Courtesy Photo/Mabank ISD
The Mabank Panthers, who post a 2023-24 record of 25-7, celebrate their Bi-district championship Feb. 19 against Texarkana Pleasant Grove.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Jackson Young of Kemp eludes a Palestine Westwood defender during his team’s Area-round matchup at Corsicana High School.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kemp’s Jose Morales focuses on the basket Feb. 23 as he glides to the hoop for a score against Palestine Westwood.

CEDAR CREEK LAKE–The Kemp Yellowjackets and the Mabank Panthers took home first-round playoff victories Feb. 19 and 20, respectively, winning Bi-district basketball championships over Keene (Kemp won 58-55 at Corsicana) and Texarkana Pleasant Grove (Mabank emerged victorious, 68-50, in Longview).
In the next playoff phase, both teams saw their seasons end. At those Area round matchups, Mabank took on Dallas Lincoln in Royse City Feb. 23, falling 61-53. As for Kemp, that same night the Yellowjackets traveled to Corsicana to take on Palestine Westwood, putting up a tough fight into the third period, when Halen Cromer’s basket cut Westwood’s lead to 43-41 with 5:09 remaining until the fourth period. The team from Palestine pulled away for an 86-69 victory.
Entering postseason, Mabank had won the undisputed district championship with a Feb. 13 home-finale victory over the team with whom they were tied (Canton), and Kemp had surged into the playoffs with late-season victories over familiar foes such as Malakoff.