Hornets come in at 24
The 2020-2021 high school basketball season is getting underway, and the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches have released their preseason rankings. A number of Hopkins county teams find themselves inside the top-25 after having strong seasons last year and having a number of returning players.
SALTILLO LADY LIONS
The Saltillo Lady Lions are set to have a very strong season, opening the year ranked No. 5 in Class 1A. The Lady Lions went 31-7 a season ago, with an 11-0 record in district play. They made it as far as the regional semifinals before falling 42-34 to Eula. Their playoff run included an exciting four-overtime win over Slidell in which they won 51-43.
Saltillo had just one senior on their roster last year, and are ready to pick up where they left off. The Lady Lions were picked by TABC to win District 24, with Sulphur Bluff and Avery finishing in second place and third place, respectively.
SALTILLO LIONS
The Saltillo Lions had a great 2019-2020 season, going 30-5 and 10-0 in district play. The Lions opened their playoff with a big 64-44 win over Henrietta Midway in the area round of the playoffs before falling to Slidell.
The Lions return a majority of their roster, including district MVP from a season ago, Chris Boekhorst. Boekhorst will be leading the way along with last year’s Offensive Player of the Year, Andrew Redburn. Sophomore Gunner Tarver also played a big role last season, being named First Team All-District as a freshman.
The Lions are expected to win their district, with Avery picked to finish in second place, and Sulphur Bluff picked to come in third place.
MILLER GROVE HORNETS
The Miller Grove Hornets enter the season at No. 24 in the preseason rankings. The Hornets didn’t lose a single player from their playoff roster a season ago, and have an extra season of postseason experience under their belts. The Hornets will look to senior Kobe Roberson and junior Isaiah Billingsley to lead their team back to the playoffs this season.
Miller Grove is picked to finish in second place in District 23, behind only Dodd City who starts the season at No. 16.
The big surprise of the preseason rankings is that the Sulphur Springs Wildcats are nowhere to be found. Despite losing three starters, the Wildcats return a number of players who played a big role last season, including guard Boo Wilkerson, who was named First Team All-District a season ago. Wilkerson will be joined by big man Justin Haire and guard Lamodrick Johnson. Johnson was named Second Team All-District a season ago, while Haire was named honorable mention.
The Wildcats are predicted to finish second place in District 15-5A behind only Mount Pleasant who enters the season ranked No. 15.