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Victor Philip, Fort Bend Austin
Philip, who has 30 total tackles and three tackles for loss through six games this season, spends hours and hours watching film on opposing quarterbacks, identifying strengths and weaknesses. He'll then adjust his own game during that week of practices in preparation for what's to come.
Philip also understands the battle of the trenches against offensive linemen is won with the hands.
"It's like a game of chicken, seeing who shoots their hands first in the trenches and how fast you can counter it," Philip said.
Read and react. Staying one move ahead. Counters. Like a chess match.
But more importantly, Philip plays with a drive.
Being average is the worst- case scenario in his eyes. It's practically a fear.
"I have to prove, not just to myself but everyone else, that I'm not just another football player who was blessed with talent but couldn't go nowhere with it," Philip said. "I'm inspired to show that this talent can take me far in this game and I'll work my hardest to maximize it."
Philip talked more with VYPE.
...
VYPE: When did you start playing football, and what was it about the game you fell in love with?
PHILIP: I started playing football around the seventh grade, but I didn't fall in love with the game until around last year, to be honest. The reason for that was that I grew up as a basketball fan/ player and football back then was just never a focus. But as time went on, the love for the game just grew more and more.
VYPE: What is it about your game that you feel makes you a special player?
PHILIP: Well, one reason is the way I'm built. I'm blessed with God-given football genes and I use them to my advantage. I think what separates me is my coachability and the fact that I can recognize my own weaknesses and have the willingness to improve on them.
VYPE: What is something people don't know about Victor Philip?
PHILIP: I think what people may misunderstand about me, at first glance, is that even though I'm a big guy and play football, I'm really just a nice guy who likes to crack jokes.
This story appeared in the Inaugural VYPE Fort Bend ISD Fall Edition, which is now available to pick up at your local Fort Bend ISD High Schools.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW & PURCHASE MORE PHOTOS
Kylie Mueller
Ah, the qualifier. Mueller is for sure not scary. Off the court, that is.
On it, she is a monster, compiling a team-best 190 kills and 191 digs to go with 20 blocks last season while being named District 20-6A's Co-Most Valuable Player. This season, she's having another exceptional campaign, with a team-best 337 kills to go with 372 digs and 32 blocks.
So, yeah, opposing teams find Mueller pretty scary.
"When I get on that court, I'm ready to play," said Mueller, renown for often losing her voice after games because of her demonstrative yelling during them. "I'm ready to go for everything and give it my all. One hundred-percent effort has always come easily to me. I'm super competitive."
Mueller credits her support system for her success last year.
Her parents inspire her to be a better player every day and are always encouraging her to push her limits.
"I'm constantly working hard to get better," Mueller said.
On the court, she became more versatile. The biggest growth from her first year on varsity as a freshman to her sophomore year was the ability to do more for the team and embrace her rapid rise as a team leader.
"I was able to up my game in every aspect," Mueller said.
Mueller knows this junior season is important for recruiting purposes.
On the court, she has changed her hitting form to get more power on her swing by opening up more to the ball and engaging more of the core and hips, instead of just her shoulder, to get more of a fluid motion.
"It does feel like a little bit of pressure," Mueller said. "I know I'll have to take a step back before I go forward, and it's scary knowing I'll have to do that in my big recruiting season, but I know it's what I need to do."
This story appeared in the Inaugural VYPE Fort Bend ISD Fall Edition, which is now available to pick up at your local Fort Bend ISD High Schools.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW & PURCHASE MORE PHOTOS
Caleb Douglas, Hightower
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound receiver catches any and every ball thrown his way.
"His catch radius is phenomenal," first-year Hightower head coach Cornelius Anthony said. "He makes the hard catches. He is a legit threat. He catches everything."
Last season was Douglas' first playing receiver. He was a quarterback up until then.
He was reluctant to make the position switch at first, but he could either compete with Jakolby Longino, now playing at UTEP, for QB1 or see more playing time at receiver.
"At first I wasn't with it," Douglas said. "I felt I was a quarterback. Then I was like, forget it, I'll go receiver. He was a senior, he already had the commit. Just let him do his thing. It all worked out in my favor."
It didn't take too long for Douglas to get used to catching passes instead of throwing them.
He caught 20 passes for 237 yards in eight games in 2020.
"The first game, I caught a touchdown, and I was like, 'Oh yeah. I'm loving this'," Douglas said, grinning. "A
go route for 35 yards. It was easy. I was like, 'This catching stuff is easy'."
Well, easy is relative. Just throw it up and let him have at it. This season, Douglas has 455 yards and five touchdowns on 20 catches through six games.
"I love it when they throw me the ball with someone right on me," Douglas said. "I get to embarrass them."
Douglas said the transition wasn't hard. Colleges noticed.
The senior, who verbally committed to USC in August, has 20 scholarship offers, including Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech.
"By playing quarterback, as a receiver, I knew what my quarterback was looking for. I knew where to find the open holes, all that stuff," said Douglas, who is aiming for 1,000 receiving yards and a first-team, all-state season this year.
"I could always catch."
Anthony was impressed with Douglas' offseason. He added more routes to his arsenal. He continued to develop and enhance his catch radius through 7-on-7 work.
"What really impressed me is how polished his route-running is becoming," Anthony said. "Now he's not just running a straight line. He can hurt you on any down."
This story appeared in the Inaugural VYPE Fort Bend ISD Fall Edition, which is now available to pick up at your local Fort Bend ISD High Schools.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW & PURCHASE MORE PHOTOS
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