Roundup: Lady Knights, Lady Eagles Clinch Basketball District Championships

The Friday feels were filled with championship cheers.

 

With their victories, the Harker Heights Lady Knights and Ellison Lady Eagles clinched district titles with one game remaining in the regular season.

 

The Lady Knights (24-9 overall) improved to 10-1 in District 12-6A with a convincing 61-40 win over visiting Copperas Cove that was followed by a mild celebration at midcourt. Festivities will ramp up Tuesday, Feb. 4, though, when head coach Shirretha Nelson is recognized for reaching 300 career wins and senior Arianna Jennings is honored for eclipsing 1,000 career points.

 

Both ceremonies will be held prior to the 7 p.m. tipoff versus Waco Midway.

 

On Friday, Jennings posted a team-high 28 points, including five 3-pointers. Amanda Grate added 22 points, making four 3s over her own, for Harker Heights.

 

KHS girls soccer 12-1The Lady Eagles (24-10, 9-0), meanwhile, wrapped up their District 16-5A crown with a workman-like 39-36 win over upset-minded Belton. It is Ellison’s ninth district title with head coach Sherry McKinnon in charge.

 

Ellison’s regular-season finale Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. against Chaparral will include a postgame reception for McKinnon, who is coaching her final game at EHS gym.

 

The Lady Bobcats (22-11, 7-2) locked up the second seed in 16-5A with a runaway win over Lake Belton, 66-47, on Friday night. Chazlyn Dettor (20 points), Ivy Powell (19) and Demiyah Carter (16) scored in double figures for Chaparral.

 

Speaking of the playoffs, the Shoemaker Lady Grey Wolves sewed up the second seed out of 12-6A with their comfortable 61-30 win over Bryan on Friday. Shoemaker is now 16-10 overall and 8-3 in district.

 

The Killeen Lady Roos dropped a tough road title, 32-27, to Temple.

 

Boys basketball

The Class 5A fifth-ranked Eagles (23-5) welcomed second-place Belton into EHS gym Friday night and soared right by the Tigers, 92-34, to move to 7-0 in District 16-5A –– one win shy of a third consecutive championship.

 

Layup at EHSAlso in 16-5A on Friday, the Chaparral Bobcats (19-12, 3-4) picked up an important road win over Lake Belton, 61-39, that put them into fourth place by two games with three to play in the regular season.

 

In District 12-6A, Shoemaker (16-12, 8-1) regained its solo lead after it –– led by 27 points from Khalif Richardson and 23 more from D’Anthony Moore –– rolled through Bryan, 95-68, and Harker Heights (23-9, 8-2) was upended by Copperas Cove, 68-52. Killeen lost at home 60-43 to Temple.

 

Ellison, Heights and Shoemaker have qualified for the playoffs.

 

Soccer

Boys

Shoemaker (3-1-0 District 12-6A) moved to the top of the district standings with a 2-0 win over Bryan on Friday. Also tallying a victory in 12-6A was Harker Heights, which downed Copperas Cove 4-1. Killeen lost a high-scoring encounter, 6-3, to Temple.

 

In 16-5A, Jayden Bennett scored three goals as Chaparral edged Lake Belton 3-2 in the teams’ district opener. Belton eked past Ellison, 1-0.

 

Girls

Chaparral couldn’t have started 16-5A any better, defeating perennial district-title contender Lake Belton 1-0 at Searles Stadium. The Lady Eagles dropped their opener to Belton on the road.

 

CHS soccer 1-31In 12-6A, Harker Heights and Killeen fell in close contests to Copperas Cove and Temple, respectively.

 

Tennis

The spring tennis season is underway, and Chaparral and Ellison competed in the Waco ISD tournament on Friday.

 

Lyla Villafane led the way for the Lady Bobcats, finishing second in girls singles. For the Eagles, Alex Han won his bracket, Jeremy Cassens and Norris Richardson were second in boys doubles, and Rayne Mikell and Carlos Nunez Morales placed second in mixed doubles.

 

More photos from a busy Friday can be viewed here.

 

Middle school basketball results

 

Girls –– Monday, Jan. 27

 

Eighth-grade A: Smith 43, Audie Murphy 19; Manor 36, Eastern Hills 17; Liberty Hill 48, JDA 31; Rancier 16, Nolan 10; Palo Alto 28, Live Oak Ridge 0

 

Seventh-grade A: Audie Murphy 16, Smith 12; Manor 17, Eastern Hills 11; Liberty Hill 42, JDA 13; Palo Alto 18, Live Oak Ridge 6; Rancier 24, Nolan 20; Patterson 32, Union Grove 22

 

Seventh-grade B: Patterson 17, Union Grove 6

 

Boys –– Thursday, Jan. 30

 

Eighth-grade A: Smith 37, Audie Murphy 31; Eastern Hills 53, Manor 34; JDA 47, Liberty Hill 22; Nolan 60, Rancier 35; Live Oak Ridge 46, Palo Alto 32; Patterson 73, Union Grove 37

 

Eighth-grade B: Audie Murphy 27, Smith 13; Eastern Hills 27, Manor 10; JDA 23, Liberty Hill 13; Rancier 26, Nolan 21; Palo Alto 32, Live Oak Ridge 29; Patterson 19, Union Grove 15

 

Seventh-grade A: Smith 44, Audie Murphy 12; Liberty Hill 49, JDA 29; Nolan 49, Rancier 21; Union Grove 44, Patterson 28; Live Oak Ridge 20, Palo Alto 15

 

Seventh-grade B: Smith 33, Audie Murphy 21; Liberty Hill 40, JDA 11; Rancier 18, Nolan 10; Union Grove 36, Patterson 11; Live Oak Ridge 31, Palo Alto 17

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