As we mentioned in yesterday’s article, the Texas High School Basketball season is here. Part of the excitement of the preseason is tournament season, where teams get to play schools from all different classifications and regions, preparing themselves for District and playoffs. 

This year, the Sulphur Springs Wildcats will be hosting their own invitational, the Chad’s Media Invitational, Monday Nov. 21 and Tuesday Nov. 22. Some of the best teams in the state will be making the trip to showcase their skills and we will be broadcasting the games along the way. 

Here, we will preview each of the games in the upcoming invitational, along with looking at the teams. Be sure to see below for the full broadcasting schedule of the invitational. 

Monday, Nov. 21 

Wylie East vs ESD @2:00 

The opening game of the Chad’s Media Invitational will see the the Raiders of Wylie East go up against the Eagles of ESD. Wylie East has opened their season with a pair of home wins, taking down MacArthur 59-51, before also beating Greenville by a final score of 73-60. 

Wylie East saw improvement last year and will certainly be looking to continue that trend this season. The Chad’s Media Invitational could be a chance for them to do exactly that. 

The Panthers of ESD however, are still looking to pick up a win (at the time of this article). The Episcopal School of Dallas will get a chance to prove themselves against a team who has gotten off to a hot start this season. 

No. 21 Lufkin vs Naaman Forrest @ 3:30 (Live broadcast) 

The second game of the Chad’s Media Invitational features the first ranked opponent, as the No. 21 ranked in 5A Lufkin Panthers will go up against the Rangers of Naaman Forrest. Lufkin has become no stranger to the folks of Sulphur Springs, as the two teams have faced each other in three of the last four postseasons. 

This year, Lufkin enters the season ranked No. 21 in 5A, after an impressive 35-5 2021 season. 

Naaman Forrest is also no stranger to postseason play, making the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. They have also seen back-to-back seasons of improvement, going 18-9 in 2020, before going 21-12 last season. They will certainly be looking to continue that trend this year, and the Chad’s Media Invitational will give them a chance to do just that. 

No. 3 Allen vs Coppell (Live broadcast) 

The No. 3 ranked Allen Eagles, led by former Sulphur Springs coach Clark Cipoletta, enter the season with some of the highest expectations of any team in the state. The Eagles showed a great deal of improvement in Cipoletta’s first season at the helm, and will look to take things to another level in the 2022-2023 season.

Jumping from a 13-win team to a 23-win team, Cipoletta and his Eagles will certainly be looking to give a strong showing in his former stomping grounds. 

The Cowboys of Coppell are also off to a strong start this season, winning each of their first two games. While both games have been close, they beat Denton Ryan in a 42-37 defensive battle, before squeaking away with a two-point victory over Prosper earlier this week. Will Coppell have the upper hand, or will Cipoellta and the Eagles soar to another victory?

No. 14 Dallas Lincoln vs No. 10 Sulphur Springs @6:30 (Live broadcast)

Top-15 matchups are what fans dream of in the preseason. Two of the best teams in the state, going head-to-head to showcase their talents, and to prepare themselves for tough battles later down the road. 

Dallas Lincoln opened their season with a tough loss, falling 79-52 to Lewisville. Since then they have gotten back on track, beating their next two opponents by a combined score 113-70.

Sulphur Springs on the other hand once again finds themselves in the preseason poll and has lived up to the hype so far. In their season opener they beat No. 22 ranked Wilmer-Hutchins by 12 points on the road. They followed that up with a 78-37 win over Commerce and will be looking to pick up their second win over a ranked opponent already. 

Tuesday 

Wylie East vs No. 21 Lufkin @ 2:00 (Live broadcast)

The action doesn’t stop after Monday, as Tuesday provides us with three more games, starting with Wylie East against Lufkin. Wylie East will have the opportunity to open play for the second day in-a-row, while No. 21 Lufkin will be playing an hour-and-a-half earlier than the day before. 

Coppell vs ESD @ 3:30 (Live broadcast) 

This is just the second match of the tournament that doesn’t feature a team in the Top 25 (at the time of this article). Both teams will be looking to prove they belong in the company of their tournament mates, and will be looking to pick up a win in their final game of the invitational. 

No. 10 Sulphur Springs vs Naaman Forrest @ 5:00 (Live broadcast)

The seventh and final game of the invitational once again features the host team, the No. 10 Sulphur Springs Wildcats. Sulphur Springs and Naaman Forrest are far from unfamiliar with each other, though this will be the first time they face off during Coach Shaver’s era as head coach. 

The last time these two teams faced off was in the 2020 season, when Naaman Forrest pulled off a double-digit comeback, outscoring Sulphur Springs 17-9 in the fourth quarter to pull off the one-point win. Will Naaman Forrest once again be able to take down a ranked Wildcats team, or will Sulphur Springs be able to avenge their 2020 loss?

All games listed as “(Live broadcast)” will be aired live on both Front Porch News and Chad’s Media. You can also subscribe to Chad’s Media to be notified when we go live for each game.