HS Boys Basketball: Cold Weather Gives Teams Opportunity to Size One Another Up in Current Rankings

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- With school districts shut down due to cold weather, the boys basketball teams of 13-6A get to pause and reflect on their current spots in the district standings.

Several intense battles have left the best of 13-6A as the true leaders in the standings. Head-to-head matchups through one full playthrough of the district and a few rematches still leave some room for playoff contenders to jump into postseason position, while some may fall out.

1st: Grand Oaks Grizzlies

Despite being under a first-year Head Coach, the Grizzlies have not skipped a beat during their tear through 13-6A.

Coach Anthony Stephens’ boys have been playing at the top of their game throughout their 29-game season. Tough out-of-district opponents have shaped Grand Oaks into a well-tuned machine prepared for whatever challenges may come their way.

The balance of talent, preparation, and stand-out coaching has rewarded the Grizzlies with a perfect 10-0 record through district play, including crucial home wins against College Park and Willis. As such, the Grizzlies sit at number one in the district standings, two games ahead of their second-place pursuer.

2nd: College Park Cavaliers

The reigning district champions find themselves in an interesting spot despite steady play that harkens back to their title run from last season.

As a high-scoring offensive unit, the Cavaliers have not been shy about showing just how powerful their play can be when the team is firing on all cylinders. Aiden Buckmon and Ian Inman make a powerful scoring duo that has outpaced many teams, including big wins from some of the best teams in Texas.

However, despite their readiness from outside the district, College Park has stumbled to two losses through district play. A tough loss against the red-hot Grand Oaks Grizzlies came as an early surprise to the Cavs, but the biggest shock of the season came against the hated Woodlands Highlanders in a 79-85 stunner of a loss in overtime.

With an 8-2 record through district play, the Cavaliers will need help from another team to hand the Grizzlies a loss should College Park snag a victory on their home floor in the rescheduled rematch against Grand Oaks on Thursday.

3rd: Conroe Tigers

Even though their 11-15 record would indicate a step back for Conroe, their sheer will and determination through their district competitions have paid off in giving the Tigers a fighting chance at securing a postseason ticket.

First-year Head Coach Tigee Rideaux brings loads of coaching experience to the table, and it is clear that the lessons of a tough stretch from outside 13-6A have started to come around during the team’s 7-3 performance.

Consequential wins over teams like Willis, The Woodlands, and Oak Ridge have kept the team afloat in a favorable third-place position. One loss from College Park would send the Tigers into a runner-up spot, while the cushion of a two-game lead on the fifth-place spot leaves some room for error.

4th: Willis Wildkats

The third first-year Head Coach inside of playoff position inherited a tough-as-nails purple-and-white squad that feasts on other teams' mistakes in the name of highlight-reel plays and explosive wins.

A clear strength of the Wildkats has been their jack-of-all-trades offense, which can adjust on the fly to suit their scoring needs. Shooting from behind the arch, bruising for inside points, or isolating for one-on-one buckets are all within Willis’ wheelhouse.

Clean sweeps over The Woodlands and some of the lower teams in 13-6A give the Wildkats enough breathing room to feel secure in their fourth-place spot. However, high-caliber opponents in Grand Oaks, College Park, and Conroe have all gotten the best of the Wildkats throughout the season, leaving the team at 7-3.

Needing wins against tough opponents to stay in the playoff picture, Willis will need to continue their electrifying play.

5th: Oak Ridge War Eagles

Just outside of the playoff window sit the Oak Ridge War Eagles. But, the team’s 5-5 record in district play is a strong showing of improvement for a team that came nowhere close to sniffing the postseason last year.

Included in Oak Ridge’s wins are a handful of victories over lesser district opponents, but the team’s defining win came against the playoff-hopeful Highlanders. A thrilling 63-55 contest in overtime saw the War Eagles stun The Woodlands on their home floor.

Oak Ridge’s crucial win keeps the team gravitating around .500 on the district record, but the chances of making the postseason are slimming. Two games back of the Willis Wildkats, the War Eagles would need serious help from the other 13-6A squads to knock the Wildkats down a peg while simultaneously securing big wins themselves.

6th: The Woodlands Highlanders

It has been tough sledding for the Highlanders during the 2024-25 campaign. Youth and fresh faces throughout the roster have promised a bright future, but the present situation of tough losses and impressive wins has created a mixed outlook on the current season.

Coming off a year that needed a tiebreaker game to put the team into the playoffs, The Woodlands has experienced the highs of defeating the rivaling College Park Cavaliers on their home floor and the lows of losing to Oak Ridge in front of a friendly crowd.

The tough losses, including a current four-game losing streak, have pushed the Highlanders down to a 4-6 record that jeopardizes Head Coach Dale Reed’s lengthy playoff streak. With more intimidating matchups ahead of them, The Woodlands need to rely on their incredible defensive abilities to secure hopeful wins that may be enough to get the team to the promised land.

7th: Cleveland Indians

Two district wins on the year may not seem impressive, but compared to an incredibly rocky 2024-25, two wins in a massive jump.

The Indians went winless in their district play last season, finishing with a perfectly imperfect 0-16. Aiding Cleveland’s jump in production have been wins against Caney Creek and New Caney by an average score of eight points.

Playoff play is likely out of the cards for the Indians in 2025, but an optimistic outlook on the year and noticeable improvement all add to steps heading in the right direction.

8th: New Caney Eagles

Taking a drastic step back from their playoff potential in 2024-25, the Eagles have faced tough competition and come out worse for wear.

Not helping New Caney was a drastic change in the team’s roster from last season. Graduations and transfers out of the school have severely handicapped the team’s play in a year that has only snagged the team one district win.

Their victory over Caney Creek keeps the team out of last place for the time being.

9th: Caney Creek Panthers

Winless in the district slate, the Panthers have faced numerous defeats that have pushed the team to the very bottom of the district standings.

A currently 0-9 record in 13-6A has seen every team hand Caney Creek a loss, and the hopes of avenging stated losses are looking thin. The best chances for the Panthers to secure wins in 2025 look to be against either Cleveland or New Caney with both being inside Caney Creek’s home gym.