Things are somewhat different than what was forecast for the San Antonio Veterans Memorial Patriots this year. They entered the season ranked second in 5A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and were picked to win the District 26-5A title after being the state runner-up last season. However, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Cibolo Steele High School, coach Christina Camacho’s unranked team will face the fifth-ranked Georgetown Lady Eagles in a bi-district contest. Veterans Memorial (18-7, 12-4) will take the court as the third-place team from 26-5A, while GHS (22-4, 12-2) will be the second seed from 25-5A. The winner of the Lady Eagles-Patriots battle in the outskirts of San Antonio will play either No. 13 Castroville Medina Valley (23-3, 14-0), the 28-5A winner, or San Antonio Sam Houston (12-9, 10-6), the fourth-place team from 27-5A, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Alamo Convocation Center.
The game also will have more coaching wins on the sideline than any other bi-district battle in the state — 1,914 to be exact. Georgetown’s Coach Rhonda Farney has won 1,205 games and Camacho, who also coached at San Antonio Wagner and Lanier, has been on the winning side 709 times. Farney pointed to the fact that Veterans Memorial will offer GHS a different cup of tea than its 25-5A opponents. “SA Veteran’s Memorial is a different type of team than any we have played,” Farney said on Tuesday. “They are very methodical about the game. We will need to limit shots from No. 12 (Daelah Edwards) and No. 22 (Marley Rokas) because they are their leading scorers and senior leaders.” According to statistics published by the San Antonio Express-News, the 5-11 Rokas is averaging 16 points a game and the 5-6 Edwards is scoring just under eight points a contest as is junior guard/forward Aryana Cleveland.
The Patriots have won three straight, including a forfeit over Kyle Lehman, their last scheduled outing, after losing back-to-back decisions to the 26-5A champion and runner-up New Braunfels Canyon (49-23) and Boerne Champion (50-43). Veterans Memorial’s only other district losses were to NBC in the first round (46-25) and fourth-place Kerrville Tivy (29-27). GHS has won four straight games, including two forfeits, since losing its second-round game with No. 1 Cedar Park (39-20). Its other loss also was to the Lady Timberwolves, 63-25, in the first round. Farney is expected to start a balanced lineup of 5-7 senior point guard Graci Harris, 5-10 senior forward Lauren Woodard, 5-9 junior guard Jacqui Spencer, 5-7 junior guard Morgan Larson and 6-foot-4 junior center Niah Williams, a strong rebounder and a shot-blocking intimidator. One of the Lady Eagles’ strengths has been its depth with the second unit of 5-5 junior point guard Sam Folsom, 5-5 junior guard Ella Vickers, 5-8 senior guard Jordyn Stout, 5-9 senior forward Megan Herring, and 6-1 junior center Sheila Lee.
Georgetown has returned to Region IV after losing in the area round in the last two seasons in Region III-5A to Magnolia West, 55-31, and College Station, 55-46. Last season, Veterans Memorial bested Mansfield Timberview, 45-44, in the state semifinals before losing to Frisco Liberty in the state championship game, 35-26. The Lady Eagles opened the current campaign ranked 23rd in 5A by the TABC and picked second to Cedar Park in 25-5A. All four of 25-5A’s bi-district games will be on Thursday night. Cedar Park will play Kerrville Tivy at 8 p.m. in Johnson City and third-place Leander Glenn and fourth-place Rouse will play Boerne Champion and New Braunfels Canyon in a doubleheader at Buda Hays. The Rouse game is at 6 p.m. and the Glenn contest at 8 p.m.
PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK:
Steele High School is a member of the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD on the northeastern side of the San Antonio metro area at 1300 FM 1103 in Cibolo, 78108.
* These are the ticket guidelines for Thursday night: 1. Each participant will be allowed four tickets per participant (“Be sure to have your daughter text coach Tosha Doherty her names; as always, we will find a place for all,” Farney said.). 2. Tickets will only be sold at the gate (marked off the roster). 3. Forty additional tickets will be sold at the gate on a first-come, first-serve basis. 4. Steele will also accept employee passes, UIL passes, TABC, TGCA, THSCA passes, and Gold cards.
* Lady Eagles Basketball has paid to have the bi-district game live-streamed. This is a UIL fee, not SHN and the link is https://youtu.be/l_gDViPbyb4 .
* In an oddity, S.A. Veterans Memorial, a Judson ISD school, is joined by three other Veterans Memorials — one in Brownsville, one in Corpus Christi, and one in McAllen — in the Region IV bracket.
* Neutral game officials from Fort Worth have been assigned to Thursday’s game.
* GHS will have a 16-player roster for Thursday’s game, including 5-9 sophomore forward Ainsley Polczar (No. 34), who is rehabbing an off-season leg-injury that required surgery.
