1 vs. 2: Martin’s Mill to play for state title against Lipan in non-district rematch

Published 4:00 pm Wednesday, March 5, 2025

A rematch from late December will take place in the Class 2A Division 2 championship game.

No. 1 Martin’s Mill (35-1) will face No. 2 Lipan (34-4) at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

“We’ve got our hands full,” Martin’s Mill head boys basketball coach Greg Jenkins said on Tuesday night following his team’s 67-33 win over Goldthwaite in the semifinals. “They’ll be the best-coached team we’ve played all year, and they’ve got a couple of dynamic guards out front, so we’ve got our hands full. We’re going to enjoy this tonight and get to work to San Antonio in the morning.”

Martin’s Mill took a 39-36 win over Lipan on Dec. 28, 2024, in the Tenaha Holiday Hoops Tournament. Archer Schneider — Martin’s Mill’s co-leading scorer at 18.3 points per game along with Jak Kinder — didn’t play in that game. Cooper Wright led the Mustangs with 10 points in that contest.

For Martin’s Mill, that game came the after a 61-59 loss to Class 3A No. 2 Tatum, which will play in the Class 3A Division 1 championship game on Friday. The win over Lipan started what is now a 17-game winning streak for the Mustangs.

For Lipan, that game came the day after a 65-52 loss to Class 3A No. 1 Kountze, which will play in the Class 3A Division 2 championship game on Friday. The Indians lost to Kountze earlier in December, as well, and the only other loss for the Indians this season was a 63-59 setback to Tyler HEAT, which Martin’s Mill defeated 67-57 in the season opener. Since the loss to Martin’s Mill, Lipan has won 17 straight games.

Lipan is led by sophomore guard Court Gaylor.

This is Martin’s Mill’s first appearance in a state championship game since 2007 and second overall. The other appearance came when the Mustangs won the Class B championship in 1949.

“It means everything,” Martin’s Mill junior Ryder Marsh said. “I dreamed about this since I was in the fourth grade. We always talked about when we were little, playing little dribblers, always dreamed about playing in San Antonio. Hopefully we get this victory and bring the gold home.”

“We’ve worked for it since we were who knows how little,” junior guard Travis Baber said. “It’s finally here, so soak it in. We’re going to go win it.”

Lipan, which has won a state championship the past two seasons and six state titles overall, is playing in its ninth state title game and fourth consecutive.

Team members for Martin’s Mill are 6-5 junior Archer Schneider, 6-3 junior Cooper Wright, 6-0 sophomore Briar Russell, 6-5 junior Jack Milligan, 5-11 junior Sawyer Moore, 5-11 senior Jak Kinder, 55-10 sophomore Slayde Runyon, 6-0 sophomore Cade Schaeffer, 5-7 sophomore Gaitlin Mewbourn, 5-11 junior Travis Baber, 6-7 junior Ryder Marsh, 5-11 sophomore Carson Schaeffer, 6-1 freshman Austin Baber and 6-1 freshman Lex Coker. The head coach is Greg Jenkins, and he is assisted by Hayden Jenkins, Logan Jenkins and Will Schneider. Support staff are managers Oak Hopkins, Kason Lindsey and Luke Wright; statistician Carrie Jenkins; student trainer David Womble; and athletic trainer Joel Gangross.

Other state championship games are:

All at Alamodome, San Antonio

THURSDAY

1A Division 2: Jayton (27-2) v. Bryson (29-4), 11 a.m.

1A Division 1: Turkey Valley (34-3) vs. Perrin-Whitt (33-5), 1 p.m.

2A Division 1: Waco Meyer (36-3) vs. Hearne (29-5), 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

3A Division 2: Paradise (30-6) vs. Kountze (37-2), 11 a.m.

3A Division 1: Tatum (31-2) vs. Columbus (17-2), 1 p.m.

4A Division 2: Kennedale (32-7) vs. Houston Wheatley (28-7), 5 p.m.

4A Division 1: Dallas Kimball (27-5) vs. Houston Washington (29-4), 7 p.m.

SATURDAY

5A Division 2: Mansfield Summit (32-7) vs. Fort Bend Marshall (37-2), 11 a.m.

5A Division 1: Birdville (35-3) vs. Beaumont West Brook (37-2), 1 p.m.

6A Division 2: Denton Guyer (33-7) vs. Katy Jordan (35-3), 5 p.m.

6A Division 1: Duncanville (26-7) vs. Bellaire (27-10), 7 p.m.