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The Summit Jaguars are taking home the 5A-D2 Championship after defeating Marshall 54-47
DESTINY FULFILLED: Prichett, Mansfield Summit clinch program’s first-ever UIL Title against Marshall
Facing a formidable opponent in Marshall (37-2), the Jaguars rose to the occasion, securing a 54-47 victory in their second-ever State Final appearance—clinching the program’s first championship.
Head Coach Emund Prichett, who’s been with the team since moving over from Killeen Shoemaker in 2017, has helped build Summit into yet another brand out of the DFW area.
Though he bestowed the lion’s share of credit towards the young men who saw their goal become a reality.
Summit HC Emund PrichettMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
“I’m just so grateful to see all their hard work finally pay off,” said Prichett. “More than that, I’m just glad that everyone else got to see it, because I witness their dedication every day. We’re so proud of these guys and none of this would have been possible without them.”
Summit already had some experience playing against Marshall this winter, as the two faced off during the tournament portion of their schedule in December – a game in which they were narrowly defeated 43-38.
However, things ended differently in the most crucial game of the year.
While it was fairly close early on, the Jaguars slowly began to pull away in the second quarter, going on a 13-0 run to make it 19-7 with 5:16 left in the half, and never giving up the lead for the remainder of the match.
This was largely due to the fact that the team played to their strengths, according to Prichett.
“That (the run) was definitely big,” he said. “But, for the rest of the game, our kids just played hard and got defensive stops, which is what we’re all about. We made some shots, took care of the ball, and we controlled the paint, so that was instrumental.”
The Jags capped off an incredible season with a 33-7 record, led by standout senior forward Ian Sedah, whose dominant performance (17 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists) earned him State MVP honors.
Ian Sedah is named the UIL 5A-D2 State MVPMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
His contributions across the board don’t come as a surprise, considering he’s been one of the team’s driving forces all year long.
“It was really about being active and taking on that role all over the floor,” Sedah said. “As a team, we’re best at being physical, particularly when it comes to boxing out and getting rebounds. We just had more focus coming in, I think, which is why we were able to have that advantage in this game.”
This marked the second occasion that Mansfield Summit had advanced to the State Tournament, last reaching it in 2023, where they suffered a 52-50 heart-breaker against Killeen Ellison in the Semis.
Now that they finally got their ring, it’s become a full circle moment.
Summit's 'Big-Three': Caleb Richard, Ian Sedah, and Theo Brannan (Left to Right)Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
“During my freshman year (2023) I was scared and nervous, but I prepared myself this time around,” said junior point guard Theo Brannan. “I’ve been waiting for this. I told Ian (Sedah) and Caleb (Richard) that we were going to be back. We all knew what we were capable of, so this year was about keeping up that work so we’d be ready for the moment.”
The Jaguars return to Arlington as champions, fulfilling their promise of bringing home the title—one their fans will celebrate for years to come.
THE FAB 5: Greater Houston well represented in State Tourney
“We played are really tough tournament schedule and that experience prepared us though for tough times this season and culminated in tonight,” coach Bruce Glover said. “Now, when I go on and this team moves one, we will always be able to look back and remember this team. It’s really huge.”
Duke signee Shelton Henderson lead the way with 26 points and 20 rebounds.
“There is that famous story about the horse, ‘Sectretariat’,” Glover said. “When they cut him open, he had a heart twice as big as other horses. That is Sheldon Henderson.”
Next up for Bellaire is Duncanville in the State Finals.
"This is everything," Henderson said. "I came in here my freshman year and told the coaches I was going to win one for them. We knew we came in here as the underdogs and just had to play our game. We couldn't get caught up in the fans and the media. We just locked in and got it done."
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Katy Jordan also made school history beating San Antonio Harlan, 57-36, in the Class 6A DII Semifinal. Jaden Holt and Elijah Black make up on one of the best backcourts in the state and will now face Denton Guyer in the Finals on Saturday at 5 pm.
The FB Marshall Buffs were in Goliad, Texas and took down Alamo Heights, 47-29 in the Class 5A DII to return to the State Finals for the first time since 2017. The Buffs are on a 22-game winning steak. Marshall will face Mansfield Summit on Saturday.
Booker T. Washington is back in the Finals. The Eagles handled LBJ Austin, 76-56, in the Semis and will face power Dallas Kimball in the Finals on Friday. Robert Jones, Sam Johnson and Jalen Webb lead the way for Washington.
The Wheatley Wildcats have run the gauntlet in the playoffs. The Wildcats beat La Marque, 49-44, in the Semis to advance to the Finals. Wheatley has beaten Silsbee and Yates as well in the postseason. The ‘Cats will face Kennedale in the Class 4A DII Finals. Coach David Burrell leans on Quinton Sanders and Marquan Elder on the court.
Columbus advanced in Class 3A DI to face Tatum, while Kountze will play Paradise in the Class 3A DII Finals.
Beaumont West Brook of southeast Texas is 37-2 and will face Birdville High in the Class 5A DI Finals.