Summer Creek's Tianna Randle wins the 100-meter dash at the UIL State Track Meet in May.
Photo By Bradley Collier / VYPE Media
Just a month removed from winning the Class 6A 100-meter State Championship, Summer Creek graduate Tianna Randle was back on the track in Boston.
At the 2019 Adidas Boost Boston Games, Randle - a UNLV-signee - brought home the title belt as the fastest woman in the country at the event. Randle won the 100-meter race with a time of 11.72, which was .05 seconds faster than Kennedi Sanders, who took second.
"It was a great experience," Randle told VYPE. "I loved it. It feels really good following my dreams and making them come true."
La Porte's Ryan Schoppe brought home another title after winning two silvers and a gold this past cross country and track season. Schoppe posted a time of 4:09.2 to win the high school boys' dream mile race. Katy Tompkins' Cole Lindhorst took sixth in the same race, while Kingwood's Carter Storm finished eighth.
Cinco Ranch's Heidi Nielson took the belt in the high school girls' dream mile race. Nielson posted a time of 4:46.4 to win the race, which was a new personal record.
Houston 💪 STRONG 💪! Cinco's Heidi Nielson and Summer Creek's Tianna Randle (100m)🧹sweep the High School Girls Dream events at the Adidas Boost Boston track meet. Heidi with a mile PR of 4:46 over a slick street and small hill.(Is this the fastest all timeTx road HS mile time?) pic.twitter.com/L1if8xyiUZ — Cinco Track & Field (@CincoTrack) June 17, 2019
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.
