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A LONG TIME COMING: Kingwood ends two-decade title drought, dethrones Tomball at State
Head coach Michael Oros, a Kingwood alumnus in just his second year at the helm, couldn’t help but reflect on the program’s roots.
Kingwood Head Coach Michael OrosMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
“I said hello to several alumni from that ’05 team as I made my way onto the field,” Oros said. “It was awesome to reconnect with them, and the state shirts we had were an homage to the exact ones they had back then. We wanted to pay respect to them and leave a legacy of our own — and there’s no doubt in my mind that we did that.”
The Mustangs (39-4) came out steady and composed, striking first in the opening frame on a sacrifice fly from junior Graham Charboneau (Baylor-commit) that brought home Brian Schumacher. Tomball quickly responded with a two-run single by Harper Gates in the bottom half of the inning, setting the tone for a back-and-forth affair.
After a scoreless stretch, Kingwood broke through in the top of the fifth with a four-run surge. RBI singles by Schumacher, Braden Fuentes, and Nick Spetter — followed by a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch drawn by Joshua York — gave the Mustangs a 5-2 lead.
However, Tomball clawed back in the bottom half, trimming the margin to one with RBI hits from Brycen Romberg and Brady Burrow.
That would be the last time the Cougars crossed the plate.
Tomball RHP Karson ReederMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
Tomball, known for its elite pitching — led by juniors Karson Reeder (Texas-commit) and CJ Sampson (Sampson) — threatened again in the bottom of the seventh.
With the bases loaded and the tying run just 90 feet away, sophomore Ryder Renfrow -- who took over for starter Ben Mayorga (Sr. RHP) -- stepped up on the mound and delivered the biggest save of his young career, closing out the title win and earning a spot on the State All-Tournament Team alongside Fuentes, Spetter, and Schumacher.
“Our message was ‘be yourself and do what guided you here,’” Oros said. “Some teams change who they are on a big stage. We didn’t need to. Yeah, we’re successful, and we can have several heroes on any given day. That doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes. If we were going to go down, we wanted to do it our way. But we got one more than them — and that’s all that was needed.”
Charboneau, who was named 6A-DII State MVP, went 2-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored in the win.
Jr. OF Graham Charboneau accepts the 6A-D2 State MVP AwardMatthew Ogle (VYPE)
“We’ve been doing it all year,” Charboneau said. “Atascocita’s in our district — they were in the other state final — and we battled them twice. The same can be said for who played in the playoffs, against teams like Dripping Springs and Katy Taylor. It was a fun battle the whole game.”
The senior-laden lineup showed its mettle, with Schumacher (2-for-4, RBI, 2 runs), Spetter (2-for-4, RBI), Fuentes (1-for-4, RBI), and Bryce Baker (2-for-3) all contributing key hits.
But more than the stats or the clutch plays, the Mustangs carried themselves with a collective identity — one they leaned on throughout the postseason.
“Our motto was K.V.E.: Kingwood vs. Everyone,” Charboneau added. “We lived by it and lived up to the challenge.”
With the win, Kingwood not only took down one of the state’s premier pitching staffs but also completed a 20-year journey back to the top — this time with a new generation of Mustangs etching their name into school history.
(Left to Right) Kingwood's Graham Charboneau, Christian Mata, and Nick Spetter
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
***FUN FACT: Kingwood and Midway (6A-D1) became the first schools since 2021 (Barbers Hill) to have both the baseball and softball programs win a state championship in the same season.
*Furthermore, the Mustangs are being recognized as the WHATABURGER TEAM OF THE WEEK!
TOP OF THE LINE: Midway triumphs over Atascocita to claim 6A-D1 crown, first title since 2003
“From day one, this group believed they could do something special,” said Midway head coach Eddie Cornblum. “They’ve worked for every bit of this. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
Midway wasted no time setting the tone.
In the bottom of the first inning, Tyler Seith laced a 2-RBI single to open the scoring, and Canyon Martin followed with an RBI double to make it 3-0. Atascocita responded in the top of the second with a pair of runs — an RBI double by Kaleb Thomas and a run-scoring groundout from Nick Dykes — but that would be the last offense the Eagles would muster.
Enter Potts.
The junior was called in for relief during the second inning and silenced the Atascocita lineup the rest of the way. Potts notched four strikeouts en route to being named the 6A-Division I State Championship MVP.
Jr. RHP Brody Potts accepts the 6A-D1 State MVP AwardMatthew Ogle
And extend it they did.
Martin, who finished 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored, crossed home in the third inning on a wild pitch to stretch the lead to 4-2. Midway added insurance in the sixth as Jack Goldstrich and TJ Woodson delivered back-to-back RBI singles, pushing the score to its final 6-2 margin.
Offensively, the Panthers showed depth throughout the lineup. Woodson went 2-for-4 with an RBI, Seith added a hit and two RBIs, and Dru Ohmstede collected two hits and a run scored. Goldstrich and senior second baseman David Litle each contributed with timely hits as well.
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
The win caps off an impressive postseason run for Midway in what was their fifth overall trip to the UIL State Tournament. The 2025 squad now joins the 2003 team in the Panthers’ championship lore.
“It’s surreal,” said Martin, who was one of four Panthers — along with Woodson, Ohmstede, and Goldstrich — named to the State All-Tournament Team. “We knew what was at stake, and we just trusted each other to get it done.”
From the opening pitch to the final out, Midway played with the poise of a championship team. And now, with another trophy in hand and a roster full of returning talent, the Panthers are poised to make sure this title run isn’t just a one-time affair.
“This is for everyone who believed in us,” Cornblum added. “But more importantly, it’s for these kids. They earned every bit of this moment.”