Coach Ron McDowell of Sterling Cross Country
VYPE caught up with Baytown Sterling Cross Country Coach Ron McDowell at the VYPE Goose Creek CISD Fall 2023 Media Day, discussing the ensuing season and more!
Some of the faces of 2023-24 Sterling High Cross CountryBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
As the defending district champions, the ultimate decider could come at the end of October when Pearland meets Shadow Creek. But with Manvel now checked off the list, the Oilers have another obstacle behind them as they turn their attention to Alvin this Friday night.
Offensively, Pearland has found plenty of ways to keep defenses on their heels. Junior running back Royce Swan, a second-team all-district selection in 2025, is thriving as the RB1 and approaching 1,000 rushing yards with 13 touchdowns on the year. Senior Ryan Miller has provided an excellent complementary piece with eight scores of his own.
Senior quarterback Kaleb Smith has also proven adept at spreading the wealth to a receiving corps featuring Lance Goree Jr., KJ Johnson, and Michael Shawver.
The defense has been just as imposing, conceding roughly 10 points per contest. Houston commit Kamryn Harris has been a menace off the edge with five sacks and 34 total tackles, while junior middle linebacker Terrence Spriggs has already racked up 60 tackles. Safety Terrell Johnson adds another layer of physicality against the run while creating turnovers, with two forced fumbles and an interception.
Six games in, Pearland has already made a statement. The Oilers now have their sights set on what comes next.
Pearland Sr. OLB Kamryn Harris (Houston commit)Farrah Sheeren (VYPE)
Fort Bend Austin's Luke Chapman
Luke Chapman with first-year Austin head coach Christopher WilsonFarrah Sheeren (VYPE)
Chapman already witnessed that change materialize well before the first kickoff.
“It started in the summer, with all the boys showing up to SAC (Strength, Agility, and Conditioning) camp, getting in the weight room and hitting the speed training hard,” Chapman said. “The coaching staff has been great, and they’ve changed the way we push ourselves. We’re going to be a whole new team this year, and I think we’ll surprise a lot of people.”
Eventually, all that preparation has to surface when it matters most.
“The work shows up in the fourth quarter,” he said. “At the end of the game, you start to feel that exhaustion, but you’re still in a situation where you have to break a tackle or make someone miss. That’s when the training pays off — when you can make that extra push in the big moments.”
The featured standouts of the 2026–27 Austin Bulldogs football team.Farrah Sheeren (VYPE)
Chapman’s move behind center hasn’t required him to abandon the athletic traits that made him effective elsewhere. If anything, the shift has given him more ways to draw on them, blending the instincts of a multi-sport athlete with the understanding he developed from seeing the game through a receiver’s eyes.
“Playing other sports has really helped my mobility,” Chapman said. “Athleticism translates pretty well. I’m also on the baseball team and used to play basketball, so that experience helps me shift and make all those movements feel more routine. Plus, I was a receiver before, which gives me a different sense of how the offense works.”
The same competitive edge Chapman brings to the field carries into the quieter parts of his life, though not always in the ways you might expect.
“I don’t think people would be surprised if they got to know me, but I do like to fish and golf a lot, especially on the weekends,” Chapman said with a smile. “I really love bass fishing and playing 18. I could probably compete in golf, too, if I had the time. It helps me with the mental side of things, getting past those mental blocks and frustrations and just having fun.”
That balance may ultimately be as important as anything Chapman does with the ball. Months of preparation have brought Chapman to a responsibility that demands more of him, both physically and strategically. Now, with Austin looking to turn the page, he gets his opportunity to help write what comes next.
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