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Who goes to State? Region IV Finals Preview
This basketball season has been full of twist and turns but we are almost to the finish line. The Regionals finals are upon us and whoever wins these matchups is going to the state tournament.
Region IV - 6A
In Region IV - 6A, the Westlake Chaps will match up against San Antonio Clark. The last time Clark was in the playoffs was the 2016-2017 season but this year's squad is a confident team and a team that knows how to win close games. Clark has won every game on this Cinderella playoff run by less than 10 points. Austin Westlake has Kansas signee KJ Adams but Westlake is solid from top to bottom. The last time they lost a game was before Thanksgiving, so the Chaps look to continue the winning streak all the way to state. Expect this one to be a tough and hard-fought match-up between these schools.
Tip-off is 7:00pm at New Braunfels Canyon on March 5th.
Region IV - 5A
At the 5A level, McAllen will face off against Leander Glenn. McAllen has been the surprise team of Texas high school basketball playoffs making it to the Regional Final for the first time in school history. But the District 31-5A champs are proving they belong. McAllen beat a good Georgetown team with an effective 2-3 zone that would make Jim Boeheim proud and looks to continue this historic run all the way to State. Glenn has been humming all season long and cruised through the playoffs until the regional semi-finals when they narrowly defeated Victoria West, 61-59. The outcome of this game will depend on how well Glenn handles McAllen's zone.
Tip-off is 6:30pm at Blossom Athletic Center on March 5th.
Region IV - 4A
The 4A level is an all San-Antonio matchup between Boerne and Somerset. Boerne has been atop of the VYPE SATX Basketball Rankings all season and ranked No. 5 in the state entering the playoffs. This is no surprise that the Greyhounds are in the regional finals and look to join the girl's team at the state tournament. On the other side is Somerset who beat last year's Region IV champion Stafford 57-50. Somerset lost to Boerne 85-65 on December 8 but that was a long time ago. This Somerset team hasn't lost a game in two months and hopes to avenge that early-season defeat.
Tip-off is 7:00pm at Taylor Fieldhouse on March 5th.
RECRUITING: Westlake's Klubnik verbals to Clemson University
When you step up to take snaps from under center at Austin Westlake High School, you stand in the spot many greats have before you.
Names like Drew Brees, Nick Foles - both Super Bowl Champions - and Sam Ehlinger come to mind. Now, after his junior season, Cade Klubnik is in that group.
Klubnik stepped into the starting role this past season for the Chaps, replacing Kirkland Michaux, and didn't miss a beat. The junior led Westlake to a perfect 14-0 record, including a win over back-to-back state champion North Shore in the state semifinals, and claiming the Class 6A Division I State Championship in January.
Now, in March, Klubnik - after passing for 3,495 yards and 35 touchdowns this year - has made his college decision.
It's Clemson for the Westlake QB.
"It felt like home since the start," Klubnik said. "I love the expectations they set."
Heading to Clemson, which is about to have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft in Trevor Lawrence to presumably the Jacksonville Jaguars, is a big move for Klubnik, who also had offers from Michigan, Penn State, Florida and Texas A&M.
What also comes with Clemson is playing for Dabo Swinney, who of course coached Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson and, of course, Lawrence. But outside of football talk, Swinney has been know to talk a lot about his faith and leans on it, which hits home for Klubnik.
"Huge, I wouldn't want to play for another man than him," Klubnik said. "He's the perfect coach."
Klubnik has a busy offseason ahead of him as he has been invited to the Elite 11 Regionals and the Under Armour All-America Camp. Come the fall, Klubnik will try and guide Austin Westlake to a third-straight state championship.
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