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THE PLAYMAKERS: Moving into Spring 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.
Victor Coronado, Lutheran South Academy Baseball
Justin Hartojo (VYPE)
The Pioneers are off to a perfect 9-0 start to the Spring after this past weekend's tournament, which saw LSA defeat several Class 6A public school teams to begin the season with a statement.
One of the team's key contributors at-bat is none other than Texas-commit Victor Coronado. The junior infielder picked up right where he left off last season, which saw him receive a TAPPS All-State honorable mention.
However, that should be the minimum we expect from Coronado, alongside fellow play-makers -- Marcus Cantu (Texas), Roland Aguillon (San Jacinto), and Jaylen Walker -- as Lutheran South vies for their first state championship since 2021.
Madelyn Green, Friendswood Softball
Some of the stars of 2023-24 Friendswood Softball
Doug Brown (VYPE)
Friendswood begins the year at 9-3, which was highlighted by their recent 5-0 performance in the Clear Creek ISD tournament.
This team is stacked and ready for another playoff run, under the direction of new head coach Jarrod Hunter. The Mustangs feature the returning talents of Charleigh Esparza, Chloe Aldrich (Texas Tech-commit), and Baileigh Burtis (Rutgers), just to name a few.
However, the emerging presence of sophomore Madelyn Green will be especially useful for the program, as she is coming off an exceptional outing on the mound. During the aforementioned tournament, Green threw for only two earned runs in 26 innings, with 24 strikeouts to boot.
As the Mustangs prepare for district-play, that kind of performance will be vital.
Noah Farrag, Clear Lake Boys Soccer
As the regular season nears its end, Clear Lake (14-1-1; 8-0 in district) is in prime position to win the district title prior to an ensuing run in the playoffs.
We could just chalk it up to the stellar performance from the stingy Falcons defense -- which has only allowed 8 goals all year -- but plenty of their success can easily be attributed to the work done on the offensive side of the pitch.
Speaking of, senior forward Noah Farrag currently leads the team in goals with 13, which makes him a worthy candidate for District 24-6A Offensive MVP, if not the MVP in general.
With the postseason looming, this will be a team worth reckoning.
Nicholas Partida, Pearland Baseball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Per the usual, Pearland has started the regular season in front, highlighted by their recent victories over Aldine (8-2) and Clear Falls (6-2), to begin 2024 with a record of 4-2.
As expected, junior infielder/pitcher has been exceptional from the plate thus far, with a .455 batting average, 9 RBIs, 8 runs scored, and two home runs in just six games.
His ability to bat is swiftly complemented by his base-running capability, which makes the Arizona State-commit a constant threat to rack up extra-bases.
Pearland is vying for another trip to State this Spring, and they're already on the right track.
Chloe Le, Clements Girls Soccer
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
It may often be difficult to stand out in a district that features the likes of Ridge Point, however Clements has managed to do just that, as they escalate the H-Town rankings.
Under the direction of coach Robert Boagni, the Rangers currently maintain of 12-1-3 (7-1-3 in district), which should easily solidify a playoff spot in the coming weeks.
Senior forward Chloe Le has been a key component towards, as one of the team's lead goal-scorers.
With the playoffs on the horizon, keep an eye out for Le and the Clements Rangers.
THE PLAYMAKERS: H-Town's crowd-pleasers powered by UTMB Health
The south Houston area is loaded with talented athletes who give it their all in their respective fields of play.
Welcome to the VYPE Playmakers powered by UTMB Health, where we’re highlighting five standouts from the previous week who stole the headlines.
Here are the UTMB Athletes of the Week, as the Fall season continues to heat up.
…
Justis Thomas, Galveston Ball Football
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
The Tors have been balling (pun intended) through the first half of the Fall season. While the defense is exceptional, the Galveston Ball offense has been lighting up the scoreboard on a consistent basis.
QB Kyden Barker is looking great in his sophomore campaign (11 TD passes), but senior RB Justis Thomas has been truly phenomenal behind the big Tornadoes O-Line. Thomas is currently averaging over 100 rushing yards per game, while leading the team in scores (7), which has propelled Ball to a 3-1 start.
Abby Fuller, Clear Springs Volleyball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
The Chargers are rapidly picking up speed as the first round of district-play picks up. With a current record of 21-12 (3-0 in district), Clear Springs is poised for a postseason run in the near future.
Senior libero Abby Fuller has been a key contributor to the team’s success thus far, as she has logged nearly 400 digs already. Fuller, along with fellow playmaker Anzley Rinard, have been lighting up the scoreboard and that trend shouldn’t change anytime soon.
Damien McDaniel, Hitchcock Football
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
The Bulldogs are off to a perfect start (4-0) this year, and appear to be THE team to beat in the Class 3A race. Hitchcock’s roster is loaded from top to bottom, so zeroing in on one particular player is easier said than done. Regardless, senior WR/DB Damien McDaniel has been putting on a clinic thus far. The UNLV-commit’s speed and frame make him a nightmare for opponents, on both sides of the ball.
Mia Ramirez, Pearland Volleyball
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
With district-play in full swing, the Lady Oilers are surging with an overall record of 24-9 (3-0 in district). Pearland’s threatening offensive push can be attributed to the impressive performances of Avery Koonsen (So. OH), Nadia Dunn (Sr. OH), and Kimanni Rugley (Jr. MH).
However, senior libero Mia Ramirez deserves a nod, considering she’s been setting up her teammates seamlessly, to the tune of nearly 300 digs. Expect this surge to continue for Pearland, as they contend with Dawson and Shadow Creek for the title in the coming weeks.
McKinley Cole, Clear Creek Volleyball
Some of the stars of 2023-24 Clear Creek Volleyball
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
Clear Creek is putting up impressive numbers in the latter half of the season, resulting in a respectable current record of 17-15 (2-0 in district). Wildcats senior setter McKinley Cole has consistently been dishing the ball to the team’s offensive leaders – namely Olivia Jones (Jr. OH) – with ease throughout the Fall. With over 500 assists to her name already this season, Cole will be essential to Clear Creek’s success moving forward.