Elgin: Wildcats can win district title outright with two wins and a Manor loss.

Manor: Mustangs can win district title outright with two wins and an Elgin loss.

Connally: Cougars are in with a win Friday at Bryan-Rudder and a Bastrop loss to Hutto. If Cougars lose to Rudder, they would need to beat Manor and hope Bastrop loses its final two games to get in.

Bastrop: Bastrop is in with a win over Hutto and Hendrickson accompanied with one loss by Connally to either Rudder or Manor, or hope Rudder loses its final two games. If Bastrop loses to Hutto and Connally beats Rudder, Bears would need to beat Hendrickson and hope Elgin beats Rudder to force a one-game playoff for the final playoff spot.

Rudder: Rangers are in with a win over Connally and two Bastrop losses. If Rangers lose to Connally, they need Bastrop to lose to both Hutto and Hendrickson and defeat Elgin to get in.

Granted, the picture had the potential to become much clearer now that Tuesday’s games are over, but then again, maybe not.

I sat down Monday and went through the playoff scenarios for each of the two districts in our coverage area for boys and girls basketball.

The boys side of District 16-4A was probably the most convoluted.

The good thing is that the girls’ playoff picture for both districts was pretty much set in stone before Tuesday’s season finales. Even the boys District 23-3A wasn’t that hard to figure out. If Smithville beat La Grange on Tuesday, they were all but in.

District 16-4A is simply a mess.

What we know is that Elgin and Manor are already in, but that’s all we know.

Elgin clinched a playoff spot Friday with a win over Cedar Creek. Manor had a spot clinched on Jan. 31.

Both teams, separated by a half-game going into Tuesday, but if Elgin won the two teams would be tied.

After that, it’s like trying to figure out how to set up your new HDTV.

Of the four teams in the mix for the final two playoff spots, Hutto could have been eliminated from the race Tuesday with a lost to Elgin, but they would still need help with a win.

The likeliness of this being cleared up by Tuesday’s results are slim because Bastrop should have beaten Cedar Creek, Rudder should have beaten Cedar Ridge and Connally should have beaten Hendrickson.

Bastrop, Connally and Rudder are deadlocked going into the final three games of the season, but if all three won Tuesday (which was entirely possible) it will make the final two days of the season really interesting.
Bastrop holds a tiebreaker over Connally after sweeping the regular season series, but split games with Rudder.

Connally will make it more interesting if it completes the sweep of Rudder Friday because that could force a three-team playoff if all three teams end up tied.
Say that happens.

Bastrop would need to win its last three games just to  force a tie with Rudder for the final playoff spot.

If Rudder beats Connally, the Cougars would be tied with Bastrop after Friday – should Bastrop defeat Hutto – and have to defeat district-leading Manor in Manor Tuesday and hope Bastrop loses to struggling Hendrickson to get in.

Bottom line, Bastrop needs Rudder to beat Connally Friday in Pflugerville.

Should the Wildcats have defeated Hutto Tuesday, a team they beat by 31 points in their first meeting, the Hippos would be eliminated from playoff contention.

Elgin also has a game with Rudder in Bryan next Tuesday.

If you look at the schedules, it might be a little easier to figure out how this will play out if teams can duplicate their first round records against their final three opponents.

Let me preface this by saying the advantage has to go to the Bears.

Bastrop was 2-1 against its final three opponents in the first round, with a one-point loss to Hutto as the only hiccup.

All three of Bastrop’s remaining games are at home, which bodes well for the Bears.

Win all three and Bastrop’s playoff chances are very good because Rudder and Connally have to play each other and Connally still has Manor and Rudder still has Elgin.

Connally was 3-0 against its final three opponents in the first round, so one has to think the Cougars are in a nice position.

But not so fast.

Connally only defeated Rudder by one in the two teams’ first meeting and Manor by two.

If the Cougars can go 3-0 they are in and would take the third place spot, holding a one-game advantage over Bastrop.

It would also make Rudder’s final game with Elgin, a team the Rangers lost to by eight in the first round, mean a lot for both teams and Bastrop.

Bastrop would not like to have its rival win the district title, but should Rudder lose to Connally, they would need to be Elgin fans on Valentine’s Day because a Wildcat win would put them in the playoffs (Anyone else see the irony there?).

