THE POWER RANKINGS: Vista Ridge clings to top spot; Glenn surges in Austin-area Girls BB
30 Dec, 2024
Trying to compare records in tournament play can always be a little apples-and-oranges-ish. Which is why Vista Ridge remains atop this week’s ranking despite going “just” 3-2 in Duncanville’s Sandra Meadows Classic. Tough competition there and the Lady Rangers held up well
The big story is Glenn. The Lady Grizzlies climbed two spots, following up last week’s buzzer-beater win over powerful Liberty Hill with a 4-0 championship run in their own tournament. (One of those wins was against now-3rd-ranked Vandegrift.) The aforementioned Lady Panthers won the Austin High Lady Maroons Holiday Classic, which was stacked with ranked teams including runner-up Cedar Park, to slip past Round Rock, who went 2-2 in the Glenn Tourney.
Georgetown travelled to South Carolina for their final tourney and are off to a good 2-0 start at press time.
Lake Travis moved up a spot with a 3-1 Austin High tourney run; otherwise, there wasn’t a lot of movement in the bottom half of the rankings with several teams remaining idle over the break.
Santa has come and gone and it’s all district play from here on out as we head into 2025. Have a safe and Happy New Year!
VYPE's Austin Girls Basketball Rankings
1. (1) Vista Ridge Lady Rangers (6A) – 19-5 (3-2 in Duncanville Sandra Meadows Classic)
2. (4) Glenn Lady Grizzlies (5A) 24-2 (4-0 in Glenn Holiday Classic) (Def. Vandy)
3. (2) Vandegrift Lady Vipers (6A) – 18-7 (3-1 in Glenn Holiday Classic)
4. (5) Liberty Hill Lady Panthers (5A) – 23-2 (4-0 in Austin High Lady Maroons Holiday Classic)
5. (3) Round Rock Lady Dragons (6A) 20-4 (2-2 in Glenn Holiday Classic)
6. (6) Georgetown Lady Eagles (5A) – 21-3 (2-0 as of press time in South Carolina Invitational)
7. (7) Bastrop Lady Bears (5A) – 23-2 (IDLE)
8. (9) Cedar Park Lady Timberwolves (5A) – 19-4 (3-1 in Austin High Lady Maroons Holiday Classic)
9. (8) Westlake Lady Chaparrals (6A) – 17-7 (3-1 in Aggieland Invitational)
10. (10) Bowie Lady Bulldogs (6A) – 17-7 (2-2 in Austin High Lady Maroons Holiday Classic)
11. (11) Manor New Tech Lady Titans (4A) 19-1 (IDLE)
12. (13) Lake Travis Lady Cavaliers (6A) – 14-9 (3-1 in Austin High Lady Maroons Holiday Classic)
13. (12) Rouse Lady Raiders (5A) – 13-8 (Inc. results from in Weatherford Tournament)
14. (14) Cedar Ridge Lady Raiders (6A) – 10-7 (IDLE)
15. (15) Crockett (5A) – 13-9 (IDLE)
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7 — BARBERS HILL EAGLES
Barbers Hill, under sixth-year coach Bryan Harris (648-206, 23 years), will try to get back to the Regional Finals and beyond in 2025.
Last year, the Eagles went 32-9 overall and now bring back a handful of starters from that team led by senior Rachel Glynn. The all-region, all-district pick a year ago averaged 10 points and five rebounds per game.
Jayci Lackey exploded onto the scene as a freshman last year and averaged 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game. Lackey earned the District Newcomer of the Year award thanks to that performance.
Other players to watch include Kynlee Kejonen (5 ppg, 5 rpg), Brooklyn Roberson (8 ppg, 3 apg) and Maddie Collins (7.5 ppg, 2 spg). The Eagles will try and “RTB – Row the Boat” this season and do it to the State Tournament when all is said and done.
THE VYPE PODCAST
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Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
It all comes down to this
In what should be a series of instant classics, the most prominent names in private school football go head-to-head this weekend. Let's get right into it.
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Liberty Christian-Argyle vs. Parish Episcopal-Dallas (TAPPS-D1)
The Liberty Christian Warriors
Just as it was detailed a week ago, in the TAPPS State Semis Preview, Liberty Christian has been an absolute juggernaut on the private school football scene over the span of the past three seasons.
This team already conquered TAPPS-D2 in 2023 (14-0), and now has its sights on taking the D1-crown, following their 63-0 trouncing of St. Thomas last Saturday to improve to 11-1 on the year.
Naturally, it stands to reason that the Jason Witten-led Warriors is loaded with talent, as they feature a laundry list of imminent collegiate athletes.
They had a lengthy Signing Day, with running back Chase Garnett (South Florida), WR Jaylon Hawkins (San Diego State), LB C.J. Witten (Rice), WR Quinton Brown (Boise State), and DB Nick Blevins (Army-West Point) all putting pen to paper Thursday morning.
Of course, Liberty Christian's star-power isn't limited to those who have already signed.
Junior QB Quinn Murphy (Baylor-commit) has been an architect behind-center, to the tune of 2,779 passing yards and 39 touchdowns through the air, while adding on 196 more yards and 4 scores on the ground.
Liberty Christian's defense (14.7 points allowed/game) is further-bolstered by the likes of Madox Sekyere (Sr. LB), Cade Violi (Jr. LB), Andrew Michaels (Sr. DL), and Cooper Witten (So. DB), among others.
