TATUM-JEFFERSON PLAYOFF INFORMATION | Friday at 7 at UT-Tyler

This just in: Tatum High School basketball is making a playoff run for the ages.

Coach Brett Carr and his Eagles are now 29-2, have won 16 straight games, and just came off a 73-53 win over Ponder on Tuesday night in Caddo Mills; that was the University Interscholastic League’s Class 3A, Division I regional semifinals.

Up next, of course, is the UIL 3A-DI Region 2 finals, where the Eagles will meet old “friends” Jefferson (28-4). That game is now official: it’ll be played this Friday night, Feb. 28, a 7 p.m. tip-off at the University of Texas at Tyler’s Patriot Center.

Tatum will be the home team.

Tickets will be available at the gate.

Tatum has defeated Mineola (in Longview) in the first round; Liberty-Eylau in Pittsburg in round two, or the area round; and then Ponder on Tuesday. Here’s the Tatum-L-E recap (SPLIT DECISION | Lady Eagles slip, but Eagles get a win for the ages over L-E; face Ponder Tuesday at Caddo Mills), and the Tatum-Ponder game story (TATUM WINS! | Sinks Ponder, 73-53, to advance to regional finals vs. Jefferson).

Also, for his performance in that win over L-E, JaCorie Bradley was named the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com boys Player of the Week last week (ARP’S BIRDSONG, TATUM’S BRADLEY | Former winners back again as the Whataburger / ETB Players of the Week!), along with Arp’s Maddie Birdsong.

Jefferson has beaten Atlanta, Malakoff and most recently, Pottsboro in the 3A playoffs; the win over Pottsboro was Monday night, and by just three (53-50).

Jefferson is also one of only two teams (Kountze was the other) to beat Tatum this year, and that was back on Dec. 10, in double overtime, at Jefferson.