By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal
Good morning. Come join me on the sidelines.
Your mind isn’t playing tricks on you. This was once a concept of a podcast.
However, instead of publishing a show with low-production quality, I can execute the idea behind the podcast through a weekly column – at least until I can upgrade my video camera.
It just feels a little more professional this way until I can produce a high-quality show that doesn’t look like it was filmed in my grandmother’s basement.
After all, the general idea behind this was to give you free content to catch you up on all the happenings in high school sports across the Greater Austin Metropolitan Area, while bringing you special features and stories.
Think of it as a one-stop shop for all the Austin-area high school sports news you may have missed. Free, of course.
Here’s what’s in store for today: The Texas high school basketball season is turning the corner and heading into the home stretch. We’ll look at some of the exciting district races to keep an eye on, talk about one of the hottest teams in Austin – the Westwood Warriors – and introduce you to our first “Small Town Spotlight.”
Let’s dive in.
Women’s basketball
The big news of the week was Cedar Park’s 47-37 road win over Glenn Tuesday in a pivotal District 25-5A matchup. The Timberwolves (20-4) are the only remaining team in the “District of Doom” that hasn’t lost a district game. Cedar Park has one more test on Friday when they put their undefeated home streak on the line against the visiting Liberty Hill Panthers.
If anyone needs proof of how brutal of a basketball district 25-5A is, both Glenn (No. 6) and Liberty Hill (No. 3) were in the top 10 of MaxPreps Class 5A rankings going into this week’s games. Cedar Park was at No. 11.
AROUND THE AREA: If 25-5A is the “District of Doom,” District 26-4A is the “District of Terror.” Prior to district play getting underway this past Friday, all six teams had records at or above .500, and league play is going about like you might expect. Wimberley has dropped both district games so far, falling to Geronimo Navarro in the opener on Friday. The Texans then lost to Davenport Tuesday at home. Navarro lost Tuesday to Fredericksburg, which is the one of two teams off to a 2-0 start. Davenport is the other. This will be a district to keep an eye on.
In District 26-6A, Westlake has a half-game lead over Bowie. The Bulldogs defeated Austin High on Tuesday to finish the first half of district play 5-1. The Chaparrals close out the first round on Friday against Dripping Springs as they look to close out the first round undefeated.
In the small school ranks, Jarrell, Burnet and Salado are off to hot starts, while Lexington, Granger and Johnson City are also on a roll. One of the more fun district races will be 22-4A where the La Grange–Smithville rivalry could be a factor in the district title race.
Small Town Spotlight
Speaking of La Grange, there’s a lot of hidden athletic talent in the outlying communities that surround the Austin area. Many of these kids you don’t hear about until they make a state tournament. Sometimes, it’s because they don’t play at one of the bigger high schools.
So, we decided to put the spotlight on some of these athletes in the small towns that surround the Austin area.
Today, we’re introducing you to Kylie Trileck from La Grange in the first “Small Town Spotlight:”
Read more about how Kylie is creating her own path in her family’s sports legacy.
If you know an athlete at a small high school around Texas that should be featured in the “Small-Town Spotlight” let us know by emailing me at madams@austinsportsjournal.com.
Men’s basketball
Round Rock gave Stony Point all it asked for on Tuesday. The Tigers remained unbeaten in District 25-6A with a 66-60 win over the Dragons. Stony Point is still the king of Class 6A in the Austin area, but Round Rock and upstart Westwood are on the Tigers’ heels.
Speaking of Westwood, the Warriors rebounded from suffering their first loss last Friday with a 52-38 win over Vandegrift. Westwood (24-1) is off to its best start in school history with it’s only loss being to Stony Point. I visited Westwood on New Year’s Eve and witnessed the Warriors’ win over Round Rock. Here’s what Westwood players and coaches said about the formula for their hot start.
AROUND THE AREA: St. Michael’s Prep (19-4) is ranked No. 46 nationally by MaxPreps. The Warriors are one of Stony Point’s four losses and have a roster loaded with talent. Junior small forward Bo Ogden is the 56th top junior in the country, according to 24/7 rankings. Ogden leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game.
In District 26-6A, Westlake and Dripping Springs are the only remaining teams unbeaten in league play. The Chaparrals and Tigers face off Friday at Westlake with possession of first place on the line. The race for the final two playoff spots is likely going to come down to the wire with Bowie, Akins, Del Valle and Lake Travis all neck and neck.
In the small school ranks, Davenport, Lago Vista, Thorndale and La Grange are all teams to watch down the stretch. One interesting district race to watch is 24-4A, which will feature Marble Falls, Taylor and Gateway Prep fighting for the district title.
Soccer
The 2024 Texas high school soccer season got underway this past weekend. Here is our preview stories for the season:
One of the best tournaments in the state takes place this weekend in Georgetown. The Governor’s Cup Elite Showcase will feature some of the top best teams around the state. Area teams to watch include the Stony Point, Cedar Park, Salado, Liberty Hill, Pieper and Georgetown men.
On the women’s side, Westwood, Vandegrift, Georgetown, Pieper, Dripping Springs and Round Rock are all competing. You can find the full schedule here.
That’s all the news for today. If you like the high school sports content the Austin Sports Journal provides, consider subscribing. Sign up now for $29.99 for unlimited access for one year. That’s about $2.50/month.
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Coming next week
Brooke Fuller and the Anderson women’s basketball team beat state-ranked Bastrop on Tuesday. Fuller and her teammates have the Trojans flying under the radar with a deceptive record. We chatted with Fuller to talk about her love of the game.
Also, we’re heading to St. Michael’s Friday to check-in with the nationally ranked Warriors as they Take on TMI Episcopal.
Until then, I’ll see you on the sidelines!
