High school hoops around the borderland are finally back.  

Girls' basketball tipped off officially last week, while the boys began their season yesterday. Many El Paso teams have aspirations to make a deep playoff run, and for some, that may be a reality.  

Let's get caught up with what has happened over the past week.

Girls Basketball 

On the girl's side, the early non-district games gave us a peek as to who would be the teams to beat around the 915. For now, the days of 1-5A running the city are done. The big three of Chapin (1-2), Andress (1-2), and Burges (0-2) all had their struggles against 6A squads. All of those teams have talent and great coaching, but a lack of experience has hurt them early on. It wouldn’t be a surprise if we are talking about how those teams turned it around later in the season. But for now, 1-6A has been the most dominant district. 

1-6A will be a gauntlet 

1-6A will be a gauntlet. Pebble Hills (3-0), Americas (3-0), and Franklin (3-0) flexed their muscles over the week. The Spartans picked up wins over perhaps the three best non-6A teams in the city against Chapin, Burges, and Riverside. Meanwhile, Americas cruised to victories over Burges, Chapin, and Hanks. Franklin had a scare on the road against Hanks, but the Cougars completed a double-digit comeback to beat the Knights by three.  

The Eastwood Troopers, who return four big-time players alongside star Amaya Williams, beat Andress and Canutillo both by double-digits, as a showdown against Pebble Hills looms in the distance.  

Montwood, who returned virtually their whole team, suffered a tough loss against Riverside, but has since reeled off two-straight wins. Socorro is 3-1, with their only loss coming to the shocking 5-0 El Paso Tigers. El Dorado fell to Chapin in a nail-biting 37-35 game but are still 2-1. Eastlake (1-2) and Coronado (0-1) are both adjusting to new coaches. The Falcons are under the legendary Marlee Webb, who is back in the borderland.  

El Paso High is 5-0 

The El Paso High Tigers are 5-0, with wins over Coronado, Socorro, and Canutillo, They have a huge test against Bel Air today, which should be a good game. The Tigers are looking to finish over .500 for the first time since 2018. They found some early success last year, but fizzled out and ended the season 15-15. We’ll see if the Tigers can keep this going.  

2-4A will be fun 

Riverside was thought to be the overwhelming favorite in district 2-4A, and while the Rangers have started the season with big wins over Montwood and Ysleta, Mountain View is 3-1 and beat Eastlake by six. The Lobos have a shot to upset Riverside later in the season, but it won’t be easy. San Elizario and Clint are no pushovers, either, so it’ll be exciting to see all of those teams battle it out later on in the season.  

Boys Basketball 

Yesterday was the first day of boys hoops around El Paso, and we had some fun games. Let’s take a look at some of the headlines around the city. 

The Anthony Rubio Show 

Burges star sophomore Anthony Rubio dropped a 44-point triple double in the Mustangs win over Harmony Science Academy. The Mustangs are looking to become one of the city's best under new head coach Danny Martinez, and have a shot at putting themselves back on the map this year in a loaded district. 

Franklin and Andress give us a battle 

Franklin is always one of the city’s best. Andress is one of the most prestigious programs in El Paso. So, when the two met on Friday, there was no doubt it would be a close one. Franklin survived the Eagles’ upset bid and pulled out the 7-point home win. 

#13 Chapin remains king 

The Chapin Huskies continue their reign of dominance, opening the year with a 79-39 win over Eastlake. Jayden Leverett led the Huskies with 15-points in the win, but Chapin flexed their depth as 4-players scored in double-figures. Chapin will host Franklin in what will be one of the biggest games of the season on Monday.