HFB Playoff Picture

Ridge Point remains perfect in 6A district play

Ridge Point remains perfect in 6A district play
Another one bit the dust Thursday night. Vype

Originally appeared on Vype 

Listen to all of VYPE Sports Radio’s live and podcasted games, including this one, at https://www.spreaker.com/show/fort-bend-sports-powered-by-vype.

SUGAR LAND – Another one bit the dust Thursday night. The Ridge Point Panthers turned back the Dulles Vikings’ bid to be the first team to knock them off in a Class 6A district game with a 35-21 win.

The good news for the Vikes (8-2 overall, 5-2 in district play), though, is that they’re in the state playoffs, just as Ridge Point (9-1, 7-0) is.

So is Travis (7-1, 5-1), which faces Bush Friday night (live on VYPE, 6:45 p.m.) in a game which has no playoff implications. If you’re familiar with Texas History, the Tigers have drawn the black bean again and must face the Tigers who reside a few miles north of Richmond, in Katy. Nothing that happens when Travis plays Bush will allow Travis to avoid playing Katy.

The only thing that hasn’t been decided is who among the teams in District 20-6A will get the fourth and last available playoff berth. The Elkins Knights and Austin Bulldogs will do battle Saturday (live on VYPE, 11:45 a.m.), and the winner earns a postseason bid.

Ridge Point, 21-0 in District 20-6A football since joining their Fort Bend ISD brethren in 2016, wore down Dulles with its depth, but the Vikings threw a couple of haymakers that enabled them to enjoy a lead twice in the first half. While driving 75 yards in 3:14 to start the game, finishing the possession with a 34-yard run by Myles Heard for a 7-0 lead, Panthers’ linebacker Chike Onigbogu left the field with an illness and did not return.

The absence of Onigbogu, who was second on the team in solo tackles, total tackles and tackles for loss, weakened Ridge Point’s defense and gave the Vikings a chance to duplicate the early offensive success.

The teams traded turnovers in the first quarter before Ridge Point got on the board. The Vikings’ D stoned the Panthers on a 4th-and-two as Darius Phillips shut down John Paul Richardson running out the “wildcat” formation. However, Cameron Peters’ pass on the ensuing Dulles possession was intercepted by Carter Aycock, who returned the ball to the Vikings’ 36-yard line.

 

 

More here

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
The Rockets are in it to win it this year. Composite Getty Image.

While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.

The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.

Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.

As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.

The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.

VanVleet signs extension

Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.

For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!

_____________________________________________

*Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!

https://houston.sportsmap.com/advertise

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome