District dissertations: CH teams among favorites in 13-3A basketball

Every two years, UIL schools go through the biannual redistricting process, where some schools switch classifications and receive new neighbors in their districts. Most of the attention is placed on the new football districts.

However, also in February and March, the UIL announces districts for all other UIL sports as well as academics and oneact play. Sometimes, these announcements go under the radar.

Over the coming weeks, this space will examine the new districts in the UIL’s offered sports.

A look at the football districts will coincide with the release of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football later this summer.

District 13-3A Basketball

Local team: Chapel Hill

Other teams: Harmony, Mineola, Mount Vernon, Quitman, Winona, Winnsboro

Another local district with a proud basketball tradition, 13-3A boasts three teams (Chapel Hill, Winnsboro, Mount Vernon) who have claimed state titles and a fourth team (Quitman) that has played for a state championship. Winnsboro’s girls are almost fixtures in the state title race; Chapel Hill and Mount Vernon won their titles in succession (MV in 2018, Chapel Hill in 2019).Quitman has the only boys program who has played in the state tournament, playing in the tournament in 1945-46.

Last season, both the Red Devils and Lady Devils challenged for the district championship, with the Red Devils falling in a district playoff to Mineola and the Lady Devils falling in both games against Winnsboro and splitting the series with Mount Vernon. Both Chapel Hill squads will return a decent number of varsity players, with the Devils welcoming back 12 players from last year’s team and the Lady Devils returning nine players. The road won’t be easy through a competitive district, but Chapel Hill welcomes the challenge year in and year out.

On the boys side, Mineola is the defending district champion, winning 20 games and splitting the series with the Red Devils. The Yellowjackets battled with another East Texas powerhouse in the area round, taking Jefferson to overtime before dropping a four-point decision. The Jackets graduated just one player from last year’s team and will be extremely experienced with six incoming seniors. Mineola lost just two games last season by more than 15 points, showing that the team will battle for four quarters.

Winnsboro finished third in the district race, but was the only team not to win a game in the playoffs, after drawing a strong Hooks Hornet squad. The Raiders graduated five seniors, but nine players return with varsity experience. Winnsboro started last year on a 10-game win streak before dropping their second game at the Rivercrest Invitational; in fact, the team’s first three losses came during the invitational (Pewitt, Chisum and Jefferson). The Raiders then alternated wins and losses for almost the rest of the season, save for a two-game winning streak to end the first round of district play. The team lost the next two games before returning to alternating wins and losses. The Raiders split their series with Mineola, beating the Jackets by 10 in Winnsboro but losing a two-point thriller in Mineola. Winnsboro almost upset Chapel Hill in their second meeting, falling in that game by two points as well. The Raiders will seek to finish the job next season and vie for the district title.

Quitman was a feel-good story, breaking an eight-year streak of missing the playoffs last season and reaching the second round, defeating a district champion (Atlanta) in the bi-district round. Five years before returning to the playoffs, the Bulldogs had a winless district record. The playoff win over Atlanta avenged an earlier season loss to the Rabbits. Quitman also split the season series with Chapel Hill, part of a five-game winning streak in the second half of district play. The Bulldogs split the season series with every other team in the district except Winona (whom they swept) and Mineola (who swept them). Quitman will have experience on their side this season after graduating just two seniors from last year’s team. All but one of the team’s 11 returners will be seniors. Quitman could add another chapter to that feel-good story.

After getting a late start on basketball season thanks to a successful run to the football state semifinals, Mount Vernon only played 17 games last season – 12 of which came in district. The Tigers swept Harmony and Winona, split with rival Winnsboro and Quitman and were swept by Chapel Hill and Mineola. Losses to Quitman and Winnsboro to end the season hurt the Tigers’ playoff hopes. Mount Vernon will return the team’s top three leading scorers and graduated three players from last year’s squad. The Tigers will look to bolster their numbers next season; they only have five returning players.

Harmony won just two district games last season, sweeping Winona, and won just 11 games overall. The Eagles went 2-13 in their final 15 games last season and didn’t beat a team other than Winona after Dec. 17, a rough finish for a team that won their first four games of the year. Harmony did provide a tough test for Mineola, losing the first meeting by four at home, so the team is capable of hanging with the top of the district. The Eagles were young last season, with only five graduating seniors and 10 players who were freshmen or sophomores last year.

Winona won their season opener last year and lost their next 20 games to end the season. The Wildcats only lost two games by single digits and ended up forfeiting one of their district games during a Covid uptick in East Texas. The team scored 40 points or fewer 15 times in their 21 games last season but scored a season high 63 points in their last game of the season at Harmony. The Wildcats’ young roster went through some tough times last season, but graduated only two seniors and hope that a year of experience will benefit them.

On the girls’ side, Winnsboro will retain their status as district favorite after advancing to the state championship game and falling in a battle against another state powerhouse, Fairfield. Chapel Hill was the only district opponent to score 40 points or more against the Lady Raiders, doing so in both meetings. Winnsboro lost just six games last season, and lost three by double digits – all against larger schools (Plano John Paul II, Coppell and L.D. Bell) – and held seven opponents to 20 points or fewer. It’s not a stretch to say the road to a state championship likely still runs through Winnsboro.

Mount Vernon lost just two district games last year – both to rival Winnsboro. The Lady Tigers held two of their four playoff opponents to 20 points or fewer as they made the regional semis last year. Mount Vernon played three teams that advanced to their respective state championship games – Fairfield, Winnsboro and eventual 4A champions Brownsboro. The Lady Tigers lost all four games, but stayed within seven points of Brownsboro. Mount Vernon graduated just two players from a young team eager to take the next step.

Mineola was fourth in district last year, advancing to the regional quarterfinals where they were eliminated by Winnsboro. The Lady Jackets defeated a district champion (Atlanta) in the bi-district round and went 1-2 against Mount Vernon in three close games (Mineola’s win came in a tournament; MV swept the Lady Jackets in district play). Chapel Hill and Winnsboro both swept the Lady Jackets in district play. Mineola had an interesting season, losing nine games where they were held to 30 points or fewer, but also advancing three rounds deep before falling to the Lady Raiders. Mineola benefitted from the strong district competition and was competitive in most of their pre-district games. The Lady Jackets will return seven players from a young team, including four incoming sophomores.

Quitman swept Harmony and Winona and had several games where they were in the hunt, taking Mineola to the limit and playing within 10 points of Chapel Hill. The team struggled on the road, winning just two games away from home (Harmony and Winona). The Lady Bulldogs had just two seniors on last year’s squad and hope that a year of experience will propel them in the district standings.

Harmony swept Winona in district play, but won five other games in the season. The team struggled to score for the season, with opponents outscoring the Lady Eagles by more than 300 points across the year. Harmony was held to 35 points or fewer 20 times last season. Harmony had to learn on the job as a team with just one senior last year faced a gauntlet of opponents. The Lady Eagles are another team hoping youth will be on their side this upcoming season.

It was a rough season on the hardwood for Winona’s girls, who won just four games last year. The Lady Wildcats were outscored by 603 points last season and were held to single digits in a loss at home to Chapel Hill. Winnsboro alone outscored Winona last season 204-29. All four of the team’s wins came by double digits last season, but the best team Winona defeated was a Grand Saline team that finished the year with 10 wins. Much like the Wildcat boys, Winona’s girls will bring back a young core of players eager to put the past behind them and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

The teams that come out of 13-3A will almost certainly be battle-tested with several state contenders probable, especially on the girls’ side.