Like I said though, a Rudder win over Connally would be the best thing to happen for Bastrop, but a Ranger loss to Connally wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Bastrop would just have to be Elgin cheerleaders on Valentine’s Day.

Are you scratching your head yet?

We will know more Saturday morning.

Cameron Williams goes up for a layup on Jan. 31 at Wildcat Gym in Elgin in a game against the Wildcats. Williams and the Bastrop Bears are in a dead heat for a spot in the postseason. (Ken Daughtry/ For the Bastrop Advertiser)

What needs to happen…
Bastrop: Bastrop will likely get some help from Elgin, which plays two of the Bears’ final three opponents as the season winds down. If Bastrop can win remaining three and get some help from its rival, or a Connally loss, they are in. Bastrop holds tiebreaker over Connally, which will be a big help if the Bears can win out and Connally loses one of its remaining three games.
Connally: Cougars went 3-0 against remaining three opponents in first round of district play, if they win all three, they are in. A win over Rudder would give Connally the tiebreaker over Rangers.
Rudder: Rangers have least favorable schedule among playoff contenders and were 1-2 against those opponents in first round. Rudder will need to win remaining three games to get in.
Hutto: Hippos are a game out of playoff picture, but will need to win all three remaining games and have some help to get in the playoffs.

Remaining schedules
Elgin: Hutto, Hendrickson, Rudder
Manor: McNeil (ND), Cedar Ridge, Connally
Rudder: Cedar Ridge, Connally, Elgin
Bastrop: Cedar Creek, Hutto, Hendrickson
Connally: Hendrickson, Bryan-Rudder, Manor
Hutto: Elgin, Bastrop, Cedar Creek

District 16-4A girls
District championship: Rudder has clinched title
Already in: Rudder, Cedar Ridge, Connally
On the bubble: Hutto, Hendrickson

What needs to happen…
Hutto: Lady Hippos got in with a win Tuesday against Elgin
Hendrickson: Lady Hawks needed Hutto to lose Tuesday and defeat Connally

Potential playoff matchups:
Rudder vs. Lancaster/ Mesquite Poteet
Cedar Ridge vs. Ennis
Connally vs. Waxahachie
Hutto vs. West Mesquite

District 23-3A boys
District championship picture: Navasota can clinch a share of the district title with a win and will win it outright with a win over Rockdale or a Rockdale loss.
Already in: Navasota
In contention: Rockdale
On the bubble: Smithville, La Grange

What needs to happen…
Rockdale: Tigers are in with a win in final three games.
Smithville: If Smithville wins against La Grange, they are in.
La Grange: La Grange needs to win remaining three games and hope Smithville loses one of its remaining games.

Remaining schedules
Navasota: Giddings,  Rockdale, La Grange
Rockdale: Caldwell, Navasota, Smithville
Smithville: La Grange, Caldwell, Rockdale
La Grange: Smithville, Giddings, Navasota

District 23-3A girls
District championship picture: Giddings has clinched title
Already in: Giddings, Navasota, Smithville
On the bubble: none

Potential playoff matchups:
Giddings vs. Columbus
Navasota vs. Brookshire-Royal
Smithville  vs. Sealy

Bastrop, Cedar Creek and Elgin joined Georgetown – which dropped from Class 5A –former District 16-4A opponents Hutto, Connally and Manor and new school Georgetown Eastview to make up District 17-4A.

Just as predicted.

While the district alignment was what most coaches were expecting, the move to Region III (Houston) was kind of surprising.

“I wasn’t expecting Region III,” said Bastrop head coach Gerald Perry. “We are up against a good Brenham district for our bi-district and we have never seen those teams before. It’s what makes the day exciting.”

Elgin head coach Wade Griffin said he thought there was a possibility of a couple of changes, but figured it was going to be just how it turned out.

“It’s about what we expected,” he said. “Moving to Region III was a bit of a shock, but if you look at it, we could have gone to any of the three regions (Dallas, Houston or San Antonio.”

Georgetown and Eastview replace Hendrickson, which jumped to Class 5A, and Bryan-Rudder, which was aligned with Brenham, Conroe Caney Creek, Huntsville, Magnolia, Magnolia West, Montgomery, Waller and Willis in District 18-4A.

