Photo by VYPE Media's Bradley Collier.
This district has a lot of potential going into the 2020-2021 season. It starts with the City of Cedar Park, which has enjoyed an extended stretch of basketball dominance. This year's Timberwolves plan to build off last year's UIL 5A Region III final appearance and 33 wins with a loaded roster that includes all-state player and UIL 17-5A Newcomer of the Year Gisella Maul, all-region Shelby Hayes, UIL 17-5A Defensive MVP Alisa Knight, first-team all-district Sarai Estupinan and all-district honorable mention Elaine King.
Photo from Cedar Park Coach Donny Ott.
Another great basketball hotbed is Georgetown ISD. The Georgetown Eagles finished the 2019-2020 season with 26 wins and the Georgetown East View Patriots topped that with 27 victories. Both teams are also coming off a UIL 5A Region III area round appearance. The Eagles, who have been led by Rhonda Farney in 33 of her 45 years as a head coach and been a major part of her 1,183 career wins, expect big things from first-team all-district honoree and John Brown University commit Graci Harris and fellow notable athletes Nia Williams, Jacqui Spencer and Lauren Woodard, while the Patriots have a large role for UIL 18-5A MVP Mary Brown.
Photo by VYPE Media's Bradley Collier.
The district's depth continues with the very successful Liberty Hill athletic department. The Panthers' girls basketball team is making the jump from UIL 4A to UIL 5A and plans to immediately find success in the higher classification like its school's football and volleyball programs have in the opening months of the 2020-2021 school year. It advanced to the UIL 4A Region IV Quarterfinal and won 23 games during the 2019-2020 season and have big roles for all-region honoree and UIL 27-4A MVP Jessica Holliday, first-team all-district players Baylee Laird, Regan Walker and Kenzy Wise, second-team all-district athletes Emma Hubbard and Morgan Jackson and all-district honorable mention Madison Walker.
The town of Leander is home to a trio of programs. The first two, Leander Rouse and Leander Glenn, are motivated after just missing the 2019-2020 postseason due to tying for fifth in last year's UIL 17-5A district standings. The Raiders won 19 games and have leaders in first-team all-district honorees Avonnie Justice and Cailyn Kieper and all-district honorable mention Nya Mackey, while the Grizzlies earned 10 victories and will lean on first-team all-district athlete Ashley Bonneville, second-team all-district honoree Londyn Steere and all-district honorable mention Angelina Williams.
Don't forget Marble Falls, who played a UIL 5A Region III bi-district playoff game, won 16 games and tied for second in the competitive UIL 17-5A district during the 2019-2020 campaign. The Mustangs plan to stay in the 2020-2021 playoff hunt with second-team all-district honoree Gia Lemon.
And Leander plans to take advantage of its drop from UIL 6A to UIL 5A with all-district honorable mention players Parker Bradley and Bella Leal.
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