Seven Lakes has spent the first half of the season flirting with explosive perfection. In December, the Spartans delivered the clearest proof yet. The Shannon Heston-led squad closed its tournament schedule with an undefeated championship at the 2025 VYPE Holiday Invitational, pulling away from a disciplined Klein Oak team, 74-62, in Tuesday’s final at M.O. Campbell Educational Center.
Given Klein Oak’s budding reputation for cohesion and execution, the close margin carried added weight. The victory pushed Seven Lakes to 21-0 and punctuated a 4-0 tournament sweep in Aldine, while strengthening its hold atop the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) state rankings.
Per usual, Brazuca baller Isaiah Santos put on a master class in the Spartans’ four-game sweep in Aldine. The junior earned Tournament MVP honors for his steady, multi-faceted impact across every phase of the game, scoring and rebounding at will.
He wasn’t alone in raising the bar. UTSA-bound senior Nasir Price provided his signature blend of swagger and scoring punch, while Sean Mwesigwa (Sr. G) and Dean Spencer (Jr. G) supplied timely precision on both ends.
Add in Jose Martins, whose defensive disruption and downhill pressure have turned him into one of the tournament’s most relentless presences, and Seven Lakes’ rotation felt less like a lineup and more like a puzzle snapping together.
Yet for all the mounting attention, the Spartans have shown a refusal to be steered by it.
“We really preach this mindset to our guys: Did we get better today? They take it on themselves to fix what needs to be addressed. We’re focused on the process,” Heston said. “If we’re a better team than the day before all the way through, hopefully, March, I like our chances at the end of the year.”
Now, Seven Lakes shifts from statement wins to the next test: the district slate.
...
TOURNAMENT AWARDS
MVP
Isaiah Santos, Seven Lakes
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS
FIRST-TEAM
TroyNelle Belle, Dickinson
Marcus Epps, Klein Oak
JJ Price, Trinity Christian Academy (TCA)
Nasir Price, Seven Lakes
Fola Sodipo, Tompkins
TroyNelle Belle -- Dickinson
▲
Marcus Epps -- Klein Oak
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
▲
JJ Price & Drake Smith -- Trinity Christian Academy (TCA)
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
▲
Nasir Price -- Seven Lakes
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
▲
Fola Sodipo -- Tompkins
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
(Shown on the left) VYPE CEO Derek Dusek
▲
Jaron Couture -- CC Veterans Memorial
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
▲
Alim Olajuwon -- Episcopal
Matt Powell (VYPE)
▲
Ramsey Sato -- The Woodlands Christian Academy (TWCA)
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
▲
Chancellor Simpson & Daryus Tasby -- Klein
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
▲
Marley Maxwell -- St. Francis Episcopal
▲
SECOND-TEAM
Jaron Couture, CC Veterans Memorial
Valin Idusuyi, Dickinson
Jose Martins, Seven Lakes
Alim Olajuwon, Episcopal
Ramsey Sato, The Woodlands Christian Academy (TWCA)
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Rakin Ali, Klein Oak
Xavier Cooper, Aldine Davis
Nyle Harrison, Episcopal
Kenrik Kabano, Klein
Marley Maxwell, St. Francis Episcopal
Jeremiah Moore, CC Veterans Memorial
David Mosby, Nimitz
Carter Shipman, Tompkins
Chancellor Simpson, Klein
Drake Smith, Trinity Christian Academy (TCA)
Dean Spencer, Seven Lakes
Daryus Tasby, Klein
Sean Mwesigwa, Seven Lakes
Tyrie Wooten Jr., Klein Oak
...