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Memorial wins State... Again
TITLE CHASERS: Memorial Team Tennis wins State Gold
SAN ANTONIO — The Memorial Mustangs are state champions again, and this time they had to go through the two best programs in Texas to do it.
Memorial knocked off Southlake Carroll 10-7 in the Class 6A final Thursday at Blossom Tennis Center, capping a two-day run through the UIL Team Tennis State Tournament that also included a 10-9 semifinal upset of five-time state champion Round Rock Westwood. It is the third team tennis state title in program history for the Mustangs, who also won it all in 2017 and 2019.
The Mustangs finish the fall 18-1. The lone blemish? A season-opening loss to Westwood — a team Memorial would not see again until the state semifinals. Eighteen straight wins later, head coach Brian Mandell and assistant J.P. Bonilla had their revenge and a spot in the final.
Doubles set the tone
Memorial came out of the doubles round with a 4-3 lead, and it was the girls who did the heavy lifting. Lucy Chung and Katherine Varady opened with a 6-3, 6-4 win at the top line. Zoe Smith and Addison Womac rolled 6-1, 6-0, and Grace Martin and Celeste Hoang were nearly as dominant at 6-0, 6-1. On the boys' side, Yosef Elyashkevich and Nicholas Du handled Carroll's Rushil Rajpal and Francesco Poggi 6-4, 6-2.
Girls singles slam the door, boys singles finish it
The Memorial girls were close to untouchable in singles. Chung won 6-3, 6-3. Martin won 6-3, 6-2. Smith won 6-0, 6-3. Womac closed hers out 6-4, 6-2. Four more points, and the Mustangs were on the doorstep.
The clinching points came the hard way. Joowon Kim dropped his first set 4-6, then stormed back 6-2 and took the match tiebreaker 10-3. Aiden Yan did the same — down 3-6, back 6-3, and a 10-6 tiebreaker that gave Memorial its 10th point and the championship.
The road to San Antonio
The Mustangs did not drop a single match in the first three rounds of the playoffs, blanking Pasadena Dobie 19-0, Barbers Hill 11-0 and Pearland Dawson 10-0. They outlasted Austin Vandegrift 10-7 in the regional semifinal, then beat Fort Bend Clements 10-5 for the regional title and a return trip to state.
In San Antonio, the bracket was loaded. Westwood came in 19-0. The Woodlands, the defending 6A champion, was 16-0 before Southlake Carroll took the Highlanders down 10-8 in the other semifinal. Carroll arrived in the final at 20-1. Memorial beat two of them in two days.
Three state titles in a decade. Eighteen wins in a row. A roster that swept the girls' side of the final and came from behind twice on the boys' side to close it out. In Spring Branch, the Mustangs have built a tennis dynasty — and this group just added the biggest trophy yet.
Program notes: Memorial's three team tennis state championships (2017, 2019, 2026) all came under the UIL's top classification. The 2026 title is the first under coach Brian Mandell.
CE King is Houston's new No. 1
CE King takes over No. 1 spot in VYPE's Lone Star College Rankings
VYPE Houston Football Rankings: CE King Takes Over No. 1
There’s a new king of the VYPE Houston Class 6A Rankings!
CE King made a massive statement in a District of Doom showdown, knocking off perennial powerhouse North Shore to claim the top spot. The Panthers looked dominant in a convincing victory, pairing an explosive offense with a stingy defense to deliver one of the biggest results of the season.
But that was just the beginning of a wild week across the Houston high school football landscape.
The Dickinson Gators put together an offensive explosion to crush previously undefeated Deer Park, while Cypress Ranch dominated Waller to remain firmly in the district championship conversation alongside Bridgeland.
Over in District 17-6A, Memorial delivered a statement win over Lamar that essentially clinched the district title for the Mustangs.
Klein Oak running back Micah Rhodes had a monster performance to help shock Tomball, while Cypress Falls knocked off Langham Creek to throw its name into the district title conversation.
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Class 5A: The Race Is Heating Up
In Class 5A, Angleton survived a scare from a pesky Friendswood squad that continues to look like a team capable of making some noise.
Montgomery delivered a dominant performance against West Fork, while Iowa Colony cracked the VYPE Top 10 with a victory over Kempner.
The private school rankings remained unchanged this week, with the established contenders holding their ground.
With district championships and playoff positioning on the line, the pressure is building across Houston. New contenders are emerging, established powers are fighting to hold their ground, and the road to AT&T Stadium is getting more interesting by the week.
The rankings have changed. The stakes are rising. Who's making the biggest move next?
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THE VYPE Top 25 Class 6A
- CE King Panthers
- Katy Tigers
- Ridge Point Panthers
- Bridgeland Bears
- Cypress Ranch Mustangs
- Pearland Oilers
- North Shore Mustangs
- Shadow Creek Sharks
- The Woodlands Highlanders
- Memorial Mustangs
- Cypress Falls Eagles
- Klein Bearkats
- Summer Creek Bulldogs
- Cypress Woods Wildcats
- Deer Park Deer
- Tomball Cougars
- Dickinson Gators
- Tompkins Falcons
- Barbers Hill Eagles
- Manvel Mavericks
- Cypress Lakes Spartans
- Westfield Mustangs
- Hightower Hurricanes
- Fulshear Chargers
- Fort Bend Travis Tigers
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CLASS 5A TOP 10
- Randle Lions
- Angleton Wildcats
- Montgomery Bears
- Crawford Chargers
- La Porte Bulldogs
- Friendswood Mustangs
- FB Marshall Buffs
- Waltrip Rams
- Lake Creek Lions
- Iowa Colony Pioneers
PRIVATE SCHOOL TOP 5
- The Kinkaid School Falcons
- St. Thomas Eagles
- Episcopal Knights
- TWCA Warriors
- Lutheran South Pioneers