VALLEY, Texas (KFDA) - The Valley Patriots are back in the UIL 1A Division I boys basketball state championship game for the second straight season. They will face No. 7 Fayetteville Thursday morning at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Patriots advance past Munday
Valley defeated Munday by 11 points Monday to advance to the title game. Last season, the Patriots reached the championship game but fell to Perrin-Whitt by 19 points.
Experience drives confidence
Members of the Patriots’ boys basketball team said the squad’s chemistry, built over years of playing together, and the experience of last season’s title game run have prepared them for Thursday.
“I think we’ve built a lot of trust in each other...we’ve been playing together since elementary,” said senior Carson Tucker. “That’s built up our chemistry over a long time and our trust with each other.”
Senior Kanyon Taylor brought up the team’s state finals game last season. “Last year was kind of our first year...we’re all taking it in, like kind of feeling the hype a little bit more, just a little nervous, things like that, but I feel like this year we’ve been there and done that,” Taylor said. “I think our experience will carry over.”
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Junior Damian Valdes echoed Taylor’s thoughts. “I think in a lot of these past games through this playoff, it’s a lot closer,” he said. “I think definitely the experience of last year has helped us just keep our composure.”
Kanyon Taylor’s younger brother, Corbin, added onto what his teammates said. “I think it definitely helps whenever the games are close, that we know that we can pull ahead and we know that we’ve done it before, so it just helps with that confidence, and just to stay complete and just get it done,” he said.
Thursday’s game is Fayetteville’s first state championship appearance. A Valley win would be the program’s first boys basketball state title. Tip-off is set for 11:00 a.m. CST.
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