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While the Warriors did defeat them earlier in the season (35-27), that won't stop the five-time reigning TAPPS Champs, Parish Episcopal, from putting up a fight in the ultimate rematch.
The Panthers (9-4), under the direction of coach Daniel Novakov, have climbed their way to the top by way of high-scoring affairs -- defeating St. Pius X (76-27), Prestonwood Christian (61-55), and most recently Legacy Christian (42-7) to reach this point.
Purdue-signee Sawyer Anderson (Sr. QB) has performed brilliantly as the team's signal-caller.
Having thrown for 4,830 yards with a whopping 47 touchdowns, and rushing for 415 more with 6 TDs, Anderson has been a genuine difference-maker in Parish Episcopal's hot-streak this Fall.
Of course, he has trio of studs in the receiving corps -- namely Michigan-commit Jaylen Pile (59 rec, 1,312 yards, 19 TDs), Ouachita Baptist-commit Carson Darby (72 receptions, 1,556 yds, 16 TDs), and 2023 first-team, all-state recipient Bryson Fields (67 rec, 1,052 yds, 6 TDs).
While the run-game isn't always the primary focal point of the offense, junior tailback Marcus Hanish (1,284 all-purpose yards, 15 total scores) has a more than dependable weapon for coach Novakov to utilize.
Defensively, senior DBs Drayson "DC" Crane (120 tackles, 6 TFL, 2 sacks) and Nick Wheeler (116 tackles, 11 TFL, 2 INTs, 2 sacks) have proven their versatility as athletes and leaders for the group.
Additional key figures for Parish's defense include Guy Stern (Sr. DB), Adam Roth (Sr. LB), Landry Sattler (Sr. DL), Juju Mayfield (Jr. DB), and Jesse Richardson (Jr. LB).
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These battle between these two TAPPS heavy-weights will take place at Waco ISD Stadium, this Saturday at 7:00 pm.
The Parish Episcopal Panthers
Second Baptist vs. All Saints Episcopal (TAPPS-D2)
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
They're back!
After being denied entry to the big game over the past few seasons, Second Baptist is returning the TAPPS State Final for the first time since 2021, on the heels of their 35-16 win against district rival FBCA last weekend.
Now, can they win it all, just as they did back in 1999 when the Eagles won their first-ever title?
Don't put it past coach Beck Brydon and company to do so.
In his second year with the team, former Regents HC Brydon has turned a traditional state power into something more.
Their resiliency throughout the Fall has been palpable, as SBS has battled through injuries, criticisms, and doubters in order to advance to this stage.
We discussed who the stars of this group were in last week's preview, and it's time to reiterate the impact they've had.
Houston-signee RJ Lee (Sr. LT) bulks up the integral foundation that is the offensive line, which also features the talents of Mac Northup (Jr. C), Lucas Mensing (Sr. RG), TJ Walker (Sr. RT), and sophomore H-Back Cash Franz.
This has allowed junior QB Canon Toon to work his magic, whether that be with his arm or his legs.
On the defensive side, juniors Kelvin Baptiste and Isaiah Broughton, as well as senior Gray Gilbert form a solid trio on the D-Line, while Bryce Butler (Sr. LB), Cash Harris (Sr. LB), Ethan Dishman (Sr. DB), and Adam Vessel (Jr. DB) take care of the rest.
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Meanwhile, All Saints has yet to face defeat in 2024.
With coach Aaron Beck at the helm, the Saints have routed Brook Hill (49-21), Fort Worth Christian (49-20), and Regents (42-26) throughout the postseason, bringing their record to 13-0 entering the state championship.
Their offense, which is averaging 44 points a game, can hurt you from any angle.
Senior signal-caller Gavin Parkhurst (Texas State-signee) has been incredibly efficient, both through the air and on the ground, evidenced by his exceptional stat-line (3,203 passing yards--46 TDs, 787 rushing yards--11 TDs).
Joining him in the back-field, behind an imposing O-Line, is senior RB Cole Palfreeman, who has toted the rock 159 times for 771 yards (4.8 ypc) and 11 scores.
Furthermore, Parkhurst has dished the ball to a number of capable hands throughout the Fall -- primarily, Boise State-signee Qumonte Williams (63 receptions, 1,227 yards, 24 TDs), Connor McCurdy (28 rec, 548 yds, 3 TDs), Hudson Reasor (27 rec, 535 yds, 5 TDs), and Bryce Anderson (28 rec, 431 yds, 7 TDs).
The All Saints defense is just as remarkable.
While they've held opponents to just under 20 points per contest, the unit has also registered 33.5 sacks, 24 forced turnovers, and 3 defensive scores this year.
Edge rusher Dalton Knapp (Kansas State) is the rock of the group, with 75 tackles (29.5 for loss) and 12 sacks to his name.
Senior linebacker and Army-West Point-signee Jacob Mainord (100 tackles, 15.5 TFL, 3 sacks) has been equally crucial, alongside TCU-signee Blake Robinett (63 tackles, 17 TFL, 7.5 sacks), Keyon Adkins (96 tackles), and Dean Watkins (67 tackles).
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SBS and All Saints will meet this Saturday (12:00 pm) at Waco ISD Stadium.
The All Saints Episcopal Saints
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