GOUDARZI & YOUNG / ETBLITZ TEAM OF THE WEEK | Coach Brett Carr’s Tatum Eagles!

Tatum’s High School’s boys basketball team, coached by Brett Carr, was on fire throughout the regular season, and now it’s a full-on scorcher.

We’re talking as hot as blue blazes – or maybe green.

The Eagles won twice last week in the UIL Class 3A, Division I playoffs, and one of them was over a Liberty-Eylau team that had not lost the entire season.

For their performances in those two playoff wins last week, Tatum boys basketball is the Goudarzi & Young, LLP / ETBlitz.com Team of the Week for Feb. 17-22.

And honestly, this time, it’s not close.

Tatum blistered Mineola, 77-48, in the bi-district (first) round of the 3A-DI postseason last Tuesday, Feb. 18. And then on Friday in Pittsburg, where the fire marshal had to be seriously considering not allowing anyone else in the building – it was a packed house – Tatum took on, then took down, Liberty-Eylau, coach Tom Leamon’s 34-0 masterpiece.

Until they were suddenly 34-1, and out of the 3A playoffs.

Tatum did that, going on a key run in the second quarter and then another in the third. The Eagles held L-E scoreless until the final two minutes of the second quarter, and holding leading scorer Tyrese Harris, L-E’s dynamic transfer from Arkansas, to just 16 points in the entire game – and eight of that came in the first quarter.

Back up to the game against Mineola.

The Yellow Jackets had won nine games all season before trying their luck against Carr’s juggernaut, and they just couldn’t stick with Tatum. The Eagles dropped 45 points in the second half, to Mineola’s 23.

Luke Sigler scored 20 to lead the Eagles in scoring. JaCorie Bradley had 18. Cooper Whiteus dropped in 12, and Cayden Tatum had eight.

That set up a matchup with Liberty-Eylau’s Leopards, who somehow had pulled off the incredible feat of going through the regular season without a loss. L-E won its first-round playoff game handily, and the game against Tatum in Pittsburg was a hot ticket.

And it was back-and-forth early on, with both teams playing solid defense and a fast-paced first quarter wound up with the Leopards on top, 16-13.

Then came that disastrous second quarter, where Tatum just scored point after point, and L-E couldn’t hit anything until finally, free throws with 2:42 left in the half. Tatum’s 10-0 run had allowed them to take the lead for good in the game.

By game’s end, Bradley had scored 33 points, among his highest total scoring efforts in a single game all season, and went 13-of-19 from the line – L-E was fouling late in the game hoping the strategy would allow them to get back in it. It didn’t really work. The closest they came was a 50-39 Tatum lead early in the fourth quarter.

Bradley had 10 rebounds, four steals and an assist, as well. Sigler scored 14 and had five rebounds, two assists and two steals, and Whiteus had 13 points, five rebounds, three steals and an assist.

Jordan Chambers had four points and had eight rebounds and an assist.

Tatum, now 29-2, has won 15 straight games. The Eagles’ only losses this year were on Dec. 10, at Jefferson (85-73 in double overtime) and to Kountze, on Dec. 28 (69-68).

Up next for the Eagles on Tuesday night is a 3A-DI regional semifinal game against Ponder – that’ll be Thursday night at Caddo Mills High School, a 7 p.m. start.

Tatum is the visiting team for the game. Tickets can be purchased online at Caddo Mills High School (Caddo Mills, TX) Athletics.

We name the team of the week award in conjunction with the sponsorship, and advertising partnership, of Goudarzi & Young, one of the nation’s leading law firms, and based here in Longview and in Gilmer.

The practice was founded in 1997 by Gilmer native Brent Goudarzi, himself a former Buckeye. And to say he and Marty Young and their team have been successful would be a drastic understatement.

The firm has won staggering verdicts of $730 million and $260 million, and have reached the three largest trucking-related settlements in U.S. history ($150 million, $140 million, and $125 million).

Specializing in cases involving 18-wheeler accidents; car accidents; personal, property, burn and oilfield injuries; insurance claims; and wrongful death, Goudarzi & Young only takes payment from their clients if they win.

Find much more about them at their website, Goudarzi & Young, L.L.P. – Tyler & Longview Personal Injury Lawyers, or contact them by calling (903) 843-2544, or toll-free at (800) 265-5169. Email them at goudarziyoung@goudarzi-young.com.

And congratulations again to the Tatum Eagles for being named the Goudarzi & Young / ETBlitz.com Team of the Week!