Regional Tournament Time: Bishop boys basketball looking to keep magical season intact
Bishop coach Daniel Castro said he felt the Badgers had all the pieces necessary to compete for a state championship last season.
Bishop cruised to an undefeated District 31-4A championship with leading scorer Donny Thomas turning in a breakout junior season and upcoming star Kristian Ramos impressing as one of the top sophomores in the area.
Things took a turn for the worse when Thomas went suffered an injury late in the season and the Badgers saw their impressive 2023 campaign end in the Class 4A area round to Beeville.
"I think the biggest thing we learned is not putting all our eggs in one basket," Castro said. "Having Donny hurt last year showed us that if we're ever put in that spot again, what can we do different with the pieces that we do have? I think back as bad it was to lose Donny, it kind of got us in a spot now to use different offenses."
The Badgers didn't need long to pick up where it left off a season ago.
Bishop went on to win its second consecutive undefeated district championship this season behind a core of players such as Thomas, Ramos, Isaac Colunga and Joseph Garza.
Fast forward to this week and the Badgers are preparing for a trip to the regional tournament for the first time as a Class 4A program.
Bishop defeated Floresville 66-57 on Tuesday behind 18 points from Thomas, who also connected on four 3-pointers.
"It's special," Castro said. "I always say it's who we have and the boys we have are just a special group. They've made me better to be able to schedule games like Vets or Bluff and play up North. Everybody has been a contributing factor."
The Badgers did not back down against a strong non-district schedule. Bishop scheduled a handful of Class 5A and 6A programs and the end result was wins against Flour Bluff, Miller, Gregory-Portland and Laredo Martin.
Castro said playing in those games was a contributing factor to winning another undefeated district title and the team improving throughout the UIL playoffs.
"I told the boys we might be 12-13 going into district but that's not what is going to define us in the playoffs," Castro said. "The record is not what we care about. These big games, big competition. With all due respect to our district and hats off to our opponents, we knew some of those teams weren't going to be highly competitive."
With Thomas and Colunga playing in their final season, Castro is hoping this is the season the team can break through to the state tournament.
The 29-9 Badgers have won 15 consecutive games and are averaging 86 points during the postseason. Next up for Bishop is Stafford, which is 33-6 and winners of their last six games.
"We know what's on the table and it's kind of that situation where this is our opportunity," Castro said. "We always say to play eight minutes at a time. If we can do that for four quarters, we will find success. It's one game at a time."
More: Veterans Memorial punches ticket back to regional tournament with eyes on state tournament
More: Coastal Bend boys high school basketball playoff scores, schedules
A look at the three remaining Coastal Bend boys teams
Veterans Memorial Eagles
Record: 27-8
The matchup: Veterans Memorial vs. San Antonio Veterans Memorial, 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 1, San Antonio NEISD Littleton Gym
How they got here: The Eagles rolled past McAllen Memorial in the regional quarterfinals to advance to the Region IV-5A tournament for the third consecutive season. Veterans Memorial has won 13 consecutive games.
Key players to watch: CJ Vela, Billy White III, Sean Mondragon; Christian Sabsook; CJ Perry
London Pirates
Record: 26-13
The matchup: London vs. San Antonio Cole, 7 p.m. Friday, March 1, Seguin
How they got here: The District 30-3A champion Pirates advanced back to the regional tournament for the fifth consecutive season after a dominating win against district foe Falfurrias.
Key players to watch: AC Carpentier, Aiden Salinas, Christian Olivares, Kyle Carter, Andrew Rendon; RJ Olivares
Bishop Badgers
Record: 29-9
The matchup: Bishop vs. Stafford, 6 p.m. Friday, March 1, Texas A&M-Kingsville Steinke Physical Education Center
How they got here: The Badgers defeated Floresville to advance to the regional tournament for the first time as a Class 4A program. Bishop has won 15 consecutive games.
Key players to watch: Donny Thomas, Kristian Ramos, Isaac Colunga, Joseph Garza; Daniel Salinas
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Bishop Badgers looking to keep magical basketball season intact
