Boys basketball: Playoff teams collide Friday

Two playoff teams from last season meet up during the first week of the new season, and Cy Creek will be looking for what would be an impressive victory at Clear Brook.

Clear Brook is a District 24-5A preseason playoff pick, according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, which didn't put Cy Creek in the top four in 17-5A (Cy Falls, Cy Lakes, Cy-Fair and Langham Creek were the TABC's picks).

The teams didn't meet last season, but Cy Creek did record a 56-49 win against Clear Brook during the 2008 Cy-Fair ISD Tournament.

ABOUT THE GAME

• Matchup: Cy Creek at Clear Brook

• When: 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19

• Where: Clear Brook High School in Friendswood

• What's at stake: An early-season victory against a fellow 2009-10 playoff team

• Clear Brook players to watch: G Spencer Bowman, G Alex Pettigrew, G Fred Richardson, G Chris Campbell

• Cy Creek players to watch: G Joseph Mu • ñ • oz, P Justin Comer, F Michael Klefas

TEAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Clear Brook: The Wolverines are looking for a fifth consecutive playoff berth in coach Jason Pillow's fifth season at Clear Brook, and the veteran boss and his staff have been impressed with top returning lettermen Bowman (6-5 senior), Pettigrew (6-4 senior), Richardson (6-5 junior) and Campbell (6-3 junior), and sophomore newcomers Will Scott (6-3 post), Tim East (6-2 forward), Chase Mullen (guard) and Prince Albert (guard) ..... Clear Brook tied for second in 24-5A with Clear Springs and Clear Creek last season, and fell to Elkins 61-51 in the • opening round of the • playoffs • ... The Wolverines host Deer Park in their season opener at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, and play the first road game at 2 p.m. on Nov. 22 at Dekaney. There's also a 2 p.m. home outing on Nov. 23 with The Woodlands during the Thanksgiving week • .

• Cy Creek: The Cougars are under the direction of seventh-year coach Ron Thomson, and even though the team is rebuilding in some ways, he believes Cy Creek can compete in 17-5A if the players and coaching staff do the right things ... Cy Creek tied for second place in district a year ago with Cy-Fair, Langham Creek and Cy Falls at 9-4, a game behind 10-3 Cy Woods. The Cougars advanced to the playoffs and fell to Georgetown in the first round ... Mu • ñ • oz, a junior, is the only returning starter, and he and classmate Klefas serve as team captains on an inexperienced squad that is being counted on to grow up in a hurry ... Thomson has taken three Cy Creek teams to the postseason (last season, 2005-06 and 2006-07), and the Cougars recorded playoff wins on the first two trips ... Cy Creek starts the season at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, at Katy, and has a third straight road game at 4 p.m. on Nov. 24 at Dekaney.