VYPE highlights five athletes from Clear Creek ISD in this edition of CCISD Headliners presented by Texas Citizens Bank.
JaJa Sanni, Clear Lake
First came Ajare, who played at Pacific and is now at UC-Santa Barbara. His younger brother JaJa Sanni had a solid career for the Falcons as well with his deft shooting ability. He signed with UTSA to play his college ball after lighting up CCISD.
Kirsten Lockett-Bell, Clear Creek
Photo From The Houston Chronicle
The future looks pretty bright at Clear Creek as Kirsten Lockett-Bell returns for two more seasons. She earned the Newcomer of the Year Award for her play in 2019-20. The Wildcats reached the playoffs but fell in the first round.
Julian Humphrey, Clear Lake
While his brother John was a former Nevada receiver, Julian Humphrey is a big-time defensive back recruit for the Class of 2022. The Clear Lake Falcon has dozens of offers all over the country and is a 6-foot-1 cover corner.
Alexis Clayborne, Clear Falls
First-team, all-district selection Lexis Clayborne, helped lead the Knights to a 9-3 district campaign and two rounds deep in the playoffs. She returns next season for her senior year with hopes of leading Clear Falls further.
Ke'Mauri Millender, Clear Brook
The Brook finished in a three-way tie for second in District 24-6A, reaching the playoffs. The Wolverines lost a heartbreaker to George Ranch in the first round but have something to look forward to as Ke'Mauri Millender is back in the huddle after averaging 15 points as a sophomore.
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There are plenty of marquee football matchups this week in the Austin area. Plenty of folks will be curious to see how Cedar Ridge holds up against Lake Travis or just exactly how many points Cedar Park and Hutto are going to score between them in their battle for 24-6A lead.
But the vast majority of games each week slip under the radar, largely unnoticed by anyone except the teams themselves and their fans. That doesn’t make those games any less important. And this week’s VYPE Central Texas Game of the Week between McNeil and Stony Point at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex is a perfect example.
There are similarities between these two longtime Round Rock ISD rivals. Both are operating under new head coaches. And both are trying to build new cultures around those coaches and return to playoff form.
McNeil’s journey has been the most harrowing of the two. The Mavericks (0-2, 0-6) returned to the playoffs in 2024 and were one freakish play away from repeating that accomplishment last season under former head coach Scott Hermes. The program then went through the process of replacing Hermes twice, ultimately landing Jerry Gardner from Wylie East late in the summer.
Between the late change and seriously rebuilding after losing a ton of talent to graduation, the Mavericks have gotten off to a slow start. Senior quarterback Orion Covault has worked through the air (52-100, 646 Yds., 5 TD, 3 INT – stats through 5 games) while tacking on 261 rushing yards with a touchdown. Senior Zylen Hall (48-255, 9.5 YPC, 4 TD) has provided a spark on the ground with young receivers Quincy Sampson (13-194, 14.9 YPC, 2 TD) and sophomore Jeremy Powell (12-143, 11.9 YPC, TD) emerging as his favorite targets.
It’s a similar, if more conventional story at Stony Point (1-1, 2-4). Former Hutto offensive coordinator Dustin Pleasant travelled west along Hwy. 79 to land in Tigerland, taking over from legendary head coach Craig Cheshire. Unlike McNeil’s recent playoff appearance, the Tigers haven’t been to the postseason in a minute or two. And while the path to postseason is difficult in a district with Lake Travis, Westlake, and Round Rock, the path potentially exists with a win over Cedar Ridge (or a huge upset of either “Lake” team.)
Senior quarterbacks Brady Davis (49-89, 670 yds., 5 TD, 2 INT) and sophomore Kadin Smith (29-55, 324, 2 TD, INT) have both seen time behind center while junior Aiden Lloyd (98-475, 4.8 YPC, 8 TDs) anchors the running attack. Senior Olamide Aroworade (28-456, 16.3 YPC, 3 TD) has been the Tigers’ leading receiver.
It’s easy to hype the drama between two powerhouse teams. These two – McNeil and Stony Point – each have their own goals and agendas. At the most basic level, McNeil is simply looking for their first win of the season and of the Coach Gardner era; a chance to reap the rewards after months of hard work.
The Tigers’ slender playoff path relies on winning all their game against the rest of the district while punching one of the favorites in the nose down the road.
But mostly, it’s just one of the 10 nights these kids get to experience the thrill and joy of playing Texas High School Football. The fact that it’s our VYPE Austin CenTex Game of the Week is just icing on the cake.
