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THE CLUTCH 32: UIL Basketball 2025-26 State Championship Preview -- Brennan vs. North Crowley (6A D1)
WHERE: Alamodome -- San Antonio, TX
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BRENNAN BEARS
Star power has rarely been lacking at Brennan in recent memory—just look at 2025 graduate Kingston Flemings, who is going ballistic at Houston and is already drawing NBA Draft buzz. Tenured head coach Koty Cowgill has seen his team reach the State Final Four in three of the past four seasons.
Yet the championship game had long eluded the Northside ISD heavyweight…until this past Tuesday. The Bears edged Atascocita in a truly epic back-and-forth affair, fending off a late comeback to secure a 63-61 victory and punch the program’s ticket to its first-ever UIL State Final. Now, the question becomes: can Brennan (33-3) seal the deal?
UTEP-bound guard Donovan Criss continues to serve as the most prominent weapon in Cowgill’s arsenal, as the 6-foot-6 senior is averaging nearly 15 points, four rebounds, and two assists per contest. Fellow senior and three-star collegiate prospect Isaiah Ward brings a similar frame and finishing touch, chipping in 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists per game.
Meanwhile, standing just shy of 7 feet, senior center Delano Tarpley—another future UTEP Miner—is just as adept at scoring (10 ppg) as he is at cleaning the glass (8 rpg). Sean Mondragon (Sr. G) and Jacob Padilla (Jr. PG) round out Brennan’s formidable lineup, a group now on the precipice of history.
NORTH CROWLEY PANTHERS
Boasting an equally impressive 34-3 record, NoCro enters the title matchup on the heels of an exceedingly dominant 72-55 victory over Allen in last week’s Region I Final, before outlasting Duncanville 52-49 on Tuesday night. Making just their second appearance in the title game, head coach Tommy Brakel and the Panthers now have another state trophy within reach, aiming to add to the one captured in 2008.
When it comes to talent, the pool runs deep at North Crowley. Senior wing Jonathan Fox delivered what many are calling the “dunk of the year” off a perfect lob from junior point guard Isaak Hayes earlier in the postseason. Hayes serves as the undeniable engine behind the Panthers’ offense, orchestrating a system that also features the steady contributions of Trey Hall (Sr. W) and Alex Barther II (Sr. SF).
PRIME TIME: DFW Football Playoffs Preview -- North Crowley v. Coppell (6A-D1 Region 1 Semis)
WHEN: Saturday, November 29th (11/29/25) -- 1:00 PM
WHERE: Midlothian ISD Stadium -- Midlothian, TX
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North Crowley (11–1), the defending 6A-D1 State Champions, enters the matchup playing its best football of the year. Since a narrow 37–35 loss to Rockwall in September, head coach Ray Gates’ Panthers have ripped off an undefeated District 3-6A run — a stretch that included Gates’ 50th career win at NCHS — before rolling past Keller (42–20) and Midland Legacy (63–17) in the opening rounds of the postseason.
Despite featuring a relatively new-look roster, North Crowley is still loaded with firepower. Junior running back Kiante Ingram surpassed 1,000 rushing yards during the regular season and continues to be the engine of the offense. Sophomore wideout Damarion Mays, a 6-foot-2 four-star with offers from Oregon, Ohio State, USC, and Texas A&M, adds a vertical dimension few can match. Quarterback Hayes Cloutier has also flourished behind an imposing offensive line anchored by Texas-bound senior John Turntine III.
Defensively, the Panthers remain just as formidable, led by four-star junior defensive back Jerry Outhouse Jr. and Texas Tech commit Aaron Bradshaw, who anchor a secondary built to erase big plays.
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Coppell (10–1) arrives riding a seven-game winning streak and an identity centered around balance, explosiveness, and a rising star under center. The Cowboys’ lone loss came to Denton Guyer in September, but since then, Antonio Wiley’s group has dominated, shutting out Plano (38–0) and dispatching Richardson (38–7) to punch its ticket to Round 3.
Sophomore quarterback Carter Zingelmann has been nothing short of transformative. The 6-foot-5 four-star has unlocked Coppell’s offense with 1,736 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, complemented by 733 rushing yards and 13 additional scores. Supporting him is a potent backfield duo: junior Jayden George and senior Dylan McAfee, who have combined for over 1,700 yards and 20 total touchdowns.
Defensively, the Cowboys field a deep, athletic unit featuring senior twins Tyree and Tyrell Roberson, junior playmaker Jaden Bibbs, and sophomore safety Anthony Lewis. In the trenches, junior linebacker Madden Montague (88 tackles) sets the tone, while sophomore Aaron Isbell (8 sacks, 16 TFL) and seniors Braylon Powell and Eduvie Nesiama fortify the front.
With North Crowley’s championship pedigree clashing against Coppell’s meteoric rise, Saturday’s showdown has all the makings of a Region I classic.