GAMES
RANKINGS
The Veterans Memorial Eagles take the VYPE Holiday Invitational championship back home to Corpus Christi
THE WRAP: CC Veterans Memorial triumphs in the 2024 VYPE Holiday Invitational; All-Tournament teams announced
The stands were packed at the M.O. Campbell Center on Saturday night as the VYPE Holiday Invitational, powered by Daspit Law Firm, came to a thrilling conclusion.
UIL-5A contender CC Veterans Memorial and and 6A power Katy Jordan squared off in the final, following respective victories over Episcopal (68-55) and Iowa Colony (56-44) in the semifinals.
From the start, both teams came out aggressive.
Veterans Memorial set the tone with timely scoring from junior Sean Mondragon in the first quarter, who led the team with 6 points through the first 8 minutes.
Despite the Eagles’ considerable depth, Jordan kept up the pace, thanks to senior point guard Jaden Holt keeping the squad within striking distance.
By halftime, the score was knotted at 25-25, leaving the game up for grabs.
The Warriors made adjustments at halftime, eventually taking a 6-point lead in the third quarter, courtesy of Holt, as well as key contributions from Jalen Black (Sr. G) and Rayan Fadika (Sr. F).
However, Coach Billy White Jr. and co. answered with clutch sequences in the fourth, especially from sophomore Jeremiah Moore (11 points) and the aforementioned Mondragon (15 points), who both played pivotal roles down the stretch.
With the score neck-and-neck in the final minutes, the Veterans Memorial's sheer athleticism and conditioning helped the team ultimately hold on for the 55-52 win.

Coach White's son, Billy White III, was named the Tournament MVP, contributing 14 points and leading the charge in the second half.
As a whole, the Eagles’ defense, particularly in limiting Jordan's explosive scoring ability, was crucial in securing this definitive tournament series.
With the championship victory, the Veterans Memorial Eagles solidified their status as a premier state competitor to watch this season.Though falling short, Coach Charlie Jones' squad showed they are capable of competing at a high level, and both teams will carry the momentum of this game into their upcoming schedules.
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TOURNAMENT AWARDS
MVP
Billy White III, CC Veterans Memorial
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ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS
FIRST-TEAM
David Chong, Dickinson
Aiden Fyfe, Episcopal
Christian Gibson, Mayde Creek
RJ Greene, Iowa Colony
Jaden Holt, Katy Jordan
Sean Mondragon, CC Veterans Memorial
Reece Walker, Trinity Christian Academy
...
SECOND-TEAM
Amassia Dayian, Trinity Christian Academy
Maddox Davis, Westbury Christian
Rayan Fadika, Katy Jordan
Isaac Freeman, Tompkins
Jeremiah Moore, CC Veterans Memorial
Loukas Naum, Concordia Lutheran
Chris Williams, Stratford
...
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Dre Charlot, Barbers Hill
JD Cheeves, Stratford
Jamal Chretien II, Mayde Creek
Jayden Evans, Iowa Colony
Rayan Fadika, Katy Jordan
Ghaven Mittal, Concordia Lutheran
Demarion Morgan, Westbury Christian
Alim Olajuwon, Episcopal
2024-25 Iowa Colony Basketball
THE NEW POWER: No. 10 Iowa Colony making their introduction to Class 5A ball
10 -- IOWA COLONY PIONEERS
Talk about loaded.
The Iowa Colony Pioneers exploded on the Class 4A scene going 24-15 and winning their district last season. The Pioneers made history and reached the Regional Finals before falling to Stafford.
New coach Trent Olivier moves over from Pasadena Memorial and is blessed with talent.
“We have 13 kids on this team who can play,” Olivier said. “We are going to vary our lineups to our opponents and celebrate each other’s successes. It’s all about team. When you have a team full of guys who can make the extra pass, you have the chance at being really special.”
All-state guard BJ Gill returns along with running-mate RJ Green, who was all-region. Daylen Dalcour and Rodney Carter do the dirty work and are the glue guys, while Leon Graves and is a huge spark on offense.
Don’t sleep on big-man Jayden Evans, who will have an expanded role in 2025.
Moving to Class 5A will be a challenge, but the Pioneers are going to turn some heads.
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