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Alief Taylor's Dillian Whiteside
HOLDING THE LINE: Alief Taylor's Whiteside aims to secure the Lions' pursuit of a turnaround
Yet, last season tested the Lions in ways they hadn’t anticipated. Their debut year in the competitive District 20-6A brought fresh challenges and unfamiliar opponents like Fulshear, Foster, and George Ranch—programs that ultimately pushed Taylor to a last-place finish.
But to Whiteside, these setbacks aren’t going to be seen as roadblocks; they’ll be used as reference points.
2025-25 Alief Taylor FootballJamey Wright (VYPE)
“We’re going to need more team chemistry,” he said. “There were a lot of close games that came down to the wire and just didn’t go our way. The talent is there for us, but we can’t get to the point where one mistake could ruin our chances.”
That kind of insight doesn’t come overnight. For Whiteside, perspective has been his biggest area of growth.
“As a freshman, you assume you have all the time in the world,” he reflected. “But it passes by so much quicker than you’d think. I’ve become more mature, more vocal as a leader, and just have a stronger mindset on who I want to be.”
That mindset has already begun to open doors. Whiteside holds an offer from Lamar University, with others likely on the way if he continues his upward trajectory. His steady development, he says, stems from relentless dedication and self-awareness.
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
“Nothing comes for free,” he said. “It’s taken plenty of training and dedication to get me where I want to be. Size has never been an issue for me, so the mindset has always been to keep my head down and stick to the craft.”
Whiteside models his game after NFL greats like Joe Thomas and Zack Martin. If he had his pick of NIL sponsorships, he says it’d be Nike—a fitting choice, given their partnership with Alief Taylor. Off the field, he carries an artistic streak: he plays trumpet, a passion few might expect from someone who spends his Fridays moving defenders against their will.
As Taylor aims to flip the script this season, Whiteside’s presence gives the Lions more than just a fighting chance. He gives them an anchor.
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Fulshear Chargers
DISTRICT 20-6A: Fulshear, Strake Jesuit, Foster all battling for playoff positioning
Strake Jesuit Crusaders
Foster Falcons
Alief Elsik Rams
George Ranch Longhorns
Alief Taylor Lions
Alief Hastings Bears
(Bold Denotes Playoffs)
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VYPE PRESEASON AWARDS
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: John Hebert, Strake Jesuit
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kaden Mendenhall, Alief Elsik
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Evan Ferns, Fulshear
BREKAOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ryland Forks, Fulshear
ON THE CUSP: Alief Elsik Rams
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Strake Jesuit Crusaders
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Fulshear is coming off a stellar season, which saw the Chargers go 12-1 and reached the Regional Semifinals. Fulshear will be under new leadership this year as Stephen Hill takes over the program. Last season, Hill was a co-Offensive Coordinator for the State Champion Randle Lions. In his career, Hill has been a head coach at St. Pius X, on staff at Texas State, OC at Westfield among his coaching stops. Fulshear is set to return first-team, all-district quarterback Ryland Forks, who passed for 1,783 yards and 20 scores. Other key returners include first-team, all-district selections TE Trey Giametta (119 yards, 2 TD), OL David Collum and OL Florentino Diaz and second-team, all-district picks RB Kaden Bean (356 yards, 3 TDs) and OL Righteous Spencer. Defensively, first-team, all-district ILB Evan Ferns (75 tackles, 6 TFL) and CB David Obanor (1 INT) and second-team cornerback Elijah Anderson (15 tackles) are set to be back. Other key returners include first-team, all-districkicker Alejandro Quinonez and second-team deep snapper Trey Giametta.
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Strake Jesuit is coming off a 9-4 season that saw the Crusaders reach the third round of the playoffs. Last year, Strake Jesuit was led by rushing king John Hebert, who rushed for 3,542 yards and 38 touchdowns. Hebert’s single-season performance was historic, ranking 7th all-time in Texas High School Football history. Hebert returns for his senior season and all eyes will be on the reigning District 20-6A MVP. What will help Hebert the most is the return of first-team, all-district OL JC Martinez and second-team, all-district selections Mitchell Rahim and Brady Kerrigan on the line. Second-team, all-district WR Dario Contreras is also set to return. Defensively, first-team, all-district DL Macgregor Byers and ILB Wesley Stewart are key returners along with second-team safety Luke Leone.
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Foster went 4-7 in 2024 and reached the Bi-District Round of the playoffs. Eleven starters, with seven being on offense, return for coach Shane Hanks. Quarterback Kaleb Lawson is back after passing for 599 yards and six scores a year ago. UTEP-commit Shaun McDowell will anchor the Falcons offensive and defensive line this year, while LB Jahshel Ivey will quarterback the defense after registering 75 tackles a year ago. Other players to watch include WR Riley Blanton (101 yards, 2 TDs) and safety Caden Bateman (54 tackles, 2 INT). Keys to success for Hanks’ crew include leaning on the returning seniors and a talented junior class, cashing in on size on the offensive and defensive lines and tapping into speed in key areas.
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Alief Elsik made the playoffs last year after posting a 2-4 record in district play and finished 2-9 overall after a first-round loss to Katy. First-team, all-district QB Kaden Mendenhall is set to return after passing for 2,517 yards and 23 touchdowns last season. He also rushed for another 343 yards and five touchdowns. His top target returns in first-team, all-district wide receiver Dajon Patterson, who had 670 yards receiving and five touchdowns. Second-teamer Jaden Thompson (WR) is coming off a 320-yard campaign with one score. Also returning on offense is second-team, all-district OL Corian Sims. First-teamer Reilarean Phillips (Tulsa-commit) is a dominant force on both sides of the ball. Defensively, first-team, all-district ILB Cordell Flowers and CB Courtney Thompson are back along with second-teamers Maurice Smith (ILB) and Ja’Seer Colbert (S).
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George Ranch has 13 starters back on the roster in 2025 and second-year coach Casey Vogt hopes that translates into a return to the playoffs. The Longhorns went 3-7 in his first season but return plenty of talent. Key returners on offense include OL Michael Gonzalez, FB Charlie Weaver, TE Elijah Zurek, RB Hayden Drinkard and WR Nick Perez. Defensively, the Longhorns bring back DL Kaegan Mahone, DB Vance Raval, DB Cade Marino, DB Ellison Collins IV and kicker Josh Matula. All players were all-district selections a year ago. Keys to success include taking care of the ball, taking the ball and staying healthy, according to Vogt.
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Alief Hastings went 3-7 overall and 2-4 in district play, finishing just on the outside of the playoff picture. The Bears return second-team, all-district QB Madden Harvey, who passed for 909 yards and five touchdowns in eight games played. First-team, all-district OL Xavier Obiero Hyter and second-team OL Yannis Jimenez and Quinton Walters are also set to return. Defensively, first-team, all-district OLB Azeem Solabi and deep snapper Yannis Jimenez are set to return.
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Alief Taylor went 1-9 overall in 2024. The Lions will look to bounce back in 2025 and try to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2022.