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Whataburger Team of the Week: Shadow Creek GBB wills its way to first UIL State Final Four
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
Junior guard Courtland Cloud captured the feeling shortly after the Lady Sharks’ 55-50 victory at Pasadena ISD’s Weldon “Stoney” Phillips Fieldhouse: “What they gotta say now?” The sentiment mirrors Shadow Creek’s season-long edge—a team that has embraced being overlooked and turned doubt into fuel.
Now, the Lady Sharks enter the 6A Division II State Semifinals with a sterling 33-4 record and something still to prove.
Cloud has been instrumental throughout the run, averaging roughly 15 points and seven rebounds per game. Seniors Kurynn McNeill and Da’Niyah Lewis, along with junior Aliyah Woodard and sophomore Shona Gilbert, have been equally vital, each delivering in key moments.
What separates Shadow Creek—beyond its poise—is a relentless defensive pressure paired with an unselfish offensive approach. That identity will be tested Tuesday at 6 p.m., when the Alvin ISD representatives take on 39-0 Westlake at Brenham High School.
Whataburger Team of the Week: The Woodlands Girls Swim battles to UIL state title No. 12
Still, the Highlanders remained firmly in contention throughout, with numerous athletes securing top-10 finishes across the meet. Ultimately, it was the relays that proved decisive, as runner-up performances in the 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle relays, as well as a 4th-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle, created the separation needed to lift them atop the team standings.
In terms of talent, TWHS was propelled by a balanced mix of experience and emerging impact, led by seniors Brooke Miller and Kamila Akhmetova, juniors Lily Wiles and Vicky Olivares, sophomore Chloe Heinsohn, and standout freshmen Claire Meermann and Kaia Finanger.
Suffice it to say, audiences were reminded precisely why The Woodlands is often seen as the standard. 