GAMES
RANKINGS
Does Hightower have enough to reach State?
THE PREDICTIONS: Who advances to State in Houston girls hoops?
THE GALLERY
On the other side of the bracket, it’s Katy Taylor vs Dawson. The Eagles are a heavy favorite going undefeated in district play and blowing out their opponents. Katy Taylor has had a great season and finished third in district play.
In Region II, The Woodlands will face defending State Champ Duncanville in the third round. Coach Ashley Davis has TURNED this Highlander program around Aiden Pino, Isa Alaniz and Rachael Roberts are the big three for TWHS. Duncanville is too tough defensively and can run the floor at a break-neck pace.
How about those Nimitz Cougars, who won their district and are led by crafty guard Aniah Richard. Chloe Williams and Tatiyanna Cole do work in the paint along with Kira Hubbard. Cedar Hill is salty and plays in a brutal district with Duncanville, DeSoto and South Grand Prairie.
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THE PREDICTION
Summer Creek will face Dawson for the right to got to State. VYPE goes with Dawson with Jaylynn Perez-Richard, Kendall Ford, Mia Barre and Jaycee Ingram to advance in a mild upset. In Region II, the road ends for TWHS and Nimitz after great seasons. They just run into to big of buzz saws to advance.
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The Class 6A DII divsions are a blood-bath.
In Region III, Hightower and Fulshear battle out west, while Alief Taylor and Clear Brook match talent for talent. Huge star power in these match-ups, starting with Alief Taylor’s Nataliyah Gray (Mississippi State), Fulshear’s Ruke Ogbevire, Hightower’s Chandler Caver (Loyola-New Orleans) and Kailee Beaudion-Foliaki (Northeastern) and Clear Brook’s Rezia Castillo (A&M-Commerce), Chardel Terrell (UTEP) and Kamryn McLaurin. If they were to meet, Alief Taylor and Fulshear are district-mates and split their series… by three points per game.
In Region II, Cypress Springs has two of the top players in the state in Ayla McDowell (South Carolina) and Jemini Mitchell. They face a legendary DeSoto team, which has lost a little luster with all the drama surrounging the program. Grand Oaks and Lancaster is going to be legit. Grizzly guard Bree Riley is a tough guard who can score and is uber-confident. State Top 5 Lancaster counters with Makenzie White, Monique Phoenix and Arianna Davis.
THE PREDICTION
VYPE goes with Alief Taylor vs Hightower in the finals with Hightower advancing to State. The Hurricanes just have a tremendous inside-out game with multiple scoring options. In Region II, Cypress Springs should advance to the Final Four beating Lancaster in the Regional Finals.
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In Class 5A DI, La Porte went 28-10 and won its district. The Bulldogs will face Hendrickson in the third round of Class 5A DI Region III bracket, while Barbers Hill will face Pflugerville in the Regional Semis. The Hill is 30-7 and won their district easily.
THE PREDICTION: Both Houston teams advance. La Porte is a bit of a sleeper while Bryan Harris of Barbers Hill has already won a State Title with Manvel. Experience matters.
Ayla McDowell of Cy Springs
THE HISTORY LESSON: Cy Springs leads VYPE's Top 5 State Contenders; the brackets
Cypress Woods, under the direction of Cy-Fair ISD athletic director Virginia Flores, won it in 2015 over Dallas Skyline. Erica Ogwumike was the game’s MVP and Nancy Mulkey was on the all-tournament team.
A year before, the Manvel Mavs beat Duncanville with Brianna Turner leading the way. She starred at Notre Dame, where she would win a National Championship.
In 2008 and 2010, Cy-Fair won State with the likes of Nneka Ogwumike and Chiney Ogwumike. Both were stars at Stanford and overall No. 1 picks in the WNBA.
So, what gives?
Over nearly 20 years, four teams have won State… three being from the Cy-Fair ISD.
Ten years after Cy Woods won the last H-Town title, there is a team that looks the part of a State Champion.
Shockingly, from the Cy-Fair ISD - Cypress Springs. The Panthers are blessed with a pair of national stars in Ayla McDowell and Jemini Mitchell. McDowell is a McDonald’s All-American and headed to super-power South Carolina, while Mitchell is one of the top sophomores in the country.
Looking ahead in the Class 6A DII Region II bracket, the Panthers are on a collision course with state-ranked Lancaster out of Dallas to get to the State Final Four.
Yes, DeSoto is in there, but the Eagles aren’t the Eagles of old.
With Cypress Springs as the No. 1 team in H-Town with realistic State Title dreams, who else has a shot as the playoffs have expanded into two divisions per classification?
THE GALLERY
Ayla McDowell of Cy Springs
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THE TOP 5 CONTENDERS
No. 1 Cy Springs - A lock for the State Final Four in Class 6A DII Region II. Too much star power.
No. 2 Hightower - Coach Jasmine Brewer has a balanced lineup with great guards and a talented young post in Okeke. Only CE King and Alief Taylor stand in the way in Class 6A DII Region III… kind of.
No. 3 Dawson - Journey Lovett, Jaycee Ingram, Kendall Ford, Mia Barre and Jaylynn Perez-Richard are connected as a team and ran the table in a competitive district. Summer Creek, Pearland or Cinco Ranch will challenge the Class 6A DI Region III State Final Four spot. Clear Brook has a “Big Three” as well.
No. 4 Summer Creek - the Lady Bulldogs have played a BRUTAL non-conference schedule that may have them prepared for a run. They have the playoff experience and a bona fide star in Kennedy Simpson. They can win every playoff game in Class 6A DI Region III… but on the flip… they can lose them all too.
No. 5 Alief Taylor - The Lions have a special talent in Nataliyah Gray (Miss. State signee), but don’t sleep on Madison Bush-Lewis and Samyra Williams in support. If they BELIEVE they are supposed to be in this conversation, they have a shot.
SLEEPER ALERTS - Klein Collins is well-coached with young stars who are hungry. Grand Oaks and Bree Riley can run, run, run. Cinco Ranch has a bucket in Foye, while Clear Brook has McLauren, Castillo and Terrell balancing the floor. Wheatley and Willowridge are the top teams from Houston in Class 4A. Barbers Hill and Friendswood lead the way in Class 5A.
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THE BRACKETS