The city of Houston's private school landscape is loaded with talented title-contenders.
Episcopal and Kinkaid have dominated the Southwest Preparatory Conference, while St. Thomas, Second Baptist, FBCA, and Cypress Christian have carried the Space City banner in TAPPS.
Will it be much of the same as these traditional powers continue to build their legacy, or will it be a newcomer entering the conversation?
Check out the breakdown below...
VYPE'S PRESEASON TOP-10
1. St. Thomas Eagles
2. Episcopal Knights
3. Second Baptist Eagles
4. Cypress Christian Warriors
5. Kinkaid Falcons
6. Fort Bend Christian Academy Eagles
7. Concordia Lutheran Crusaders
8. St. John's Mavericks
9. Lutheran South Academy Pioneers
10. Houston Christian Mustangs
OTHERS TO WATCH: St. Pius X Panthers, John Cooper School Dragons, Bay Area Christian School Broncos, Legacy Prep Christian Academy Lions, The Woodlands Christian Academy Warriors, Rosehill Christian Eagles
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Second Baptist Eagles
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Cypress Christian Warriors
Doug Brown (VYPE)
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Jordan Manuel -- Kinkaid Falcons
Doug Brown (VYPE)
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Fort Bend Christian Academy Eagles
Doug Brown (VYPE)
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Concordia Lutheran Crusaders
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
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St. John's School Mavericks
Doug Brown (VYPE)
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Houston Christian Mustangs
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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OTW -- The Woodlands Christian Academy Warriors
Doug Brown (VYPE)
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No. 1 -- St. Thomas Eagles
Under the direction of head coach Rich McGuire, the Eagles proceeded to go on a 12-game winning streak in 2023, before reaching the TAPPS-DI State Championship Game. While they were narrowly defeated 40-29 against perennial power Parish Episcopal, St. Thomas should still remain one of the top private school programs in Texas this Fall. Their offense, which averaged over 47 points per contest, will now be headlined by West Brook-transfer Roy Thomas Jenkins (Sr. QB), as he assumes the role of the team’s signal-caller. The laundry list of D1 college offers in Jenkins’ possession includes Houston, UNT, Arkansas State, Pittsburgh, and Penn State. There will be some monumental shoes to fill, with do-it-all RB Johann Cardenas gone (Vanderbilt), but Logan Branting (Sr. WR) should be one of the handful of serviceable weapons for the new QB to utilize, behind an O-Line led by first-team, all-state selections Anthony Pellerin and Jake Ghiselin. Defensively, senior linebacker Cooper Davis (second-team, all-state) will be the rock of the group as the Eagles contend for their 18th State Title, alongside the talents of senior DL Jack Reid (first-team), Damarcus Batiste (Sr. DB), John Carr III (Sr. LB) and Blake Coogan (Sr. DB).
No. 2 -- Episcopal Knights
The Knights bid farewell to coaching legend Steve Leisz, as he announced his retirement from football, following the team’s acquisition of their eighth SPC Championship in 2023 against bitter rival Kinkaid (35-25). Although he will still be working at EHS, Leisz now passes the torch to coach Jimmy Moynahan, who will look to continue the program’s tradition of excellence. This will be a new-look Episcopal team in 2024, with stars such as Karson Gordon (UCLA) and Breylan Thompson (Yale) having graduated over the off-season. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean audiences should expect the Knights to digress from contention. All-SPC honoree Brandon Thomas (Sr. RB/ATH) will be an explosive weapon on offense, as he is another athlete to have colleges –Houston Christian, Penn State, UNLV, and Texas State among them– calling on him. Meanwhile, senior Tyler Bloomgren takes over at the quarterback position, with Logan Bartee and Garon Sampson (Sr. WR) stepping into a larger roles. The defense may need some fine-tuning, but Carson Fowler (Sr. DB) and Devonte Taylor should continue to lead an imposing EHS secondary, while Tyler Cesarski and Madden Morgan are also standouts. In Moynahan’s first year at the helm, the Knights could very well claim championship trophy No. 9, come November.