The move to Region III will make most regional competitions much closer in Huntsville while when Elgin and Bastrop were part of Region II, the schools traveled over 200 miles.
The new alignment also brings a much greater challenge, according to Perry.

With the addition of Georgetown, which is a state powerhouse in baseball and girls basketball, 17-4A will be much more competitive.

“Georgetown is good in a lot of sports,” Perry said. “This is going to be a good competitive district.”

Griffin welcomed the addition of Georgetown, where he served as defensive coordinator prior to being hired by Elgin in the summer of 2011.

“I’m pretty excited about getting to play Georgetown,” he said. “Competitive wise, this district is going to be tough, which is a good thing.”

Another interesting side note, both Perry and Griffin were candidates for the head coaching job at Georgetown East View in February 2011 when the district was looking to hire East View’s first football coach.

Thursday was an exciting time for Cedar Creek’s coaches as they took part in its first district realignment in the school’s short two-year history.

The Eagles will play their first football varsity schedule in the fall, while the other sports will play in their second varsity season.

Cedar Creek head coach Dan Hernandez said it was a good day for Eagle football.

“I’m pretty excited and look at this as a challenge,” Hernandez said. “Our kids were excited (Wednesday) at our banquet and they were already talking about what they needed to do. Now that we know where we are going, we have something to work with to get ready for next year.”

District 17-4A coaches met Thursday after realignment was set and finalized their schedules.

Schedules will not be official until Feb. 21 when coaches can officially sign two-year contracts, but all three area schools in District 17-4A tentatively set their schedules.

Bastrop’s non-district schedule will be Vista Ridge, Gonzales and Akins (Sept. 13).

Elgin’s non-district schedule will be Rudder, Lehman and Vista Ridge.

Cedar Creek’s non-district schedule will be Travis, Lanier and Lockhart.

Notable district games are Bastrop at Cedar Creek (Oct. 12); Bastrop at Elgin (Nov. 2) and Elgin at Cedar Creek (Nov. 8).

Bastrop and Cedar Creek will share BISD Memorial Stadium for all varsity football games.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULES
BASTROP
Aug. 31    Vista Ridge    A    7:30 p.m.
Septl. 7    Gonzales    H    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 13     Akins    H    7 p.m.
Sept. 21    Manor*    A    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28    Eastview*    H    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5    Open
Oct. 12    Cedar Creek*    A    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19    Hutto*    H    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26    Connally*    A    7:30 p.m.
Nov. 2    Elgin*    A    7:30 p.m.
Nov. 9    Georgetown*    H    7:30 p.m.

CEDAR CREEK
Aug. 31    Travis    A    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 7    Lanier    H    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14    Lockhart    H    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21    Hutto*    H    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28    Connally*    A    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5    Open
Oct. 12    Bastrop*    H    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19    Georgetown*    A    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26    Manor*    H    7:30 p.m.
Nov. 2    Eastview*    A    7:30 p.m.
Nov. 8    Elgin*    H    7 p.m.

ELGIN
Aug. 31    Bryan-Rudder    H    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 7    Lehman    H    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14    Vista Ridge    A    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21    Georgetown*    H    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28    Hutto*    A    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5    Open
Oct. 12    Manor*    A    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19    Connally*    H    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26    Eastview*    A    7:30 p.m.
Nov. 2    Bastrop*    H    7:30 p.m.
Nov. 8    Cedar Creek*    A    7 p.m.

Elgin defeated rival Bastrop 66-46 Tuesday at Wildcat Gym in Elgin to clinch a spot in the postseason and complete the season sweep of the Bears.

The Wildcats are 6-3 against Bastrop in team sports for the school year.

And Elgin’s student section let Bastrop know about it as they chanted, “just like football” late in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats concluded dismantling the Bears big men.

This game wasn’t all Elgin early on as it looked as though Bastrop was going to give the Wildcats everything they could handle.

John Thorne scored the first six points of the game as he and Cameron

Williams combined for 12 in the first quarter to give the Bears a 13-11 lead going into the second period.

Elgin (23-4, 10-2 District 16-4A) took its second lead of the game early in the quarter when Tracy Haywood connected on his first of two three-point field goals for the game.

The Wildcats didn’t pull away from the Bears despite never giving up the lead for the remainder of the first half.

