FORT WORTH
Duncanville versus North Crowley in boys’ basketball is the game that made you love sports as a player. As a coach. As a fan. As a member of the media.
An arena over-flowing with fans, thanks maybe to a Fire Marshall who looked the other way. Two teams full of kids trying like hell to reach a state championship.
One senior who came off the bench to make a shot that he will never forget for the rest of his life.
On Tuesday night at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center in south Fort Worth, more than 5,000 crammed into the gym to watch North Crowley defeat Duncanville 52-49 in the Class 6A boys’ state basketball semifinal.
The eyeball test said the attendance for a boys’ basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas was bigger than the crowd for the Pitt-Stanford ACC Tournament game played on Tuesday in Charlotte. The Duncanville/North Crowley crowd may have been the same, or a little bigger, than the ACC Tourney game played between SMU and Syracuse.
Whatever happened between Pitt and Stanford, or SMU and Syracuse, could not compare to the intensity, or the scene, that was painted by Duncanville and North Crowley. This was the type of organic event that built sports into the billion-dollar drug that it has become.
Only this event featured no talk of NIL. Of expiring contracts. Of the transfer portal. Of coaches looking to leave, or will be fired. No extended TV breaks. No surplus of timeouts. No over-the-top marketing gimmicks. No manufactured opportunities to sell junk.
Just fans. Bands. Fans. Cheerleaders. Mascots. Coaches. Players. And delicious chaos.
The game had no breathing room, with both teams alternating with the precious lead at different times. Duncanville led by 2 with less than 20 seconds remaining in the game when the best of sports struck Wilkerson-Greines, right around the same time lightning popped outside the arena.
North Crowley coach Tommy Brakel wanted a timeout, but guard Kameron Price was fouled on a dribble near the sideline; on the play, he suffered a leg injury and would not be able to attempt the ensuing free throws.
Because the player was injured, Brakel had his pick of who he wanted off the bench to attempt the foul shots.
He picked a young man who has received to what basically amounts a full academic scholarship to attend LSU to take the shots. Senior Tyler Hastings is the son of a coach, and his formal basketball career will conclude when the school year ends.
He was perfect at the foul line this season – 4-for-4. Naturally, he missed the first free throw.
“He’s the greatest kid in the world who is in the gym shooting all the time,” Brakel said, “and I was absolutely heart-broken when he missed that free throw.”
Hastings admitted, “I don’t know how you can’t be nervous.”
Hastings intentionally missed the second free throw, but North Crowley’s Alex Barther II collected the long offensive rebound at the 3-point line and passed it to Hastings, who was open on the right wing. His defender was just a heart beat late to give Hastings the open look.
Hastings is a 31 percent shooter from 3, but in this one perfect moment he was Steph’. Bird. Reggie Miller. Ray Allen.
Splash.
“I’ve never felt anything like that,” Hastings said.
Most people don’t.
“It’s hard to describe,” he said. “I was definitely excited.”
North Crowley led by one point with 14.8 seconds remaining. Duncanville missed its final shot at the rim, and the party started early as North Crowley fans rushed the floor with 0.06 seconds on the clock.
North Crowley would make two more free throws for the final score of 52-49, and will return to the state title game for the first time since 2008.
Win or lose, this was a great game.
“I don’t know if I would have said that immediately, in this interview,” Brakel said, “but, after some time, I’d say this was a great, great high school basketball game.”
It was the game that made everybody involved fall in love with sports
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Mac Engel is an award-winning columnist who has covered sports since the dawn of man; Cowboys, TCU, Stars, Rangers, Mavericks, etc. Olympics. Movies. Concerts. Books. He combines dry wit with 1st-person reporting to complement an annoying personality.
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