FW YMLA finishes off Bridgeport in OT, Grapevine knocks off district champ Brewer

Brian Gosset
·5 min read

Five years ago, the boys basketball program at Fort Worth Young Men’s Leadership Academy finished off its first season with a 3-23 record. A lot of trail and error for a new team with a lot of potential.

The Wildcats improved every year since, capped off with their first playoff win Monday night as they held off Bridgeport, 67-60, in overtime during a Class 4A Region 1 bi-district game at Brewer HS.

“One of the things these kids wanted to do was make sure we got a playoff win this year,” YMLA coach Hosea Lee said. “Proud of what they did and how they battled adversity. They did a good job, but we still have a lot of work to do. It’s a win. Survive and advance.”

YMLA (18-3), No. 19 in the 4A state rankings, will play Burkburnett in the area round.

Burkburnett beat Brownwood, 77-70, on Monday.

Bridgeport point guard Marcus Delgado (22) fouls YMLA’s D’Monyae Davis (4) during a 4A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. YMLA led by 12 at the half way mark. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
Bridgeport point guard Marcus Delgado (22) fouls YMLA’s D’Monyae Davis (4) during a 4A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. YMLA led by 12 at the half way mark. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
YMLA’s Monterrio Golightly (30) lays in a left hander for two during a 4A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. YMLA defeated Bridgeport 67-60 in overtime. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
YMLA’s Monterrio Golightly (30) lays in a left hander for two during a 4A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. YMLA defeated Bridgeport 67-60 in overtime. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)

YMLA, the No. 1 seed and District 8-4A champ, led by four for most of the fourth quarter. Monterrio Golightly, one of 10 seniors on the team, got a steal and fastbreak layup with 4:35 left. Golightly scored six straight and converted a 3-point play, but the lead trimmed to three with 3:07 to go.

Bridgeport tied the game with a Camden Hand 3-point play with under two minutes. YMLA, who led by one, got a steal with 35 seconds left in regulation, but the Wildcats were called for traveling. The Bulls hit 1 of 2 from the free throw line and the Wildcats missed the final shot to force overtime.

Senior D’Monyae Davis assisted on a Golightly layup for a 62-60 lead with 1:12 left and YMLA made five throws down the stretch. Golightly scored a game-high 33 points.

YMLA’s D’Monyae Davis (4) lays one in over Bridgeport point Kyler Sparks (4) during a 4A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. YMLA led by 12 at the half way mark. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
YMLA’s D’Monyae Davis (4) lays one in over Bridgeport point Kyler Sparks (4) during a 4A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. YMLA led by 12 at the half way mark. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)

“Coach preaches about the first three minutes of the third quarter and that’s why they were able to come back, but we stuck with it and got the dub,” Golightly said. “We just wanted to come here, win the game, and keep going. We want to go all the way.”

Bridgeport, the No. 4 seed, scored on its first possession of the game with a Blake Horton 3-pointer from the left wing, but YMLA responded with a 16-0 run. Golightly converted two 3-point plays and a three from Davis helped the Wildcats score 10 straight. Davis scored eight in the first quarter and YMLA extended the run to 19-2. Sophomore Amir Muhammad beat the buzzer and the Wildcats led 23-10 after the period.

“It’s the first playoff game and there’s a lot of intensity,” said Davis, who scored 21 points. “The whole mentality was to come out with a whole bunch of energy. Getting stops on the defensive end and coming back and capitalizing on the offensive end.”

YMLA led 33-21 at intermission. The Bulls outscored the Wildcats 21-11 in the third quarter and got a pair of threes from Horton to cut the lead to 44-42. Horton scored five threes and finished with 15 points.

Horton tied the game at 42 with a 3-pointer, but the Bulls never led again since their 3-0 start.

Hand led Bridgeport with 24 points.

YMLA’s Jordan McClendon (21) drives to the key for two during a 4A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. YMLA defeated Bridgeport 67-60 in overtime. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
YMLA’s Jordan McClendon (21) drives to the key for two during a 4A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. YMLA defeated Bridgeport 67-60 in overtime. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
Bridgeport forward Colin Roberts (10) is knocked to the ground as YMLA’s Monterrio Golightly (30) shoots for two during a 4A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. YMLA led by 12 at the half way mark. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
Bridgeport forward Colin Roberts (10) is knocked to the ground as YMLA’s Monterrio Golightly (30) shoots for two during a 4A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. YMLA led by 12 at the half way mark. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)

Grapevine 54, Brewer 46

Monday’s nightcap at Brewer HS wasn’t the typical 1 vs. 4 showdown. Grapevine and Brewer had met up four times over the past two years in district play.

So despite playing on the road, the Mustangs (15-13) eliminated District 5-5A champ Brewer in a 5A Region 1 bi-district game for the program’s first playoff win since 2017.

It’s just the second bi-district win for Grapevine over the past 35 years.

Grapevine will face Mansfield Summit in area, 7 p.m. Wednesday at Kennedale HS.

Brewer guard BJ Williams (22) drives into the key ahead of Grapevine point guard Jackson Waggoner (1) during the first half of a 5A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Grapevine led Brewer by two at the half. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
Brewer guard BJ Williams (22) drives into the key ahead of Grapevine point guard Jackson Waggoner (1) during the first half of a 5A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Grapevine led Brewer by two at the half. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
Brewer guard Caleb Lelek (5) reaches around Grapevine’s Conner Maxwell (33) during the second half of a 5A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Grapevine defeated Brewer 54-46. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
Brewer guard Caleb Lelek (5) reaches around Grapevine’s Conner Maxwell (33) during the second half of a 5A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Grapevine defeated Brewer 54-46. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)

“We’ve played Brewer like the last three years and they have this gritty, grind style of play so we knew what to expect. I rather get a win here than anywhere else,” senior guard Jackson Waggoner said. “It’s great because I haven’t had much success in the playoffs. Hopefully we get some more.”

Threes from juniors Mitch Williams and DJ Catalano helped Grapevine to a 15-8 lead after the first quarter. A Waggoner assist to a Riley Park corner three extended the lead to 18-10 with 5:45 left in the second.

BJ Williams and Carron Gipson sparked a 9-2 run as Brewer got within 20-19, but a floater from Mitch Williams gave Grapevine a 22-20 edge at halftime. BJ Williams scored five straight for the Bears to pull within 31-29. Cole Calvery layed up a Catalano assist and the Mustangs took a 35-29 lead into the fourth.

Grapevine head coach Michael Seibert applauds his teams play during the first half of a 5A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Grapevine led Brewer by two at the half. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
Grapevine head coach Michael Seibert applauds his teams play during the first half of a 5A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Grapevine led Brewer by two at the half. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
Grapevine center Cole Calvery (14) defends the shot of Brewer forward Draquan Conley (1) during the first half of a 5A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Grapevine led Brewer by two at the half. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)
Grapevine center Cole Calvery (14) defends the shot of Brewer forward Draquan Conley (1) during the first half of a 5A Region 1 bi-district basketball game at Brewer High School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Grapevine led Brewer by two at the half. (Special to the Star-Telegram Bob Booth)

Brewer got as close as two, but a Mitch Williams’ three and Catalano dunk extended the lead back to seven.

“I think a lot of guys feel comfortable playing in this gym,” Mitch Williams said. “We don’t have just a couple guys who we look to get the ball to, everybody on the court can score. Even guys on the bench can get buckets.”

Added Grapevine coach Michael Seibert, “Maintaining that lead was big in the second half. They cut it down pretty good a couple times and our guys buckled down and got the stops they needed. We got the big stops and good looks on the offensive end.”