Fort Bend ISD Cheerleaders are tasked with getting the fans fired up every single Friday night! Then, throughout the year at other sporting and school events the cheerleaders bring the spirit! Meet some FBISD's most spirited students
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
Lake Creek High School is synonymous with softball, right?
Having won back-to-back State Titles and being named the nation’s top softball team in the country, softball has been the toast of the town.
For now.
The Lion football team would have something to say about that. Lake Creek is off to a banner year (sixth year playing varsity), going 6-0 under the direction of coach Pat Kennedy, who has built the den into a Class 5A power.
Kennedy was the defensive coordinator for The Woodlands for years before taking over Montgomery ISD’s newest school.
“Coming from a big 6A, it was eye-opening when I first got here,” Kennedy said. “Coming from a place where the expectations were challenging for State, to a new school that was just starting with a handful of kids was an adjustment. The expectations were on both sides of the spectrum. It changes the way you practice, the way your coach, the way you manage expectations… every day was a new experience. Now, the expectations are back to being aligned.”
The Lions sit atop the VYPE Class 5A rankings with four remaining games where they will be favored to win and complete a perfect regular season. Their success hasn’t been without its challenges, however.
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
“We are learning to be more resilient as a program,” he said. “We have been bitten by the injury bug more this season, so we have more of a next-man-up mentality this year.
“In the last couple of years, we have become more of the hunted than the hunters. We were climbing the mountain as we built this program. We still are, but we aren’t sneaking up on anyone now. Everyone is trying to prove a point to us, and we get everyone’s best game. That’s where we want to be of course, but that is something our kids have to be prepared for.”
Case in point. The Lions were taken to the wire against Montgomery in the “Mo-County Showdown” as the 0-6 Bears were a last-second field goal away from upsetting the mighty Lake Creek, 35-34. Of note, leading RB Tyvonn Byars sat out the game due to injury.
Lake Creek's Tyvonn ByarsJamey Wright (VYPE)
“It was a packed house and a great atmosphere if you were a fan,” he said. “Not if you were the head coach of Lake Creek. What is setting us a part is that the kids kept making plays and we made one more play than they did. Even though we won, there were lots of lessons for us to learn from. So many teaching opportunities to make us better.”
Byars will return as the motor of the offense. The junior has rushed for over 700 yards and 17 scores, giving the Lions that go-to back that moves the chains.
Junior QB Eli Morcos has made huge strides in his first year as a starter with 1,400 yards combined and 18 TDs. His top target is Sam Lee (1,000 all-purpose yards) is a dude on the outside and returning kicks. He is complemented by Kade Yeary. The offensive is “piece-mealed” with a senior Jaxon Sayers and sophomore Hunter McKinney leading the way.
Lake Creek's Eli MorcosJamey Wright (VYPE)
“The defense has been really steady with some solid secondary play led by Leighton Scott and Wyatt Davis,” he said. “The whole unit has been a pleasant surprise.”
The Lions are still licking their wounds from last year’s third-round playoff loss to FB Marshall, 55-18. It was a learning process.
“It was our first time that deep in the playoffs and we just got off-schedule,” he said. “They were fast, and we couldn’t emulate that in practice. We just got off our process and tried to make the ‘big play’ instead of just grinding it out four yards at a time. We learned a lot.”
As the learning process continues at Lake Creek, the Lions steadily climb the state rankings as they build their brand.
Could this year that Lake Creek steps into the limelight and out of the shadows of softball? Stay tuned.
Read More...Read Less
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
The battle for the district is in full swing, on both of H-Town’s public and private school scenes.
The regular season has reached its midway point in football, and the postseason is looming in volleyball as teams enter round two of district play, so the tension has never been greater. Inevitably, that means audiences should be in for a show, as the stakes continue to rise.
Given that fact, it’s time to detail some of the most anticipated matchups coming up, as the race for a district title commences.
...
