Andress Eagles leave to San Antonio for 5A State Semifinals

It is almost time for the Andress High School Boys’ Varsity basketball team to play for a spot in the UIL Class 5A State Semifinal game.

Wednesday morning, friends and family gathered at El Paso International for a rowdy sendoff as the team boarded a plane for San Antonio.

Cheers echoed as the players walked through the airport lobby.

“This is the biggest moment they’ve been waiting for,” said Norma Greenhoward, a parent of one of the players.

El Paso Independent School District Superintendent, Juan Cabrera, gave the team some words of encouragement before they left.

“You’re the pride of the district. You’re the pride of the city. We wish you a lot of luck. We’re very excited to celebrate with you on Tuesday when you come back with a state championship,” he said as the crowd roared with cheers.

The Eagles enter the game as an underdog against the number one team in the state, Lancaster High School from Dallas.

“We’ve prepared for this everyday of the week. Every practice we go over the game plan, we mimic their offense,” said senior Rashad Still.

Before leaving the airport, head coach Jim Forbes told ABC-7 his team is relaxed and ready to play.

He added the team knows what they’re up against.

“They’ve got a lot of height. They’ve got about four guys that are my height or taller, but we’ve dealt with that before.”

Andress has eleven seniors on its roster, and combined, the team has more than a hundred wins together since freshman year.

Coach Forbes said they expect to win Thursday night.