After a five-day period wrapped around last weekend with only one of nine scheduled games were played because of Covid-19 issues, the District 25-5A Executive Committee unanimously approved a proposal by head coaches to revise the conclusion of the district race. All four games set for this past Tuesday were not played because four schools — East View, Leander, Leander Glenn, and Leander Rouse — were sidelined by the virus, leaving front-running Cedar Park, second-place Georgetown, Liberty Hill, and Marble Falls without an opponent.
Fifth-ranked Georgetown, which currently stands 8-1 in the district and 18-3 for the season, will close out the regular season with four games in nine days, starting at Liberty Hill at 8 p.m. Thursday. The major rub for coach Rhonda Farney’s Lady Eagles is that only one of their four remaining games is at home — a 5 p.m. Saturday battle with the state’s top-ranked 5A team — Cedar Park (9-0 in 25-5A and 15-1 for the campaign.) Next week, GHS will close out the regular season with back-to-back games with Leander at 8 p.m. Wednesday and Rouse at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Lady Eagles, who bombed arch-rival East View, 65-23, in their last start on Jan. 22, also will receive a dividend down the stretch — a forfeit victory over Rouse, which also forfeited both of its games with the Lady Timberwolves. As now planned, the district race will continue through Monday, Feb. 8, before the state playoffs begin on Thursday, Feb. 11, with the bi-district round, which can also be played prior to Saturday, Feb. 13. (See the complete district schedule below under the 25-5A Race at a Glance).
At the current time, Cedar Park and GHS appeared to be locked in as the first- and second-seeded teams from 25-5A with Glenn (6-4), Rouse (4-6, including the three forfeits), East View, 4-6; and Liberty Hill, 4-7, battling for the third- and fourth-seeded spots in the UIL’s 128-team state playoffs. In Liberty Hill on Thursday, GHS will be facing a team it bested 55-26 on Jan. 5 at Eagle Gym. In their last outing, the Lady Panthers (8-11 on the season) dropped a 49-48 loss to Marble Falls on Tuesday, Jan. 22. The Lady Eagles are working on a three-game winning streak since losing to Cedar Park and have won 12 of their last 13 starts. However, Farney has said several times that she expected a tougher test in the second outing with Liberty Hill and still considered the Lady Panthers a legitimate contender for a playoff berth. Except for its one-sided loss to top-ranked Cedar Park on Jan. 8, the Lady Eagles have dominated their 25-5A opponents, positing a victory margin of 26.8 points a game. With the forfeit win over Rouse still to be added to its record, Georgetown is only one other victory from posting its 32nd-consecutive 20-win season. The Lady Eagles also are headed to their 31st straight year in the playoffs.
In addition to being ranked fifth in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches 5A poll, Georgetown is listed eighth in the Texas Girls Coaches Association 5A rankings. On Thursday night, the GHS Freshman Blue will play the first-year Liberty Hill team at 5:15 p.m. and the JV squads will collide at 6:30 p.m. The GHS JV currently stands 20-0 for the season and 8-0 in 25-5A. The Freshmen Blue is 15-2, including an 8-0 district mark. Fans are reminded to purchase tickets in advance online. (www.etix.com/ticket/c/6FB46339CBB5281BD545C3D6CB23AB83/v-georgetown) No tickets will be sold at the gate.
DISTRICT 25-5A AT A GLANCE
(Schedules subject to change)
Standings — x-Cedar Park, 9-0; x-Georgetown, 8-1; Leander Glenn, 6-4; Leander Rouse, 4-3; East View, 4-6; Liberty Hill, 4-7; Marble Falls, 2-8; Leander, 1-9. x — clinched playoff berths.
Friday’s games: Georgetown at Leander, ppd., Covid-19; Glenn at Cedar Park, ppd., Covid-19; Marble Falls 49, Liberty Hill 48; East View at Rouse, ppd., Covid 19
Saturday’s games: Georgetown at Rouse, ppd., Covid-19.
Tuesday — All games ppd. by Covid-19 — Georgetown at Rouse, Cedar Park at East View, Marble Falls at Glenn, Leander at Liberty Hill (Teams currently in quarantine are East View, Glenn, Leander and Rouse). Note: As approved by the 25-5A Executive Committee to complete the season, Rouse will forfeit one game to Georgetown and two to Cedar Park.
REVISED 25-5A SCHEDULE
Thursday — Georgetown at Liberty Hill, 8 p.m.
Friday — East View at Marble Falls, 7 p.m.
Saturday — Cedar Park at Georgetown, 5 p.m.
Wednesday (Feb. 3) — Georgetown at Leander, 8 p.m.