Langham Creek Lobos v. Bridgeland Bears (Volleyball)
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
This matchup will be instrumental to how the remainder of district-play, and by extent, the playoff picture plays out in the coming weeks.
Langham Creek (28-8) currently sits in second place after last week's defeat to Cy Ranch brought the team's district record to 6-1. However, the Lobos have already defeated the Bears earlier in the season, with a tremendous effort to take a 3-2 victory over their division rivals.
As expected, Kennedy Jones (Sr. OH) has been on fire for LC, leading the team with nearly 400 kills on the season, alongside fellow senior Taylor Williams (OH/DS) who is averaging five digs per set (448 total on the season). Paired with fellow stars, Leah Rios (Sr. S) and Jordan Taylor (Jr. MH), the Lobos pack is thriving.
Don't sleep on Bridgeland, though. The Bears (21-11) are right behind Langham Creek, with the current third-place spot (5-2) in the district, and this would be the perfect opportunity to flip the script.
Senior outside-hitters Raylee Schaffner and Nylah Gray are the team's kill leaders, tallying over 300 apiece through the first half of district play. Meanwhile, TCU-commit Alice Volpe (Sr. DS) has been essential to Bridgeland's overall success, considering she's contributed upwards of 500 digs and 100 assists, thus far. Also watch for Lauren Baek (Sr. S) and Grace Wegenke (Jr. S/RS) to make some big plays on Tuesday at home.
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
North Shore Mustangs v. Summer Creek Bulldogs (Football)
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
This is certainly one of, if not the most anticipated matchups of the week. If this Fall has proven anything, it is that District 21-6A is absolutely stacked.
North Shore (5-0) is coming off yet another dominant performance, in which they handed C.E. King their first loss of the season, by an overwhelming score of 42-6. The Mustangs defense remains stout, having only allowed 22 total points within the past four weeks of play, while the offense continues to thrive with Kaleb Bailey behind-center.
The Bulldogs, on the other hand, have been picking up speed since week one. Their most recent game saw them trounce Humble 42-16, bringing their record to 5-0. Tulsa-commit Lloyd Avant (Sr. RB) has been a workhorse for Summer Creek's offense, averaging over 120 rush yards per game, while Kordell Rodgers (Sr. TE) and Caleb Welch (Sr. WR) are the favorite targets in the passing game. Defensively, LSU-commit Xavier Atkins (Sr. LB), Jaylen Carter (Sr. S), and Josiah Pratt (Jr. DT) are among the headliners on the Bulldogs' scary defense.
Lorin Cook (VYPE)
Concordia Lutheran Crusaders v. St. Pius X Panthers (Football)
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE
The TAPPS district portion of the schedule is finally upon us, and the storied rivalry between Concordia Lutheran and St. Pius X should make for one heck of opener.
The Crusaders (4-1) are coming off a score-fest against TWCA, in which they outplayed the Warriors to the tune of a 51-37 win. Several of Concordia Lutheran's key playmakers -- Dartmouth-commit Lou Lamar (Sr. RB/DB), Tanner Huckfelt (Jr. QB), Cole Chance (Sr. RB/LB), Jayden Noack (Sr. TE/LB), Ben Hubenak (Sr. DL), etc. -- are plenty capable of putting on a show in front of their home crowd.
St. Pius X (3-3) has experienced a series of ups and down throughout the season, but given their familiarity with the Crusaders, it will be an interesting match nonetheless. Senior RB Joshua Mitchell has been the driving force behind SPX's successes, as he is currently averaging just over 120 yards per game on the ground, while senior linebackers Easton Dean and Nick Woods have headlined the Panthers defense.
Doug Brown (VYPE)
Deer Park Deer v. Dobie Longhorns (Volleyball)
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Deer Park (26-9) is playing as well as one might have guessed, heading into the second round of district play.
