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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A milestone in the history of Trinity Valley |
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Community College athletics was realized on March 29, 2025, when |
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the men's basketball team claimed the NJCAA Division I national |
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championship; and |
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WHEREAS, During the regular season, TVCC went 20-2 in |
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conference play and finished atop the Region XIV standings; the |
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Cardinals then advanced all the way to the championship game of the |
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Region XIV Tournament and were named the seventh seed for the |
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National Junior College Athletic Association Division I bracket; |
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after opening the tournament with a dominant win over Trinidad |
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State College, TVCC defeated Cowley College and Panola College to |
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punch its inaugural ticket to the national title game; and |
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WHEREAS, Trinity Valley battled Connors State College for the |
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crown in a hard-fought contest that saw six ties and six lead |
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changes in the first 20 minutes; finding themselves knotted at 32 at |
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intermission, the Cardinals came out with the hot hand in the second |
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half and held a 51-41 advantage with six and a half minutes left to |
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play; demonstrating great poise after their foe cut the margin to |
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59-55 with just over a minute remaining, the TVCC players sealed the |
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outcome with clutch free-throw shooting; triumphing 69-61, the team |
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claimed the first national championship in program history and |
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ended with a record 34 wins against only 3 losses; and |
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WHEREAS, TVCC was paced by Zati Loubaki, the tournament's |
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Most Valuable Player, who was joined by Garrett Nuckolls and Tyler |
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Smith on the All-Tournament Team; the Cardinals also received |
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valuable contributions during the year from the other members of |
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the roster: Braden Wood, Tre'lin Green, Kalen White, Isaac Hymes, |
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Camarion Johnson, Braylon Wenger, Jalen Wenger, Domanic |
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Betancourt, Charles Outlaw, M. J. Wardlow, Justin Bohannon, |
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Mouhamed Mbaye, Chandler Batchelor, and Cameron Williams; these |
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talented student-athletes were guided by first-year head coach Greg |
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Heiar, who was honored as the Coach of the Tournament; and |
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WHEREAS, The Trinity Valley Cardinals have proven themselves |
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the finest Division I junior college basketball team in the nation, |
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and their exceptional achievement will forever be a proud memory |
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for the school's loyal fans in the Athens community and across the |
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Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Trinity Valley Community |
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College men's basketball team on winning the 2025 NJCAA Division I |
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national championship and extend to the team's players, coaches, |
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and staff sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the team as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |