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Panthers swat Yellowjackets, claim fourth 10-3A win


Paradise’s Cooper Jones maneuvers his way toward the basket in the Panthers’ 58-21 win over Boyd in the teams’ first 10-3A meeting Saturday at Boyd High School. MIKE HALL | FOR THE MESSENGER

After ending their 2024 campaign with a trip to the 3A Region II final, the Paradise Panthers are making their case to be the top team in District 10-3A this season. 

Paradise (18-5, 4-0) — ranked 12th in this week’s Texas Association of Basketball Coaches 3A boys poll — picked up a 58-21 win in the first Battle of Texas 114 rivalry win over Boyd Saturday at Boyd High School.

“It’s always a good thing to get a district win, and then on top of that, getting a road win in this district is huge for playoff positioning,” Paradise coach Bo Rickner said. “In a rivalry game, anything can happen, so it’s definitely enjoyable that we were able to go over there and get a good win against a rival like Boyd. It was a pretty tamed rivalry game — I don’t know if the weather and rescheduling played a factor in that. But our guys did a good job of trying to create energy on the defensive end and doing what we preach every day, which is getting off to a fast start and making some noise, even if we’re the only ones talking. We want it to be a loud environment because we feed off of that.”

Paradise’s performance at the free throw line aided the Panthers’ first-quarter success, as the team knocked down eight of its 10 charity shots to fuel a 15-6 opening run. The momentum stayed with Paradise in the second quarter, as the visiting team used a 18-8 attack to held a 33-14 advantage at halftime. 

Will McGregor paced the Panthers in the first half, netting 13 of his game-high 21 points in the first 16 minutes. 

“Will’s performance was a definitely huge boost for us,” Rickner said. “In addition to his points, he also finished with 10 rebounds. I think he set the tone for us in the first quarter. He was that energizer guy — it seemed like every time a shot went up and came off the rim, Will was there fighting to get the rebound or at least trying to make a play on it. As a team, we’ve been struggling from the free throw line. So for him to get there shows how he was being aggressive and attacking, and going 9-for-10 by himself helped us to build momentum for us throughout the game.” 

Paradise’s Creek Gibson and Cooper Jones also reached double digits in points, scoring 12 and 11, respectively. Max Jordan helped out with six. 

The Panthers will take on Whitesboro in a 10-3A showdown 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Whitesboro High School. Paradise returns home to close the week with a Senior Night battle against Valley View 7:30 p.m. Friday. 

Rickner believes the Panthers are capable of achieving their first goal of the season — win the district championship.   

“I think winning district would be huge for the school, and I know these kids want it,” he said. “That’s a goal of theirs, but that’s not a make-or-break thing for us — it’s a little extra icing on the cake. The main thing is the playoffs. With the new format this year, it doesn’t devalue the district championship, but the important thing is that we get into the small school division with a good seed and set ourselves up so that we can hopefully go on another playoff run this year.” 

Boyd’s Lex Horton netted a team-high 10 points in the Yellowjackets’ 58-21 District 10-3A Battle of Texas 114 rivalry loss to Paradise Saturday. CHAD HUNT | FOR THE MESSENGER

The loss to Paradise dropped Boyd (7-19, 2-2) to .500 in district play under first-year coach Sam Anderson.

“Paradise did a really good job defensively, which in turn limited us from what we wanted to do,” Anderson said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys playing new roles in a new system, and Paradise is  really good, which makes it a challenge at this point. But we’re going to keep working every day so we can make it a real rivalry again. I bet it’ll get more amped up as we get better and as the years go on. One of the reasons we play this game is for the rivalries, and they’re great games to be a part of.”

Lex Horton was Boyd’s top scorer with 10 points. 

“[Lex] is getting a little bit better every day,” Anderson said. “He’s doing a good job working hard in the gym. Every one of our guys are doing something new this year, whether it’s a role where the ball’s in their hands more, or that they’re a role player. There’s a lot of guys that are on varsity for the first year, and I think we’ll be a good team as all keep improving.” 

Boyd takes on Callisburg at home 7 p.m. Friday, followed by a battle against Ponder 7 p.m. Friday at Ponder High School. 

“Right now, we’re right in the mix at 2-2,” Anderson said. “There’s games that are games we need to take care of business in order to control our own destiny, while there are games like against Paradise that we’d like to steal a win in. I know my boys are a ton better than they were just one month ago, and we’re gaining confidence every day. It just takes time, but we’re moving in the right direction.”

The Panthers and the Yellowjackets will square off in the teams’ second rivalry clash Tuesday, Feb. 4 at Paradise High School. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. 

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