By Brandon C. Williams
The Post Newspaper Editor
Seven area high school boys’ basketball teams will embark upon the road toward the state championship when the UIL playoffs begin with bi-district round play on Monday.
The final pieces of the puzzle remained unsolved going into the weekend, as Santa Fe and Texas City played in a one-game showdown on Friday to decide the fourth and final playoff spot in District 22-5A. The winners of that matchup will play defending state 5A champion Beaumont United either Monday or Tuesday night.
Both state-ranked Dickinson and Clear Falls had to wait until the start of the weekend to find out who each would face in the bi-district round, as a 23-5A tiebreaker game between Pearland and Strake Jesuit on Friday needed to be resolved, The Gators, who won District 24-6A, would get the loser of the game, while the Knights would take on the winner.
The rest of the bi-district round is set, with Clear Springs taking on Shadow Creek in a 6A, Region III clash at Clear Lake High School at 6:00pm on Monday.
State-ranked Clear Brook faces Dawson at 7:00pm on Monday at Manvel High School in the other 6A, Region III contest involving District 24-6A schools.
State-ranked La Marque will begin its bid for its first trip to the state’s Final Four since 2017 when the Cougars collide with West Oso in a 4A, Region IV matchup at Edna High School Monday at 6:00pm.
Also state-ranked, Hitchcock will get its postseason started when the Bulldogs meet Trinity at 7:30pm on Monday at Grand Oaks High School in a 3A, Region III contest.
Hitchcock’s boys’ will look to follow a similar path to its girls’ team, which advanced to the 3A, Region III quarterfinals after the Bulldogs defeated Kountze on Thursday night. Hitchcock will face the winners of the New Waverly and Buna matchup, which was played on Friday night.
