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2021 VYPE Awards: Public School Women's Soccer Player of the Year Finalists

Jun 23, 2021

It is awards season here at VYPE!

We welcome you to the Countdown to the 2021 VYPE Awards presented by Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. Over the next two weeks, we will be unveiling the finalists for the player of the year awards. Team and Coach of the Year awards will be announced LIVE during the Fourth Annual VYPE Awards.

The winners will be honored in a one-hour virtual show on Sunday, June 27 at 6 p.m. on VYPE Houston's website, Twitter account and on the VYPE Texas Facebook page and YouTube Channel! It will be an event to get dressed up for and to tune in to as it will be an evening full of special moments!

Let us get it started! Here are the finalists for Public School Women's Soccer Player of the Year!

PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALIST: Olivia Schmidt, Friendswood

Sophomore Olivia Schmidt of Friendswood was the MVP of the District and led the Mustangs to the state tourney. She scored 34 goals in 27 matches this season. That's off the charts.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALIST: Emma Yeager, Kingwood Park

Emma Yeager is a force to be reckoned with.

In the soccer world she is well-known and what she brings to the pitch for Kingwood Park. Only a sophomore, but Yeager may be already one of the most feared scorers in the city.

Last year as a freshman she netted an amazing 36 goals and that was with a few more regular-season matches remaining before the COVID-19 pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt. If the regular season would have finished, Yeager had a legitimate chance to break the Kingwood Park regular-season mark for goals scored, which is 40 set by Vanessa Valadez in 2013.

She had another big season as a sophomore as she is becoming a problem for opposing defenses across the state.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALIST: Marley Krach, The Woodlands

Every team needs a quarterback, a point-guard, a facilitator. The Woodlands' Marley Krach sees the field and makes her teammates better. That is clutch. She led the Highlanders deep in the postseason and takes her talents to Miami University in Ohio.

Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is Houston's leading provider of orthopedic services, from sports medicine to joint replacement. Houston Methodist offers comprehensive diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative services with a high standard of excellence for elite athletes, active adults and student athletes. Houston Methodist serves as the official health care provider for the Houston Texans, Houston Astros, Rice Athletics, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™, Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera.

"LOWERCASE" LEADERSHIP: Oguns emerges as a defining presence in Alief Taylor Volleyball // Powered by LOVB

Alief Taylor's Omotola Oguns

Jamey Wright (VYPE)

By the time most high school athletes reach their senior year, the game has become more than just a sport -- it's a mirror. For Omotola Oguns, evert rep, rally, and regroup has reflected four seasons of growth, both on the court and off it.

A returning outside hitter for Alief Taylor, Oguns enters the 2025 campaign as a central figure for a Lions team looking to build on last year’s playoff appearance. Taylor finished 15-17 in 2024 and claimed the fourth and final postseason spot in District 20-6A before falling in the first round to Cinco Ranch — a team that went on to reach the Region III Final.

HEADLINING THE HERD: Johnson's dual-threat capability could lift Buffs, Aggies alike

Fort Bend Marshall's Kaeden "KK" Johnson

Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)

As Fort Bend Marshall gears up for what could be a defining season, all eyes are on senior Kaeden Johnson -- a competitor whose blend of talent and leadership has made him the heartbeat of the Buffs' program.

The dynamic three-star prospect, recently ranked No. 174 nationally in On3’s Rivals300 update, has firmly established himself as one of Texas’s most versatile and impactful high school athletes. Johnson, who announced his commitment to Texas A&M in June, enters his final campaign as the undisputed catalyst of the Buffs’ offense and a cornerstone for Coach James Williams and his staff.

BUYING IN: Army-bound Obiero-Hyter seeing returns on his investment at Hastings

Alief Hastings' Xavier Obiero-Hyter

Jamey Wright (VYPE)

There's no flashy stat line for an offensive lineman. No highlight reel moment that captures the relentless footwork, the hand placement, the snap-to-whistle discipline. But for Hastings senior Xavier Obiero-Hyter, that quiet grind is exactly where he thrives.

Now entering his final season with the Bears, Obiero-Hyter stands as one of the program’s most reliable and respected leaders—earning first-team, all-district honors in 2024 and announcing his commitment to continue his career at Army-West Point this past June. His impact isn’t always loud, but it’s foundational.

GAMES

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