6A Region 4 Semifinals: Westlake vs O’Connor / Clark vs Harlan
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We are deep into the UIL Texas Playoffs and the 6A Region 4 Semifinals matchups were some of the best games we’ve seen this season. There was a ton of talent on the floor between the four semifinal teams in…
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Continue ReadingWe are deep into the UIL Texas Playoffs and the 6A Region 4 Semifinals matchups were some of the best games we’ve seen this season. There was a ton of talent on the floor between the four semifinal teams in Clark, Harlan, O’Connor, and Westlake, and it resulted in some fantastic finishes. In this article, we take a look at the clutch performers in both 6A Region 4 Semifinals games.
6A Region 4 Semifinals Results
Westlake 62 – O’Connor 58
SA Clark 49 – SA Harlan 48
Clutch Performances
KJ Adams KJ Adams 6'7" | PF Austin Westlake | 2021 State #69 Nation TX | PF | Westlake (2021)
Adams willed the Chaparrals to a comeback victory over O’Connor with a dominant 12 point fourth-quarter performance, ultimately finishing the game with 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. When Westlake found themselves down in the first and second half, Adams took control of the game and made play-after-play on offense to get the Chaparrals back into the game. Not only was he impressive on offense, but he put up a great defensive effort on O’Connor’s PF Adam Benhayoune Adam Benhayoune 6'5" | PF Sandra Day O'Connor | 2021 State TX after his explosive first-quarter scoring performance.
Adam Benhayoune Adam Benhayoune 6'5" | PF Sandra Day O'Connor | 2021 State TX | PF | O’Connor (2021)
Benhayoune was simply on fire at the start of the Regional Semifinals matchup, scoring 18 points in the first half and knocking down 5 shots from beyond-the-arc. The senior forward finished the game with 22 points and was the leading scorer for the Panthers. Benhayoune did a great job of stretching the floor, knocking down shots, and playing with great effort on defense where he had a tough task of facing Westlake’s KJ Adams KJ Adams 6'7" | PF Austin Westlake | 2021 State #69 Nation TX and Nehikhare Igiehon Nehikhare Igiehon 6'8" | PF Austin Westlake | 2022 State TX .
Cade Mankle | SG | Westlake (2021)
During Westlake’s playoff run Mankle has been a key piece to their offense success due to his three-point shooting ability. The 6’5″ senior wing has a sweet shot from deep and hit 4 three-pointers versus O’Connor, including some huge shots in the fourth quarter and a late-game fast-break layup to seal the victory. Mankle finished the game with 15 total points.
Isaac Orozco Isaac Orozco 5'11" | PG Sandra Day O'Connor | 2021 State TX | PG | O’Connor (2021)
Orozco was all over the court making plays for the Panthers, from running the offense to creating turnovers on defense. The senior point guard knocked down 13 points in the game, showed good handles, and was able to wiggle past the Chaparrals defense to get to the basket for some easy layups. A high IQ player, Orozco is one of the more underrated prospects in the San Antonio area and was a big piece to the puzzle for O’Connor’s successful season.
Al Emerallhu | PF | Clark (2021)
Clark found themselves winning another playoff game on a game-winning shot in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, this time it was senior forward Al Emerallhu who came up clutch with the last-second layup. Emerallhu received the ball in the post with just a few seconds left, had a beautiful hesitation move to get the defender in the air, and then finished with an easy layup for the win. Emerallhu finished the game with 10 total points for the Cougars.
Jordan Mason Jordan Mason 6'2" | G San Antonio Clark | 2022 TX | PG | Clark (2022)
For the second playoff game in a row, the Cougars coaching staff trusted Mason with the ball in his hands in the final possession of the game, and for the second game in a row he delivered, this time with a game-winning assist to Emerallhu. After almost losing the ball off his leg on a dribble-drive into the paint, Mason quickly gathered and made a heads-up play on a crisp pass to an open Emerallhu. Mason finished the game with 11 total points.
Ryan Garza | SG | Harlan (2023)
Sophomore Ryan Garza came off the bench and was an immediate spark to Harlan’s offense hitting two shots from three-point range and scoring 9 points in the second quarter. Garza didn’t stop there, as he made an impact in the second half as well and ended the game with 15 points, as Harlan’s leading scorer. Garza will be one to keep an eye on for the San Antonio 2023 class.
Other notable performances
PG Eain Mowat Eain Mowat 6'0" | PG Austin Westlake | 2021 State TX (Westlake)
PG Jaylen Streeter (Harlan)
SG Jalon Munoz (O’Connor)
SG Jason Osonma (Clark)
SF Jakobi White (Clark)
PF Zachary Crawford Zachary Crawford 6'7" | PF San Antonio Harlan | 2023 TX (Harlan)
PF Nehikhare Igiehon Nehikhare Igiehon 6'8" | PF Austin Westlake | 2022 State TX (Westlake)