Fort Worth, TX - Playing a team you have once played before during the regular season can be a blessing or curse come TAPPS 6A playoff time. Such was the case Tuesday night inside Hartnett Arena when the Vikings squared off against the visitors from Parish Episcopal. The Vikings defeated Parish in the non-district portion of the schedule and did so again, this time winning on their home floor 59-45 to claim the area championship.
Led by the all district performer, junior Odessa Ozuna and her 22 points, the Vikings jumped out of the gate forcing the visitors to call a timeout after falling behind 13-0. The Vikings would out score the Panthers 33-18 in the first half.
“Obviously our start was tremendous, which gave us some early confidence,” head coach Josh Blok said. “You just never know in the playoffs, but it sure was nice to play with the lead the entire game.”
The Panthers would cut the lead to single digits for a few minutes as the Vikings maintained a ten to twelve point lead throughout the game. The Panthers were led in scoring by Brooke Dial, who scored a game high 30 points.
“I am proud of our girls for getting to this point and giving ourselves a chance to win another championship. They could have let down after winning a share of the district championship but they did not and that is a testament to their character and competitiveness,” Blok stated.
With the win, the Vikings advance to the regional championship where they will square off against Bishop Lynch. The championship will be played, Saturday, at Prosper Rock Hill HS. Game time to be set within the coming days.