At the end of the summer, basketball coach Justin Reese was shocked when he received a letter from McDonald’s Texas Basketball Invitational Tournament, which showcases the best basketball teams in the state.

“After last year’s performance, we were invited to this tournament that is exclusive to teams that do well and have good seasons, and I guess we made that cut,” senior varsity player Nylan Yancy said.

Nylan has been playing basketball for RHS since his freshmen year and says he is proud of his team’s accomplishments.

“I knew that we had a good team, and I really think that we have the ability to play on that level,” Nylan said. “I’m really excited to prove ourselves and see how we match up.”

The tournament will begin on November 21 and continue for three days in Pasadena, Texas. This will be the first out of town basketball tournament for RHS in five years. Teams from all over the state like Austin Westlake and North Crowley will participate, in addition to local teams like Berkner and J.J. Pearce.

This is the first time in the school’s history that the basketball team has been invited to the McDonald’s tournament.

“It’s probably the best tournament in the state, so we’ll see some really good competition,” varsity basketball coach Justin Reese said. “It’s a testament to all the hard work our kids have put in the past few years to get us to the point where we are able to get into a tournament this prestigious.”

The tournament starts a week into the season, so the team has already begun preparing.

“Coaches have really put a lot more responsibility in the players hands,” Nylan said. “We have to be a lot more disciplined, and we are just a lot more focused as a team.”