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BREAKING: Kimball basketball permitted to play after student-athlete shooting
A Dallas Kimball student-athlete was arrested on Wednesday night after an accidental shooting of a student-trainer took place on the bus as the team was headed to dinner. The team is in San Antonio preparing for their state semifinal matchup.
Dallas ISD superintendent, Michael Hinojosa, made a statement on Thursday regarding the incident in San Antonio calling it "extremely disappointing" while confirming that the victim of the shooting was, in fact, a student-trainer on the team who is expected to be ok. The player who brought the weapon was senior Kyron Henderon. Henderon was removed from the team immediately following the shooting.
While the UIL is still investigating the events that took place, they are allowing Kimball to continue to play in the state tournament. "I have been in contact with [the UIL]," said Hinojosa in his statement. "They are appreciative that we moved quickly to deal with this matter internally and they will allow Kimball to participate in the state semifinals. They agree with us that you shouldn't punish the entire team for the actions of a few or an individual."
San Antonio police believe that the shooting was an accidental discharge of the firearm- the firearm was in a bag that was being moved when it went off and shot the female student-trainer in the leg. Hinojosa declined to comment on Henderson hinting that there was a potential for a long legal battle for the 18-year-old. Henderson was arrested on two felony gun charges and could face 10-20 years in prison on aggravated assault as well as the possession of a firearm on school premises.
The UIL issued a statement on Thursday regarding the incident. "UIL is working closely with Dallas ISD officials who have taken action to ensure that students involved in the incident will not be participating in the state tournament. As our staff is still in the process of gathering information, we do not have additional details at this time... we can assure the public we will continue to take every measure appropraite to guarantee [safety for all at the state tournament]."
Kimball is expected to play Beaumont United on Thursday evening at 7 p.m.
SEMIFINALS PREVIEW: Duncanville looking to 3peat
Nationally ranked Duncanville basketball is a complete dynasty. They have paved their way to success each and every season they have stepped onto a basketball court- whether they've won a state title or not. This year, the Panthers enters the state tournament as back-to-back defending champions and they are looking to three-peat. VYPE DFW takes a look at the road they took to get here and dives into what fans can expect out of this Panthers' squad:
Season in Review
Last season, Duncanville routed Austin Westlake in a 66-53 victory to win their second-straight state title. The Panthers harnessed and used that fire to take this season by storm. Although they lost their opening game to nationally ranked Mater Dei, the Panthers had no trouble regrouping and focusing on the rest of the season ahead. Their opening loss would be their only loss of the season as they posted an undefeated 15-0 district record to finish at the top of their district. While outscoring their opponents by nearly 1,000 points, Duncanville defeated DeSoto, Dallas St. Mark's, Arlington Martin, nationally ranked Richardson, Mansfield Timberview, and more en route to the playoffs.
During the playoffs, the Panthers had no plans of slowing down and it showed! Duncanville recorded playoff victories against Killeen Shoemaker, Rockwall-Heath, DeSoto, Cypress Ranch, and most recently a 61-38 defeat of Garland in order to advance to the state tournament.
What To Expect:
The Panthers are taking on Atascocita (34-6) in the UIL Class 6A boys basketball state semifinals. Atascocita is back in the state tournament after coming up short last season and will prove to put up one of the biggest fights that the Panthers have seen all season. However, the Panthers host a whole slew of stars including Ronald Holland (who leads the team with an average of about 16 points per game as well as about 8 rebounds per game), Anthony Black, Aric Demings, Cameron Barnes, Ashton Hardaway, CJ Ford, and Davion Sykes. With a team that knows how to get on the board early, remain consistent, and play smart defense, there aren't many who would bet against the Panthers. Fans can expect a strong outing in the state semifinals from Duncanville.
Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 11 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.