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McClane Helton of Cy Woods Baseball
THE FIRST PITCH: Top H-Town clashes in opening round of UIL Baseball Playoffs
Klein Cain Hurricanes vs. Bridgeland Bears
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Klein Cain (22-7; 11-3 in district) enters the postseason, following a second-place finish in District 15-6A, behind only Tomball (12-0).
The No. 5 team in our pre-playoff rankings has cemented itself as one of the top competitors in H-Town and looks to maintain that distinction when they face off against Bridgeland in the opening round.
Coach Neil Wisener has a multitude of weapons to utilize on the diamond, whether it be Blaine Bullard (.355 BA, 29 RBI, 29 R, 6 HR), Cooper McEnroe (.500 BA, 17 RBI, 18 R, 3 HR), Coleman McBride (.415 BA, 10 RBI, 12 R), or Carlo Almendarez (.393 BA, 27 RBI, 27 R, 3 HR).
The Hurricanes will be tasked with facing a tough opponent to begin the playoffs, however.
Bridgeland (24-9; 10-4 in district) is as formidable as they come, having taken bronze in a relentless District 16-6A.
The Bears, coached by Paul Orlando, are headlined by Benjamin Barrera, Miles Syptak, Austin Glasscock, Jake Webb, and Josh Livingston, among others.
On paper, these two clubs are evenly matched. However, whoever emerges victorious from this series will surely be deemed a potential contender for Region II.
GAME 1: Wednesday (7:00 pm) @ Klein Cain HS
GAME 2: Thursday (7:00 pm) @ Bridgeland HS
GAME 3 (If needed): Friday (4:30 pm) @ Klein Cain HS
Justin Hartojo (VYPE)
Dobie Longhorns vs. Summer Creek Bulldogs
Doug Brown (VYPE)
The 2024 District 22-6A runner-ups -- Dobie (18-6-3) -- are locked in and primed to surpass last year's mark of reaching the UIL Area Round.
Nothing comes easy in the playoffs, but it appears that coach Miguel Torres and co. are prepared for that, given the level of competition they face on annual basis.
Junior pitcher Aiden Sanchez has played a starring role in the Longhorns' success thus far, as he continues to be efficient from the mound.
San Jacinto-signee Arnulfo Orozco, Antonio Hernandez, Cruz Torres, and Juelz Martinez round out a scary-good Dobie lineup, which will undoubtedly come to play in Round No. 1.
However, Summer Creek has some firepower of their own, with University of Texas-bound Donovan Jordan & William Hill in the fold.
The Bulldogs finished third in District 21-6A, behind Kingwood and Atascocita, but still pose a major threat to any opponent they're likely to face in the postseason.
After bowing out against Clear Falls in the Area Round of the 2023 playoffs, coach DJ Wilson will look to his play-makers -- including the aforementioned Jordan and Hill, as well as Brandin Holland, Kade Odom, and Caleb Mize -- to surpass last year's mark.
GAME 1: Thursday (7:00 pm) @ Summer Creek HS
GAME 2: Friday (4:00 pm) @ Maguire Field
GAME 3 (If needed): Saturday (12:00 pm) @ C.E. King HS
Doug Brown (VYPE)
Cypress Woods Wildcats vs. Klein Oak Panthers
Justin Hartojo (VYPE)
After several of their major pieces graduated once they reached State in 2023, there were few who gave Cy Woods a second thought at repeating that effort this Spring.
Well, that has evidently motivated the Wildcats baseball program, to the tune of going 22-8-1 thus far and taking silver within District 16-6A.
Senior McClane Helton (McLennan-signee) is the spark that ignites coach Phil Schwarz's talented roster, with the likes of Jack Kempner, Wyatt Wimberly, Joshua Vasquesz, and J.T. Darden, and Cameron Neumann efficiently complementing him.
Cypress Woods may have felt as if they had something to prove throughout the regular season. But, now they look to take that a step further in the postseason when they clash with Klein Oak.
The Panthers (20-11-1) finished third in District 15-6A, and might have a chip on their shoulder as well.
Coach Bo Hernandez will look to his seniors, including Texas-signee Matt Scott, Gage Kooyers, Austin Hardy, EJ Garcia, Makoy Stone, Tanner Cooper, and Reed Osborne to provide the necessary experience, as Klein Oak embarks on their playoff journey this Thursday.
