Avinger wins third state championship

By Toni Walker

Photos by Darren and Derrick Rawls

In March of 1996, the Avinger Indians had just won their second State Championship. This had come 19 years after their first, in 1977. Now, 20 years after that 1996 championship, the Indians have once again cut the net, and are the Texas 1A State Champions.

Twenty years later, a key player from that championship team, Treston Dowell, is the head coach at Avinger ISD. The boys who play for him were not born in 1996, but you can bet they have heard about that team. As a matter of fact, at this year’s homecoming game, the school honored the 1996 team on the twentieth anniversary of their championship. Now, 20 years from now, these boys will be honored as State Champions, as well. And their coach will have the distinction of being a champion both as a player and a coach.

This year’s team entered the State Tournament in San Antonio after having knocked off the previously undefeated number one team in Texas. That set up a meeting in the semifinals on March 10 with Happy. Every child growing up at one point or another played cowboys and Indians. The Avinger-Happy game gave new meaning to that term, and will be a game of Cowboys versus Indians that Avinger fans will always remember, as Avinger came out on top, 46 to 37.

In that semifinal game which left the Cowboys not too happy, Avinger forced 21 turnovers, and those miscues into 14 Indian points. Although the Indians also turned over the ball 21 times as well, they shot 51.6 percent from the field, giving them the advantage. Three Indians reached double digits in lthe semi-final game, with Demionte Mitchell accounting for 15 points, four rebounds, and three steals. Senior Desmond Chism added 14 points, six rebounds, and two steals. Grayson Early added 11 points for the Indians.

The Indians, after a day off on Friday, returned to the Alamodome on Saturday, March 12, for a date with the Wildcats from Lenora Grady. The Indians would again end up on top, 50 to 36, in front of a crowd of 7, 866, many of whom sported Avinger black, maroon, and white. Some even came with war paint, prepared for battle.

At halftime, Avinger was trailing by one, 20 to 19, but shot over 50 percent from the field in the second half, including going six for six on foul shots in the final two minutes, to put the game away. As hot as Avinger entered the second half, Grady came back that cold, shooting only 17.9 percent. Avinger outscored the Wildcats, 21 to 16 in the second half.

Avinger’s lone senior, Desmond Chism, led the Indians with 18 points, and 10 rebounds. Grayson Early added 16 points, seven rebounds, and two steals in the championship effort. Chism also earned the Most Valuable Player award for the Championship game.

With Avinger only losing Chism to graduation, the future looks bright for the Indians and Coach Dowell, who quite possibly might not have to wait another 20 years to hoist their next trophy.

There will be a celebration pep rally on Thursday, March 17. Everybody is invited to come and celebrate the State Champion Indians at the Avinger School gym. The celebration will begin at 2:40 p.m.