Kt0r

I guess I'm late to the party, but I hadn't heard that Tatum hired a Boxell. Layne graduated from Ponder before I moved here, so I don't know much about him, but If he is anything like his dad Doug who coached at Ponder for years and won several state championships, or like his brothers Lance and Zach who I've seen coach against Ponder on numerous occasions, Tatum will be a lot better than anyone is giving them credit for in preseason. I'm glad Tatum moved up to AAAA so that Ponder doesn't have to face them again this year!

Brock will be in the mix again as they always are. They have at least two key starters graduating, but their JV was very good last year. Ponder will have to adjust their game because both of their big kids are graduating, but I do think they will be contenders. Red Oak Life will probably have something to say about it too as long as #12 and #14 are not seniors this year.

I was at the game and have watched it four times since I got home. I think Carr made numerous adjustments, just none of them worked. I give more credit to the Ponder kids refusing to lose than what adjustments Carr did or did not make.

The best "athlete" on Ponder's team saw about 1:00 of playing time at the end of the championship game. I think he was all area as a DB in football and I doubt he would have even been a starter for Tatum. From my perspective the comparison between athletes of Tatum and Ponder isn't even close, Tatum wins hands down. To me the difference is that Ponder has a well organized youth program and kids are taught fundamentals from a very early age. Every other sport is secondary to basketball in Ponder, as a matter of fact Freshman guard Chase Harris and Center/Forward Clay Morgan have never touched a football in their life. We have trouble fielding youth football teams because we don't have enough participation, the same is true with the older age groups in baseball. It is impossible to get gym time in any of our four gyms when the youth rec league is going on because we have so many kids and so many teams playing. Ponder's freshman team was 17-1 and played a very similar style to Tatum because that style of game suited the athletes the best. I don't fault Carr for playing a style of basketball that suits his players, for 5/8ths of the game it worked pretty well. I don't think Carr or anyone saw Ponder's historic run coming, I'll admit that I didn't and I saw almost every game they played this year.

The foul by Peterson was very unlike him, I was shocked when he did it.

Logan McCarty hasn't started a game all year and came up HUGE for the Lions. I think he finished second in scoring and took three charges.

Great game, I feel bad for the Tatum boys, they played their hearts out.

Ponder finished the year as one of the best FT shooting teams in the state. I have no idea what's happening

Looks like I'm going to get my wish

I'm pulling for both. I've watched the ponder kids grow up, can't be against them

I'm from Tatum and live in Ponder and have to admit that I agree with 7on7.

Ponder is trying to play tatums game and that's not good for ponder

Confirmed, Harris is out. Tatum's chances just got a lot better.

It's a small Texas town just like most any other. If that's your definition of a dump, then yes it's a dump.

He had his nose broke some time in the late 3rd or early 4th, they stopped play so that someone could clean up the blood. I talked to him after the game and they were taking him for eval. He seemed fine, but you know how seriously they take concussions these days. I have my fingers crossed that it's just a rumor.