Mississippi State-commit Cayley Hanson (Sr. S) and Tatum Busch (Sr. OH) have been the money-makers for the Deer, as both seniors are nearing 300 kills on the season, while Hanson in particular has racked up almost 600 assists and leads the team in serving aces. Other key contributors include the team's dig-leader (495) Erin Goodson (So. L/OH), as well as Cadence Lippe (Sr. S), and junior Mycah Whittemore.
On the Dobie side, the Longhorns are thriving at an equal pace to Deer Park, as they currently maintain a record of 26-6. The only district opponent that Dobie has lost to thus far was Deer Park, so this will be a revenge game for them. Alexa Gonzalez (Sr. S/OH) has bolstered the effort for the Longhorns, leading her team in kills (234) and assists (441). In addition, senior libero Aly Frias (379 digs), Amaya Langellier (Fr. MH), and Arianna Borrego (Sr. S) will also be players to watch for.
Read More...Read Less
bridgeland volleyballconcordia lutheran footballdeer park volleyballdobie volleyballhouston high school sportslangham creek volleyballnorth shore footballst. pius x footballsummer creek footballtapps footballtapps sportstexas high school footballtexas high school volleyballtexas private schoolstxhsfbtxhsvbuil footballuil volleyballvype houston high school sports
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Despite dealing with a series of bumps and bruises throughout the first half of the regular season, Sterling Volleyball has flipped the script, following an exemplary performance in the first round of district-play.
Under the direction of ninth-year coach Candace Southall-Burkhalter, the Rangers went from teetering below .500, to a current record 15-13, which includes an impressive 5-2 record (second-place) in district.
“They just started playing like a family,” said Southall. “It took a little while to establish the chemistry, since we’ve dealt with various injuries during the preseason and regular season, so our first district game was the first time we had everyone healthy and back together.”
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“It took that aspect for us to figure out who we are. I think going into each game, we’ve just gotten stronger, and they’ve been working for each other.”
Said injuries included one the Baytown team’s stars, 2022 District 17-5A Offensive MVP, Katy Barger (Sr. OH). This has given several other key pieces the opportunity to step up.
Sterling's Katy BargerBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“Katy (Barger) had been out for three weeks at one point,” Southall said. “However, when she got back, you know she’s a playmaker, so she definitely has had a huge impact on our team. In her absence, Bailee Payne (Sr. OH) has helped carry the team on several occasions.”
“But, I think in all actuality, most of the team has stepped up in their own way. Our setters, Kennedy Birdsell (Sr.) and Kyilee Whittington (Jr.), are key elements and are the driving forces of our team. Our defense relies heavily on Karmyn Hebert (Sr. L) and Briana Galvan (Sr. DS), so it’s really been a total team effort all the way through.”
As Sterling prepares for round two in the district race, they’ll have to contend with other powers such as Barbers Hill and Nederland.
“Going into the second round, it’s going to take some adjusting. There were some moments where we had some unforced errors the first time through district, but we’re more familiar with our opponents now. If and when we show up, I think it’s going to be a better time around for us.”
Given that fact, what will it take for Southall-Burkhalter and the Rangers to keep this momentum going?
“Honestly, it’s just going to be about maintaining our focus on one point at a time,” she said. “We can’t look too far in advance, we just need to be where our feet are. That’s the goal for the whole second half.”
“Our motto for the season, if you will, has been the acronym ‘F.A.M.I.L.Y.’ which means ‘Forget About Me, I Love You,’ which will continue to be our mindset moving forward, as we look for a spot in the playoffs.”
Stick around. Something tells us that this is only the beginning for Baytown Sterling.
Read More...Read Less
bailee paynebaytown sterlingbaytown sterling high schoolbaytown sterling high school volleyballbaytown sterling rangersbaytown sterling volleyballcandace southall-burkhaltergoose creek cisdhouston high school sportskaty bargertexas high school volleyballtxhsvbuil volleyballvype houston high school sports
TRENDING
GAMES
Join the #VYPETEAM
Get up to date news from all over the country!
FROM THE WEB