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Alvin's Matti Matthews
THE PLAYMAKERS: Bringing the smoke powered by UTMB Health
Here are the UTMB Athletes of the Month, as the Winter season wraps up, and we move forward into Spring.
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Lucas Dunn, Santa Fe Baseball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
The Indians have started off hot within their district, as they currently maintain a record of 14-8-1 (3-1 in district), which was highlighted by a series sweep over rival Friendswood.
While pitching is exceptionally strong for Santa Fe, their batting has been just as effective thus far. The most consistent, of which, is that of Lucas Dunn.
The senior infielder is averaging 0.344 at the plate, which includes five doubles, 14 RBIs, and 11 runs scored.
If his start is any indication, the remainder of the Spring season should see more of the same from Dunn.
Matti Matthews, Alvin Softball
Doug Brown (VYPE)
As one of the top ball-clubs in our mid-season rankings, the Yellowjackets have been on a tear throughout the 2024 season.
Alvin (22-3) faces the tall task of competing in the same district as the reigning Class 6A state champs Pearland, who has handed them their only district loss of the season, albeit by the narrow margin of 6-5.
Despite that, the postseason is well within reach for coach Kelly Bembry's squad, and they can easily look to their ace on the mound -- Matti Matthews -- as a key reason for that.
The North Texas-signee recently surpassed the 300-strikeout mark for her already stunning high school career, and looks to keep adding onto that with the second half of the district schedule underway.
The 'Jackets will face Pearland once again on Friday, which could prove to be a pivotal moment in the race for a district title.
Regardless of the outcome, Matthews is on a hot-streak and that should carry over to the ensuing playoffs.
Ellie Morgan, Clear Lake Girls Soccer
Photo acquired via Twitter (@LakeLadySoccer)
After claiming silver in District 24-6A, Clear Lake (14-6-3) proceeded to secure two clutch victories against Shadow Creek (3-2) and Kingwood (2-1), which has advanced them to the third round of the UIL postseason.
While coach Lisa Killingsworth has a slew of dependable pieces she can turn to on her squad, such as Eden Fuentes (16 assists), the center-piece of the group has undoubtedly been junior Ellie Morgan.
The Falcons midfielder earned first-team, all-district honors in 2023, and has followed that up with an MVP-caliber performance to the tune of 24 goals on the year.
When Clear Lake takes to the pitch against Brazoswood on Tuesday (6:00 pm) at Freedom Field, there is no question that Campbell should prove to be a difference-maker.
Aiden Sanchez, Dobie Baseball
Doug Brown (VYPE)
Through the first half of district-play, the Longhorns (14-6-3) may have experienced their fair share of ups and downs, however they're nothing if not resilient.
Dobie currently sits at the No. 4 spot within District 22-6A and look to finish the regular season on a high note, and their recent 9-0 win against Pasadena Memorial is a perfect way to start.
In that same exhibition, junior pitcher Aiden Sanchez stifled the Mustangs' lineup, allowing just one hit in the shutout, while racking up five strikeouts.
Sanchez and company now prepare to face Sam Rayburn and South Houston to close out the district schedule, as they anticipate a potential spot in the playoffs.
Lauren Fincher, Friendswood Girls Soccer
Photo acquired via Twitter (@FwoodLadySoccer)
The Mustangs closed out the regular season as one of our top-ranked teams within Class 5A.
Fast forward two weeks, and they're in the Regional Quarterfinals, following wins against Crosby (2-1) and Fort Bend Kempner (9-0).
Under the direction of coach Laura Peter, Friendswood (21-4) now prepares for their Tuesday matchup against Port Neches-Groves.
The Mustang attack has certainly been their strong-suit, give that they've scored 110 goals in 2024. Naturally, the team's leading scorer -- Lauren Fincher (Sr. MF) -- should receive some considerable recognition.
With 32 goals on the season so far, the senior UTSA-signee has been the catalyst behind Friendswood's success.
Alongside fellow play-maker Reagan Rudolph (29 goals), Fincher and the Mustangs will continue to bank on their stifling offense as they contend for a trip to the Regional Tournament.