With four district games left, the Farmer boys (18-5 overall; 4-2 district) are shooting to win against Hebron (19-7 overall; 5-1 district) at home tonight at 7:30 p.m. After losing to the Hawks 56-41 at Hebron, head coach Gary Collier said that they know what to expect.

“They’re gonna set a lot of screens, they’re gonna run a lot of plays, execute,” Collier said. “They’re going to be pretty solid defensively, and hopefully they won’t shoot the ball as well as they did at their place. Normally when teams play away they don’t shoot as well, and I’m hoping for that.”

The boys, ranked 17th among 5A teams on the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) poll, still have a clear shot at playoffs, and a firm grasp on it if they win their last four games. Winning the last four games could also mean first place in district, or tying for first with rival Flower Mound Marcus (21-3 overall; 5-1 district), leaving the team in a better position for playoffs.

“We could potentially be in first place, so that’s what we’re shooting for,” Collier said. “We’re shooting to finish first and because of that, you play a lower-seeded team in another district. I feel really good about the teams in our district. I think they’re going to play teams out of the district out of Colleyville and Trinity and I think any one of our four teams that make it to the playoffs could beat any of their four, so I feel positive about at least the first round of playoffs.”

The team also had a lift of spirits after last Friday’s game against the Marauders, ending in an 81-74 double overtime road win.

“Beating a team like Marcus at their place was definitely a confidence builder, I think it was something we needed at that time because we were feeling a bit down on ourselves because of the games we lost,” Collier said. “We know we can play a lot better, and now we’re back at where we need to be mentally, and we’ve got to continue playing hard, practicing hard, and trying to get better. But mentally, we have a lot of confidence.”

Collier said he enjoyed the friendly competition, and especially the Farmer pride in the stands.

“I think for the last couple of years I’ve been here, every time we play Marcus it’s going to be a pretty packed crowd,” Collier said. “They’re probably our main rivals and I think people at Marcus don’t particularly like Lewisville; people at Lewisville don’t particularly like Marcus, but it’s all done in good fun.

“It’s just good competition and being able to root for somebody. I enjoy the atmosphere.”