The state of Texas went through the wringer this week, causing a lot of shifting schedules for East Valley playoff basketball teams and the UIL and TAPPS organizations.
After initially postponing the girls swimming & diving state championship meet to Monday and Tuesday, the UIL moved the competition back another week to March 1-2 on Thursday. Additionally, the UIL released updated basketball playoff information Friday to accommodate for the numerous postponements brought on by the severe winter weather.
The girls state basketball championships will now be played March 10-11 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Certification deadlines have been pushed back to Feb. 23 for area, Feb. 25 for regional quarterfinals, Feb. 27 for regional semifinals, March 2 for regional finals and March 6 for state semifinals. Teams may have to play three rounds in one week, and playoff games can be played on consecutive days if required.
The Harlingen High Lady Cardinals pushed their area-round game against San Antonio Harlan to 6 p.m. Monday at Corpus Christi Calallen.
Santa Rosa and Rio Hondo will be playing their respective area-round games today. The Santa Rosa Lady Warriors are traveling to Santa Gertrudis to play Skidmore-Tynan at 3 p.m. Rio Hondo made another change to its game details Friday because of facility issues and will now play Somerset at 6 p.m. at San Diego.
Boys basketball playoff certification deadlines are the same as the girls, just one round behind. The boys state championships will be played March 12-13 at the Alamodome. Like the girls, some boys teams will have to play three rounds in one week, and games can be played on consecutive days if needed.
Boys teams were asked to complete bi-district games as soon as possible if district standings and playoff representatives were certified. District 32-5A champion Brownsville Pace, Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Brownsville IDEA Riverview kicked off the East Valley boys playoffs action Thursday.
The Pace Vikings advanced to the area round after a 77-68 win over McAllen Memorial. Brownsville Veterans lost 69-56 to McAllen Rowe. The Brownsville IDEA Riverview Rockets lost 94-12 to North Mission IDEA.
Los Fresnos was scheduled to play its bi-district game at 5 p.m. Friday at PSJA North. Harlingen High will host Edinburg North at 2 p.m. today, and the Harlingen South Hawks will travel to La Joya High for a 3 p.m. tipoff.
The District 32-4A champion Port Isabel Tarpons are scheduled to take on Robstown at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Falfurrias. The La Feria Lions are set to play Kingsville King at 2 p.m. today in Kingsville. Raymondville will face Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway at 7 p.m. Monday at Kingsville King.
In Class 3A, Brownsville Jubilee was scheduled to travel to face Pharr Vanguard at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The Lyford Bulldogs will host the Santa Rosa Warriors at 6 p.m. Monday. Brownsville IDEA Frontier will face Monte Alto at noon today at Donna IDEA.
Santa Maria is the No. 1 seed in District 32-2A and will play Kenedy at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Alice. San Perlita picked up a first-round bye and will face the winner of the Dime Box/Prairie Lea game in the Class 1A area round.
TAPPS moved its basketball district certification deadline to Feb. 25 and scheduled the playoffs to begin Feb. 27 for boys and girls. The Brownsville St. Joseph Bloodhounds will play for the District 4-5A title against Laredo St. Augustine at 5 p.m. Monday at home. The Lady Bloodhounds received a first-round bye after clinching a district championship.
