Senior, OL - Chris Owens, Arlington Lamar
After redshirting his freshman year, Owens has made his impact felt on the offensive line. Owens found himself filling in at center for the Tide after All-American Landon Dickerson suffered a torn ACL against Florida in the SEC Championship game. Owens helped the Tide complete their season with a Championship title playing Monday night against Ohio State.
At Arlington Lamar, Owens was a four-star guard and rated as the No. 10 guard Nationally according to a 247Sports composite and the No. 2 Guard in Texas. Owens earned an All-State selection by the Texas Associated Press and chose Alabama over Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M.
Freshman, PK - Chase Allen, Colleyville Heritage
Allen joined Alabama as a walk-on addition this season. Allen has served the Crimson Tide by kicking off in various instances to include the starting kickoff duties in the first four games of the 2020 season, against LSU, Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Auburn. Although Allen didn't play during the National Championship game, he totaled 2,029 yards on kickoffs for the Crimson Tide.
At Colleyville Heritage, Allen was ranked as the No. 1 kicker and punter in Texas 5A Division 1. He earned an All-District 4-5A Special Teams Player of the Year honor his senior season and recorded a touchback on 30 of his 46 kicks during his senior season. Allen chose Alabama over Ole Miss and Villanova.
Freshman, RB - Jase McClellan, Aledo
McClellan has shown his ability more than once on Alabama's offense and special teams. He got his first collegiate playing time against Missouri early in the season where he played on special teams before doing the same against Texas A&M in the Tide's home opener. McClellan even earned special teams player of the week recognition from the Alabama coaching staff against Mississippi State where he helped limit MSU to zero yards on punt returns. McClellan totaled 245 rushing yards, two touchdowns, and one receiving yard during the 2020-2021 season with Alabama. McClellan joined on special teams during the National Championship game.
At Aledo, McClellan was a highly sought-after recruit. As a four-star prospect, he was ranked as the No. 6 running back and the No. 6 player in the state of Texas according to a 247Sports composite. McClellan was selected to play in the Under Armor All-American Game and competed in Nike's "The Opening". McClellan helped lead Aledo to a State Title in the 2019-2020 season with a 45-42 win over Fort Bend Marshall. McClellan totaled over 6,800 yards and 842 carries with 125 touchdowns. He chose Alabama over Oklahoma after first pledging his loyalty to the Sooners two years prior to his Tide commitment.
Freshman, OL - Drew Sanders, Denton Ryan
Drew Sanders came out of Denton ready to show his strength to his SEC opponents. Sanders saw consistent play on special teams throughout the entire season as an outside linebacker. In his collegiate debut, Sanders recorded an unassisted tackle against Missouri early in the season. Sanders earned special teams player of the week from the Alabama coaching staff for his play against Tennessee and Arkansas. Sanders recorded four solo tackles and five assisted tackles prior to the National Championship game. Sanders saw playing time against Ohio State during the Championship showdown.
At Denton Ryan, Sanders made a name for himself and quickly became a five-star recruit. Rated as the No. 1 player in Texas according to a 247Sports composite, Sanders played on both ends of the ball where he completed over 10 passes and scored over 45 touchdowns in his career. Sanders was also named as a finalist for the 2019 Landry Player of the Year. Sanders chose Alabama over Oklahoma, LSU, Notre Dame, Oregon, and more.
Following the program's first-ever State Title acquisition, VYPE's Matthew Ogle spoke with some of the key play-makers of Prosper Girls Soccer, as well as head coach Matt Dickinson, in response to their historic achievement.
Check out the post-game video below!
DESTINY FULFILLED: Prosper claims program’s first-ever state championship; Photo Gallery
The 2024 season has been a bit of a Cinderella story for the Prosper girls soccer program.
After narrowly falling to Boyd (1-0) in last year’s Regional Quarterfinals, the Eagles proceeded to finish third in District 5-6A (10-2-2), prior to experiencing a meteoric rise in the playoffs, to the tune of reaching the UIL State Tournament in Georgetown for the first time in program history.
This would all culminate in coach Matt Dickinson and company capping off their momentous season with a stunning (0-0)* victory over Westlake in Saturday night’s contest, making them the undisputed champions of Class 6A.