Chis Young tied the game at 21, but Da’Trean Simmons quickly gave Elgin the lead back by making 1-of-2 free throws.

When it was all said and done, Armando Guerrero connected on a three-point play to give Elgin a 27-24 lead at halftime.

The game would continue to stay close in the third quarter, but Bastrop (19-15, 7-6) didn’t get the lead back until the 3:21 point when Thorne made a pair of free throws to give the Bears a 36-35 lead.

However, Elgin closed the quarter with an 8-0 run to lead by five.

The Wildcats forced Bastrop out of its zone defense, which was giving Elgin a lot of trouble all night.

But that played to Elgin’s strength as the Wildcats held Bastrop to just two field goals for the entire fourth quarter.

“(Thorne) is the best big man in the district,” said Elgin head coach Dave Schmitt. “Our game plan was to not let him touch the ball, and we did that in the second half, but he came out and scored the first six points of the game.”

Both of Bastrop’s buckets were scored by Thorne, who finished the game with a team-high 14 points to go with 12 rebounds. Williams had 11 points to go with 11 rebounds while Young also finished the night with 14 points.

Both teams struggled from the free-throw line as Bastrop was 12-of-21 from the charity stripe and Elgin was 10-of-21.

Trey Nash led Elgin with a game-high 22 points while Troy Nash had 17 and Haywood had 13.

“They just out played us in the second half,” said Bastrop head coach Tim Davis. “The loss doesn’t change anything on paper for us.”

The Bears are right in the playoff mix with Hutto and Connally for the final playoff spot in 16-4A. All three teams are separated by a half game.

Bastrop is open Friday and will host Cedar Creek Tuesday and will play the most pivotal game of the year Feb. 10 at home against Hutto.

Elgin is still in the running for the district title and is tied with Manor for the district lead and will take on Cedar Creek Friday and host Hutto Tuesday.

Elgin 66, Bastrop 46
Bastrop    13    11    12    10    -    46
Elgin    11    16    16    23    -    66
Bastrop (19-9, 6-6): John Thorne 14, Chris Young 14, Cameron Williams 11, Dontray Kinsey 4, Shawn Lemon 2, Daniel Hill 1
Elgin (24-4, 10-2): Trey Nash 22, Troy Nash 17, Tracy Haywood 13, De’Trean Simmons 4, Armando Guerrero 4, Te’Rel Simmons 2, Aundoy Thomas 2, Matt Valdez 3

Bastrop’s John Thorne (33) defends Elgin’s Trey Nash (3) Tuesday as Nash goes up for a shot at Wildcat Gym in Elgin. (Ken Daughtry/ For the Bastrop Advertiser)

Elgin's Tracy Haywood (33) defends Bastrop's Shawn Lemon (3) Tuesday at Wildcat Gym in Elgin. (Ken Daughtry/ For the Bastrop Advertiser)

Bastrop's Malik Matthews drives through a group of Elgin players for a shot Tuesday at Wildcat Gym in Elgin. (Ken Daughtry/ For the Bastrop Advertiser)

After a missed three in the fourth quarter, one he heard about from the Connally fans, Matthews drained two three-pointers to lift Bastrop to a 49-44 win over Connally at Bear Gym. After his first, he held up three fingers walking back to play defense.

“I told him in the locker room that two years from now, I’ll kill him for taking those shots,” said head coach Tim Davis. “He’s fearless despite always being the smallest kid on the court. He won that game for us.”

Bastrop’s win tightened a very close district race and snapped Connally’s seven-game winning streak that featured wins over district-leading Manor and Elgin.

More importantly, Bastrop completed the sweep over the Cougars, thus giving the Bears the tiebreaker if the race comes down between them and Connally.

“We have momentum now (going into the final weeks of the season),” Davis said. “We pretty much know the number of games we need to win and we’ll take each one one at a time.”

Bastrop (19-14, 7-5 District 16-4A) had to fight back after the Cougars jumped out to a 21-10 lead in the first quarter after Connally’s Andrew Hill and Deshawn Riddick combined for 10 points.

Riddick, and especially Hill, would be quiet for the rest of the game, as Bastrop’s big men – Cameron Williams and John Thorne – took over to cut the Cougars’ lead.

