GAMES
RANKINGS
Watch out for Westfield
BRACKETOLOGY: Breaking down the girls public school playoffs
All have star power -- Ayla McDowell of Cy Springs is a nationally-ranked sophomore; sophomores Bree Riley and Margan Allen of Grand Oaks make up one of the most lethal backcourts in the state; Westfield’s Kierra Merchant (UH) averages 26 per game and Klein Collins’ junior Christin Callens is a walking double-double.
Best Story – Aldine High made the postseason this year after being out of the playoffs for years.
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Class 6A Region III is blood bath in Houston as six state-ranked teams go for bragging rights.
Pearland, Hightower and Katy battle in the top half of the bracket, while Summer Creek, Austin and Deer Park are in the bottom half.
UNC-signee RyLee Grays is a matchup problem in the paint, averaging 16 and 11, while the duo of Andrea Sturdivant and Kelechi Dike make FB Austin a tough out. Summer Creek hasn’t been as dominant this season, but could get hot at the right time. Could Deer Park sneak up on teams with Maci Whitfield?
Don’t Sleep On: Clear Brook, West Brook and North Shore can beat anyone in the field on any given night.
In Class 5A Region III, Fulshear is coming out of the southwest, Manvel from the south, Barbers Hill from the west and Lake Creek from the north.
Sisters Ruke and Ese Ogbevire have led the Chargers to an unblemished district record, while Manvel has also cruised through their district going undefeated. Make that a third in Barbers Hill going 14-0 and 30-5 overall. The Hill’s Bryan Harris has already won a State Title as the head coach of Manvel a few years back.
Cinderella Story: Willowridge returns to the postseason after at 10-year absence.
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In Class 4A Region III, the Bay City Black Cats are pretty legit, going undefeated in district play. The ‘Cats are balanced with super sophs Alaysia Cook and Kylee Perry and junior Alizia Gonzales, who all average in double-figures.
Westfield QB1 PJ Hatter
THE UNDERDOG: Westfield; Hatter intend to prove doubters wrong
Move-in QB PJ Hatter is at the center of the Mustangs' success.
After playing for Klein Oak his sophomore and junior seasons, Hatter chose to finish his high school football career at Westfield and hasn’t looked back.
“Having a great team and coaching staff has really helped me develop my game,” said Hatter. “At Westfield, there’s so much energy in the locker room. Everyone gets hyped before every game and we have motivated each other to win throughout this season.”
The Westfield Mustangs' StandoutsBradley Collier (VYPE)
Like Westfield, Hatter's performance has gone under the radar. With little attention from college scouts, the QB has seemingly played with a chip on his shoulders.
“We like being the underdogs,” Hatter said. “We love to prove people wrong. We don’t really get into it that much but we just look at it as motivation.”
Hatter has been exceptional, throwing for 42 touchdowns and adding 10 scores on the ground, He has led the Mustangs to a 9-1 record in the regular season while advancing past Conroe (62-7), Klein Collins (41-38), and Waxahachie (10-7) through the first three rounds of the postseason.
Westfield has its work cut out for them in the Class 6A Regional Finals against Duncanville Saturday at 3 pm in Georgetown. Duncanville is a familiar opponent and has a stifling defense, giving up only 16 points in the postseason. It will be huge test for the 'Stangs.
“The key to beating [Duncanville] is to stay focused,” said Hatter. “We have to trust our coaches' game plan and have the energy to play hard every down.”