FIRST RUNNER UP - Shelbyville 36 - Lipan 47
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The Shelbyville Dragons brought home first runner up honors at the 2024 UIL State Championship in Boys Varsity Basketball. The Dragons lost to the Lipan Indians by the score of 36-47. The Dragons advanced to the title game after defeating the Thrall Tigers the previous day, March 8, by the score of 67-52. Shelbyville ISD | The Light and Champion -
The Shelbyville Dragons meet with the press following the loss to Lipan. Wearing their first runner-up medals from UIL, The Dragons left all their heart on the court and just came up a little short this year. -
DJ Barns and the Shelbyville Dragons secure a State Championship bracket with the vicotry over the Thrall Tigers. -
Eli Furgeson moves the ball down court to the Thrall Tigers goal looking for an open teammate for two.
The Shelbyville Dragons came up short against the Lipan Indians in the UIL 2A state championship match Saturday. The score at the final buzzer was 4736.
The Dragons are no stranger to the biggest stage in 2A basketball.
Since the 2017-2018 season, Shelbyville has cashed their ticket to state four times. Their semifinal exit during the 2018 tournament pushed the Dragons to greater heights as they returned in 2019 to win it all. The 2020 tournament was cut short due to COVID-19 restrictions, but all signs pointed toward a Shelbyville repeat. Going back even further, the Dragons were crowned 2A champion during the 1981-1982 season as well as the 1983-1984 season.
This year, Shelbyville competed in what could easily be considered the toughest district in 2A basketball. District 23 2A was stacked with three teams ending the season ranked in the top 25 according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches rankings. Beckville (No. 3), Shelbyville (No. 13), and Timpson (No. 22) were the headlining teams joined by the always competitive Tenaha Tigers and a scrappy Garrison Bulldogs team.
Shelbyville finished second behind the Beckville Bearcats, who had the Dragons number in district play. The Bearcats defeated the Dragons 57-42 in their first meeting and 54-52 on a buzzer beater at the end of their second matchup. Shelbyville earned a shot at redemption at the Region III final, and capitalized by defeating the Bearcats 48-46.
This set up the Dragons state semifinals matchup with the Thrall Tigers. Thrall was an unlikely opponent out of Region IV. The Tigers finished district play as the third-place team from District 27 2A. Thrall picked up enough momentum during their playoff run to earn the win at their own regional final.
The first half of the semifinal game was a tightly contested ballgame. The teams entered the locker room at halftime knotted up at 32. D.J. Barnes and Ja’Davian “Geechi” Mathis lit up the scoreboard for the Dragons. Barnes led with 23 points, and Geechi was hot on his heels with 22.
Shelbyville was also bolstered by Eli Ferguson, who came alive in the second half knocking down four-of-five three-point shots. The Dragons would come away with a 67-52 victory.
This win set up the state championship match between Shelbyville and Lipan. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Lipan has competed in the 2A state tournament. The Indians were also the 1A state champion in ’17 and again in ’18 before moving up to 2A.
Lipan and Shelbyville play a similar style of basketball. Neither team truly lights up the scoreboard. They both put heavy emphasis on defense and a methodical, grind-it-out style of play on offense.
Shelbyville came out flat against the Indians scoring only three points in the first quarter. Heading into the second, the Dragons were down 10-3. Shelbyville battled in the second and trimmed the lead to 17-15. Both teams fought hard during the second half, and the Dragons were even managed a narrow lead, but late in the fourth, Lipan pulled away.
Shelbyville fell 47-36. Lipan’s defensive game plan to shut down Geechi was mostly successful, as they held him to seven points. Another factor at play was Shelbyville’s inability to knock down shots from three-point range. Of 17 attempts beyond the arc, the Dragons were only able to land two.
Barnes led the Dragons once again in scoring with a 14-point total in the championship. His efforts also earned him the honor of a place on the All-Tournament Team. Geechi’s seven-point total was second followed by Weston Frick with six, Jonavian “Jon Jon” Mathis with five, and Eli Ferguson with four.
“I went through the handshake line and told every single one of them that I love them,” said Shelbyville head coach Colton Wager. “This thing is bigger than basketball. The relationships that we have built, we’ll have for the rest of our lives. I couldn’t be more proud of the way that they fought. They gave me everything they had on the floor today.”
Making the state championship game is no small feat. It is even more impressive considering that this was coach Wager’s first year with the team. The Dragons battled through what is likely the toughest region in 2A basketball and earned their right to play in the final, all while learning new schemes and adapting to new coaching philosophies incorporated by Wager. Both the players and coaches clearly bought into the new system.
Shelbyville will lose key pieces in senior departures this year including Eli Ferguson, Weston Frick, and Dylan Parker, but the future remains bright for the Dragons. D.J. Barnes and Ja’Davian “Geechi” Mathis will return as starters, and sixth man Jonavian “Jon Jon” Mathis will likely see increased floor time next season.