Fifth-ranked Cats down Pine Tree

Photo/Jim Jackson Jacob Holmen scores for the Cats in the Wagstaff Holiday Classic. The Wildcats followed a first-place tournament finish with district wins over Pine Tree and Hallsville.

The Whitehouse Wildcats, ranked as the #5 team in class AAAA by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, downed a stubborn Pine Tree Pirate squad by a 60-43 score last Friday night in Wildcat Arena.

The Cats are now 16-1 overall and 3-0 in District 12-AAAA.

In what he described as a "sloppy" performance by his Wildcats, head coach Wally Dawkins said the Cats were due a letdown.

"We played well at the TJC Tournament and that is a huge event. Then we had the week off with no game on Tuesday, and Friday was a non-school day, which breaks your routine, so we had all kind of excuses not to play well, and we are using them!

"I just think we were a little sluggish and it was a team effort. Give Pine Tree credit. They battled us and were within 10 at the end," said Dawkins.

"When you play 11 kids -- 10 of which score -- don't play real well as a team and still win by 17, I guess that's O.K."

Jacob Holmen led the way with 19 points, followed by Kyle Ford with 10.

In a very balanced attack, Mitch Marquis and Blake Anglin scored 5 each, Cade Clark chipped in 8, and Kody Molloy added 4.

Bart Henderson also chipped in 3, with Brady Attaway and Seth Cashion both adding 2.

Whitehouse will now face Henderson on the road on Friday and then travel to Marshall on Tuesday, Jan. 15.

The Wildcats have made a steady climb through the TABC poll, the state's weekly pulse as to the top-rated teams. Starting at #16, the Cats climbed to 11th, then jumped to eighth, and are now ranked fifth. Whitehouse is the top-rated class AAAA team in Region II.

"We all know it is where you are ranked in the end that counts," Dawkins said, "but it is nice to be rated that high on a statewide basis, and I think it should give our players something to shoot for."