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KRUM — Behind a stout defensive performance, the Krum girls basketball team built a big lead early and never looked back in a 79-41 victory over Springtown.

The win Friday night at Krum High kept the Lady Cats (17-9, 3-0 in district) undefeated in District 8-4A play as they look to build on last year's 27-15 showing and run to the fourth round of the playoffs. They finished third in 7-4A last year behind Decatur and traditional power Argyle, the latter having moved up to 5A this season.

"The first half we played with good intensity, ran in transition well," Krum coach Lana Degelia said. "We got a little sluggish and sloppy in the second half, but sometimes when you put it away early, the girls have a tendency to get that way.

"Right now, we're just trying to win every district game. We'll take 'em any way we can get 'em."

The Lady Cats broke away to an early lead in the opening frame, breaking the game's lone tie at 2-2 with a 12-0 run to help them pull ahead 31-8 after a quarter. They continued that momentum into the second period to lead 51-16 by halftime, often turning stout defensive pressure into points on the other end.

"Early on, when we play like that we play with a lot of energy," Degelia said. "That's what we're looking for. Defensive energy leads to offensive energy, and that's what we want. When you do that early in the game and set the tone, make your statement early — that's a good thing."

More of that dominance ensued in the third quarter, albeit with Krum's offense slowing down as it led 65-24 heading into the final period. The Lady Cats finished it off narrowly losing the fourth quarter 17-14 to close out the victory.

Five players finished in double figures as a balanced scoring effort helped the Lady Cats prevail.

Gracie Hunter led the way with 15 points while Karlee Hastings added 13. Arianna Criss contributed 12 points as Avery Belcher and Kyra Anders had 10 points apiece. Baylee Button notched seven.

The Lady Cats will look to remain undefeated in district play when they are back in action Tuesday, staying at home to take on Decatur with tipoff set for 6:15 p.m.

It's a matchup that could prove pivotal down the line as Krum finished third in its district last year, three games back of the second-place Lady Eagles and five behind Argyle, which is no longer in the district. Beating Decatur would go a long way toward Krum's district title hopes.

"We always know that teams like Decatur and Bridgeport, they're going to bring their best game against us," Degelia said. "We want to return that. We've talked about intensity in practice and everything else — we want to make sure that we're ready to go.

"We're going to have to stay locked in for 32 minutes."

Athletes from nine local high schools competed at the state track and field meet, which was held at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin from March 11-13.

Check out a collection of all of the Denton Record-Chronicle's coverage leading up to the meet and after each day below.

A person close to Krum High School Assistant Principal Bernard Lightfoot said he's been given until Monday to resign.

KRUM, Texas — Rumors centered around the Krum ISD and the future of one of its beloved high school assistant principals is dividing the small community of Krum.

The 5,000-or-so people who live in Krum usually describe their community as closely knit, but this week, "divided" is the word some are using instead. "In a town as small as Krum, you can imagine that there are rumors flying everywhere, going in every direction," said parent Stephanie Powell.

"I feel like he was targeted by the administration...for bringing it up," said Mayor Ron Harris. "I really do."

Harris is one of the many parents backing assistant principal Bernard Lightfoot. Lightfoot reportedly went to his bosses recently with student concerns that other students, who are related to administration and school board members, might be unfairly jumping ahead in class rankings.

Now, people are worried Lightfoot may lose his job over it.

Superintendent Cody Carroll put out a letter this week saying he doesn't believe there have been any unethical uses of power, but they'll launch an audit anyway. He then sent another letter asking people to stop making attacks on social media about this case.

Meantime, a person close to Lightfoot says he's been told he needs to either resign by Monday or he'll be fired. Superintendent Carroll did not respond to our requests for comment Friday, so we don't officially know why. The person close to Lightfoot says the reason they've been given is they found a mistake on his application from more than two years ago. They believe the district is looking for an excuse to let him go.

