Chemistry fueling Atascocita’s quest for a state title

Atascocita clinched its first regional final with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning of Game 3 against Rockwall Heath.

Then the entire team jumped on a bus and went to Reliant Stadium for graduation.

Only six players walked the stage last Saturday night, but every player attended, in uniform and it wasn't required.

The coaches left it up to them, and they wanted to be there, for their teammates.

"Losing 18 seniors (last year), you never know what to expect, but watching this group grow up, since they came in as freshmen, they've always been a pretty tight-knit group, and that continues," coach Eric Matthews said.

The resulting chemistry has trumped their lack of experience, sparking the team's deepest playoff run after three straight first-round exits.

Texas signee Travis Jones, a key leader for this year's club, couldn't be happier.

"Having a lot of team chemistry is a big part of it," Jones said. "We've had a lot of people step up, and people have really figured out their roles, more than in the other three years, so that's really helped us out."

They've needed all the help they can get recently.

The Eagles lost their regional quarterfinal and semifinal series openers, then rallied with back-to-back wins to survive both rounds.

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Chemistry fueling Atascocita's quest for a state title