For the San Antonio Christian School Lady Lions Soccer team, it has been a six year streak of making an appearance in the State Final-Four round of Playoffs. Four of which, the Lions either won a championship or advanced to the finals.
The Lady Lions team is sure to make its mark in TAPPS Division I this year. Quick speed, skilled players, and a system that seems to run almost flawlessly, the Lions offense and defense are a consistent force to be reckoned with.
Another State appearance is the goal, and the the seniors hope to lead the girls in making that possible. You will find Sydney Potts in goal, with Mattie Carter, Brooke Spencer, Jennie Stephenson and Audrey Burchett helping lead the team on the field.
The game has changed as we enter the new season.
Similar to how the football postseason is played, the UIL has split the upcoming basketball playoff format into two divisions -- meaning there will be more state champs, and one less game needed to acquire the title.
Out of San Antonio, there are a numbers of programs, on both the boys' and girls' side, that could potentially make their way to their backyard of the Alamodome.
For the boys, Veterans Memorial (5A) reached that point last year. But, as it stands, Brennan and Wagner seem to be poised for another lengthy run this winter. Don't sleep on Harlan, Somerset, or Jay, though.
Meanwhile, the Brennan and Boerne girls' programs wound up in the state final-four a year ago, and will be eager to repeat that effort, with Wagner, Churchill, Cibolo Steele, and Harlan right on their heels.
As teams begin their respective tournament seasons, it's time to examine the most elite teams that the San Antonio-area has to offer in 2025.
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VYPE SATX BOYS TOP-10 (Class 6A-4A)
*Last section indicates 2024 result
1. Brennan Bears (6A) -- 31-5; 16-0 in District (Regional Semifinalists)
2. SA Wagner Thunderbirds (5A) -- 24-12; 9-5 (Regional Semifinalists)
3. Harlan Hawks (6A) -- 23-12; 10-6 (Regional Quarterfinalists)
4. Somerset Bulldogs (4A) -- 26-12; 12-0 (Regional Semifinalists)
5. Jay Mustangs (5A) -- 24-9; 10-6 (Regional Quarterfinalists)
6. SA Jefferson Mustangs (5A) -- 21-16; 12-4 (Area Finalists)
7. SA Veterans Memorial Patriots (5A) -- 40-2; 14-0 (State Semifinalists)
8. O'Connor Panthers (6A) -- 26-13; 10-6 (Regional Finalists)
9. Boerne-Champion Chargers (5A) -- 31-6; 12-2 (Regional Quarterfinalists)
10. Floresville Tigers (4A) -- 26-9; 9-3 (Regional Quarterfinalists)
Honorable Mentions: New Braunfels, Davenport, East Central, Alamo Heights, Clemens
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VYPE SATX GIRLS TOP-10 (Class 6A-4A)
1. Brennan Bears (6A) -- 32-4; 16-0 in District (State Semifinalists)
2. Boerne Greyhounds (5A) -- 34-5; 10-2 (State Semifinalists)
3. SA Wagner Thunderbirds (5A) -- 29-5; 14-0 (Regional Quarterfinalists)
4. SA Churchill Chargers (6A) -- 28-11; 12-4 (Regional Quarterfinalists)
5. Cibolo Steele Knights (6A) -- 29-9; 9-1 (Regional Quarterfinalists)
6. Harlan Hawks (6A) -- 21-12; 12-4 (Regional Semifinalists)
7. SA MacArthur Brahmas (5A) -- 25-12; 15-1 (Area Finalists)
8. Clark Cougars (6A) -- 33-3; 15-1 (Regional Finalists)
9. Floresville Tigers (4A) -- 24-14; 10-2 (Regional Quarterfinalists)
10. Sotomayor Wildcats (6A) -- 23-10; 11-5 (Area Finalists)
Honorable Mentions: Brandeis, McCollum, Southside, East Central
Entering the final week of the regular season, Harlan is currently tied with Sotomayor for the No.2 spot in the district, behind only Brennan - the one district opponent both teams have fallen to this Fall.
