White Oak, Martins Mill set the standard for ET basketball

Published 10:17 pm Saturday, March 9, 2013

Move over, burnt orange.

When it comes to area basketball, the color maroon ruled at UT’s Frank Erwin Center this season.

That’s because the maroon-clad Martins Mill Lady Mustangs and White Oak Roughnecks claimed state titles there. And both did so in memorable fashion, Martins Mill with a late comeback and White Oak with a game-winning shot.

The results were the Class 1A Division I girls title for the powerhouse Lady Mustangs and the second consecutive 2A boys championship for the mighty Roughnecks. Both teams rocked the house in the Music Capital of the World, which also happens to be hosting the South by Southwest Musical Festival this week.

Last week, top-ranked Martins Mill capped its eighth consecutive trip to the big dance with its third title in a dramatic 49-46 win against No. 11 Smyer to complete the season a remarkable 34-5. The Lady Mustangs trailed by eight points with less than three minutes left, but used defense to create opportunities and rallied all the way back and then some.

“They didn’t stop playing,” Martins Mill coach Doug Barncastle said after the game. “They just kept fighting and fighting and putting pressure and pressure and making them turn the ball over.”

It was the final high school game for Lady Mustangs standouts Haily Jenkins, Taylor Munns and Meagan Weatherford. It followed an overtime victory against Snook in the state semifinals.

“It was definitely a special year for us,” Barncastle said. “Even in the regional tournament playing against Zavalla; after three quarters we were tied up. We dug deep and found a way to win. In the Snook game it went to overtime. And we’re beat in the championship game, but the Jenkins kid, the Munns kid and the Weatherford kid didn’t stop playing.”

The dedication to play until the final buzzer took center stage again this weekend, which featured White Oak’s Kris Anderson ending his prep career in storybook fashion. The senior scored on a layup with two seconds left to lift the second-ranked Roughnecks to a 56-54 win over No. 5 Brock in front an audience of 11,241.

It was the fitting end of the season for the Roughnecks, who came as close to perfection as possible while finishing with only one loss.

It was also the final high school game for seniors Skylar Sutton and Levi Yancy, who will graduate as members of one of the most decorated teams in East Texas basketball history.