Thorne jumped all over Connally (14-14, 6-5) in the second quarter, scoring eight of his game-high 14 points.

The senior post’s defense also played a factor as the Bears held Connally to four points in the quarter and trailed by one going into the locker room at halftime.

Bastrop didn’t let up and took its first lead when Dontray Kinsey put back a rebound within the first minute of the second half.

The Bears held onto that lead for just a few minutes as Connally tied the game midway through the third quarter.

Williams helped Bastrop get back the lead with a dunk over Riddick, but both teams would trade the lead until Thorne scored on another offensive rebound to give the Bears a two-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

Connally tied the game early in the fourth quarter, but a three from Shawn Lemon gave the Bears the lead for good, but it was Matthews fearless play that held off a Cougar surge.

“We really have been able to put a couple of games together,” Davis said. “We are capable of beating any team in our district.”

Bastrop will look to keep its big play going Tuesday when they travel into a hostile environment for a rematch with Elgin on the Wildcats home court.

Elgin has lost two of its last three games going into Tuesday’s game, but was off Friday.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 pm.

If Carl Padilla’s predictions hold true, Bastrop will say goodbye to Bryan-Rudder and Hendrickson, which is expected to move up to Class 5A.
In Rudder and Hendrickson’s place, current District 16-4A opponents will possibly add Georgetown, which is expected to drop to Class 4A, and new schools Georgetown Eastview and Cedar Creek to their schedules.

That’s the realistic look at it.

However, there are always a few surprises.

In 2010, Bastrop and Elgin were placed in the Dallas region (Region II) in District 16-4A which was a surprise to many at the time, including Bastrop head coach Gerald Perry and former Elgin head coach Danny Lauve.

Carl Padilla has Bastrop, Elgin and Cedar Creek making the move to the Houston region (Region III) in District 17-4A for the 2012 redistricting.

While nothing is ever scientific when it comes to predicting redistricting, there is a better chance of figuring out Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, there are some conclusions that can be drawn from current enrollment numbers and past trends that might make Padilla’s predictions come true.

In 2010, however, Padilla’s predictions were way off as he had Bastrop in a district with Hays, Dripping Springs, Lehman, Lake Travis and Lockhart.

The thing that could hold true with his 2012 predictions are the geographical handcuffs for the two Georgetown schools.

Hendrickson is expected to jump to Class 5A after turning in an enrollment of 2,276. Cedar Ridge, which competes in District 16-4A this year in every sport but football, is also expected to move to Class 5A with the rest of Round Rock ISD schools. It turned in an enrollment of 3,065.

That pretty much leaves Georgetown ISD nowhere else to go, especially with Killeen also being expected to move up to Class 5A.

Lake Travis is moving up to Class 5A as well, leaving a hole in District 25-4A (Cedar Park, Vista Ridge, Rouse, Vandegrift, Dripping Springs and Marble Falls).

However, with Leander expected to drop from Class 5A with an enrollment of 1,970, the Lions are going to be the perfect replacement.

Don’t expect a reunion with Hays, Lehman and Lockhart for Bastrop and Elgin.

New Braunfels Canyon (27-4A) is expected to jump to Class 5A, but that could be remedied easily with Seguin’s expected return to Class 4A.

The Austin ISD district – 26-4A – is pretty much locked up with seven schools and while Elgin and Manor could move over to that district geographically, there is little speculation that the UIL will put together a nine-team district.

That pretty much leaves the only option to have the two Georgetown schools replace Rudder and Hendrickson and place them with Bastrop, Cedar Creek, Elgin, Manor, Hutto and Connally.

Of course, nothing is certain until Feb. 2 when the UIL releases the new districts for 2012-14.

Stay tuned.

BY THE NUMBERS
Here is enrollment numbers turned in to the UIL on snapshot day in Dec. 2011. The three Class 5A schools are projected to drop down to Class 4A when realignment is announced on Thursday.