Friday night, students and families will wear "#SAVELIGHTFOOT" shirts supporting him at the football game. They hope the district hears them loud and clear.

Lightfoot met with district administration today, but as he left the building, he told us he wasn't able to comment. "My son thinks the world of him, as do most high school students," Powell said.

Friday night, students and families will wear "#SAVELIGHTFOOT" shirts supporting him at the football game. They hope the district hears them loud and clear.

KRUM — A lopsided second quarter made the difference Tuesday night as Krum won the frame 19-2 on its way to a 78-45 victory over Bridgeport.

The Bobcats (21-11, 7-1) maintained sole possession of first place in District 8-4A with the victory, leading Decatur (20-11, 6-2) by one game with two contests remaining in district play. Krum also kept Bridgeport (5-25, 0-8) winless in its district slate with the victory.

"Last time we played these guys it was a lot closer, so we were glad we came out here and took a big lead in the first half," Krum coach Ty Tabor said. "We felt like we were able do some things game plan-wise and we executed, so we feel pretty good about it."

A competitive first quarter saw the Bobcats hold a 20-13 lead after the first eight minutes. Krum quickly expanded that edge with the 19-2 second period to lead 39-15 at halftime, building up a lead it would never relinquish.

"We wanted the game to get up and down, we wanted to go fast," Tabor said. "A lot of times what happens is the first quarter, a team will run with you a little bit when they're not accustomed to running, but then the second quarter they're tired. We feel like that's the point we can really have the full impact of what we're trying to do."

The third quarter was much more even with Krum winning it narrowly, 17-15, to take a 56-30 lead into the final frame. The Bobcats finished off the victory from there to remain unbeaten in district play.

Kasen Hastings led the way for Krum with 18 points on the night. Brian Dorgbetor chipped in 11 points, including nine in the first quarter alone.

A balanced scoring effort all around saw Aaron Lira chip in 11 points, while Carson Bird had 10. Bryson Bird and Andyn Garza also added eight points apiece.

Krum continues district play Friday when it hosts Fort Worth Castleberry with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. The Bobcats will then wrap up district play next Tuesday when they travel to take on Lake Worth, also at 7:30 p.m.

It will be a key stretch of games for the Bobcats, which can ensure they win the district title and take the No. 1 seed into the playoffs with two victories.

"If we win our next two, then we're going to be the district champions," Tabor said. "You can't ask for anything more than that.

"We're going to have to bring it, but we think the formula is already set for what we need to do."

PONDER — A back-and-forth affair between two schools less than 8 miles apart ended in a 56-51 win for Ponder as it scored 35 second-half points to rally from a halftime deficit.

It was an offensive slugfest throughout, as the final score indicates. The two teams combined for 1,201 yards of total offense as both defenses struggled to get stops. The Lions were able to find just a little more offense than the Bobcats, though, to edge out the win.

“I just felt like the first half we really stopped ourselves,” Ponder coach Kyle Cooper said. “This team is really growing up. I’m really proud of them. They’re learning how to handle adversity and how to fight through that.

“At halftime they really did a good job of just getting back to neutral, regaining their composure, and just came out and executed in the second half.”

Ponder quarterback Clifton Cooper led the team’s offensive efforts in completing 36 of 55 pass attempts for 471 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for 52 yards and one score. Cooper’s most targeted receivers were Mitch Nuziard (13 catches for 189 yards and two scores) and Case Peacock (12 catches for 191 yards and two scores).

It was just the latest in a series of strong performances for Clifton Cooper, who entered the contest having thrown for 1,035 yards and 14 touchdowns in the team’s first two games.

“We’re going to keep doing great things, keep slinging the rock,” he said. “I don’t know if anybody’s going to be able to stop it.”

Receiving the opening kickoff, Krum (1-2) struck quickly with a three-play, 68-yard touchdown drive. It was capped off by a 53-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ty Taber to wide receiver Justin Wooten.

Taber finished the night with four touchdown passes while giving away two interceptions.

