The boys’ varsity basketball team (25-11, 10-5 in district) is set to play Martin (29-4, 11-1) in the second round of the playoffs on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at Grapevine High School.

The Farmers beat McKinney (22-12, 9-5) 51-43 on Tuesday in the first round and extended their win streak to seven.

“We hit a small lull in the middle of district, but the team has responded really well,” assistant basketball coach John Sutton said. “Multiple guys stepping up on offense, [finding] the extra man. I think we’re really back on track where we were earlier in the year, leading into the playoffs.”

Junior center Colby Springs says the team’s main advantage in the playoffs is “unselfish” play.

“When we play together we’re hard to beat,” Springs said. “I don’t think anybody can beat us when we’re unselfish and playing together as a team.”

Springs, at 6’6”, provides size for an otherwise undersized team, but Sutton says they’ve been able to use that supposed disadvantage to the team’s advantage.

“Some people [say] ‘You don’t match up against other teams that have length,’ but at the same time they don’t match up with us either, because they have to match our speed,’” Sutton said. “So we’ve taken that and turned that into a positive over the course of the season.”

With the playoffs being a single-game elimination, areas the team has emphasized all year become key in securing wins.

“We’re at our best when we’re pressuring the ball, creating turnovers and being able to get out in transition to find shooters,” Sutton said. “The biggest emphasis is making the extra pass on offense, and being confident when you shoot.”

The team knows the significance of the postseason and what it would mean to make a deep run. 

“It would mean a lot because Lewisville’s been known to be out in the second or first round,” Springs said. “So for us to make it to the third, fourth [round] it’ll be good for us just to make it deep in the playoffs and get a good experience.”

If the Farmers are able to advance, they would play either Lake Highland (28-3, 16-0) or Plano East (31-4, 12-2). Regardless, Sutton said it’s been “a hell of a ride.”