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Santa Fe's Mallory Richardson
THE PLAYMAKERS: Springing Forward powered by UTMB Health
The South Houston area is loaded with talented athletes who give it there all in their respective fields of play.
Welcome to the VYPE Playmakers powered by UTMB Health, where we’re highlighting five standouts from this past week who stole the headlines.
Here are the UTMB Athletes of the Month, as the Winter season wraps up, and we transition to the Spring.
Hitchcock Bulldogs Basketball
The stars of 2023-24 Hitchcock Basketball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
After claiming the program's first UIL state title in 2023, Hitchcock basketball completed its mission of repeating at state, with their 53-49 victory over Ponder this past Saturday, bringing their final record to 35-3.
Coach Christopher Jordan-Foster was named Texas High School Boys Basketball Coach of the Year for accomplishing this feat, but he didn't do it alone.
Senior guard Damien McDaniel put up some stellar numbers (23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals) in the state final, which garnered him Class 3A MVP honors.
Additionally, Lloyd Jones III (12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) and Elijah Sherwood were named to the UIL All-Tournament team for their efforts.
With the performance they put up this year, paired with the fact that several key contributors will be returning a year from now, it is a safe assessment to say that the Bulldogs will be gunning for their third-straight next Winter.
Landon Kay, La Porte Baseball
Doug Brown (VYPE)
At the conclusion of tournament season, La Porte is looking every bit as good as they were in the latter-half of the 2023 season.
The Bulldogs currently maintain an impressive record of 11-3-1 to begin the Spring, which was highlighted by recent victories against some tough Class 6A opponents such as Clear Springs (9-3), Strake Jesuit (5-4), and Conroe (1-0).
Coach Ricky Torres lineup is looking as talented as ever thus far, and is anchored by senior outfielder Landon Kay, who is coming off a first-team, all-district performance a year ago.
With the district portion of the schedule coming up, La Porte has their sights set on claiming their first district championship since the 2018-19 season.
Kay will undoubtedly play a significant role in the potential acquisition.
Raenna Liscano, Pearland Softball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
In just her first year as head coach, Michele Hyden is ensuring that Pearland won't skip a beat, following their state championship last Spring.
With a 21-2 start to the season, the Oilers appear to be in prime position to make another run for the Class 6A title. They reminded everyone in the Greater Houston-area that they remain the team to beat, with key wins over Keller (15-11), The Woodlands (4-3), Alvin (6-5), and Dawson (1-0).
Additionally, Pearland's tiresome two-week run demonstrated that they're still capable of emerging victorious from the close games, which is a testament to the veteran-talent on the team.
Speaking of which, senior infielder Raenna Liscano has shown a lot of grit to begin the Spring. The ULL-signee will be relied on, following the departure of some of last year's stars -- Hailey Golden (Texas A&M), Abigail Gutierrez (UT-Arlington), and Kristyn Whitlock (SHSU).
Liscano, along with fellow returners Kaylee Schweitzer (LSU-commit) and Trinity Perry (TWU), provides the necessary experience that will guide the Lady Oilers through district and beyond.
Zachary Tuxhorn, Clear Lake Baseball
Doug Brown (VYPE)
Well, well, well. Talk about Clear Lake starting 2024 with a BANG!
The Falcons currently stand to be the team to beat in District 24-6A, following a strong 13-1-3 conclusion to the tournament season.
Coach Josh Bromberg has emphatically found a way to optimize his young roster to start 2024, and CLHS is unlikely to slow down anytime soon.
The reigning district MVP Zachary Tuxhorn should play a significant role from the catcher spot, as the connection he shares with sophomore pitcher Preston Sommerville continues to develop.
Returning to the postseason seems to be in the cards for the Falcons, with the second half of the season beginning in the coming weeks.
Mallory Richardson, Santa Fe Softball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Santa Fe (16-6-1) is off to yet another strong start to the Spring, in coach Andrew Whittington's second season leading the program.
While most eyes have naturally been on the reigning District 18-5A Offensive MVP Mea Slayton (St. Thomas-commit) or junior outfielder Katelynn Torres, sophomore Mallory Richardson has been the unsung hero of the group, thus far.
With the district portion of the Indians' schedule underway, Richardson is currently throwing a 1.25 ERA with 45 strikeouts from the mound. She's just as dangerous at-bat, with an average of 0.446, plus 16 RBIs, 22 runs scored, and three home runs.
It's not going to be an easy stretch, against opponents like Friendswood, La Porte, and Manvel. But if history is any indication, Richardson and company should expect another trip to the postseason in the near future.
STATE SEMIFINALS: Dallas Lincoln squares up with Waco La Vega
Dropping only three games the entire season, the Dallas Lincoln Lady Tigers have put forth an incredible effort that has shown a no doubt mentality. Outscoring their opponents by nearly 850 points combined on the season, the team has remained resilient through all moments-- even entering the state tournament.
Beginning their season with tough non-district victories over Dallas Skyline, North Forney, Hallsville, Arlington Bowie, Crandall, Red Oak, Princeton, Lancaster, Paris, and others, the Lady Tigers set their expectations for the season. Not willing to accept defeat, the teams' only losses came in their non-district schedule in hard-fought games against Memorial, Sachse, and Princeton.
T'Anna Saddler, Kayla Crowder, Aaliyah Rose, Ar'Jayla Taylor, Grace Spencer, Jada Patterson, Jalynn Staten, Sy'niyah Gulley, and other talented athletes continued to hold their heads high through district play as they finished at the top of their standings with a 10-0 undefeated district record. The team downed North Dallas, Dallas Carter, Dallas Wilmer-Hutchins, Dallas Pinkston, and others to secure a fantastic entry into the playoffs.
Once in the playoffs, the Lady Tigers sent Brownsboro, Sunnyvale, Panther Creek, and Canton packing. Now, on a 25-game win streak, Dallas Lincoln finds itself at the UIL Class 4A State Semifinal matchup against Waco La Vega (30-11). In a good position to secure a state title appearance, fans can expect this squad to power their way through each moment on the court on Friday.
Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Friday, March 1.