Ponder (3-0) answered on its opening series with a lengthy touchdown drive as Clifton Cooper ran it in from 16 yards out. The Bobcats responded with a 21-yard field goal to lead by three with 6:13 left in the opening frame.

Following a Ponder turnover on downs, Krum extended its edge to 10 on a 1-yard run by running back Devrin Brown, who had a 27-yard carry earlier in that drive. The Lions narrowed the margin again on the first play of the second quarter as tight end Dillon Cope ran it in from a yard out.

Taber found tight end/linebacker Alex Cordova for a 33-yard touchdown pass on the Bobcats’ ensuing drive. Then Krum recovered a fumble and had a field goal blocked before Ponder narrowed the halftime deficit to three at 24-21 with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Cooper to Peacock.

“I never question the fight in our kids. They’ve fought all year,” first-year Krum coach Chuck Caniford said. “The bottom line is, when there were plays to be made, they made ‘em and we had too many missed opportunities.”

A high-scoring second half saw Ponder go three-and-out on its opening drive before Krum hit on a 55-yard pass from Taber to Wooten and Brown scored from a yard out. The Lions answered with a lengthy touchdown drive capped by a 1-yard run.

Ponder then forced a Krum punt and scored again to take a 35-31 lead. The Lions got an interception courtesy of Trey Kysiak and scored on their first ensuing offensive play as Clifton Cooper found Nuziard for a 32-yard touchdown pass to lead 42-31.

More consistently finding that tempo in the second half is something Clifton Cooper felt helped Ponder rally.

“Our whole deal is tempo. We play for that tempo and strive for that tempo. We play to tire the other team out,” Cooper said. “The tempo really came through right there and helped us out. They were getting tired and we just started throwing all over. It really helps.”

Krum narrowed the deficit later after forcing a Cooper fumble and scoring on a 23-yard pass from Taber to Wooten to make it 42-37. Ponder then turned it over on downs and forced a punt before scoring a touchdown on a three-play drive capped by a 60-yard pass from Cooper to Nuziard.

Krum quickly answered on the first play of its next drive with a 46-yard touchdown pass from Taber to wide receiver Dakota Moore to make the score 49-44 with 3:48 to play.

Ponder then scored a crucial touchdown on fourth-and-nine in the red zone as Cooper found Peacock for a 17-yard touchdown pass to make it 56-44.

Krum scored with 5.3 seconds to play on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Taber to Kobe Wall, but it could not recover an onside for one last chance to tie.

As the two teams ready for their final nondistrict games next week, improvement is front of mind for both. Krum is set to take on Caddo Mills, and Caniford preached turning over a new leaf to his players after the tough loss.

“The thing you lose sight of is these kids are still learning. It’s all new on both sides of the football,” Caniford said. “We’re able to make big plays in all phases of the game. We just have to continue to do that on a more consistent basis and we can’t leave plays out on the field.”

For Ponder, continued growth is still the priority despite matching their best start in program history at 3-0. The Lions face Godley next Friday on the road as they look to open 4-0 for the first time ever.

“On both sides of the ball there’s things for us to clean up, and special teams as well,” Kyle Cooper said. “Just keep plugging one day at a time — it’s still early in the season, but district’s right around the corner. We just have to start really honing in on some small details in each phase of the game.”

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March is here — well, almost — and the month’s trademark high-stakes basketball is fast approaching.

Although Selection Sunday for the men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments is still just under two weeks away and March Madness set to ensue not long after, there are still plenty of pivotal basketball games to come between now and then.

The UIL high school basketball playoffs are well underway with the girls hoops state tournaments taking place this week, while boys teams have entered the second of three weeks of postseason play. The stakes remain high with teams inching closer in their pursuits of elusive state championships.

While Denton-area girls teams are done for the season, three area squads remain in the running on the boys side. Each faces a tough third-round matchup Tuesday with a spot in their respective regional tournaments on the line.