* Farney has brought up five players from the Lady Eagles’ undefeated District 25-5A championship JV team (25-0) — 5-7 sophomore guard Brooke White, 5-7 sophomore guard Taylor Meyners, 5-10 sophomore forward Madelyne Furr, 5-8 sophomore forward Amiya Gonzales and 5-5 sophomore guard Erica Ramthun.
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BI-DISTRICT ROSTERS
GEORGETOWN EAGLES
Head coach: Rhonda Farney
Assistants: Katie Youngblood, Tosha Doherty, Corey Cunningham.
No. — Name (Pos., Cl., Ht.)
10 — Ella Vickers (G, Jr., 5-5)
13 –Niah Williams (C, jr., 6-4)
14 — Jacqui Spencer (G, jr., 5-9)
15 — Sam Folsom (PG, jr., 5-5)
20 — Brooke White (G, so., 5-7)
22 — Erica Ramthun (G, so., 5-5)
24 — Morgan Larson (G, jr., 5-7)
25 — Graci Harris (PG, sr., 5-7)
30 — Taylor Meyners (G, so., 5-7)
32 — Megan Herring (F, sr., 5-9)
33 –Jordyn Stout (G, sr., 5-8)
35 –Madelyne Furr (F, so., 5-10)
42 — Lauren Woodard (F, sr., 5-10)
44 — Amiya Gonzales (G, so., 5-8)
50 — Sheila Lee (C, jr., 6-1)
INJ — Ainsley Pelczar (F, so., 5-9)
Managers: Lizzette Rodriguez, Makayla Owens, Abigail Rutledge, Emryis Mims, Daniel Cunningham.
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VETERANS MEMORIAL PATRIOTS
Head Coach: Christina Camacho
No. — Name (Pos., Cl., Ht.)
3 — Ja’Niah Lenoir (G, fr., 5-5)
10 — Mariah Shanklin (G, jr.)
11 — Jaylayna Zahnley (G/F, jr.)
12 — Daelah Edwards (G, sr., 5-6)
14 — Shaun Kegely (G, sr.)
22 — Marley Rokas (G/F, sr., 5-11)
23 — Aryana Cleveland (G/F, jr.)
24 — Ariana Gutierrez (G/F, jr.)
32 — Jordan Carrasco (F, sr.)
42 — Briana Baugh (G/F, sr.)
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SEASON RECORDS
GEORGETOWN (22-4, 12-2)
Opponent (W/L) Score
Waco Midway (W) 45-27
Round Rock Westwood (W) 54-52
Lorena (W) 54-22
Bryan Rudder (L) 44-51
Round Rock McNeil (W) 56-38
Round Rock (W) 49-33
Pflugerville Connally (W) 36-28
Waco La Vega (L) 41-43
Belton (W) 39-20
Leander Glenn* (W) 59-24
Marble Falls* (W) 59-39
East View* (W) 47-32
Buda Hays (W) 69-54
Boerne (W) 35-33
Copperas Cove (W) 52-35
Leander* (W) 57-23
Liberty Hill* (W) 55-26
Cedar Park* (L) 25-63
Leander Glenn* (W) 51-29
Marble Falls* (W) 48-29
East View* (W) 65-23
Cedar Park* (L) 20-39
Liberty Hill* (W) Forfeit
Rouse* (W) Forfeit
Leander* (W) 49-14
Rouse* (W) 49-33
* — denotes District 25-5A game.
SAN ANTONIO VETERANS MEMORIAL (18-7, 12-4)
Opponent (W/L) Score
San Antonio Jay (W) 37-28
Schertz Clemens (L) 58-71
San Antonio MacArthur (W) 33-27
San Antonio Brandeis (L) 29-53
San Antonio Marshall (W) 68-43
San Antonio Madison (W) 40-29
San Antonio Antonian (L) 55-62
San Antonio Roosevelt (W) 47-16
Seguin* (W) 42-28
Kerrville Tivy (L) 27-29
Buda Johnson* (W) 50-31
New Braunfels Canyon* (L) 25-46
Boerne Champion* (W) 47-38
Dripping Springs* (W) 38-37
Alamo Heights* (W) 57-22
San Antonio Cornerstone (W) 67-32
Kyle Lehman* (W) 57-11
Seguin* (W) 69-39
Kerrville Tivy* (W) 40-38
Buda Johnson* (W) 55-35
New Braunfels Canyon* (L) 29-43
Boerne Champion* (L) 43-50
Dripping Springs* (W) 38-22
Alamo Heights* (W) 54-31
Kyle Lehman* (W) Forfeit
* — denotes District 26-5A game.