As we touched on in their Week 9 preview against Taft, the Hawks (8-1) feature one of the most efficient offenses in the Alamo City, having scored roughly 43 points per contest throughout the season, under the direction of coach Eddie Salas.
In terms of star-power, look no further than junior signal-caller Aldric Trotter, whose dual-threat capability has put the district on notice. As it stands, Trotter is averaging just under 200 passing yards a game with 18 touchdowns to just two interceptions, in addition to his notable contributions (488 yards, 8 TDs) to the ground-game.
The duo of Rice-commit Payton Matthews (Sr. WR) and Caelan Grbic-Schultz (Sr. WR) continues to cause trouble for opposing secondaries, as the two have combined for nearly 1,100 yards and 16 scores through the air.
Matthews also plays a role in the rushing attack, with 306 yards (23 carries) and three more touchdowns to his name.
The go-to guy in the backfield remains senior Adrien McDade, however, who has accumulated well over 500 yards and 6 TDs.
Meanwhile, Brock Potter (Sr. LB), Craig Sanders (Sr. LB/DB), Robert Gonzales (Jr. LB), Alexander Ciccarello (Sr. DL), Dwayne Wingfield (Sr. DB), Kody Brown (Sr. DB), and Addon Palmer (So. DB) cover each phase of the defense.
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On the other side of the ball, Sotomayor is enjoying their best season to date, since becoming a varsity program in 2022.
Most recently, the Juan Morales-led Wildcats throttled Warren 41-0 at the end of October, improving their record to 7-2, which secured their first-ever playoff-berth, and sky-rocketed their standing in our weekly SATX rankings.
Similar to Harlan, they have a 6-1 record in the district, making this game all the more crucial.
Despite the team's relative youth, the offense has had no trouble moving the ball down-field.
Sophomore running back Cameron Grady surpassed the 1,000-yard mark against Warren (Oct. 26th) and is currently averaging 116 per contest, with 11 combined scores in 2024.
Sotomayor's quarterback, Chauncey Moon (So.) has been just as vital to the rushing attack, with 732 yards (81.3 average) and 8 TDs thus far, in addition to a respectable 10-2 TD-INT passing ratio.
The primary targets for Moon have been seniors McKell Johnekins (10 rec, 197 yds, 5 TDs) and Carl Little (14 rec, 131 yds, 3 TDs), which compels defenses to not key in on the run as much.
The greatest asset for the Wildcats, however, is arguably their defense, which has limited opponents to a mere 17 points per game and has forced 16 turnovers throughout this Fall.
Senior LB Shawn Wasley has been an absolute monster. His decisive range across the field has resulted in 101 tackles and two interceptions. This should undoubtedly garner him a first-team, all-district selection after he was named to the second-team a year ago.
Wasley is aided in the defensive effort by Aaron Adejobi (Jr. DB), Manny Gutierrez (Fr. LB), Tristin Woodruff (Sr. DL), Michael Inweh (Sr. DB), Tyce Washington (Jr. DL), and Isaiah Espinoza (Sr. DB).
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It all comes down to this. In the final week of the regular season, Harlan (8-1) and Sotomayor (7-2) battle for silver in District 28-6A, at Gustafson Stadium on Thursday (7:00 pm).
It's nearly playoff time in the Lone Star state, and audiences everywhere are on the edge of their seats.
When it comes to SATX, the powers that be continue to cook.
Cibolo Steele and Brennan are adept in each phase of the game, with Alamo Heights (10-0) and Pieper (9-0) dominating the Class 5A scene.
SA Johnson moves up with their recent 35-0 win over Churchill, but that's not to dismiss the threat that Smithson Valley still poses, considering the considerable experience they have in postseason ball.
In Class 4A, Davenport (9-1) keeps rolling as they prepare for what could potentially be a lengthy run in the playoffs -- hopefully resulting in their first appearance in the UIL state title game.
