6 Houston-area schools seek title in high school boys' state basketball championships

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston area is well represented in San Antonio for the high school boys' state basketball championships.

Over the next two days, six schools will play for a state title. Of the six, Wheatley has made the most appearances. This is the Wildcat's 12th time to play at state, winning it all five times.

Columbus is the next experienced, playing on the biggest stage in boys' high school basketball. This year is the Cardinals' third appearance in the state final. This is Booker T. Washington and Fort Bend Marshall's second time qualifying for state. Neither has won a title yet in school history. Katy Jordan and Bellaire make their first appearance in the state final.

For Fort Bend Marshall, the Buffs have been successful all year. They come in with a 22-game win streak, but that's not the most impressive thing about Marshall. The Buffs' defense is the key to their winning. In 36 games, the Buffs have held all opponents, except three below 50 points in the game. On Friday morning, there was a big sendoff on campus in Missouri City. The basketball team boarded their bus to San Antonio and drove around campus to cheer students and faculty.

"I'm feeling very excited," senior forward Kevin Sargeant said. "I feel like I've been waiting for this moment my whole entire high school career and I'm just ready."

"There is no pressure. There is no pressure," senior Eian Lowe said. "We are just going to go out there and do what we do. Like every game, we're going to be ourselves, bring the defense, bring our energy, and we're going to go win."

This Marshall team has a different edge.

"We're a blue-collar team," head coach Ronnie Courtney said. "We're not the flash and dash guy. We're not looking for dunks. We're not looking to cross anyone over. We are a blue-collar team and we pride ourselves on being physical."

The Buffs' blue collar and defensive at the core, with one of the best coaches in America on the bench.

"If you want to run, we'll run with you and execute where we run," Courtney said. "But my guys have bought into defense so much to where they don't really worry about running. They worry about getting to the other end and defending people. And that's the great part about this team."

"Defense is everything," Eian Lowe said. "Defense is our energy. Defense is our number one priority. We're all really aggressive people. And that's what we take pride in. It's our fun. It's everything to us because that's how we win games, really."

Coach Courtney has over 700 wins in his 40 years, but what he's most proud of doesn't show up on any stat sheet.

"I teach life through basketball," Courtney said. "It's been a pleasure and a joy for me to be able to do that and have guys come back to me and say, 'Coach, man, you really helped me in life. I really understand what you're trying for me to understand back when I didn't understand,' and when I hear that from kids, well they'll be men; that's the best satisfaction I can get is for you to come back and say, 'Coach, I understand now.'"

Coach Courtney is looking to win state championship number four in his Hall of Fame career. He led Willowridge to back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001 with TJ Ford and Daniel Ewing. He also won state as head coach of the Bush Broncos in 2010. If he wins Saturday, he will be the first coach to win four state championships at three different schools in the same school district.