It’s all come down to this.
Almost by fate, the final two Houston area teams that remain in the Class 5A postseason come from the same district.
Magnolia West ended the regular season as the District 21-5A champions (12-2) with Lake Creek right on their heels in the No. 2 spot (11-3). But that was the regular season--this is the playoffs, where anything can happen.
Throughout the 5A bracketology, neither ballclub has yet to drop a single game and they don’t plan on doing so anytime soon.
The Mustangs, led by first-year coach Travis Earles, are coming off a statement sweep over an imposing Barbers Hill team.
Game No. 1 was played at the University of Houston’s Schroeder Park, and saw senior right-hander James Ellwanger deliver yet another exemplary performance on the mound. The Dallas Baptist-signee threw for his second shutout of the postseason, while tacking on nine strikeouts.
In addition, senior IF/P Caylon Dygert, Brandon Seidmeyer (Sr. C), Hayden Carpenter (Sr. OF), and senior 1B Wade Nobles each contributed an RBI on the batting side to round out their 4-0 victory,
Sam Houston State University’s Don Sanders Stadium was the venue for game two, which saw Mag West punch their ticket to the Regional Finals with a 3-1 win over the Eagles--bringing their season record to 32-4.
On the other side, Lake Creek won a decisive single-elimination game against La Porte.
The Lions’ ace, Weston Moss (Sr. RHP) was as effective as ever on the mound. The Texas A&M-signee ultimately earned the “W” for his start, while senior left-hander Jackson Wilkerson delivered the save in relief.
At the plate, Samson Pugh (Sr. IF/OF) and junior infielder Austin Wiederhold remained consistent in the contest--each tallied two base hits--to usher Lake Creek to a 5-2 victory against the Bulldogs, bringing the team’s record to 26-9 on the season.
Despite their relatively short history, Lake Creek is no stranger to this stage, considering they reached the Regional Finals a year ago.
But, given how both of these teams have played through the postseason, this could be anyone’s series.
The Battle for Montgomery County, and more importantly the right to enter the State Tournament, begins this week. This will not be one you want to miss.