The Nazareth Swifts had beat Slocum in the semi-finals to earn a position in the finals.

 

1-A Division II State Basketball
Play-Offs, Austin, Texas

 

by: Bobby McDonald

The Grady Wildcats beat Leggett, Friday, to earn the spot in the finals.

"March Madness" for High School Basketball was being conducted in Austin, Texas, this past weekend at the Frank Erwin Center, as the top high school basketball teams headed for state competition at the 2010 UIL Texas High School Basketball Championships. The center was full of cheering fans from all across Texas, as they came to the "center" of Texas, to yell for their favorite team. It was the Nazareth Swifts that walked away with the title, 52-43, following a hard fought battle with the Grady Wildcats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slocum, the closest team for us here in Hopkins County,  and who beat-out our Miller Grove Hornets, made it to the state semi-finals, on Friday night, before being beat by the eventual 1-A State Champions, the Nazareth Swifts. This pitted the 1-A Division II Finals in a match-up between Nazareth and the Grady Wildcats, an old-fashioned "West Texas Shootout!"

 

 

The Lenorah Grady Wildcats, from Lenorah, Texas, fourteen miles north of Slaton, in central Marlin County, brought a 31-4 record to the court, coached by Head Coach Shawn Harrison and assistant, Ty Stovall. They were making their second appearance in the State Tournament, having appeared there in 2004, also, when most of the team members were still in elementary or junior high school. The team consisted of Shane Teague, junior, Dylan Cox, senior, Tyler Matthews, senior, Johan Wiebe, junior, Carsten Russell, junior, Byley Pinkerton, junior, Jacob Rodriguez, junior, Zach Perez, senior, Tyler Gifford, junior, Auden Perez, junior, and Zane Robinson, junior.

 

 

And, the Nazareth Swifts, who were beaten in last year's finals, by Slocum, and located in the Texas Panhandle, were making their fourteenth appearance in the state basketball tournament, having appeared in 1980, 1984-86, 1994, 1996-97, 2001-03, 2006-07, and 2009, previously. They are coached by Head Coach Zach Boxell, with assistants, Nathan Branum and Coby Emery. Team members included: Sage Black, senior, Riley Huseman, sophomore, Austin Cluck, sophomore, Clint Huseman, senior, Mario Vasquez, senior, Brennan Cluck, senior, Evan Murray, junior, Sid Sheffy, senior, Keenan Albracht, freshman, Ryan Birkenfeld, senior, Reagan Hunter, senior, Logan Robb, freshman, John Wilhelm, freshman, Trey Farris, freshman, Marcus Wilhelm, senior, Devin Kern, freshman, and Fide Pena, junior.

 

Nazareth's senior, Sage Black, shows the form that helped him
lead his team to the state finals.

 

 

 

 

 

The Nazareth Swifts took an early lead in the game, but didn't thwart the tough Grady team's plan of action. Nazareth led only 6-4 at the end of the first quarter, that showed outstanding defense from both teams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nazareth Swifts led the match-up, 26-15 at the halftime intermission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The third quarter found the Nazareth Swifts ahead by a score of 36-25, as the Grady Wildcats added 10 points during the period, but allowed the Swifts 10 points defensively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nazareth Swifts were victorious in defeating the Grady Wildcats, as they contributed 16 points to the scoreboard during the fourth quarter. The 18 point effort by the Wildcats was not enough and the final score reflected a 52-43 victory, in a great game.

 

 

Texas Governor, Rick Perry, presented the team with their championship trophy, during the awards ceremony. The 2009-10 season ended for the Nazareth Swifts, that had begun with a 68-54 loss to Muleshoe, back in November, and climaxed with the state title!

 

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