The 2018-19 season has finished as quickly as it started and it was, as always, action-packed.
There are those teams that don’t surprise with their expected seasons to go well or other teams that are young and struggle to find their footing early and and the season is de-railed.
However, there are those teams that catch our eye in terms of a surprise season and are better in the eye test rather than on paper.
Here are some west Texas teams that took us by surprise this season and have a chance to make some noise in the upcoming season.
El Paso: El Paso Eastwood
The Lady Troopers were a team that graduated their leadership core back in the 2017-18 season and surprised the area and the state with their impressive 17-1 district mark. Despite the fact that they rode a short-lived playoff run with a bi-district loss to El Paso Chapin, the Lady Troopers will be stout this coming season.
Permian Basin: Odessa
In a broad perspective of the region, it is difficult to pick out one team that had a surprise season.
Off-record, Roy Report Media hyped up Rankin and the potential that was there for a deep run and it showed with a regional final appearance, the maiden appearance in the school’s history.
If you squint, Odessa High turned the 6A bracket upside down, winning their bi-district round game against El Paso Americas. Their appearance was their first since the 2004-05 season.
South Plains: Seagraves
The Lady Eagles snapped Sundown’s 31-game district winning streak and finished as co-champions of 5-2A. They backed up their district title with the deepest playoff run since the 2006-07 season, with a trip to the regional quarterfinals, where they fell to Christoval.
Panhandle: Childress
Some are split on the decision to include Childress into the Panhandle or in the Texhoma, with the Wichita Falls contingent. Either way, the district draw favored Childress in a way for for them to compete in the top three spots in 8-3A. This past season lived up to the billing for the Lady Cats with an area round appearance, bowing out to Tuscola Jim Ned.
Concho Valley: Sonora
If anyone had a bigger impact in a program, it started with the hiring of coach Clayton Harris during the off-season last year. The Lady Broncos advanced to the area round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015 and was in need of a turnaround after a one-win season.
Big Country: Stamford
It was a forgettable season for the Lady Bulldogs in 2017-18 but it was a solid turnaround, with their second playoff appearance in four seasons with a young squad leading the way this season. The youth will turn to experience and expectations will be higher for Stamford in 2019-20.
