Dog in the Bulldogs: Harts Bluff wins playoff opener, takes ranked Muenster to the limit

Dog in the Bulldogs: Harts Bluff wins playoff opener, takes ranked Muenster to the limit News Staff Wed, 02/28/2024 - 06:12 Image

• Harts Bluff head coach Bradley Lambeth embraces Kayden Mason and Cayden James as the Bulldogs celebrate their first-ever playoff win as the Bulldogs won their bi-district round matchup over Quinlan Boles in overtime, 81-78. TRIBUNE PHOTOS / QUINTEN BOYD
• Avyn Carrington drives past Muenster’s Garrett Hess during Friday’s area round game. The Bulldogs took the eighth-ranked Hornets to overtime, falling short, 50-48. TRIBUNE PHOTOS / QUINTEN BOYD

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Harts Bluff boys’ basketball coach Bradley Lambeth accepted congratulations after his team made history, but made sure to note that it was his team that did the hard work.

“Those boys went out there and played their hearts out,” he said. “It was all them. I just sat on the bench and sweated it out.”

The program and its coach – a second generation coach – grew together and made history for the boys’ program as Harts Bluff won their first-ever playoff game with an 81-78 overtime thriller over Quinlan Boles in their bi-district matchup at Sulphur Springs High School.

Both teams made their intentions known with their playoff shirts, with Harts Bluff using the same motto as the Lady Bulldogs’ from their own first-ever playoff run, “First of many,” and Boles going with “Pressing for gold,” a nod to their press defense.

From the start, however, the Bulldogs did not shy away from challenging the Hornets’ press, using their speed and ball movement to keep from getting trapped by the Bulldog defense.

Hunter Green scored the first points in playoff history for Harts Bluff and Avyn Carrington notched the first buzzer beater when he drained a coast-to-coast three to end the first quarter to put the Bulldogs ahead, 21-16.

In the second quarter, Boles leaned on the play of their leading scorer and rebounder Jonathan Cruthird, but Harts Bluff kept finding ways to escape Boles’ press and took a 39-35 lead into halftime.

The two teams battled through the third quarter with the Bulldogs clinging to a 54-47 lead after three quarters, but Boles heated up from beyond the arc in the fourth. The Bulldogs matched them shot for shot and with 10 seconds left, the teams were tied at 71-71. Boles once again looked to Cruthird in the hopes of getting a game winner. He got two chances at it. Both were blocked by Harts Bluff’s Matthew Rowland, sending the game to overtime.

The packed house in Sulphur Springs got a treat in overtime as the two teams continued to battle through overtime and with a steal on the game’s final possession, the Bulldogs made history with the victory in their first-ever UIL playoff game.

Green led the Bulldogs with 25 points. Kayden Mason added 18 points – all on three-pointers. Carrington put in 14, Liam Cobb put in nine, Cayden James finished with eight and Rowland finished with seven and three blocks.

Cruthird led Boles with 22 points. Zyhier Lucas put in 21 and Zion Mc-Fadden finished with 12.

“Credit to my guys – they knew what our game plan was and executed it very well,” Coach Lambeth said. “Special shout out to my point guard (Carrington), he’s only 5’6 but he carved up their defense, one-on-four and one-on five all the way to the rim. The story may look like it was on offense, but the story was our defense. We joke around about Matthew (Rowland) leading our team in blocks because we don’t have a lot of height, but he came up big for us.”

While the team appreciated the loud crowd support, the plan was always to block it out and focus on the game.

“Our game plan besides the Xs and Os was to block out the noise,” Coach Lambeth said. “We knew how loud the gym would be and I knew how playoff intensity would be. They had never been through it, but they trusted me to get them through it.”

The intensity got turned up in their area round game as the Bulldogs traveled to Farmersville High School to take on eighth-ranked Muenster.

The volume came mostly from the Harts Bluff stands as the Muenster crowd was split due to the fact that the Lady Hornets were playing in the regional semifinals the same night.

Once again, Harts Bluff did not back down from the moment, keeping up with the state ranked Hornets all night. The Hornets looked to go for steals before Harts Bluff could set up on offense, but the Bulldogs found ways through the Muenster defense. Muenster took the lead after the first quarter, 9-6, but Harts Bluff led at the half, 17-15.

The Hornets utilized their size advantage with post Ty Hess, who stood 6’6, 270 lbs., to take the lead back after the third, 27-25. The Bulldogs once again picked up their play in the fourth.

Carrington ripped a rebound away from Hess, who had nearly a foot height advantage, to keep a Bulldog possession alive. Later in the quarter when Muenster had extended their lead to six points, James helped lead the Bulldogs back with a personal 5-0 run. Rowland came up with a block to help spur James’ run.

Muenster took a three-point lead with 37 seconds left and Carrington answered with a three-point play to tie the game with 16 seconds left. Muenster traveled on their next possession but Harts Bluff could not get a shot off and the teams headed to overtime.

Once again Harts Bluff battled in overtime. Muenster gambled for steals on three consecutive possessions and cashed in all three times to take a 49-45 lead. Carrington answered with a three to put the Bulldogs down by one with 29 seconds left.

It looked like the Bulldogs forced Munster into another late turnover with a five second call, but the Hornets got a timeout called just before the count and went 1-2 on their ensuing free throws, meaning Harts Bluff would have a chance to win or tie.

Mason put up a three that fell short and James snagged the rebound looking to tie the game over Hess. The shot attempt hit the rim and bounced off and the scrappy Bulldogs fell just short as Muenster held on for a 50-48 win.

Carrington led the Bulldogs with 18 points. James added 11, Mason finished with 7, Green put in five, Rowland added four and Cobb put in three.

Hess led Muenster with 16 points. Brody Tyler finished with 10 and Dawson Voth finished with seven.

While the loss stings, Harts Bluff players, coaches and fans left Farmersville with their heads held high as the second-year UIL program not only got their first ever playoff win, but nearly eliminated the state’s eighth-ranked team.

“We’re ahead of schedule at this point,” Coach Lambeth said. “Our goal was to win 20 games and make the playoffs. We did that and went a step farther with a bi-district championship and an area appearance. Our expectations keep moving up and that’s what we’ve been aiming for.”

The Bulldogs’ second full UIL season ends at 21-14, including a 6-4 district record. Team members included Jeremiah Adams, Liam Cobb, Noah Carr, Yonathan Bocanegra, Matthew Rowland, Jack Kimball, Avyn Carrington, Cayden James, Kayden Mason, Brady Cook, Hunter Green, Landon Wisinger and manager Ashyr Carrington. Graduating will be Wisinger and Ashyr Carrington.