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THE PLAYMAKERS: South Houston's Finest 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 just some of the Athletes, Teams, and Coaches of the Year, who enjoyed exemplary performances throughout the 2023-24 season.
Coach David Rogers -- Pearland Baseball
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
The Oilers have picked up right where they left off a year ago, as they have dominated within Class 6A throughout the entire Spring, which has carried over into the postseason.
Pearland now prepares to make back-to-back appearances in the UIL State Tournament, marking the program's seventh overall, with a rematch of last year's State Final against Flower Mound on the docket.
After being named the GHBCA 6A Coach of the Year in 2023, fifth-year head coach David Rogers has continued to cultivate a championship culture within the Oilers' organization, which is also a testament to the dedication of his staff and players.
Rogers and company have their eye on claiming the team's first state title since 1980, and it all begins this Friday (4:00 pm) at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
Hitchcock Boys Basketball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Under the direction of coach Christopher Jordan-Foster, the Bulldogs proceeded to claim their second-consecutive UIL-3A state championship this past Winter, with their 53-49 victory over Ponder at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Hitchcock featured a bevy of stars, particularly TABC All-State selections Damien McDaniel (UIL-3A State MVP), Lloyd Jones III (District 24-3A MVP), and Elijah Sherwood (District 24-3A Offensive MVP), who propelled the team to a historic finish in March.
While McDaniel has since graduated, it will be up to the aforementioned Jones III, Sherwood, as well as all-district selections Kamari McNeal, Maleek Clark, and Kelshaun Johnson to uphold the standard of this exceptional program in 2025.
Iowa Colony Girls Track & Field
Photo acquired via Twitter (@ICPioneersTF)
2024 was a banner year for the Iowa Colony track & field program.
Following stellar performances at the UIL State Meet in May -- primarily from the likes of Ashtyn Lewis, Bailee Wilturner, Arius Williams, Aysha Mitchell, and Adriana Murry -- coach Rachel Easley would see her team claim the school's first-ever state championship, since its establishment in 2022.
The Pioneers accumulated 58 total points to end up in the No. 1 spot, which also featured gold finishes from sophomore Lewis in the 400m Dash (54.31 s), in addition to the relay team, which placed first in the 4x400m.
Similarly, coach Aundra Long's boys team would also walk away with the UIL-4A title to complete an extraordinary precedent set by the budding Iowa Colony organization.
Tony Laurito -- Friendswood Swimming
Photo provided by Friendswood Coach Craig Sikkema
Coach Craig Sikkema's squad has become a staple within the realm of Texas high school swimming, and this past season was indicative of that fact.
Friendswood wound up placing second overall at the UIL State Meet, with a combined total of 183 points by the end of February's competition at the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin.
This was thanks, in large part, to the efforts made by senior Tony Laurito, who took gold in the 200-yard IM (1:48.13) and 100-yard Backstroke (49.04 s), individually, while also playing a key role in the team's top finishes in the 200-yard Medley (1:31.54) and 400-yard Freestyle (3:07.46) Relays.
Laurito will now ascend to the collegiate level, where he'll continue his swimming career at the University of Tennessee.
Mackenzie Collins -- Shadow Creek Track & Field/Volleyball
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
Dual-sport super-star Mackenzie Collins is making herself well-known among the bevy of prolific athletes that comprise Houston-area high school sports.
The incoming Shadow Creek senior made her mark at the UIL State Track & Field Meet last month, where she won the Class 6A title in the 300m Hurdles (41.59 s) event, while also contributing a pair of crucial performances for the Sharks' relay team, which took silver in the 4x100m and 4x400m Relays.
When all was said and done at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Shadow Creek would end up being named the UIL-6A State Runner-Ups.
Not only that, but Collins should be regarded as one of the top volleyball players in the city heading into next Fall, following her transfer from Episcopal during the 2023-24 school year, in which she earned All-SPC honors prior to her move to Shadow Creek.
The Texas A&M-commit (Volleyball) and Houston Skyline standout can seemingly do it all. The sky is the limit for Collins as she enters the final year of her stellar high school career.
THE PLAYMAKERS: On The Upswing 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 we enter the closing stages of the Spring season.
...
Friendswood Girls Golf
Photo acquired via Twitter (@FWoodGolf)
After yet another successful campaign this Spring, the Friendswood girls golf team is one of the few groups headed back to the UIL State Tournament.