Class 5A
Leander    1,970
Georgetown    1,990
Seguin    2,044

Class 4A
Bastrop    1,513
Cedar Creek    1,260
Cedar Park    1,796
Cedar Ridge*    3,065    Connally     2,004
Dripping Springs     1,307
Georgetown Eastview    1,418
Elgin    1,200
Killeen*    2,192.5
Lake Travis*    2,218
Lehman    2,064
Lockhart    1,325
Manor    1,642
Marble Falls    1,112
NB Canyon*    2,101
Rouse     1,863
Vandegrift    1,458
Vista Ridge    1,779
Hays    2,015
Hutto    1,325
Hendrickson*    2,276
Crockett    1,566
Eastside Memorial**    771
Lanier    1,659
LBJ    1,869.5
McCallum    1,763.5
Reagan    1,051.5
Travis    1,483
* Projected to move to 5A
**Opting to move up to 4A

2010 Classification numbers
Class 5A: 2,065 and above
Class 4A: 990-2,064
Class 3A: 430-969
Class 2A: 200-429
Class A: 199-below

PADILLA REALGINMENT PROJECTIONS
District 17
Bastrop
Cedar Creek
Elgin
Georgetown
Georgetown Eastview
Hutto
Manor
Connally

District 28
Alamo Heights
Boerne Champion
Hays
Lehman
Kerrville Tivy
Lockhart
Schertz Clements
Seguin

District 25
Vandegrift
Cedar Park
Vista Ridge
Leander
Rouse
Dripping Springs
Marble Falls

The Lady Bears have upgraded their facilities and after a successful first year for head coach Greg Horn, Bastrop’s softball team has the realistic expectation of making the playoffs.

“When I got here, I wanted to change the culture and set that expectation to being able to compete,” Horn said. “(Last year) we held the lead against every district team when we played them, with the exception of a 0-0 tie with Elgin. If we can get to the playoffs, it will be a step in the right direction.”

Bastrop is hoping to come out from the shadow of its neighbor to the north (Elgin).

District 16-4A expanded this season with the additions of Cedar Creek and Cedar Ridge, which is expected to contend for the district title.

There is still a high level of competition with Elgin, which has won three straight district titles, Hendrickson, Connally and Hutto.

While the playoffs are a goal of the Lady Bears, there is one match-up circled on the schedule the team cannot wait to play – a pair of dates with Elgin on March 13 at Elgin and April 13 in Bastrop.

“Our big goal is to beat Elgin,” said senior pitcher Lillian Raemsch. “As a team, we played our best game against them last year even though we lost 1-0. We have always had a really big rivalry with them, so a win would be huge.”

Horn said if his team could beat the Lady Cats it would be a huge step in changing the culture of the program.

“When I got here, all I heard was ‘you have to beat Elgin,’” he said. “A win over a program like that would really turn the heads of our community towards us.”

Raemsch pitched one of her best games in the 1-0 loss to Elgin, where there wasn’t an earned run scored in that game.

She kept the big bats of the Lady Cats silent, although former catcher Hillary Adams did almost jack one of Raemsch’s pitches over the left field fence.

A win over the Central Texas powerhouse would be nice for Bastrop, but it would just be a small part in the ultimate goal of reaching the postseason for the first time in six years.

After Hendrickson had to forfeit numerous games due to playing an ineligible player, Bastrop finished fifth in the district standings behind Hutto, just one win away from snapping that postseason drought.

Horn and Raemsch both said a trip to the playoffs would be the turning point for the culture of Bastrop softball.

“We are right there,” Raemsch said. “In the past, I think a lot of people looked at us like, ‘oh, it’s just Bastrop.’ Coach Horn came in and has kept us positive and keeps telling us that we can beat any team we play.”

Horn added, “Winning breeds winning. If we can make the playoffs it’s going to help getting the younger kids involved in our program and change the culture at the school.”

Bastrop players and coaches took the first step in changing the culture with an upgrade to the team’s facilities.

During the postseason, the team constructed a brick backdrop behind home plate with black netting and rebuilt the fence in the outfield with a maroon cover.

A new scoreboard will be delivered in the next few weeks, according to Horn, and there are plans to construct all brick dugouts.

Horn said all the work has been done by his players and parents with the help of donations from the community and fundraisers.

“It gives them a sense of pride,” Horn said. “The girls worked hard on that and it means something to them.”

The changes are also just a small step in what Raemsch said will help her and the senior class leave a legacy with Bastrop softball.

“My dad has always been behind me and my mother has just been awesome with supporting me in softball,” Raemsch said. “It would feel good to make them proud.”

