There are so many great athletes in Spring Branch ISD. VYPE highlights five athletes from Spring Branch ISD in this edition of SBISD Playmakers Powered by Texas Citizens Bank.
Evelin Reyes, Spring Woods
Evelin Reyes is a team and school favorite at Spring Woods High School. Reyes had a tremendous career on the pitch for the Tigers and will be playing her college ball at Western Texas College.
Connor Able, Stratford
Ready, set, hut. Connor Able is the No. 1 deep-snapper in the state of Texas and No. 4 overall in the country. He has accepted an invite to play in the All-American game on NBC next January for his accomplishments. Able has received a DI offer from Air Force.
Reagan Goodwine, Memorial
D-up. Memorial is one of the state powers in girls soccer. The Mustangs were loaded this year, but their season was unfortunately cut short. Reagan Goodwine wrapped up her career at Memorial as the District Defensive MVP.
Ben Moseley, Stratford
Ben Moseley is the Big Man on Campus at Stratford. The 6-foot-2 athlete is one of the best receivers in the district and also burns up the oval for the track team. Moseley has recently been offered by Davidson and the Colorado School of Mines.
JD Watkins, Northbrook
JD Watkins is the definition of a student-athlete. With a 3.56 GPA, Watkins combines brains and braun. The tight end/defensive end has recently been selected as a team captain for the 2020 season.
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There are plenty of marquee football matchups this week in the Austin area. Plenty of folks will be curious to see how Cedar Ridge holds up against Lake Travis or just exactly how many points Cedar Park and Hutto are going to score between them in their battle for 24-6A lead.
But the vast majority of games each week slip under the radar, largely unnoticed by anyone except the teams themselves and their fans. That doesn’t make those games any less important. And this week’s VYPE Central Texas Game of the Week between McNeil and Stony Point at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex is a perfect example.
There are similarities between these two longtime Round Rock ISD rivals. Both are operating under new head coaches. And both are trying to build new cultures around those coaches and return to playoff form.
McNeil’s journey has been the most harrowing of the two. The Mavericks (0-2, 0-6) returned to the playoffs in 2024 and were one freakish play away from repeating that accomplishment last season under former head coach Scott Hermes. The program then went through the process of replacing Hermes twice, ultimately landing Jerry Gardner from Wylie East late in the summer.
Between the late change and seriously rebuilding after losing a ton of talent to graduation, the Mavericks have gotten off to a slow start. Senior quarterback Orion Covault has worked through the air (52-100, 646 Yds., 5 TD, 3 INT – stats through 5 games) while tacking on 261 rushing yards with a touchdown. Senior Zylen Hall (48-255, 9.5 YPC, 4 TD) has provided a spark on the ground with young receivers Quincy Sampson (13-194, 14.9 YPC, 2 TD) and sophomore Jeremy Powell (12-143, 11.9 YPC, TD) emerging as his favorite targets.
It’s a similar, if more conventional story at Stony Point (1-1, 2-4). Former Hutto offensive coordinator Dustin Pleasant travelled west along Hwy. 79 to land in Tigerland, taking over from legendary head coach Craig Cheshire. Unlike McNeil’s recent playoff appearance, the Tigers haven’t been to the postseason in a minute or two. And while the path to postseason is difficult in a district with Lake Travis, Westlake, and Round Rock, the path potentially exists with a win over Cedar Ridge (or a huge upset of either “Lake” team.)
Senior quarterbacks Brady Davis (49-89, 670 yds., 5 TD, 2 INT) and sophomore Kadin Smith (29-55, 324, 2 TD, INT) have both seen time behind center while junior Aiden Lloyd (98-475, 4.8 YPC, 8 TDs) anchors the running attack. Senior Olamide Aroworade (28-456, 16.3 YPC, 3 TD) has been the Tigers’ leading receiver.
It’s easy to hype the drama between two powerhouse teams. These two – McNeil and Stony Point – each have their own goals and agendas. At the most basic level, McNeil is simply looking for their first win of the season and of the Coach Gardner era; a chance to reap the rewards after months of hard work.
The Tigers’ slender playoff path relies on winning all their game against the rest of the district while punching one of the favorites in the nose down the road.
But mostly, it’s just one of the 10 nights these kids get to experience the thrill and joy of playing Texas High School Football. The fact that it’s our VYPE Austin CenTex Game of the Week is just icing on the cake.