The Mustangs return to Georgetown on the heels of placing first at the Region III-5A Tournament (total score of 628), which marks the first time the program has accomplished this feat in 34 years.
Coach Scott Smith should certainly be proud of the efforts made by his team, which includes Trinity Bosley, Margaret Kerr, Katherine Janda, Mary Scheschuk, and of course, senior Mary Kerr.
Kerr, in particular, was the top finisher for Friendswood in last month's Regional tourney, having shot for 152 in the two-day stretch, which made her the No. 5 overall golfer to emerge from the golf course at the Margaritaville Lake Resort.
Smith and company will now prepare to travel to Legacy Hills Golf Club this upcoming Monday, as they contend for a state championship.
Max McCloskey, Clear Creek Boys Golf
Photo acquired via Twitter (@ccwildcatgolf)
The Clear Creek golf program traveled White Wing Golf Club in Georgetown earlier this week to compete in the UIL Boys State Golf Tournament, following an exceptional performance at Regionals.
While things may not have quite panned out the way they would've hoped, the Wildcats still ended up within the Elite-12, which is a testament to the level of talent seen on the final course.
Furthermore, Clear Creek do still hold the distinction of having one of their own finish as in the top-5, individually.
Sophomore Max McCloskey concluded the two-day tourney by tying for fourth overall in Class 6A, with a final score of 141.
Despite the considerable youth on his roster, coach Daniel Brown's team displayed expertise beyond their years, which should indicate that the Wildcats may very well be back in Georgetown a year from now.
Emerie Garcia, Deer Park Softball
This Spring has seen more of what we've come to expect from the 2021 state champs -- Deer Park.
The Deer re-entered the postseason on the heels of claiming their fourth-consecutive undefeated district title, which they followed up by sweeping North Shore in the Bi-District round, bringing their current record to 27-7.
As one of the top teams in our pre-playoff rankings, it shouldn't come as a shock that the Deer would carry their momentum into the postseason. Coach Amy Vidal-Bush knows how to optimize the talent on her lineup on an annual basis, which is evidenced by the immense success the program has seen during her tenure.
This year's lineup has featured the talents of Hanna York (Houston Christian-signee), Payton Tullis (Southern Arkansas), Kylie Wilson (Prairie View-A&M), and Mia Montemayor, among others.
Although, one of the unsung heroes of the club, Emerie Garcia, has made some clutch performances in recent weeks.
The San Jac-signee racked up five RBIs to close the team's district schedule, which was followed up by similar outings against North Shore.
With their Area Round rematch against Alvin taking place this weekend, expect Garcia to have a starring role.
Wilson Klein, Lutheran South Academy Track & Field
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Following another prosperous endeavor this season, Lutheran South Academy will be returning to the TAPPS-5A State Track & Field championship this weekend.
That shouldn't come as a surprise, considering the success they've seen in years past.
With the prowess displayed by athletes such as Marcus Gaitan, Kris St. Clair, Elaine Ward, Matthew Gaitan, Cole Noack, Alma Martin, and not to mention their relays teams, the Pioneers should expect some top finishes at Midway ISD's Panther Stadium.
However, alongside the Gaitans, no LSA athlete has been more consistent in their respective event than Wilson Klein.
The Lutheran South senior recently took gold in the pole vault event at the TAPPS-5A Regional Meet, with an astounding height of 15 feet-7 inches.
The pole vault is, without question, Klein's bread-and-butter, which will be evidenced once the Pioneers take to the track to close the week.
Erianna Garcia, Clear Springs Softball
Photo acquired via Twitter (@garcia_erianna)
The Chargers made a statement to open the playoffs, by defeating a formidable Dawson team in a 2-1 series victory.
Alongside the considerable efforts made by Emma King, Logan Kieselhorst, and Alana Strever, Erianna Garcia has proven to be perhaps the most consistent weapon on coach Jennifer Knight's roster.
Garcia went 7-for-10 during the three-game series against Dawson, which included 7 RBIs to propel Clear Springs to the Area Round.
Furthermore, the uncommitted junior was recognized as the team's Offensive MVP to close April.
While Clear Springs may currently be one game down in their series against Kingwood, Garcia could easily be one of the many figures to change the tides.