Bastrop opens its softball season on Feb. 14 at home against Salado. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Bastrop pitcher Lillian Raemsch, seen in action during the 2011 season, hopes to leave her legacy on the Bastrop softball program this season with a trip to the postseason for the first time in six years. (Larry Overall/ File photo)

SCHEDULE
February
14    Salado    H    6:30 p.m.
16-18    Bastrop Tournament
21    Hutto*    A    7 p.m.
23    La Grange Tournament
24    Bryan-Rudder*    A    7 p.m.
25    La Grange Tournament
28    Hendrickson*    H    7 p.m.
March
2    Manor*    H    7 p.m.
6    Cedar Ridge*    A    7 p.m.
9    Connally*    H    7 p.m.
13    Elgin*    A    3 p.m.
20    Cedar Creek*    H    7 p.m.
23    Hutto*    H    7 p.m.
27    Hendrickson*    A    7 p.m.
30    Bryan-Rudder*    H    7 p.m.
April
3    Manor*    A    7 p.m.
5    Cedar Ridge*    H    7 p.m.
10    Connally*    A    7 p.m.
13    Elgin*    H    7 p.m.
20    Cedar Creek*    7 p.m.

C Maureen Byrd (file photo)

Smithville defeated La Grange 46-39 Friday at Tiger Gym in a must win game for the Lady Tigers if they wanted a chance to keep their playoff streak alive.

Taryn Leiferman and Julia Kubicek each scored 11 points as the Lady Tigers broke the game open in the second quarter to take a 30-17 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Despite La Grange outscoring the Lady Tigers (8-19, 2-3 District 23-3A) by six in the second half, it was too much to overcome.

“This was a must-win game for us to stay alive in the playoff hunt and we got the job done,” said head coach Robin Ramsay. “I was disappointed in our half court defense as well as our free throw shooting. Those 2 factors allowed LaGrange to keep the game close. We will have to improve on those aspects of our game if we are to be successful in the second half of district play.”

Other scorers for Smithville were Valerie Harmon (6), Maygan Washington (8), Audrei Rogers (5) and Shelby Davee (2).

Bryan-Rudder 99, Cedar Creek 19
BRYAN – The Cedar Creek Lady Eagles took one in the chin Friday as the district-leading Rudder Lady Rangers picked up an 80-point victory at home over the Lady Eagles.

Rudder’s defense held Cedar Creek to just three points in the first half as the Lady Rangers led by 57 at the break.

Cedar Creek (3-16, 0-11 District 16-4A) scored 16 points in the second half, but Rudder’s high scoring offense kept pouring it on, outscoring the Lady Eagles 23-6 in the fourth quarter.

Kennedy Collins led the Lady Eagles with 10 points while Takia Bunton had six.

Rudder was led by Lamaria Cole’s 28 points and Marche Amerson also scored 28.

Other scorers for Cedar Creek were Jennifer Rico (1) and Maria Acevedo (2).

Bastrop 40, Manor 37
MANOR – This was the game Bastrop head coach Dee Deshay had been waiting for from Addison Semer.

The sophomore post scored a season-high 15 points Friday to lead the Lady bears to a 40-37 victory over Manor at Mustang Gym in Manor.

Bastrop (3-19, 2-10 District 16-4A) erased a 23-15 deficit at halftime to outscore the Lady Mustangs 25-15 to get the win.

Other scorers for Bastrop were Taylor Seitz (8), Magen Cavazos (6), Brittany Reed (5), Alexis Arevalo (4) and Dezi Litton (2).

Cedar Ridge 57, Elgin 38
ROUND ROCK – Using a pressure defense, the Cedar Ridge Lady Rangers outscored the Elgin Lady Cats 20-2 in the third quarter to cruise to a 57-38 win in Round Rock Friday.

Elgin (7-14, 4-8) surprised the second-place Lady Raiders early in the game by taking a one-point lead into the locker room at halftime.

The third quarter was the difference in the game as Elgin matched Cedar Ridge point for point in the first, second and fourth quarters.

Shaqualla Franklin had 17 points while Cynthia Cowan added seven in the loss.

Other scorers for Elgin were Lee Ann Nash (6), Vernicia Robinson (4), Ashley Kerlin (2) and Monique Aguirre (2).