Tompkins Triumphant

Tompkins basketball is ready to make a run in the playoffs

Tompkins basketball is ready to make a run in the playoffs
The Tompkins Falcons celebrate their first district title. vype.com

For the first time in program history, the Tompkins Falcons ended the regular season as district champs.

With a 26-8 overall record — 12-2 in district — Tompkins claimed the District 19-6A crown that had eluded the Falcons for a couple years.

Tompkins’ season included big wins over district rival Morton Ranch and Duncanville in the McDonalds Invitational Tournament to take home the tournament championship trophy.

Tompkins, ranked 16th in the state, is led by senior guard and Oklahoma signee, Jamal Bieniemy, and talented senior guard, CJ Washington.

Bieniemy finished the district season with an average of 17.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.1 assists while Washington had a district average of 16.6 points and 5 rebounds per game.

The two senior guards have been a part of Tompkins since the program’s first ever game when they were freshmen.

Now, the two are trying to lead their talented team that includes guard Eden Holt and shooting guards Emmanuel White and Kristian Sjolund to the program’s first ever playoff victory after back to back years of Bi-District exits.

“We are experienced and locked and loaded for the playoffs to started. We know what we need to do to win, so we just have to go out and play hard as a team to leave with the win,” Bieniemy said.

“We’ve been watching film and practicing hard. I believe we have a good shot to contend for state this year. This is my last year of high school, so I know I am going to go all out for my brothers on the team.”

Tompkins had their ups and downs throughout the regular season, but now it’s playoff time, which means win or go home.

Tompkins have been hungry to get back to playoffs since last year’s quick exit. They want to show that they are not just a regular season team, but they are state contenders too.

“I am very excited for the playoffs. I have been waiting for this day all year. This is my last ride with my brothers, so we got to finish with something to remember,” Washington said.

“I am getting my body right and my mind focus in practice, so I’ll be ready for the game. It been a fun season playing with my brothers that I grew up with, and I just can’t wait for the playoff game to get start with them.”

Throughout the season the Falcons have been seen as a state championship caliber team, but now it is time for them to be put to the test to truly see what kind of team they are.

Tompkins will start its playoff journey against Ridge Point High School on Monday at Alief Taylor.

The lights are getting brighter and the stage is getting bigger for Tompkins and they are coming in with a chip on their shoulder to finally make it pass the Bi-District round and get their first playoff win.

Will this be the year Tompkins finally break through the barrier and make a push for state?

Keion Cage is a student at Tompkins HS and a member of the VYPE U Ambassador Program. To learn more about how you can become a VYPE U Ambassador, visit VYPEU.com

 

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The Texans are the class of the division. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

The Houston Texans received a lot of praise for their moves in free agency across various outlets. And for good reason, most people believe the team got significantly better with the additions of Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Denico Autry among others.

But there's another factor to consider this offseason. How much have the other teams in the AFC South improved?

When looking at the PFF grades in free agency, the Colts received a B-minus. Most of the Colts moves this offseason involved spending a lot of money re-signing their own players. Which is great in theory, but it's hard to improve the overall quality of your roster when you're bringing back players that were already there to begin with. A lot will be riding on player development for the Colts to see a big jump this season. A healthy quarterback wouldn't hurt either.

The Jaguars have made some big additions financially this offseason by signing receiver Gabe Davis and defensive tackle Arik Armstead. They also lost the top receiver on the market, Calvin Ridley, to the Titans. Gabe Davis wasn't able to establish himself as a reliable No. 2 receiver with Josh Allen throwing him the ball in Buffalo. So it's hard to believe he'll take the next step in Jacksonville. Their best move of the offseason might have been retaining edge rusher Josh Allen by using the franchise tag on him. So what did PFF think of Jacksonville's offseason? They received a B-minus, just like the Colts.

The Titans have a lot of turnover heading into the 2024 season, and not just on the roster. They have a new head coach in Brian Callahan, who's looking to revamp Tennessee's offense. Early in free agency, they agreed to terms with former Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, signing him to a 3-year deal at $8 million per season. Which is more money than the Ravens are paying for Derrick Henry, who left the Titans in free agency. Calvin Ridley was the most notable addition to the squad, he received a 4-year, $92 million deal. And while this could be viewed as an overpay, at least he gives the Titans' offense some upside. Their receiving corps looks a lot more dangerous with Ridley added to DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.

They also spent big at the center position, adding Lloyd Cushenberry on a 4-year, $50 million contract.

Because the Titans spent a lot of money on some highly coveted players, PFF gave them a B.

Now that brings us to the Texans. The Texans re-signed some of their own players like Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown. But they also made some big splashes with Hunter, Autry, Al-Shaair, and Joe Mixon. But the Texans spent their money in a more conservative way by not handing out many contracts over two years in length.

The Texans managed to add the best pass rusher in free agency with Hunter, but it's only a two-year deal. The overall talent level is going up on this roster, and GM Nick Caserio isn't having to sign players to long contracts that could come back and haunt him.

That's why we're seeing post-free agency power rankings coming out with Houston in the Top 10. And that's also why PFF gave the Texans an A for their moves in free agency.

Be sure to check out the video above as Craig from Sports Talk Extra takes an in-depth look at PFF's grades for the AFC South, and much more!

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