GAMES
RANKINGS
Crosby's PJ Haggerty wins 2022 Guy V. Lewis Award
HOUSTON - PJ Haggerty is the newest member of an elite club - a Guy V. Lewis Award Winner.
On Tuesday, the Crosby High School senior and TCU-signee was named the 11th winner of the Guy V. Lewis Award, which is named after the legendary University of Houston coach.
"It means a lot to win this award," Haggerty said. "The past three years I have been selected [as a finalist] and I finally won. Coach Lewis was a great coach and being mentioned in the conversation with the past couple of winners means a lot to me. I’m just excited they decided to gift me with the Guy V. Lewis Award."
Haggerty helped lead the Cougars to the Region III-5A Championship against Beaumont United this past season. In the Regional Semifinals against Katy Paetow, Haggerty scored 43 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Earlier in the playoffs, against Fort Bend Marshall, Haggerty scored 38 points in the win.
The senior averaged 28 points per game this season.
"I have played with and coached a lot of really high-end basketball players and PJ is the best scorer I have ever been around," Crosby ISD Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Jerry Prieto told VYPE via text. "Our community loves athletics and PJ has made them very proud. Not only is he a great player but he makes outstanding grades and is a great kid."
VIDEO: @CrosbyHSCougars senior @HaggertyPj wins the 2022 Guy V Lewis Award. The moment captured By @KPRC2Chancellor of our media partner @KPRC2 | Haggerty is a @TCUBasketball signee. @hoopinsider@Frogs247@TCU_Athletics@CrosbyISD@PaulaPattersonpic.twitter.com/1VP8UcLRWP
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) March 30, 2022
Haggerty has been on the radar of many since a young age.
The three-star prospect finished this season ranked No. 13 in the State of Texas by 24/7 Sports. At his combo guard position, Haggerty is ranked No.18 in the nation.
"Haggerty has been in the argument as the top player in his class since eighth grade," VYPE Basketball Insider Ray Meach said. "Now four years later, that argument still stands valid. It takes a very special player with an elite skillset, mindset and work ethic to show night after night and perform at the level that he does. His ability to score the ball has put him into a class of Houston scorers that have gone on to do great things such as De'Aaron Fox, D'Angelo Harrison, and Quentin Grimes to name a few. The TCU Horned Frogs will be getting one of the nation's best three-level scorers."
Haggerty joins recent winners of the award such as Ramon Walker (2021 - Shadow Creek | University of Houston), Tramon Mark (2020 - Dickinson | University of Houston), Kharee McDaniel (2019 - Klein Forest | Lamar State College) and Quentin Grimes (2018 - College Park | University of Houston | New York Knicks).
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
Crosby senior @HaggertyPj is the 2022 @guyvlewisaward winner joining an impressive award list. He is signed to @TCUBasketball#GuyVLewis#txhshoops@CrosbyISD@PaulaPatterson@Frogs247
| Design by @Josh_Wac_VYPE 🔥🏀| pic.twitter.com/u3u2GcZbpO
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) March 30, 2022
NFL Factory: Fort Bend Elkins could lead Texas with most HS players in the league in 2020 after draft
HOUSTON – Dennis Brantley remembers the first time Kenneth Murray lowered the boom on an opponent. He remembers Ross Blacklock walking in the door as a freshman and the sheer size he possessed at a young age.
The Fort Bend Elkins coach got to watch them grow up before his eyes and go off to college – Murray to Oklahoma and Blacklock to TCU – and now in two days see their lifelong dreams come true to a national audience during the 2020 NFL Draft.
"It makes me very proud," Brantley said. "Everybody knows how hard it is to get into the NFL. To know that we have that caliber of players to come through Elkins, not only with their athletic ability but also their attitude and character. It makes me proud that we are doing something right as far as the program goes and teaching kids the right way. Not just about football but about life."
Murray and Blacklock are both projected to be first round picks, which puts them among elite company in Knights' football history. Their names would then be mentioned in the same breath as Atlanta Falcon Jake Matthews and Jacksonville Jaguar D.J. Hayden. In 2014, Matthews was picked sixth overall and in Hayden 12th overall in 2013.
When they arrived at Elkins, Murray and Blacklock were a year a part.
Blacklock was the first to walk on campus and if you go back to the roster from 2013 - his sophomore season, the now projected first-round defensive tackle was listed as a running back, tight end and defensive end.
"He was such an athlete," Brantley said. "He could catch the ball as good as anyone. He could run the ball. He could throw the ball. As a freshman, I think Ross was about 280. He was so athletic. He was happy-go-lucky, always laughing. Always had a smile on his face and never took stuff too seriously. Once they turned the lights on and blew the whistle, he played with a lot of 'kid enthusiasm'."
For Murray, what Brantley remembers the most about the projected Top 20 pick, is from day one he had goals in mind and took care of business on and off the field.
"He was very serious as a youngster about the goals he had made coming in," Brantley said. "This kid never made anything less than a B, if he made a B at all. He never missed a practice in season, offseason, summer season. He came in as a leader and left as a leader. Just one of those kids that never had a write up, was never late to class. He had a mission, he had goals and he was serious about it at a young age."
Them being drafted in the first round would give Elkins a total of four first-rounders and could add to the list of active NFL players. In 2019, Elkins had four former players – Corey Thompson (Bills), Darvin Kidsy Jr. (Redskins), Matthews (Falcons) and Hayden (Jaguars) – on active rosters. If you add in practice squad, J'Mon Moore was with the Browns in 2019, bringing the total to five.
Having this many guys in the NFL does a whole lot for their program, Brantley said, because then when they come back to talk his current players have someone to look up to and aspire to be like.
"They tell them what they had to go through, things they did to get to where they are and it really helps," Brantley said. "'I and the coaches can talk about being disciplined, dedicated and hard-working all day but when it comes from guys that were in the same shoes as they are in, it's an easy motivation. They see that there is a possibility that it could happen."
According to Pro Football Reference, Elkins' four active NFL players currently ranks them second in Texas in that category. Allen currently holds the most with six, while Elkins is tied at four with North Shore – which will add K'Lavon Chaisson this week to the list – Alief Taylor, Austin Westlake, Arlington Martin and Rowlett.
Once the 2020 NFL Draft is complete, Elkins could see its number of active NFL player jump to eight, which would lead Texas.
Along with Blacklock and Murray, former players Darren Woods (UNLV) and Jonathan Giles (Texas Tech/LSU/Texas Southern) are also expected to be drafted this week.
"For me and our staff we're going to be so ecstatic and happy because we like to see our kids be successful in everything they do," Brantley said. "This is what 99 percent of kids that play football dream is. It makes us feel good that we're a part of it."