In response to this unprecedented feat, Dickinson was given the opportunity to see all the hard work his team has put in over the five years he’s been with the program finally pay off.
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
“It's difficult in the moment to describe the secret ingredient to this team's success," he said. "We just have a belief in each other. No matter what happens, we've found ways to win all throughout the season which just reinforces that idea that we're at our best when we're together."
Following their 3-0 win over Seven Lakes in the State Semis, the Eagles competed in a highly-contested match against Westlake to cap off the 2024 season.
While it was neck-and-neck for the majority of the game, the deciding factor was ultimately a 23-yard free-kick score by junior midfielder Olivia Hess in the 58th minute of regulation, which would lead Prosper to a 1-0 victory, and earn Hess MVP honors.
Junior Olivia Hess accepts the Class 6A State MVP AwardMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
“I've never been more excited in my entire life," said Hess. "We've worked so hard over the past three years to get here and we deserve it more than anybody else. It was a team-effort and I definitely would not be in this position without them. The seniors on this team are my best friends and I'm so glad I was able to help them go out with a bang."
Hess was also complemented by the skillful production of Brooklyn Miller (Sr. F), Maggie Manning (Sr. GK), Isabella Fregoso, (Sr. F), and Beya Rosales (Sr. D), among others.
This marks the fifth-consecutive year that a team from Region I has claimed the coveted state title, which is a testament to the level of competition these teams contend with on an annual basis.
Prosper’s high-caliber roster featured a healthy mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen propelling them this Winter, and their chemistry on Birkelbach Field was noticeably palpable.
“We worked our butts off all year and this game was so stressful," said senior goalkeeper Maggie Manning. "After Olivia scored there was this sense of relief, and I'm so proud of everyone stepping up in the right times. I know that all of our seniors are excited to move on to the next level. We're going to use what we learned here from our coaches and carry that into college."
Senior Maggie Manning admires her recently received UIL-6A first place medalMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
With the likes of seniors Miller (Samford-signee), Manning (Houston-signee), Rosales, and Fregoso graduating in the coming weeks, it will be up to the next class – primarily Hess, Reagan Roberts, and Ava Germany – to uphold the bar the team has set.
“You can't ask for a better ending for our seniors," said coach Dickinson. "I've been with them for all four years, and to see how they have progressed in that time and impacted the program, to the point of becoming champions -- I couldn't be more proud."
The Eagles conclude their tremendous season with a record of 26-2-2, and get to travel back home to Prosper with some hardware to add to the school's growing trophy case.
With a nearly unblemished record, the Midlothian Panthers are making the program's first-ever state tournament appearance. With all the tools necessary to continue fighting strong, VYPE DFW takes a look at their season so far as well as what fans can expect:
The Season So Far
Opening the season with incredible victories over tough non-district opponents, the Panthers were able to defeat Brewer (4-3), Adamson (6-0), and Sunset (5-1) as a way to sharpen their abilities before entering a tough district schedule. Using all moments as learning moments on the field, even their losses were seen as a way to continually get better.
Led by Landon Exley, Ayden Hildreth, Caden Naizer, Marcus Manu, Kyle Allen, Jacob Warren, and several other talent athletes, Midlothian pounced into their district schedule ready to make huge waves. Without hesitation, the team took their district opponents by storm while going 14-0-2 in district play and finishing at the top of their standings. Defeating Midlothian Heritage (3-0), Mansfield Summit (6-0), Joshua (4-1), Burleson (5-0), and others, the team put on several shows for their fans as they walked into the playoffs with their heads held high.
Once in the playoffs, the team showed no mercy as they took down Grapevine Northwest, Monterey, and Burges. Outscoring their opponents by a combined 108-28 goals this season, Midlothian has only showcased their continued ability to play a smart offense and an alert defense.
What To Expect
Fans can expect this bunch to remain alert as they enter the state semifinals. Facing Goose Creek Memorial in what is also their program's first tournament appearance, fans can be sure to expect a battle to the finish. This team has everything it takes to end their season on a high note, but they must first get through Goose Creek Memorial-- a feat they are absolutely prepared for.
The game is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 11 in Georgetown, Texas!
GAMES
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