The Cooldown- Week 28
Cover Photo via the Dallas Morning News/ Elias Valverde II
Congratulations to the Duncanville Panthers, the Dallas Madison Trojans and the Faith Family Eagles on winning state championships! The basketball season is officially over after the Final Four took place in San Antonio, and that means this is the last Cooldown for the 2021-22 season after 28 weeks of fantastic football and basketball across the metroplex. Let’s recap the Final Four and preview the upcoming season.
Duncanville beats McKinney to win 6A State Championship Game
It’s hard to build a dynasty, but that’s exactly what Duncanville has right now. The Panthers beat McKinney 69-49 on Saturday night to clinch another 6A State Championship. At worst, it’s the third straight state championship for Duncanville. The Panthers won state in 2019, 2021 and now 2022. Duncanville was also crowned one of four 6A State Champions in 2020 after the pandemic canceled the Final Four. So, make it four straight state championships for Duncanville. The class of 2022 at Duncanville will never know what it’s like for the basketball team to not win a state championship. That’s special, and so are the players and coaches who made it happen.
McKinney deserves to be celebrated as well. The Lions made it to the Final Four for the first time since 1928 and eliminated the only team to beat Duncanville this season in the Richardson Eagles. McKinney shared a district title with Denton Guyer, though the Wildcats won the tiebreaking game to clinch the top playoff seed. McKinney made it to the 6A State Championship Game anyway, taking out Richardson and Austin Westlake on the way. As much as the loss to Duncanville hurts, McKinney made school history this year. That deserves to be celebrated because it is harder than it has ever been to make the Final Four at the 6A level in Texas. That also puts in perspective just how incredible Duncanville’s run has been over the last four years.
Duncanville jumped out to a 22-7 lead after the first quarter and never really looked back. The Panthers held a 46-21 advantage at halftime before scoring just four points in the third quarter and allowing McKinney to cut the lead from 25 points to 15 points heading into the fourth quarter. Duncanville finished the game strong though, outscoring McKinney 19-14 in the final frame.
Anthony Black was named MVP of the 6A State Championship Game and led the Panthers in scoring with 19 points. Davion Sykes also scored in double-figures for Duncanville with 13 points. Aric Demings and Ron Holland each scored nine points and Cameron Barnes added eight points. Evan Phelps scored five points, Ashton Hardaway and Jackson Prince scored three points each, and Caleb Jones rounded out the scoring for Duncanville with two points.
Ja’Kobe Walter was fantastic and led McKinney with 23 points and shot 9-12 from the free throw line. Thatcher McClure scored nine points and Jacovey Campbell added six points for the Lions. Jackson Steele finished with five points while Alex Anamekwe scored four points and Devin Vincent scored two points to round out the scoring for McKinney.
Faith Family beats Wichita Falls Hirschi to win 4A State Championship Game
Faith Family beat Wichita Falls Hirschi to win the 4A State Championship Game in a similar way that Duncanville beat McKinney to win the 6A State Championship Game. Faith Family jumped out to a 22-11 lead after the first quarter. The Eagles increased that advantage in the second quarter and led 51-21 at halftime. Faith Family got outscored by four points in the second half, but the halftime lead was so large at halftime that Wichita Falls Hirschi never really had a chance.
TJ Caldwell was named MVP of the 4A State Championship Game and led Faith Family with 20 points. Isaiah Jones scored 14 points and Jadyn Toppin added 13 points to give the Eagles three players in double-figures. Gene Marshall scored nine points and Peyton Gusters chipped in six points. Brandon Walker and Jazz Henderson each scored five points and Foryan Onwuchekwa rounded out the scoring for Faith Family with four points.
Dallas Madison beats San Antonio Cole to win 3A State Championship Game
Dallas Madison defeated San Antonio Cole 53-51 to win the 3A State Championship Game. Madison jumped out to a 15-6 lead after the first quarter and took a 29-19 lead into halftime. San Antonio Cole used a strong third quarter to take a 40-39 lead into the fourth quarter. San Antonio Cole scored more points in the third quarter (21) than it did in the first half (19). Madison persevered in the fourth quarter, outscoring San Antonio Cole 14-11 to finish off the two-point win.
Rodney Geter was named MVP of the 3A State Championship Game and led the Trojans with 19 points. Pierre Hunter scored 12 points and Kardae Turner scored 10 points to give Madison three players in double-figures. Latrell Wright scored eight points and Leonard Miles IV chipped in two points. Eric Bradix and Brandon Patterson each scored a point to round out the scoring for Madison.
Beaumont United beats Mansfield Timberview to win 5A State Championship Game
Mansfield Timberview fell just short of a state championship with a 62-57 loss to Beaumont United in the 5A State Championship Game. Mansfield Timberview led Beaumont United 31-27 at halftime but was outscored 17-8 in the third quarter. Beaumont United held off Mansfield Timberview throughout the fourth quarter to win a second straight state championship.
Jared Washington led Mansfield Timberview with 20 points and Donovan O’Day scored 18 points. Chendall Weaver scored 14 points as Timberview’s big three combined for 52 of Timberview’s 57 points in their final game together. Daniel Vieire-Tuck chipped in three points and Bryalon Cosby rounded out the scoring with two points.
It was a fantastic season for Mansfield Timberview with thrilling playoff wins over Mansfield Legacy and Amarillo to advance to the Final Four, and over Boerne Champion to advance to the 5A State Championship Game.
Player of the Week
My Player of the Week is Duncanville’s Anthony Black! Duncanville beat Humble Atascocita and McKinney to win another 6A State Championship! Black scored nine points against Humble Atascocita and led the Panthers in scoring with 19 points in the 6A State Championship Game! Black’s defense helped Duncanville limit Atascocita to six points over the last two-and-a-half quarters and just four points in the entire second half and held McKinney under 50 points in the 6A State Championship Game. It was a season unlike any other for Black, but that road led to a state championship and MVP honors. For that, Black earns my last Player of the Week honor for the 2021-22 season!
2022 Preview
The Cooldown will return in September along with another football season. Realignment didn’t change much around the metroplex, but there will be a ton of talent in football and basketball graduating and heading off to college. That means new faces and, potentially, new contenders for state championships in each sport. Duncanville and McKinney return Ron Holland and Ja’Kobe Walter and should be title contenders in basketball once again. Denton Guyer losses some talent in basketball but has an exciting pair of young players providing hope for the future. The Denton Guyer football team is in good shape with Jackson Arnold returning for his senior year. Duncanville will have to reload and replace another quarterback in football. The Panthers basketball squad will have to replace Black. Trinity’s football team moves into an era without Chris Jensen at the helm and starting that era without Ollie Gordon won’t be easy. Allen could take a step forward as Chad Morris starts his second year with the Eagles and quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. returns to lead the offense. Aledo and Argyle will have to handle a move up to higher classifications. The Richardson basketball program will have to reload as Cason Wallace departs for Kentucky and Rylan Griffen heads to Alabama. Whatever happens, the Cooldown will recap it every week throughout the season. Thanks to everyone who read the Cooldown this season. The countdown to kick off in September starts now!
Cover Photo of the Duncanville basketball team courtesy of the Dallas Morning News and Staff Photographer Elias Valverde II.