TABC releases rankings, district picks

Basketball season is underway for most teams in the state of Texas as many teams in the Gonzales area begin what could be long playoff runs in the 2018-19 season. To kick things off, the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) released their preseason state rankings as well as their picks for which teams they believe will make it to the playoffs.

As been the case for the past few years, the Waelder boys basketball team is listed as the highest ranked team in Gonzales County. In Class 1A, the Wildcats are 11th in the preseason state rankings. Right above them are their rivals, the Moulton Bobkatz, ranked eighth in the state. Dime Box, another District 30-1A opponent, is ranked 20th.

Moulton, Waelder and Dime Box were picked by TABC to take first, second and third in the district, in that respective order.

The Gonzales Apaches have their eyes set on making the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Placed in District 30-4A this realignment, the TABC has the Apaches missing the playoffs for the eighth season in a row. La Vernia was picked to win the district with Pleasanton taking second, Poteet third and Cuero fourth. None of the teams in the district were ranked by TABC.

After missing the playoffs last season, the Nixon-Smiley Mustangs look to get back to postseason play in the new District 27-3A. The Mustangs were not picked by TABC as top four team in the district. Poth was predicted as the district champion with Stockdale placing second, Luling third and Karnes City fourth. None of the teams were ranked by TABC.

In Class 2A basketball, Shiner will be competing in District 29-2A with Wallis Brazos was pegged as the district champion with Yorktown taking second, Flatonia third and Weimar fourth. Brazos is state ranked at 23rd.

In TAPPS 2A boys basketball, the TABC did not release their picks for district champion, although of the four teams in TAPPS District 5-2A, San Antonio St. Gerard was the lone top 10 team ranked as sixth overall in TABC’s Top 10 2A private school rankings. St. Paul will also compete against Bulverde Bracken Christian and Victoria Faith Academy.

On the girls side, Shiner St. Paul is ranked first in all of 2A private school. No one else in their district was ranked.

The Lady Apaches were picked to make the playoffs yet again, this time as the third seed out of District 30-4A. Navarro was pegged as the first seed with La Vernia taking second and Cuero taking third. Navarro was ranked 19th in the state, the lone team in the district to claim top 25 honors by TABC.

Nixon-Smiley has been predicted by the TABC to miss the playoffs, with Poth taking first in District 27-3A girls basketball, Karnes City second, Yoakum third and Luling fourth. Poth was ranked fourth in Class 3A, the lone girls basketball team in the district to be ranked.

A rising Waelder Lady Cats program was picked to miss out on the playoffs with TABC tabbing the always-dominant Moulton on top of District 30-1A, followed by Fayetteville and Prairie Lea. Moulton is ranked ninth in Class 1A, the lone team in the district to be ranked.

Shiner was picked to miss the playoffs with TABC putting in Wallis Brazos, Flatonia, Yorktown and Weimar as playoff teams out of District 29-2A. No team was state ranked by the TABC.