On Saturday, the Santa Rosa Warriors boys basketball team punched its ticket to the 2017 UIL Class 3A state tournament with an emphatic win over Poth in the Region IV-3A championship. On Sunday, the Warriors found out who now stands in their way of bringing home a state title.
The Warriors (34-3), who are the state’s second-ranked 3A team, will take on Dallas Madison (26-8), which is Texas’ top-ranked 3A squad, in the state semifinals. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at San Antonio’s Alamodome.
Madison advanced to the state semis with an easy 79-57 win over Ponder in the Class 3A Region II final at Rockwall Heath High School on Saturday. In the win, the Trojans defense forced 20 turnovers and were led offensively by 6-foot senior guard Patrick Terry, who finished with 25 points, and 6-foot-6 senior forward JeMichael Bowens, who pumped in 16 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, had six assists and four blocks.
The Warriors are making their fourth trip to the state tournament, with their last one coming in 2009 when they fell to Ponder in the 2A state semis 77-54. Before that they qualified in 1961 and 1962.
Meanwhile, Madison is making its ninth state appearance and fourth trip in the last five years. The Trojans actually won the Class 3A title in consecutive seasons in 2013 and 2014, but ended up forfeiting the crown each time to Houston Yates because of ineligible players. The last time Madison won a championship that held up was in 2009 when they beat Lubbock Estacado.
But while Madison is definitely one of the more experienced squads in this year’s 3A final four, the Trojans still take a backseat to Brock (29-8), which faces Jarrell (33-3-1), in the other semi on Thursday. Brock is making its 10th state tournament appearance and last won the title just two yeas ago when the Eagles defeated Universal City Randolph in the 2015 3A championship game.
The 3A state title game is set for 10 a.m. Saturday.
