The TCA Trojans hosted Fort Worth Nolan Catholic basketball in a district show-down. The team was able to pull off a 50-35 victory over Nolan Catholic while improving their season's record. VYPE DFW was there to catch all the action for a highlight video of the game!
The team is working their way through their district schedule. Make sure you catch these athletes in action this season!
There may not be a program in Texas with more raw talent year in and year out than Lancaster.
Situated along the talent-rich I-20 corridor in the Dallas area, the Tigers once again boast a roster loaded with Division I prospects. Now, the challenge is turning that talent into the program's first UIL state championship.
That responsibility falls to new head coach Stephen Jackson, who arrives after a highly successful tenure at West Mesquite.
Jackson inherits one of the state's most tradition-rich programs and understands both the opportunity and the expectations that come with leading the Tigers. His vision is simple. Jackson wants Lancaster to be disciplined, play fast and have fun while doing it.
More importantly, he wants to teach the game the right way, building fundamentally sound players who can thrive not only on Friday nights but at the next level. He believes assembling the right coaching staff was the first step in creating that championship culture.
"I feel like we've put together a staff that can teach the game the right way," Jackson said. "We want to play disciplined football, play fast and let our kids enjoy the process."
The Tigers certainly have the personnel to make noise in the playoffs again this season.
Quarterback Joseph Hairston headlines an explosive offense and has one of the area's top playmakers to target in wide receiver Keylon Bradley. Up front, offensive lineman Justin Jennings anchors the trenches. The talented junior has already accumulated dozens of Division I scholarship offers and is emerging as one of the premier offensive line prospects in Texas. Defensively, Lancaster has difference-makers at every level. UCF commit Tavarren Wade is a lockdown corner capable of eliminating an opponent's top receiver, while linebackers Amir Adkinson and James Foster III bring physicality and leadership to the heart of the defense.
Despite the demands of leading one of Texas' marquee programs, Jackson still finds time to unwind—and he's doing it much like many of his players.
"I love to play the game," he laughed. "I play a lot of College Football '27." That competitive spirit hasn't left him, and Lancaster is hoping it translates into a new era of championship football.
Plano East has become one of the more consistent volleyball programs in North Texas, and head coach Sarah Perez has the Panthers positioned to chase a fourth consecutive playoff appearance in 2026.
Although Plano East enters a new district this season, the expectations inside the program remain unchanged. The Panthers have established a winning culture built on discipline, effort and team chemistry, and Perez expects her squad to compete for a postseason berth once again despite graduating several key contributors from last year's team.
The biggest constant is the return of Dakota Huynh, a two-time District Defensive MVP and one of the area's premier liberos. Huynh has built a reputation as the backbone of the Panthers' defense with her elite court awareness, relentless motor and ability to keep rallies alive. Her leadership and experience will be invaluable as Plano East works several new faces into the lineup.
Outside hitter Kyla Slaughter is another player poised for a breakout campaign. With increased opportunities this fall, Slaughter has the athleticism and offensive versatility to become one of the Panthers' go-to attackers. If she takes the next step, it will provide Plano East with another reliable scoring option to complement its outstanding defensive play.
Perez knows replacing experienced seniors won't happen overnight, but she believes the pieces are in place for another successful season.
"We have some great pieces, we just need to put them together," Perez said. "We need to play as a team, communicate and make great decisions. It's that simple."
That message has become the foundation of the Panthers' offseason. Plano East will rely on chemistry, communication and execution rather than individual star power as it navigates a challenging new district.
McKinney North enters the 2026 season with lofty expectations, and head coach Kendall Brewer believes the Bulldogs have the leadership and experience to live up to them.
The driving force behind this year's team is a senior class that has spent years building toward this moment. Their leadership has become the defining characteristic of the program and, according to Brewer, the biggest separator between McKinney North and its competition.
"We have a really strong senior class," Brewer said. "Their leadership is part of what makes us unique. We have high expectations going into the season."
For Brewer, culture isn't built with catchy phrases or motivational posters.
"It's not slogans on the walls or words on T-shirts," he said. "It's how you behave, rep in and rep out."
Offensively, continuity starts up front, where four of five starters return along the offensive line. That veteran group should provide stability as McKinney North breaks in new quarterback Campbell Seyb, who has impressed throughout the offseason.
"He's way ahead of schedule," Brewer said of his signal caller.
Seyb will have no shortage of weapons. Two All-District wide receivers return to stretch defenses, while running back John Richardson gives the Bulldogs a proven playmaker capable of carrying the load on the ground. With an experienced offensive line paving the way and a talented group of skill players surrounding their new quarterback, McKinney North expects to be one of the district's most balanced offenses.
"Offensively, we feel really good about who is coming back," Brewer said.
The defense is built around one of the area's premier defenders in Eli Harris, a three-year starter who enters the season as the preseason District Defensive MVP. Harris sets the tone with his physicality, leadership and experience, serving as the cornerstone of a unit that expects to be among the district's best.
"We're going to be physical, we're going to be big and we have great athletes in the back end," Brewer said.
With experienced leadership, a veteran offensive line, emerging talent at quarterback and a defense anchored by one of the district's top players, the expectations are high in Bulldog Country. Brewer wouldn't have it any other way.