Meanwhile, Sotomayor (7-2) and Boerne (6-3) finally get the recognition they deserve in our rankings, and look to cap off their season on a high note.
As we approach final week in the 2024 regular season, here is the cream of the crop in terms of San Antonio-area football.
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VYPE San Antonio Combined (6A-4A) Top-20 Rankings
*Parentheses indicates most recent game result
1. Cibolo Steele Knights (6A) -- 8-1 (62-0 W v. Comal Canyon) -- 5-0 in District 29-6A // Next Matchup: 11/7 @ Buda Johnson
2. Brennan Bears (6A) -- 8-1 (69-0 W v. Taft) -- 7-0 in District 28-6A // Next Matchup: 11/8 @ Warren
3. Pieper Warriors (5A) -- 9-0 (49-17 W v. Victoria East) -- 6-0 in District 13-5A-DI // Next Matchup: 11/7 @ Boerne-Champion
4. Alamo Heights Mules (5A) -- 10-0 (39-7 W v. Tivy) -- 6-0 in District 13-5A-DII // Next Matchup: (Playoffs) TBD
5. SA Johnson Jaguars (6A) -- 8-1 (35-0 W v. Churchill) -- 6-0 in District 27-6A // Next Matchup: 11/7 vs. Clark
6. Smithson Valley Rangers (5A) -- 7-2 (70-0 W v. MacArthur) -- 5-1 in District 13-5A-DI // Next Matchup: 11/7 @ Victoria East
7. Davenport Wolves (4A) -- 9-1 (61-42 W v. Canyon Lake) -- 6-0 in District 14-4A-DI // Next Matchup: (Playoffs) TBD
8. Harlan Hawks (6A) -- 8-1 (63-20 W v. Warren) -- 6-1 in District 28-6A // Next Matchup: 11/7 @ Sotomayor
9. East Central Hornets (6A) -- 7-3 (56-7 W v. Clemens) -- 4-2 in District 29-6A // Next Matchup: (Playoffs) TBD
10. Reagan Rattlers (6A) -- 6-3 (49-12 W v. Clark) -- 5-1 in District 27-6A // Next Matchup: 11/8 vs. Brandeis
11. New Braunfels Unicorns (5A) -- 6-3 (41-24 W v. Seguin) -- 4-2 in District 13-5A-DI // Next Matchup: 11/8 vs. SA Wagner
12. Sotomayor Wildcats (6A) -- 7-2 (Bye) -- 6-1 in District 28-6A // Next Matchup: 11/7 vs. Harlan***
13. Boerne Greyhounds (5A) -- 6-3 (50-0 W v. McCollum) -- 4-1 in District 13-5A-DII // Next Matchup: 11/8 vs. Tivy***
14. Canyon Cougars (6A) -- 5-4 (0-62 L v. Cibolo Steele) -- 3-2 in District 29-6A // Next Matchup: 11/8 @ San Marcos
15. Brandeis Broncos (6A) -- 6-3 (51-7 W v. SA Roosevelt) -- 4-2 in District 27-6A // Next Matchup: 11/8 @ SA Reagan
16. Canyon Lake Hawks (4A) -- 6-3 (42-61 L v. Davenport) -- 3-2 in District 14-4A-DI // Next Matchup: 11/8 @ Pleasanton
17. Tivy Antlers (5A) -- 6-3 (7-39 L v. Alamo Heights) -- 3-2 in District 13-5A-DII // Next Matchup: 11/8 @ Boerne
18. Churchill Chargers (6A) -- 5-4 (0-35 L v. SA Johnson) -- 3-3 in District 27-6A // Next Matchup: 11/7 @ LEE
19. Clark Cougars (6A) -- 5-4 (12-49 L v. SA Reagan) -- 4-2 in District 27-6A // Next Matchup: 11/7 @ SA Johnson
20. Taft Raiders (6A) -- 5-4 (0-69 L v. Brennan) -- 4-3 in District 28-6A // Next Matchup: 11/8 vs. O'Connor
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