Thursday (Feb. 4) — Georgetown at Rouse, 6:30 p.m.; Leander at Liberty Hill, 6:30 p.m.
Friday (Feb. 5) — Marble Falls at Rouse, 7 p.m.; Glenn at Leander, 8 p.m.
Saturday (Feb. 6) — East View at Rouse, 6 p.m.; Marble Falls at Glenn, 2 p.m.
Monday (Feb. 8) — Rouse at Marble Falls, 6:30 p.m.; Liberty Hill at Glenn, 8 p.m.;
Leander at East View, 8 p.m.
Tuesday (Feb. 9) — District play-in game (if needed).
Thursday (Feb. 11) — Bi-district playoffs begin and can continue through Saturday).
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DISTRICT 26-5A STANDINGS
(Based on San Antonio Express-News, Max Preps reports)
(25-5A plays 26-5A in bi-district).
New Braunfels Canyon, 13-1; Boerne Champion, 11-2, San Antonio Veterans Memorial, 9-4; Kerrville Tivy, 8-4; Dripping Springs, 3-6; Seguin, 2-7; Buda Johnson, 1-5; Kyle Lehman, 1-8; Alamo Heights, 0-11.
Tuesday’s results — New Braunfels Canyon 58, Seguin 43; Boerne Champion 69, Kyle Lehman 18; San Antonio Veterans Memorial 38, Dripping Springs 22; Kerrville Tivy at Buda Johnson, ppd. (Reset for Feb. 6); Alamo Heights, bye.
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UPCOMING LADY EAGLES SCHEDULES
(Subject to change)
VARSITY
Thursday — at Liberty Hill, 8 p.m. Saturday — Cedar Park, 5 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 3) — at Leander, 8 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 4) — at Rouse, 6:30 p.m.
JUNIOR VARSITY
Thursday — at Liberty Hill, 6:30 p.m. Saturday — Cedar Park, 3:30 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 3) — at Leander, 6:30 p.m. (End of the regular season).
FRESHMAN BLUE
Friday — at Liberty Hill, 5:15 p.m. Saturday — Cedar Park, canceled. Wednesday (Feb. 3) — at Leander, 5:15 p.m. (End of the regular season).
FRESHMAN WHITE
Season completed.
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TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BASKETBALL COACHES
CLASS 5A POLL
(Released Monday, Jan. 25)
- Cedar Park, 15-1; 2. College Station, 18-2; 3. Humble Kingwood Park, 19-0[ 4. Wichita Falls Rider, 19-2. 5. GEORGETOWN, 18-3; 6. Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial, 20-2; 7. Mansfield Legacy, 20-1; 8. Lubbock Cooper, 19-3; 9. Pflugerville Hendrickson, 14-2; 10. Amarillo, 14-2; 11. Richmond Foster, 18-2; 12. Red Oak, 18-4; 13. Wylie East, 19-3; 14. Castroville Medina Valley, 20-3; 15. Lake Dallas, 18-4; 16. Beaumont United, 12-0; 17. Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 18-2; 18. Frisco Lone Star, 15-4; 19. McKinney North, 15-4; 20. Frisco Memorial, 18-4; 21. Plainview, 16-5; 22. New Braunfels Canyon, 17.2; 23. Grapevine, 17-4; 24. Midlothian, 12-4; 25. Sharyland Pioneer, 11-2.Note: Records provided by the TABC.
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TEXAS GIRLS COACHES ASSOCIATION
CLASS 5A POLL
(Released Monday, Jan. 25)
- Cedar Park, 15-1; 2. Humble Kingwood Park, 20-0; 3. Beaumont United, 13-0; 4. College Station, 18-2; 5. Richmond Foster, 18-2; 6. Mansfield Legacy, 20-1; 7. Pflugerville Hendrickson, 14-2; 8. GEORGETOWN, 18-3; 9. Plainview, 15-5; 10. Amarillo, 14-2; 11. Fort Worth Wyatt, 19-2; 12. Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial, 19-2; 13. New Braunfels Canyon, 18-2; 14. Lubbock Cooper, 19-3; 13. El Paso Andress, 13-1; 16. Red Oak, 17-4; 17. Castroville Medina Valley, 20-3; 18. Wylie East, 18-3; 19. Wichita Falls Rider, 19-2; 20. Lake Dallas, 16-4; 21. Frisco Lone Star, 12-4; 22. McKinney North, 15-4; 23. El Paso Hanks, 11-1; 24. San Antonio Jefferson, 17-3; 25. Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 17-2. Note: Records provided by the TGCA.