No. 3 -- Second Baptist Eagles
SBS heads back to the gridiron on the heels of reaching the TAPPS-DII State Semis, which marked an impressive introduction for first-year coach Beck Brydon. As he looks to direct the Eagles for his second season, Brydon will look to the starters he’s bringing back to keep trending upward. Speaking of, junior RB Langston Davis is coming off a monster year, in which he rushed for north of 1,200 yards, including 19 scores to earn second-team, all-state honors. He will likely be the driving force behind the offensive attack, while junior QB Canon Toon (first-team, all-district) continues to hone his skills under the direction of new OC Tim Smith. Toon combines the size, speed and accuracy of a DI QB and will be a difference-maker this season. UH-commit Reginald Lee (Sr. OL) will also look to build off his honorable-mention performance from a year ago on an improved offensive line. Meanwhile, Bryce Butler (Sr. LB) will command the defense following his exemplary showing in 2023, for which he received a first-team, all-state nod and was named the private school Defensive Player of the Year in last season’s VYPE fan poll. Additionally, junior DL Kelvin Baptiste (second-team), senior LB Cash Harris (honorable mention) and senior DB Max Bagwell (honorable mention) round out what could easily be the toughest defense in their district. Ethan Dishman, son of legendary Houston Oiler Chris Dishman and TSU head coach, will anchor the secondary and see some action at WR. DB Adam Vessel is also a stud in the back end.
No. 4 -- Cypress Christian Warriors
This past season saw the Warriors come within throwing distance of retaking the TAPPS-DIII crown, having advanced all the way to the State Semis, where they were unfortunately defeated 32-22 by Holy Cross (San Antonio). Suffice it to say, coach Drew Sells and company will be itching for the chance to remedy last year’s result this time around. However, the Warriors will be moving up to DII to compete with FBCA and Second Baptist School. Cypress Christian brings back the remarkable athleticism of first-team, all-state honoree John Kelly (Sr. RB), who recently committed to Kansas in April. He will undoubtedly be the focal point of the offense, alongside state honorable-mention Warren Haudek (Sr. ATH), with senior center Tucker Goodall anchoring the Warriors’ offensive line. On defense, expect first-teamer Maximus Supplee (Sr. DL) and Ryan Fisk (Sr. DL) to be a dynamic force in the trenches, while Dominic Locandro (Sr. DB/WR) should play a factor on both sides of the ball. Could this be the year that CCS reclaims their championship status, to make it their fifth overall?
No. 5 -- Kinkaid Falcons
Coach Nathan Larned enters year No. 12 at the helm of the Kinkaid program, following yet another impressive outing in 2023 which saw them reach the SPC Final for the sixth consecutive season (excluding COVID year). While the Falcons were ultimately denied the chance of a three-peat at the hands of rival Episcopal, this team is unlikely to skip a beat this Fall. Larned’s offense should be in capable hands, with David Capobianco (Sr. QB) returning after throwing for nearly 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns. Star receiver Jordan Manuel is also back to improve upon his impressive stat-line (735 yards, 9 TDs) from a year ago. One of the more exciting developments for the Kinkaid offense, however, is the transfer of sophomore RB Wayne Shanks Jr., who moves in from Cypress Woods. He was most recently named the District 16-6A Newcomer of the Year and already holds several D1 offers, including Houston, Texas Tech, and SMU. The defense might need some touching up, following the departure of All-SPC selections Nico Gomez (Washington University), Read Liuzzi and Will McMackin, but any concerns should be addressed once the Falcons take to the field in late August.
No. 6 -- Fort Bend Christian Academy Eagles
After being crowned the TAPPS-DII champs in 2022, the Eagles followed that up by finishing second in district prior to reaching the Regional round of the postseason last Fall. In the four years since taking over the program, coach Jordan Black has turned FBCA into a bona fide title-contender with each passing season. With star edge-rusher Max Granville (first-team, all-state) reclassifying to the Class of 2024 in July, he’s now off to Penn State, which unequivocally means he will be sorely missed. But that doesn’t mean the Eagles will be lacking firepower. Jack Malone is back for his junior year behind-center, with TJ Smith (Sr. WR/DB), Colton Popovich (Sr. WR/DB), Cannon Kampwerth (Sr. ATH), Tyler Currie (Sr. ATH/DB), and Katy Tompkins-transfer Blake Hamilton (Jr. ATH) rounding out what should be a high-caliber offense in 2024. Furthermore, all-state honorable mention Nico Lara (Sr. LB), Darnell Smith (Sr. DB) and Noah Montealvo (Sr. DL) will bulk up an exceptional defense that limited opponents to just 17 points per game a year ago. Despite competing in one of the most competitive districts in TAPPS, FBCA remains one of the most formidable private school teams around.