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DISTRICT 25-5A AT A GLANCE
INCLUDES ALL FORFEITS TO GHS, CEDAR PARK
Final Standings — c-Cedar Park, 14-0; r-Georgetown, 12-2; t-Leander Glenn, 9-5; f-Leander Rouse, 7-7: East View, 6-8; Liberty Hill, 4-10; Marble Falls, 2-12; Leander, 2-12.
c– Clinched championship and top playoff seeding (completed regular season).
r — Clinched second place and No. 2 playoff seeding.
t — Clinched third place and No. 3 playoff seeding.
f — Clinched fourth place and No. 4 playoff seeding.
REVISED 25-5A SCHEDULE
Thursday — Georgetown at Liberty Hill, LH forfeited to GHS, Covid-19.
Friday — Eastview 54, Marble Falls, 50
Saturday — Cedar Park 39, Georgetown, 20.
Wednesday — Georgetown 49, Leander 14.
Thursday — Georgetown 49, Rouse 33; Leander 42, Liberty Hill 38.
Friday — Rouse 45, Marble Falls 39; Glenn 42, Leander 30.
Saturday — Rouse 52, East View 37; Glenn 45, Marble Falls 36.
Monday (Feb. 8) — Rouse 51, Marble Falls 42;Glenn 47, Liberty Hill 40; East View 57, Leander 52.
BI-DISTRICT SCHEDULE
Thursday
Georgetown vs. San Antonio Veterans Memorial, 7:30 p.m., Cibolo Steele.
Cedar Park vs. Kerrville Tivy, 8 p.m., Johnson City.
Leander Glenn vs. Boerne Champion, 8 p.m., Buda Hays.
Leander Rouse vs. New Braunfels Canyon, 6 p.m., Buda Hays.
***
REGION IV-5A PLAYOFF BRACKET
(In bracket order)
Top Half
Castroville Medina Valley vs. S.A. Sam Houston
Georgetown vs. S.A. Veterans Memorial
S.A. Jefferson vs. S.A. Southside
Leander Glenn vs. Boerne Champion
Brownsville Veterans Memorial vs. McAllen
Victoria East vs. Laredo Martin
Sharyland Pioneer vs. Brownsville Pace
Roma vs. Victoria West
Bottom Half
New Braunfels Canyon vs. Leander Rouse
S.A. Lanier vs. S.A. Harlandale
Cedar Park vs. Kerrville Tivy
S.A. Southwest vs. S.A. Highlands
Rio Grande City vs. Corpus Christi Flour Bluff
McAllen Veterans Memorial vs. Donna
Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial vs. Laredo Cigarroa
Edcouch-Elsa vs. Roma
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TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BASKETBALL COACHES
CLASS 5A RANKINGS
(Released Monday, Feb. 8)
- Cedar Park, 20-1; 2. Humble Kingwood Park, 23-0; 3. Wichita Falls Rider, 22-2; 4. College Station, 20-3; 5. GEORGETOWN (22-4); 6. Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial, 23-2; 7. Mansfield Legacy, 24-1; 8. Lubbock Cooper, 23-3; 9. Pflugerville Hendrickson, 19-2; 10. Amatillo, 18-2; 11. Richmond Foster, 20-2; 12. Wylie East, 23-3; 13. Castroville Medina Valley, 23-3; 14. Lake Dallas, 22-5; 15. Beaumont United, 16-0; 16. Sharyland Pioneer, 18-2; 17. Frisco Lone Star, 19-4; 18. Midlothian, 18-4; 19. Red Oak, 21-5; 20. Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 21-3; 21. Frisco Memorial, 21-5; 22. Bryan Rudder, 18-5; 23. El Paso Chapin, 15-2; 24. McKinney North, 19-5; 25. Highland Park, 21-6. Note: Records provided by TABC.
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TEXAS GIRLS COACHES ASSOCIATION
FINAL REGULAR SEASON 5A RANKINGS
(Released Monday, Feb. 8)
- Cedar Park, 20-1; 2. Humble Kingwood Park, 24-0; 3. Beaumont United, 16-0; 4. College Station, 20-2; 5. Richmond Foster, 21-2; 6. Mansfield Legacy, 24-1; 7. Pflugerville Hendrickson, 20-2; 8. Amarillo, 18-2; 9. Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial, 23-2. 10. Lubbock Cooper, 22-3. 11. GEORGETOWN, 22-4; 12. Castroville Medina Valley, 23-3; 13. Wylie East, 23-3; 14. Wichita Falls Rider, 22-2; 15. Lake Dallas, 22-4; 16. Frisco Lone Star, 19-4; 17. Rio Grande City, 18-2; 18. New Braunfels Canyon, 20-3; 19. Houston Sterling, 13-1; 20. Fort Worth Wyatt, 22-3; 21. Sharyland Pioneer, 18-2; 22. Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 21-2; 23. Rosenburg Lamar Consolidated, 18-2; 24. Pioneer listed twice. 25. (rie) El Paso Andress, 17-3; Red Oak, 21-5; El Paso Hanks, 24-2; Boerne Champion, 19-3; McKinney North, 19-5. Note: Records provided by TGCA.