The Cooldown- Week 18
Cover Photo courtesy of the Dallas Morning News and Staff Photographer Tom Fox.
The first basketball Cooldown of the 2024-25 season is here. We are only about two months away from the Final Four in San Antonio with the next month covering district play and playoff races and the following month covering the playoff run to the Alamo City. With district play underway across the metroplex, let’s catch up on where teams in DFW are ranked in the TABC Top 25 and take a look at some intriguing storylines as we dive deeper into district play, rather than recap games. We’ll get back to the usual format next week.
Men’s 6A
So far, the top dog in 6A in DFW has been the Allen Eagles. Ranked only behind No. 1 San Antonio Brennan (21-2), Allen (22-1) has looked like one of the most impressive teams in the state thus far and its only loss is to Brennan, 71-66 in OT, back in November. Other contenders in the DFW metroplex include No. 3 Mansfield Lake Ridge (24-2), No. 4 Duncanville (12-6), No. 6 Lancaster (17-5), No. 9 Denton Guyer (20-6) and No. 10 Crowley (17-9). Other DFW teams in the Top 25 include North Crowley (No. 12), the defending state champion Plano East Panthers (No. 14), Mesquite Horn (No. 18), Waxahachie (No. 19) and South Grand Prairie (No. 24). Mansfield Lake Ridge has been on a tear as of late, beating both Crowley and North Crowley in district play. The Eagles’ two losses came to Lancaster by a point and Allen in a 60-52 defeat. District 3-6A will be one to keep an eye on with three really talented teams, but Lake Ridge already has a hand up on Crowley and North Crowley. Of course, we can’t forget about District 11-6A with Duncanville, Lancaster and Waxahachie. Lancaster beat Waxahachie last week, but does have a two point loss to Duncanville in district play. The rematch between those two is on Jan. 28 and will be must-see hoops.
Men’s 5A
In 5A, the top ranked DFW team is No. 3 Mansfield Summit (18-6). Unlike 6A, the metroplex isn’t quite as strongly represented in the 5A TABC Top 25. Other metroplex area teams ranked in the Top 25 include No. 8 Frisco Heritage (19-4), No. 10 Highland Park (16-4), No. 13 Mansfield Timberview (20-5), No. 14 Birdville (24-1), No. 19 Argyle (11-19), No. 21 West Mesquite (16-3), No. 22 Midlothian (16-8) and No. 23 Burleson Centennial (21-5). Mansfield Summit is on its way to a district title, but will have to beat Mansfield Timberview again on Feb. 4. The Jags beat Timberview 52-48 last week. Birdville has also had an impressive season with its lone loss coming to Greenville back in November. The Hawks beat No. 19 Argyle last week in an impressive 49-43 win.
Men’s 4A
Dallas ISD is dominating the 4A ranks, with a hint of Fort Worth in the mix as well. Defending champs Dallas Kimball currently sit at No. 1 with a 12-5 record. Dallas Carter is No. 3 with an 18-5 record. Kimball and Carter play each other in district play on Jan. 17 and Feb. 11, giving fans two chances to get out and see two of the best teams in the state play with a district title on the line. Fort Worth Eastern Hills checks in at No. 10 with a 12-7 record. The Highlanders impressed last year, but would have to get past the best of Dallas ISD in order to make it to San Antonio. Other DFW teams in the 4A TABC Top 25 include Kennedale (No. 13), Dallas Roosevelt (No. 20) and Decatur (No. 21). Kimball faced several worthy challengers in the playoffs last year, but none of them could advance to San Antonio. Carter, Eastern Hills and Kennedale all figure to compete for that spot this year, but Kimball is still on top for now. Regardless, DISD features some must see hoops over the next few months.
Women’s 6A
Just like on the men’s side, the top ranked 6A team in the state doesn’t reside in DFW at the moment. Boswell (27-2) is the next best thing at No. 2, though. The two losses for Boswell came by a combined seven points to Denton Guyer and Conway (AR). Speaking of the Wildcats, Denton Guyer (23-3) checks in at No. 5, followed by Duncanville (18-5), Flower Mound (25-1), Denton Braswell (25-2), South Grand Prairie (20-6), Cedar Hill (19-5) and Lancaster (14-5) at No. 6 - No. 11. Also in the TABC Top 25 is No. 15 Sachse (23-5) and No. 21 North Crowley (19-7). I may be getting a tad over my skis here, but the playoff matchups with some of these teams are going to be absolutely insane. Talk about a gauntlet. Whichever teams emerge from DFW at the Final Four in San Antonio will undoubtedly be battle tested. That said, the Houston area is also well represented in the Top 25 and Converse Judson from the San Antonio area currently ranks at No. 1.
Women’s 5A
In the 5A ranks, Frisco Wakeland is the top ranked metroplex area team. The Wolverines are No. 3 with a 22-5 record, ranked behind Lubbock Monterey and Liberty Hill. No. 6 Argyle (24-4), No. 9 Frisco Memorial (22-7), No. 10 Mansfield Summit (19-4) and No. 21 Lovejoy (19-7) round out the DFW teams in the TABC Top 25. The Region II playoff road could produce some good matchups, and Frisco ISD has had a good presence in San Antonio in the past. That looks likely to continue this season.
Women’s 4A
The top spot in 4A is currently a talented Dallas Lincoln squad. Lincoln is 25-2 so far this season with the only two losses coming to St. Francis (GA) and Frisco Liberty. It’s been an impressive season so far for the Lincoln Tigers, and it very may well end in a state title. Also ranked in the TABC Top 25 from the DFW area is No. 3 Glen Rose (25-2), No. 4 Decatur (23-3), No. 7 Sunnyvale (21-4), No. 8 Brock (19-6), No. 18 Wimer-Hutchins (19-5), No. 21 Sanger (19-7) and No. 24 Frisco Panther Creek (16-6). The 4A playoffs will be tough with so many talented teams in the area, but none look tougher than Dallas Lincoln at the moment.
Player of the Week
My Player of the Week is Denton Guyer’s Baylee Bowman! The Lady Wildcats went 2-0 last week with a 69-32 win over Lewisville and a thrilling 49-47 win over Denton Braswell. Bowman scored a team high 15 points in the big win over Lewisville, but that was just the appetizer. Bowman poured in 12 points and added three assists and two steals in the win over Denton Braswell, a critical district win and a big performance from Bowman in a game between two of the most talented teams in the area. Audrey Mitchell was also a key performer in the win over Braswell with 14 points. Denton Guyer is ranked No. 5 in the state and boasts wins over No. 1 Boswell and No. 8 Braswell. Be sure to keep an eye on this squad the rest of the season because the Lady Wildcats may just make it all the way to San Antonio.