GAMES
RANKINGS
THE CLUTCH 32: UIL Basketball 2025-26 State Championship Preview -- La Marque vs. Dallas Carter (4A D2)
WHERE: Alamodome -- San Antonio, TX
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LA MARQUE COUGARS
La Marque delivered a measure of poetic justice on Tuesday, flipping the script on Wheatley—a team that eliminated them in last year’s State Semifinals—in what amounted to a must-see 68-67 slugfest at Missouri City’s Hopson Field House. In doing so, head coach Kevin Wilcox and the Cougars punched their ticket to the UIL title game for the first time since 2011 (second overall), while extending La Marque’s record to 41-1 during its fifth trip to the State Tournament.
Spearheading the effort to capture the team’s first championship is a roster defined by collective firepower. Senior Je’Caryous Oliver leads the Cougars in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 14 points and nine boards per night. He’s complemented by junior Malcolm McNair (14 ppg, 3 rpg), along with seniors Brendan Harris (10 ppg, 7 rpg), Brandon Harris (8 ppg, 9 rpg), and Dylan Lindsey (10 ppg, 3 rpg), forming a dangerous rotation that forces opponents to pick their poison.
CARTER COWBOYS
Riding a 24-game winning streak, the Lyndon Love-led Cowboys have stormed through the postseason, most recently toppling Brock 52-44 after upsetting the defending 4A Division 2 champions, Kennedale, in last week’s Region II Final. Now, all that stands between Carter (30-6)—making its third appearance in the State Final and fourth all-time in the Tournament —and the program’s inaugural UIL title is La Marque.
Point guard Amarion Hunter is the undeniable engine behind the Carter machine. The junior and three-star collegiate prospect (247Sports) is averaging nearly 24 points, six assists, and four rebounds per game. Towering at 6-foot-10, sophomore post Terrell Jackson has enjoyed a breakout season, putting up 14 points and 11 rebounds on average. Meanwhile, junior guard Landen “Fats” Higgs (12 ppg, 6 apg, 4 rpg) rounds out the monster trio of the Dallas ISD powerhouse.
THE CLUTCH 32: UIL Basketball 2025-26 State Championship Preview -- Orangefield vs. Dallas Madison (3A D1)
WHERE: Alamodome -- San Antonio, TX
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ORANGEFIELD BOBCATS
Traveling from near the Louisiana border in Southeast Texas, Orangefield’s path to the State Final has been nothing short of remarkable. Making their program debut in the UIL championship, head coach Bryan Whitmire and the Bobcats arrive riding the momentum of a 26-game winning streak. Most recently, they outlasted CC London in a 60-57 thriller to improve to 35-3 on the year.
Though this feat has unquestionably been accomplished through a team effort, it’s difficult to deny the comprehensive impact seniors Jaden Scales and Carson Willis have had throughout the winter. At guard, Scales is averaging roughly 21 points, four assists, and two rebounds per game, while Willis is contributing 17 points and six rebounds a night from the post. Factor in the consistent production of junior Rylan Agerton, sophomore Kyran Morrow, and junior Elijah Jones, and it makes complete sense that this Orangefield team is on the precipice of etching its name into the history books.
Orangefield Sr. G Jaden ScalesBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
DALLAS MADISON TROJANS
Summary
While this is a new setting for Orangefield, the Alamodome has seemingly become a home away from home for the “Great” James Madison High. Under head coach Gerald Smith, the Trojans are making their 12th appearance in the title game (13th trip to the Final Four), and their first since the team’s championship run in 2022. On the heels of Tuesday’s 78-71 victory over Brownfield, Madison (25-12) now eyes the chance to secure state banner No. 6 — which would add another impressive chapter to one of the most preeminent programs of the 21st century.
Leading the charge for the Dallas ISD landmark is shooting guard Josiah “Juice” Cobb. Still a junior, the 6-foot-1 Cobb is a constant threat to score 20 or more points on any given night, complementing the steady contributions of seniors Eddie Moss, Darius Hooks, and Jamirion Rice.
