District play is rapidly approaching as well as the mid season point, yes already.
A lot of teams have definitely stepped up and some are still searching to find themselves.
As for my Rankings, they are definitely nothing that you can say are concrete and edged in stone but simply a snapshot of how things are going right now in my opinion.
Many experts have their own opinions, so that would mean everyone reading this! ha
One thing for sure, there is a lot of talent and a lot of hardworking young ladies throughout the city.
Let's enjoy and support them as everything plays out in the future.
TOP 10
1) Steele- They won a very tough Jack Frost Tournament in Georgetown. A tournament filled with all kinds of talent and State Ranked teams. Their defense is tough and cover a lot of space because of their overall team athleticism. When their inside game is going, watch out! If they can continue to hit timely outside shots, this team is a real tough out. You need to have skilled guards and shooters to have a chance.
They might be the team left standing when its all said and done. Wins: John Tyler, Argyle, Brandeis, Floresville Losses: Austin Bowie
2) Antonian- They have won 2 Tournaments that have historically been some of the toughest tournaments around. Winning 1 is impressive, winning both speak volumes. This team is for Real. They do it as a TEAM! Led by Sandy Ramirez heart and grit, this team follows her lead. They play defense the whole court and make you work for every possession. They give themselves plenty of shot opportunities through their defense! You have to play every minute, every second because if you let your guard down, they will take advantage of it in a big way. Wins: Johnson (Twice), Brennan, Brandeis, Amarillo Losses: Johnson
3) Clark- They finally get knocked of the unbeaten ranks this past weekend. Maybe playing a soft schedule hurt them but no matter, this team is solid! They are led by Ria Gulley, who is just an all around tough kid on both ends of the court. She plays with passion to win and helps her team compete at a high level. Wins: Incarnate Word Losses: Killeen, Argyle Liberty Christian
4) Johnson- It seems every game is a totally different game for Johnson in the sense, different players step up at different times. It is still trying to get an identity as it continues to get better. Consistency like I said before is what they are searching for. Everyone loves to see box scores to see who scored what, but in reality some players do so many small thing that they are the glue that keeps everything together. That player for Johnson is Tara Molina. But in the meantime, they are slowly but surely getting the job done. Wins Antonian, Wagner Losses: Antonian (Twice), Taft
5) Incarnate Word- Their toughest challenge will be to overcome their lack of overall size! If they can't get rebounds on the defensive end, they can't get going on fast breaks. If they can't get offensive boards, its one shot and done. And this past week, they had a tough time finding the inside of the bucket. Led by Alexia Torres overall strong showing, the team felt short overcoming that size discrepancy. But they have shown they can compete, no matter what. Wins: Westbury Christian, Kinkaid, Wagner, Floresville Losses: Georgetown, Westbury Christian
6) Wagner- They had a win over Brandeis and enjoyed the rest of the week off! Don't forget about them, they can easily get in a roll! Sometimes teams perform better under the lights when it matters and some teams crumble under the pressure. My gut tells me when you have Amber Ramirez and Kiana Williams that you Respect this team Wins: Brandeis, Brennan, Plano Prestonwood Losses: Incarnate Word, South Grand Prairie, Galena North Shore, Johnson
7) Brennan- They had a tough loss against Antonian in the Championship game in double overtime. Yes it might be a loss but does it really matter to them. In the end in my opinion, it's going to benefit them three fold because of the experience they will learn from playing arguably one of the toughest schedules in the city. Their Big 3, Mo Terry, Megan Valdez and Kinzie Heineman, make this team still a team to reckon with no matter what. Wins: Brandeis Losses: Wagner, Galena Park North Shore, Antonian, Vista Ridge
8) Judson- Like most teams in the city, Judson is still looking for an identity. They have a mixture of seasoned vets with young talent. I really enjoy watching Lena Wilson compete on the court. Still looking for that signature win against a quality opponent. Belle Tovar with a nice offensive game last game out vs O'Connor.
9)Brandeis- They have a played a nice schedule against some of the top teams in the city but they have come up short. Again, the experience that they will pick up will benefit them as the season rolls on. Gabby Connally has the skills and athleticism to take over a game. Wins: Amarillo Losses: Antonian, Steele, Wagner, Brennan
10) Lee- How about those Lee Vols doing some work and getting the job done against the teams they needed to, sitting at 17-1. They are still looking for a signature win against a top 10 team. If you count them out, all I have to say is that confidence is a funny thing. Wouldn't it be something if they kept it up and rolled to a District Championship. Those kids have been working so hard, they deserve anything they can get.
Games to watch:
Steele at Brennan 7pm
Johnson at Incarnate Word 730pm
Go Support Girls Basketball!