The Aubrey Chaparrals playoff run came to an end Feb. 21, with a 59-48 loss to the Kennedale Wildcats in the area championship game.
The contest remained close in the first half, but the physically larger Wildcat squad pulled away in the second half, taking the 11-point victory.
“We just had too many turnovers, and we made some mistakes that hurt us, or we would have had a lead at halftime,” Aubrey head boys basketball coach Kyle Smith said. “In the third and fourth quarters we got into foul trouble, and then they just killed us on the boards. … We needed to rebound better to beat a team like that, but I'm still proud of how our guys fought.”
The two teams were evenly matched after the opening tip, but Aubrey was able to take the lead, closing out the first quarter up 12-9.
The Chaps and the Wildcats continued to trade the lead throughout the second quarter, with Kennedale making a last-second shot to capture the lead 23-22 at the half.
In the second half, the Wildcats were able to rely on their 6-foot-9 center A’meir Williams to take control of the game and help them to pull away from an undersized Chaps squad.
Williams led the Wildcats with 16 points, 10 of which he collected in the third quarter, and controlled the painted area, providing the Wildcats with multiple secondchance point opportunities.
“We didn’t have an answer for their [center],” Aubrey head boys basketball coach Kyle Smith said. “When he caught the ball, the only way to stop him was to foul him, and he was knocking down everything. It was a hurdle to get over the whole game.”
Kennedale went on to outscore Aubrey 36-26 in the second half, taking the win 59-48.
Aubrey was led by Jaedon Bogar with 15 points and guard Tyler Hightower, who added 14 points.
Despite the loss, Smith said he was pleased by the effort his team displayed and his message to the team after the game focused on life beyond basketball.
“These guys are going to have great success in life, and hopefully they can take the things they learned on the court— how to overcome adversity and how to fight when things are stacked against you—with them, and I think they’re going to be [better] young men because of it,” he said.
Smith also expressed his appreciation for his coaching staff and Aubrey ISD.
“I want to thank all of my coaches,” he said. “Coach Moore is a great first assistant, and both of our junior varsity and freshmen coaches are as well. They all work hard. … I’m also extremely grateful that Aubrey has allowed me to coach here for 14 years. It’s a [wonderful] place, with great people and even better kids.”
