Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta discussed the #8 ranked Class 5A Wildcats Friday evening loss at now #4 ranked Class 6A Jesuit of Dallas and a variety of other topics on KSST Radio and Cable Channel 18’s Saturday Morning (December 15) Coaches Show. Jesuit defeated the Wildcats, 86-68. Coach Cipoletta said the Rangers were good and added they were hard to guard.
The Wildcats had to play without 6-foot-9 post Xavier Cork, who has an injured toe. Coach Cipoletta said the Wildcats got off to a slow start. He said the Wildcats had early turnovers and did not play particularly hard. The Wildcats trailed by 30 points at halftime, 53-23. Coach Cipoletta said he was proud with the way the Wildcats regrouped at the half and with the way they battled during the second half. He said the Wildcats got to within 8 points in the fourth quarter. Coach Cipoletta said the urgency the Wildcats showed in the second half was needed at the beginning of the game. Commenting on the Wildcats very tough schedule this season, Coach Cipoletta said it is done to prepare the Wildcats for the playoffs and district play. He said he believes to be the best you have to beat the best.
Coach Cipoletta also talked about the district race. He said Mount Pleasant, Royse City and the Wildcats had good runs in the playoffs last year. Texas High seems much improved as are Greenville and Lindale, which has a 7-foot center.
The Wildcats season record is 10-6. Included are two victories over ranked Class 6A teams, Rockwall and new to the rankings this week, Killeen Ellison. Four of the Wildcats losses are to ranked Class 6A teams: Denton Guyer, Jesuit of Dallas, Wylie and Fort Bend Elkins. Their other two losses are to Class 6A teams Mansfield Summit and Lake Highlands. The Wildcats also have wins over several other Class 6A teams: Plano East, Rockwall Heath, Manfield Lake Ridge, North Mesquite and McKinney Boyd.
The scheduling trend continues this week. The Wildcats play at Class 6A Tyler Lee Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Then they play #12 ranked Class 6A Houston Sam Houston in the University of Houston Christmas Crossover Friday at noon at a special events center in downtown Houston. 
