What happened: Midland Classical opened district play with a 38–34 home win over cross-town rival Trinity on Tuesday, Jan. 6. The victory moved the Knights to 9–14 overall and 1–0 in district, while the Chargers fell to 5–6 overall and 0–1 in district. Coy Nicholas led Midland Classical with 13 points, while Grady Whytlaw led Trinity with 13.

The big picture: The Knights set the tone early, scoring nine points before Trinity got on the board midway through the period, and taking a 13–5 lead after the first quarter. Trinity closed the gap briefly in the second quarter, cutting the margin to four at 16–12, but Midland Classical responded with a short run to push the lead back to six by halftime, 20–14.

The third quarter remained competitive, with Trinity pulling even at 23–23 midway through the period before Midland Classical answered to regain control. The Knights finished the third quarter on a 4–1 run to take a 27–24 lead into the final period. The Chargers tied the game again early in the fourth, 27–27, but Midland Classical extended the margin to seven with 16 seconds left. Trinity added late points in the final seconds, but the Knights held on for the four-point win.

Go deeper:

Midland Classical scoring: Coy Nicholas — 13, Dawson Dunn — 7, Bogdan Corzine — 7, Blake Crunk — 5, Ethan Harris — 4, Maxwell Jackson — 2

Trinity scoring: Grady Whytlaw — 13, Jackson Solis — 8, Trevor Mann — 7, Tripp Arnold — 4, Cornilius — 2

What’s next: The teams will meet again in district play Friday, Jan. 9, when Midland Classical hosts Midland Trinity at 8 p.m.