The Boerne Greyhounds are living large right now.

The Hounds are ranked fourth among the San Antonio area’s 4A-5A men’s basketball teams by the San Antonio Express News and 10th in the state by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. Monday night’s win over Medina Valley improved the Hounds’ overall record to 20-4 and senior forward Robert Moore’s play during Boerne’s championship run at the Holiday Hoopfest Tournament in Fredericksburg earned him Player of the Week honors from the Express-News. Moore is widely regarded as one of the top three players in the entire San Antonio region, and is arguably the best of the lot. The Hounds have depth and talent to burn at almost every position and appear to be getting better every time they hit the court.

But while the Greyhounds have earned all the accolades they have garnered, the gaudy record will mean squat when district play tips off at 8 p.m. Friday at San Antonio Memorial. Every district team will start off with the same 0-0 record, with the Greyhounds’ accomplishments to this point only making them an even bigger target than they always are.

“We’re not going to sneak up on anybody, but you’ve just got to deal with it,” Boerne Basketball Coach Stan Leech says.

District 27-4A looks as tough as ever this year. Boerne is favored to take the crown away from defending champion Fredericksburg, which lost forward Clay Sears, the 2006-2007 San Antonio Express News Athlete of the Year, to graduation. Even with that gaping hole in their lineup, the Billies were 13-8 entering the week.

Kerrville Tivy, which finished third last year, could well pose the biggest challenge to the Hounds’ title hopes despite the loss of all-district center Craig Rhyne to graduation.