game, click here.
Laneville Defeats Goodrich for 1A Division II Title
Laneville won its third state championship and its first since 1993 by defeating Goodrich 56-50 in the 1A Division II final. Leading by just two at halftime, Laneville had a strong third quarter in which they outscored the Hornets 21-15 to grab a comfortable lead. Goodrich kept it close the entire fourth quarter, however; but Laneville was able to make their free throws to secure the title.
Senior guard Marcus Anderson led all scorers with 25 points, and he also added eight boards. Junior forward Byron Blanton was also big for the Yellowjackets as he posted a double double with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
South Oak Cliff Wins 4A Title Again
For the fourth consecutive year, South Oak Cliff was the one holding the state championship trophy at the Erwin Center. The Golden Bears rallied from 12 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat Fort Worth Southwest 80-77.
Golden Bear senior swingman Brandon Jones was named MVP after scoring 25 points and coming up with two big plays in the fourth quarter. With 51 seconds to play, Jones stole a Southwest inbounds pass and got it to Princeton Andrews, who was fouled and hit two free throws to cut the lead to two. Then, with less than ten seconds to play and S.O.C. up one, J'Mison Morgan missed two free throws, but Jones grabbed the rebound, got fouled, and hit his two free throws to secure the win.
Although the Golden Bears have had to forfeit their 2006 state championship, the fact remains that the current group of South Oak Cliff seniors have finished each of their four high school seasons by winning the state title game.
For a more detailed article on this game, click here.
Ponder Claims Second State Title in 2A Final
Nathan McPherson played arguably the best offensive game of his career, scoring a game-high 24 points to lead Ponder past Tuscola Jim Ned 72-51.
McPherson missed just five of his 17 shots and notched three rebounds and two assists in earning the 2A MVP honor. Junior Isaiah Boxell added 11 points, six rebounds and five assists to help Ponder clinch its second state championship in four appearances.
The Lions' hot shooting and tenacious defense proved too much for Jim Ned as it shot 39 percent from the field and surrendered 34 points in the paint. With McPhereson hitting his first three shots and Boxell adding a 3-pointer, the Indians fell behind 9-2 and never captured the lead.
For a more detailed story on this game, click here.
Kennedale Sinks Burkburnett at Buzzer in 3A Final
In a battle of two schools playing in their first ever state tournament, it was Kennedale taking home the state championship with a 61-59 overtime win.
After Burkburnett's Desmond Strickland buried three clutch free throws to tie the game with 14 seconds left, Kennedale called a timeout to set up the final play. They got the ball to senior Brad Davis, who converted the game-winner. All of this coming after Burkburnett put together a big fourth quarter to force the extra session.
Davis had 12 points and six rebounds, and he was named MVP of the 3A state tournament.
For a more detailed story on this game, click here.
Thorndale defeats Big Sandy in 1A Division I Final
Thorndale (36-1) captured the first state championship of the day by defeating Dallardsville Big Sandy (27-11) by a 53-42 final. Senior guard Brandon Irwin led the way for Thorndale with 19 points, and he was named Most Valuable Player of the 1A Division I tournament.
It is the Bulldogs' second consecutive state championship. They defeated Martin's Mill 39-37 in last year's 1A Division I title game.
Keep checking Prep Ticket.com all day for updates from the Erwin Center.
Date of Article: Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:07 pm
Scores/Schedules
- 12/4 - Middle Tenn. St. Blue Raiders 0 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns 0
- 12/5 - Louisville Cardinals 0 Rutgers Scarlet Knights 0
- 12/6 - Buffalo Bulls 0 Ball St. Cardinals 0
- 12/6 - Richmond Spiders 0 Appalachian St. Mountaineers 0
- 12/6 - Navy Midshipmen 0 Army Black Knights 0
- 12/6 - Pittsburgh Panthers 0 Connecticut Huskies 0
- 12/6 - East Carolina Pirates 0 Tulsa Golden Hurricane 0
- 12/6 - Boston College Eagles 0 Virginia Tech Hokies 0
- 12/6 - Jacksonville Dolphins 0 Albany, N.Y. Great Danes 0
- 12/6 - Weber St. Wildcats 0 Montana Grizzlies 0
- 12/6 - Washington Huskies 0 California Golden Bears 0
- 12/6 - Villanova Wildcats 0 James Madison Dukes 0
- 12/6 - Alabama Crimson Tide 0 Florida Gators 0
- 12/6 - USC Trojans 0 UCLA Bruins 0
- 12/7 - Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 0 Fla. International Golden Panthers 0
- 12/7 - Arkansas St. Red Wolves 0 Troy Trojans 0
- 12/7 - New Hampshire Wildcats 0 Northern Iowa Panthers 0
- 12/7 - Arizona St. Sun Devils 0 Arizona Wildcats 0
- 12/7 - Missouri Tigers 0 Oklahoma Sooners 0
- 12/7 - South Florida Bulls 0 West Virginia Mountaineers 0
- 12/7 - Cincinnati Bearcats 0 Hawaii Warriors 0
College News
 Joe Craddock has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 2,435 yards. |
The Blue Raiders have been mediocre at best offensively, racking up a pedestrian 343.1 total ypg, which has led to an average 22.4 ppg. The majority of the team's success has come from the pass, as MT is producing 241.6 ypg through the air, and out of the 29 touchdowns scored by this unit, 16 have come via the pass. Joe Craddock has done a commendable job under center for the Blue Raiders, completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 2,435 yards. The quarterback comes into this matchup with 13 touchdowns and only six interceptions. In the recent contest with North Texas, the Blue Raiders tallied 489 total yards, and it was good enough for MT to roll to a convincing victory. Craddock had a solid showing, throwing for 251 yards and one score on 19-of-31 passing. Phillip Tanner, who has been inconsistent throughout the season, was the main source of production, as the tailback rushed for 159 yards and five touchdowns. ... Continue
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