The Denton Record-Chronicle analyzes all three of the contests below.

In largely unfamiliar territory amid what’s already the deepest playoff run in program history, the Chaparrals know their third-round foe inside out.

Aubrey has squared off with Van Alstyne twice this season with the two duking it out in District 11-4A. The Chaps prevailed in a pair of close contests, winning the first 51-49 and the second 69-60 as they shared the district championship with Anna before entering the playoffs as the district’s second seed.

The Panthers came out of district play tied for third place at 5-5, taking 11-4A’s third seed into the playoffs after winning their tiebreaker game with Celina.

The Chaps’ head-to-head wins and overall more successful track record should rightly inspire confidence heading into the contest, but the Panthers present a tough matchup nonetheless.

Van Alstyne pulled off a pair of seeding upsets in the first two rounds, rolling past second-seeded Arlington Summit International Prep in Round 1 before taking a 55-46 second-round win over Fort Worth Eastern Hills. The Panthers have also won six of their last seven contests with the lone loss coming to state-ranked Anna.

Carson Brown and Riley Dancer are two Van Alstyne players to watch out for in the game. Brown averaged 22.5 points per game during the teams’ first two contests this season, while Dancer posted 13.5 per game. Their effectiveness could go a long way toward determining the game’s outcome.

If the teams’ first two battles are any indication, a third close game may well be in store. Time will tell whether Aubrey can surmount the age-old adage on the difficulty of beating a good team three times.

After winning each of their first two playoff games by 17 points, the Bobcats face perhaps their toughest test yet in taking on state-ranked Wichita Falls Hirschi.

Krum, which won the District 8-4A title by two games after posting a 9-1 record, rolled through the first two rounds with wins over fourth-seeded Sanger and second seed Snyder. The Bobcats enter the contest having won 11 of their last 12 games.

Hirschi, meanwhile, has won 11 straight heading into Tuesday, including an undefeated District 7-4A title. The Huskies swept their season series with Sanger by an average margin of 22.5 points and also beat Krum’s district mate Lake Worth 48-43 in the opening round of the playoffs.

Krum’s up-tempo style is set to clash with a Hirschi team that appears to be a bit more methodical.

The Huskies are averaging 49.0 points per game on the season, having scored 48 and 46 points in their first two playoff games. The Bobcats’ season scoring average is nearly eight points higher at 56.8 points per game, which they narrowly eclipsed in each of the first two rounds with 57 and 59 points.

It all makes for a fascinating matchup between what appear to be two fairly evenly-matched squads. A win over Hirschi would propel Krum to the fourth round of the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade, a rather lengthy dry spell for the five-time state champions.

Rounding out the slate is a rematch of last year’s Class 3A regional quarterfinal bout.

The Lions fell 62-43 to the Trojans in last year’s playoff meeting, a win that continued Madison’s deep playoff run that ended with a state championship. The Trojans pulled away to a sizeable lead early and staved off Ponder the rest of the way in the contest.

Madison was the state’s top-ranked team at the time and finished this year’s regular season once again atop the 3A rankings. Ponder was ranked No. 21 in the last 2021-22 poll, finishing this year’s regular season at No. 8 in the classification.

Despite more than doubling its loss total from last year, Madison went wire-to-wire as the No. 1-ranked 3A team and posted a 14-0 record in district play. Its high-powered offense is averaging nearly 72 points per game, including an 81-51 Round 1 victory over Denton-area squad Pilot Point.

Ponder built on last year’s 31-4 showing with a nearly identical performance record-wise so far this season at 31-5. The Lions’ higher ranking is reflective of a strong nondistrict slate where they faced off with several state-ranked foes, notching a pair of wins over 3A No. 10 Brock along with taking a tough loss to 4A No. 16 Bullard.

Whether Ponder is ultimately able to turn the tide against Madison remains to be seen, but the rematch certainly makes for an intriguing matchup.