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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!
Whataburger Team of the Week: Kingwood dominates in State Final to claim first-ever title
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Hunter Quentel was named the game’s MVP after a standout two-way performance. Quentel notched seven strikeouts in the circle and delivered the game’s decisive blow with a two-run homer in the third inning.
She finished the season with an 18-3 record and cemented herself as one of the state’s rising stars.
Kingwood jumped out to an early lead with an RBI single from junior third baseman Frei Pizarro in the second. Subsequently, KHS widened the gap the following inning, beginning with an RBI double from senior catcher Mia Gagliardi (Virginia Tech-commit) — who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.
Moments later, Quentel launched her home run over the left-field fence, giving Kingwood a comfortable 4-0 lead.
Forney's only run came in the later innings via a sacrifice fly by Ashlyn Oscars, but it wasn’t enough to challenge Kingwood’s grip on the game.
In addition to Quentel, Gagliardi, and Pizarro, several Mustangs were named to the UIL State All-Tournament team, including standout senior shortstop Addy Sheppard (Stanford-commit), senior second baseman Leilani Garcia, sophomore first baseman Kendall Yates, and senior outfielder Abella Mata.
Head Coach Christa Williams-Yates, now in her second year leading the program, guided the Mustangs to their historic title with poise and purpose.
A former Olympian and Texas Longhorn, Williams-Yates was a member of the first team to play at McCombs Field in 1998. Nearly three decades later, she returned to that same field—this time as a coach—to lead Kingwood to its first-ever state crown.
With a mix of veteran leadership and emerging young talent, the Kingwood Mustangs have not only made history—they’ve set a new standard for excellence in Texas high school softball.