MCKINNEY, TX - On February 28th and 29th, McKinney ISD hosted its annual track and field event, the McKinney ISD Invitational, at Ron Poe Stadium. Each heat was filled with talent as the neck-to-neck competition kept a clear victor elusive. Each school went through waves of events, with dark horses rounding the last leg, trying to lift their school into the winning circle.
Ultimately, after several first place finishes and excellent team performances, two McKinney schools finished in the top three in team placements for their host meet. McKinney North finished with a first place team victory in Varsity Mens (133 pts), and second in Varsity Womens (144 pts). McKinney Boyd placed third in both Mens (110.33 pts) and Womens (100 pts).
In team events, McKinney North placed first in the 4x200 team for both Mens and Womens Varsity. McKinney Boyd Varsity took first place for the 4x800 in both Mens and Womens. The McKinney Boyd Womens Varsity also placed first in the Distance Medley Relay. McKinney North Mens Varsity placed first in both the 4x100 and 4x400, as well.
Notable individual performances include Junior Jayvyn Hopkins from McKinney North winning the 300m Hurdles at a season record of 40.04 seconds. Chiola Oladele from McKinney Boyd finished first in Women's Shot Put with her season record (36-07.00). McKinney North Girls swept the top three distances in Discus: Spencer Van Dyke (119-01.25), Ijeoma Chuckwuma (112-00.25), and Brooklyn Scofani (109-09.5).
Check out the highlight from the event below.
Footage by Brian Jones and Dylan Calhoun; Edits by Brian Jones
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.
