Reviewing the 2009-10 boys hoops season

The boys hoops season came to an end this weekend as No. 3 La Marque fell to No. 1 Houston Yates in the Region III-4A finals, and Hitchcock lost to San Antonio Cole in the Region IV-2A semifinals.

Still, it was a banner year for area teams.

A whopping seven schools made the playoffs, three of which advanced past the first round. Three teams — La Marque, Hitchcock and Ball — also won district titles.

We’ll take a look back at the season and run down some of the highlights one last time before the All-County teams are released.

Record years

There was no one better in the county than the Cougars, who deserve a lot of recognition and a standing ovation.

La Marque put together one of the best years in school history and in recent memory for Galveston County. The Cougars advanced to region finals for the first time since 2005 and also won a record 34 games, while losing just three.

At one point, they didn’t lose a game for more than two months. They also beat Ball for the first time in three years and won the district title for the fourth straight season.

Most importantly, La Marque showed a commitment to excellence and discipline that wasn’t always there and that led to some early playoff exits.

“I’m really proud of these guys,” La Marque coach Cedric Mason said. “These guys accomplished some great things that will be remembered.”

Friendswood also had a record year, winning 26 games for the first time since 1978. It also marked the fifth straight season for coach Darren Chandler and the Mustangs to win 20 games. Impressive.

Turning It Around

No team had a better turnaround than Clear Creek.

The Wildcats won just one district game a year ago. In 2010, they finished with nine and earned a second seed out of District 24-5A.

Coach Chris Romine credited a simpler style — doing more with less — to the success. Offenses and defenses were less complicated, and he focused more on team bonding.

Dickinson also showed improvement. The Gators went from single digit wins a year ago to 14.

Games Of The Year

• Friendswood-Texas City — These teams had two games decided on a last-second shot. Jackson Griffon, of Friendswood, hit both of them.

• Dickinson 48, Friendswood 46, Dec. 28 — Mike Tucker gets first win over Friendswood as the Gators rally from a 12-point deficit.

• Dickinson 96, Ball 88, Feb. 2 — Dedrick Archie tied the game in the final seconds, scoring 13 in the fourth and erasing a seven-point deficit. Dickinson then hit 12-of-14 free throws in the overtime.

• La Marque 81, Clear Creek 80, OT, Dec. 5 — Jordan Dotson drove coast-to-coast and hit a last-second, 12-foot jumper to hand Creek its first loss of the season.

• Clear Springs 69, Houston Reagan 67, OT, Dec. 14 — Clear Springs erased a 5-point fourth-quarter deficit and Anthony Horton hit the game-winning shot, a 10-foot jumper.

• Ball 68, Dulles 66, Dec. 20 — Marcus Ruiz nailed two free throws to send Ball past state-ranked Dulles in the final minutes.

• Clear Creek 68, Dickinson 65, Feb. 16 — Ian Hill hit a 3-pointer to clinch Creek’s playoff spot and eliminate Dickinson.

Memorable Individual Performances

• Devante Provost, Hitchcock — Scored 44 points to clinch district title.

• Julien Lewis, La Marque — Had 35 points and eight rebounds against El Campo.

• Terran Petteway, Ball — Put together 10 straight games of 20 points or more.

• Sam Kinlaw, Dickinson — Had three games of at least 15 points and 15 rebounds.

• Anthony Horton, Clear Springs — Averaged a double-double during district play (16 points, 10 boards)

• Wes Henderson, La Marque — Came up big in the playoffs with four straight double-doubles.

A Look Ahead

The junior class in Galveston County is absolutely loaded, which gives the area a lot to look forward to in the fall.

La Marque’s Julien Lewis already is committed to the University of Texas. Ball’s Terran Petteway and Dickinson’s Dedrick Archie already have received Division I offers.

And then there’s Quevin Cams (La Marque), Mike Evans (Ball), Teris Bourgeois (Clear Springs) and Tre Webb (Clear Creek), all of whom could generate a lot of interest.

Also, several playoff teams from this season won’t lose much. Springs and Creek return seven players. Ball and La Marque bring back three starters and six overall.

Which all should mean another great year for county hoops.