CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Ray high school is one of 12 Coastal Bend boys basketball teams that advanced to the second round of playoffs. To make it this far in playoffs teams have to have great coaches and good team chemistry, but it helps to have a little extra support.
"We have a lot of speed, but we also have a ton of guys that can shoot and a ton of guys that can drive the ball and score at the rim," said Ray junior Tripp Thompson. "The versatility for us is what's hard to guard."
The Texans are back in the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Last year Ray ended a five year drought, but they returned some sharpshooters averaging 65 points per game.
"Our offense is really fast-paced. We try to speed up a lot," said Ray senior Mark Barragan. "We have real high quality point guards. Everybody on the team can really do the same thing."
One of the newer members on their roster is the Noah Backboard, which was installed last season. The tech tracks three things: arc, which should be near a 45 degree angle, depth where 11 inches deep is considered the optimal, high-percentage target for a shot and left to right in reference to the rim.
"For me personally it's helped me kind of transform my shot to be more precise and more example," Thompson said. "For example, before we got the Noah my arc used to be lower."
Ray was able to gain this extra knowledge because their athletic booster club raised funds to give them a shot at success. The Texans are one of the first high schools in the country to install Noah, which is widely used in the NBA and college basketball.
"Helping us really understand the true details of our shot," said Ray senior Amari Washington. "Hearing that consistently be the wrong number helps you adjust in your mind to know that now I've got to lower my arc a little bit more."
The Texans are four wins away from playing for a State title. A rematch with McAllen stands in their way. The Bulldogs beat the Texans in a Tournament Championship back in December.
"We're super excited," Washington said. "They beat us pretty bad at home at home last time we played them, and we're just kind of coming back looking for our revenge and we can't wait to show that."
The Ray Texans (27-9) will face the undefeated McAllen Bulldogs (37-0) in the UIL 5A-DII Area second round matchup on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Falfurrias Junior High.