No. 7 -- Concordia Lutheran Crusaders
Over the course of this past Fall, CLHS enjoyed one of the most successful campaigns the school has seen in recent memory. After going 7-3 during the regular season, the Crusaders would proceed to defeat Nolan Catholic 57-33, which would mark the first playoff victory the team has claimed since entering TAPPS-DI. There will be some gaps to fill on the offensive side of the ball – RB/DB Lou Lamar (Dartmouth) being chief among them – but they still have plenty to work around. Dual-threat QB Tanner Huckfelt makes his senior debut behind-center for ‘Sader Nation, as his stock continues to rise in the college recruiting game. Fellow senior Mason Dominy (WR/DB) will be one of Huckfelt’s primary targets, while Noah Calub (Sr. C) bolsters the O-Line. Defensively, second-team, all-state selection Luken Koehn (Sr.LB) headlines the group and will be complemented by the talents of senior DB Dayton Navy (honorable mention) and Quintin Dyer (Sr. LB). While they would ultimately fall to eventual State Champs Parish Episcopal in the Regional round, the precedent that coach Willie Amendola and company have established will undoubtedly drive the program moving forward.
No. 8 -- St. John's School Mavericks
In recent years, St. John’s has been one of the most consistently successful teams in the Southwest Preparatory Conference, which is unlikely to change anytime soon. The Mavs went 7-3 this past Fall and concluded their season just one game shy from the SPC-4A title game. Given that fact, coach Kevin Veltri will be more motivated than ever to get a chance at dethroning perennial favorites Episcopal and Kinkaid. They’ll have the luxury of bringing back their beast in the backfield, Cole Allen (Harvard-commit), who earned an All-SPC nod after registering over 2,200 all-purpose yards with 33 scores in 2023. He’ll expect to put up similar numbers behind an offensive line that’s anchored by fellow All-SPC honoree Wyatt Childers. Senior Owen Sherrill should also serve as a reliable complementary piece on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, Ethan Zuklic (Sr. LB) and Alexander Rustay (Sr. DL) will provide the veteran leadership, while incoming sophomore DE Malachi Booker steps into a larger role for St. John’s.
No. 9 -- Lutheran South Academy Pioneers
LSA took bronze within their district a year ago, prior to making an appearance in the TAPPS-DII postseason, in which they were narrowly defeated 45-42 by San Antonio Christian. Despite that, there is still cause for optimism, as former University of Houston assistant head coach Corby Meekins takes over the team’s coaching duties in 2024. John Leblanc enters his senior year as the Pioneers’ QB and possesses a dual-threat, skill-set that garnered him an all-district, honorable mention last season. Leblanc’s top target will undoubtedly be first-teamer Braeden Robinson (Jr. WR/DB), who will also play a pivotal role in the team’s defensive push. Other names to remember from Lutheran South include second-team selections Leslie Streeter (Sr. TE/DL) and Brycen Gilbert (Jr. DB), as well as senior WR/DB Christian Calvo.
No. 10 -- Houston Christian Mustangs
Last season saw a new precedent established for the Mustangs, as they went 8-3 and advanced all the way to the SPC-3A Championship Game, marking the first time in program history that they’ve accomplished such a feat. Coach AJ Eisenman returns to direct HCHS with the intention of building on the team’s most successful season to date. There will be some big shoes to fill at the QB position, following the graduation of Bret Kilchrist (Southwestern University), but there are still a handful of notable weapons remaining. All-SPC selection Anderson Jones (Sr. WR) is back after compiling over 1,000 yards through the air, which included 11 TDs. Furthermore, junior RB Kade Gulledge should prove to be a focal point in the rushing game, which will rely on the efforts of an offensive line headlined by Graeme Highberg (All-SPC). On defense, keep an eye out for Jack Horton (Sr. DL), Ben Stephens (Sr. DB), Mac Barrow (Sr. LB), who are each coming off solid performances from a year ago.