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ORANGEFIELD – They knew they had the experience coming back from a superb team that made the playoffs in the Class 4A ranks last season, and now the Orangefield Bobcats look to make “hay” in Class 3A.

The Bobcats, led by long-time coach Jake McDonald, are ranked No. 20 in the state in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 3A state poll this week.

The Bobcats are off to a 4-1 start.

“It’s rare air for us for sure,” said McDonald. “We’ve got a lot of kids that are back from a really good team last year and so far they are playing really well in the early going.”

The last time the Bobcats came close to getting into the poll was in 2019.

“That was the team that had Valentin Catt on it and we made a deep run,” said McDonald. “We received some votes but didn’t quite crack the poll. It’s an honor to be in there at this point but we still have a lot we want to accomplish and a lot to prove as we prepare for district soon.”

The Bobcats went 25-11 last season to finish second in a rugged District 22-4A loop and are one of the early favorites, along with East Chambers, to battle for the District 22-3A title this season.

Orangefield is sparked by the guard play of Pete Ragusa and Zane Wrinkle. They get nice post production from the likes of Koen Maddox and Morgan Sampson.

Other key players back from last season include Leyton Loft, Kane Smith and Cameron Dischler.

Freshman Jaden Scales has shown he can contribute early on, as well as Brady Anderson.

“We have a lot of promise but we have to continue to push forward and keep working on our total overall game,” said McDonald. “It’s good to get those early season wins, but when January comes, that is when it counts the most. We’re in a very strong district, so we just want to continue to show improvement each time we go out there.”

Here is the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches state poll for the week of Dec. 1:

Class 6A

1. Lake Highlands (4-1)
   2. Arlington Martin (6-1)
   3. North Crowley (8-1)
   4. Richardson (6-2)
   5. Pearland Dawson (6-1)
   6. Summer Creek (6-2)
   7. FB Elkins (6-2)
   8. Cy Creek (7-3)
   9. Hebron (5-3)
   10. Byron Nelson (8-1)
   11. S Grand Prairie (4-1)
   12. Bmt United (3-1)
   13. Atascocita (6-3)
   14. Seven Lakes (8-2)
   15. College Park (7-1)
   16. SA Brennan (5-5)
   17. Lake Travis (8-0)
   18. Austin Westlake (7-2)
   19. Desoto (7-2)
   20. Frenship (4-0)
   21. Denton Guyer (4-2)
   22. Harker Heights (2-1)
   23. Highland Park (4-1)
   24. Plano East (8-1)
   25. Cy Falls (2-3)

Class 5A

1. Dallas Kimball (4-1)
   2. FB Marshall (4-2)
   3. Mansfield Summit (5-1)
   4. Lancaster (3-3)
   5. Killeen Ellison (4-0)
   6. Boerne Champion (7-0)
   7. Manvel (6-3)
   8. Amarillo (8-1)
   9. Birdville (1-3)
   10. Lufkin (3-0)
   11. Frisco Memorial (5-4)
   12. A&M Consolidated (5-2)
   13. SA Wagner (6-5)
   14. South Oak Cliff (4-2)
   15. FW Wyatt (1-3)
   16. Flour Bluff (7-2)
   17. Lovejoy (4-1)
   18. Barbers Hill (5-3)
   19. PA Memorial (5-0)
   20. Crosby (4-2)
   21. Colleyville Heritage (6-1)
   22. Midlothian (7-1)
   23. Alamo Heights (6-1)
   24. Laredo Nixon (4-4)
   25. Mt Pleasant (6-0)

Class 4A

1. Dallas Carter (4-1)
   2. Faith Family (8-0)
   3. Silsbee (0-4)
   4. Hirschi (1-5)
   5. Hou Washington (2-2)
   6. Boerne (2-0)
   7. Waco Connally (0-0)
   8. Hou Furr (2-0)
   9. Hou Yates (3-0)
   10. Sulphur Springs (5-1)
   11. Stafford (3-1)
   12. Canyon Randall (3-2)
   13. Canyon (1-1)
   14. Pleasanton (6-1)
   15. Jacksonville (0-1)
   16. Dallas Lincoln (2-7)
   17. Decatur (3-1)
   18. Dallas Pinkston (3-4)
   19. LaMarque (2-2)
   20. Somerset (5-2)
   21. Hereford (1-2)
   22. Wilmer Hutchins (1-3)
   23. Hamshire Fannett (3-2)
   24. Estacado (1-2)
   25. Hardin Jefferson (3-1)

Class 3A

1. Dallas Madison (0-3)
   2. Hitchcock (0-3)
   3. SA Cole (4-4)
   4. Brock (3-1)
   5. London (4-0)
   6. Shallowater (1-0)
   7. Peaster (2-1)
   8. Lorena (3-0)
   9. Diboll (0-0)
   10. Ponder (0-0)
   11. Crockett (2-1)
   12. City View (3-1)
   13. MP Chapel Hill (3-1)
   14. Lytle (4-0)
   15. Holliday (1-0)
   16. East Chambers (0-0)
   17. Mineola (0-0)
   18. Franklin (0-1)
   19. Hooks (2-0)
   20. Orangefield (4-1)
   21. Central Heights (2-2)
   22. Childress (1-0)
   23. Poth (0-0)
   24. Crystal City (3-5)
   25. Tatum (0-2)

Class 2A

1. Clarendon (0-0)
   2. Lipan (5-0)
   3. LaPoynor (4-3)
   4. Flatonia (0-0)
   5. New Home (3-0)
   6. Timpson (0-0)
   7. New Deal (0-0)
   8. Big Sandy (5-0)
   9. Douglass (7-0)
   10. Martins Mill (3-2)
   11. Tolar (3-1)
   12. Stockdale (0-1)
   13. Beckville (1-0)
   14. Seymour (1-1)
   15. Frankston (1-0)
   16. North Hopkins (3-0)
   17. Reagan County (4-0)
   18. Port Aransas (6-1)
   19. Mumford (4-0)
   20. Floydada (4-0)
   21. Christoval (2-0)
   22. Thorndale (0-1)
   23. Rosebud Lott (3-1)
   24. Hearne (2-1)
   25. Wolfe City (2-1)

Class 1A

1. Graford (4-0)
   2. Irion County (0-0)
   3. Jayton (1-0)
   4. McMullen County (3-0)
   5. Waelder (3-3)
   6. Perrin Whitt (8-1)
   7. Nazareth (0-0)
   8. Texline (3-2)
   9. Slidell (3-1)
   10. Huckabay (3-0)
   11. Calvert (0-2)
   12. Martinsville (6-1)
   13. Lorenzo (2-2)
   14. Dodd City (5-3)
   15. San Perlita (2-5)
   16. Abbott (0-0)
   17. Whitharral (0-0)
   18. Eula (1-2)
   19. Laneville (2-0)
   20. Garden City (2-1)
   21. Grady (2-0)
   22. Neches (3-4)
   23. Electra (3-0)
   24. Brookeland (6-1)
   25. Munday (3-1)