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Kennedale High School has a secret but like all secrets the truth eventually comes out. So here it is. KHS Head Basketball Coach Doug Groff has assembled a good, no, a very good basketball team. Currently, the team is 15-1 ranked in the top ten in the state for Class 4A. {{more: continue …}}
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The team in the early season has played teams in Class 6A, 5A and 4A and won. Several of these teams are ranked teams including 5A College Station 15-1. The Wildcats currently owns two tournament championships, the Kennedale Invitational and the Glen Rose Classic.?
Just how good?
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Good programs produce good teams and under Groff, Kennedale has consistently has had those teams. Considering the variances of injuries, graduations and a steady flow of newbies, it is hard to produce a winner every year. Somehow Kennedale does. Some teams are good, some are fairly good and some are very good … then there are great teams.?
Groff has had his share of great teams including a state title team in 2008, a state runner-up in 2013 and a state final four in 2014. It is really is too early to make those kind of predictions, but the current Wildcats are laying the ground work. Only one other team at this point of the season has had a better record and that was the 38-1 team of 2014. That team was Kennedale?s only undefeated regular season team in school history.
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The team ?
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The team is anchored by senior Trey Jones, an all-state caliber talent who was injured most of last season. To give you an ideal of how good, Jones is leading the team in blocks, rebounds and points and is second in assists. He is assisted in scoring by senior all-district guard Trey Poe, junior all-district Scott Whorley and senior Jaden Smith who was all district 6th Man of the Year in 2018. Smith and junior Jamal Marshall joined the team after the Wildcat football team ended their playoff run. Another all-district player returning is junior Versie Hodges. Senior guard Jamal Downes is a regular starter. And, soon to be back in action, is senior Blake Taylor, who some have rated as one of the top players on team. He has been recovering from an earlier ankle injury.?
Groff believes this is one of the strongest team from top to the bottom that he has fielded. Often teams have one or two players that have the talent, others have a great starting five nothing left on the bench. For the Wildcats, according to the head coach, the talent extends deep, especially the first eight. Others on the team include Brandon Nelson (Sr), Jaylen Nichols (Sr), Jacob Saulsby (Sr), James Cain (Jr), Alex Hodges (Sr), Robert Corbett (Sr) and Jesse Cantu (Sr).
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Defensively strong …?
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It is a team that doesn?t make a lot of points. To this point, the team is averaging just above 60 points per game but that has not mattered because the strength of the teams is in defense. Opponents have averaged just slightly above 40 points a game. The most any team has scored on the Cats has been Life Waxahachie who scored 65 points. Kennedale scored 69 points to win the game.? Kennedale came close to breaking 90 points when they beat Alvarado 89-51 earlier this year.?
Dunbar and the Whataburger ?
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Kennedale still have some serious challenges ahead including the traditional powerhouse Dunbar of Fort Worth. Dunbar in the past has played with the big boys in 5A and 6A and still does in early season play, but this year the school is in District 9-4A along with Kennedale. Early preseason projections have Dunbar winning the district title with Kennedale finishing second. They will play twice in district with the first showdown on January 2.? 2018-19
Kennedale Wildcat Basketball Schedule
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But the first test in proving that the Wildcats are a state 4A caliber team comes during the holidays at the annual Whataburger Tournament in Fort Worth, December 27-29. This tournament attracts some of the top teams in Class 2A, 3A and 4A besides an upper division of championships caliber teams from 5A and 6A both in state and out. It is a great showcase of talent. Both the Wildcats and Lady Kats will be playing in the tournament this year. Kennedale won the tournament in 2012 and 2013 and were runner-ups in 2014. 61st Whataburger Tournament
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Season game results ?
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11/10/18 – 4A Midlothian Heritage ? 67-37 (W)
11/13/18 – 6A Coppell … 54-49 (W)
11/19/18 – 5A Granbury ? 67-51 (W)
11/20/18 – 4A Argyle ? 49-35 (W)
11/27/18 – 4A Alvarado ? 89-51 (W)?Kennedale Tournament
- 11/30/18 -? 5A Aledo ? 64-44 (W)
- 11/30/18 – 4A China Springs ? 62-59 (L)
- 11/30/18 – 4A Argyle ? 53-35 (W)
- 12/01/18 – 4A Life Waxahachie ? 69-65 (W)
(12/4) 5A Creekview ? 67-39 (W)?Glen Rose Tournament
- 12/07/18 – 5A El Paso Eldorado ? 61-41 (W)
- 12/07/18 – 5A Hallsville ? 61-30 (W)
- 12/08/18 – 6A San Angelo Central ? 60-45 (W)
- 12/08/18 – 5A College Station ? 43-35 (W)
- 12/08/18 – 4A China Springs ? 59-37 (W)
12/11/18 4A Ranchview ? 62-46 (W)?Coming up …??Two games are remaining before the holidays and both are home games. Tuesday, Kennedale host the Bullfrogs (4-10) from Lake Worth followed by a Friday game against the Rams (2-14) of Mineral Wells. Both games are set for 8 p.m. at Kennedale High School.?The 2018-19 coaching staff includes Head Coach Doug Groff (Economics), Assistant Varsity? Matt Munson (AP Geography), JV Matt Casey (Algebra & PreAP) and 9th Grade Roger Klasnick (CTE Professional Communications)
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