Join our VYPE Live crew for this Texas High School Football match-up on Friday, October 16:
Lockhart vs. Bryan Rudder
7PM - Scott Smith
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Join our VYPE Live crew for this Texas High School Football match-up on Friday, October 16:
Lockhart vs. Bryan Rudder
7PM - Scott Smith
Amari Nickerson is the Big Man on Campus at Cypress Ranch, recruiting circles.
The Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Kevin Vickerson starred at Michigan State and played eight years in the NFL. Now, his son, Amari Vickerson, is becoming the Big Man on Campus at Cypress Ranch High School and a highly sought-after recruit on a national scale.
“My dad has been training me since I was six years old,” Amari said. “When we aren’t talking football, we go fishing, play College Football 25, or watch sports like boxing or MMA.
“When it’s time to work, though, it’s time to work.”
Vickerson has offers from nearly every Power 4 program, and he’s just getting started. Watching football with his father, he admires the playing styles of Jalen Carter (Eagles), Von Miller (Bills), Myles Garrett (Browns), and J.J. Watt (former Texan).
“Yeah, I know the sacks and tackles for loss will be there because of my size, leverage, and hands,” the 6-foot-5, 290-pound defensive tackle said. “But I’m really working on my feet and my get-off right now. I’m focused on becoming dominant by combining technique with my size.”
What does he do to unwind?
“I love to work out, of course, but I also love to meditate,” Amari said. “It just calms my mind before a game or when things get stressful.”
This weekend, he’ll be headed to Texas A&M as he kicks off the "Amari Vickerson Road Tour".
“I’m looking for brotherhood, great facilities, and a coaching staff that can develop me,” he said. “A degree is important to me because I want to get into real estate or run my own business in the future. I want to learn how to talk business and understand what I’m talking about.”
His best football is still ahead of him, along with a bright future.
DUKE HEISE HAS BEEN PART OF ONE OF THE MOST DOMINANT DYNASTIES IN TEXAS PRIVATE SCHOOL SPORTS—TWCA GOLF
The Warriors have won four consecutive TAPPS state titles, and if not for the pandemic, it could have been five straight. With so much talent having graduated, all eyes are now on Heise.
“This is a program built on expectations,” he said. “No matter who’s on the team, the standard remains the same. We hang banners here.
“Golf is different from other sports—we compete as individuals, but at the end of the day, we’re here to win a championship as a team.”
Heise has had a club in his hands for as long as he can remember.
“My dad played college golf, and he got me into the game,” he said. “Golf has been a huge part of our family bond, and I fell in love with the sport.”
With college golf on the horizon, Heise is nearing a big decision about where he’ll play next. But beyond the course, his long-term aspirations lie in a different field.
“I want to do something in tech,” he said. “AI (artificial intelligence) has grown so fast, and I could see myself pursuing a career in that. I’m really fascinated by what’s happening in that space.”
For Heise, golf has been about more than just competition. Under the guidance of Coach Tanner Field, the B3rdmovement has become a defining philosophy in his life.
“It’s all about priorities—God first, others second, and ourselves third,” he said. “I apply it in golf, but also in my personal life.”
As Heise reflects on his TWCA journey, it’s not just the wins or titles that stand out—it’s the moments in between.
“It’s the bus rides, road trips, and all the jokes,” he said with a smile. “When you’re part of a team of five, you get really close with your teammates. Those bonds will last forever.”
LOOKING BACK ON FOUR YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL, YOU CAN’ T HELP BUT ASK: “WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?”
For Willis senior Summer Clark, it flew by in the blink of an eye.
It feels like just yesterday she was a freshman earning honorable mention as an attacking midfielder on the soccer field.
Twenty-two goals later, she finished her career as a back-to-back first-team selection in one of the toughest districts around.
“My dad got me into soccer at a very young age,” she said. “It was our father-daughter bonding thing. It’s been a huge part of my life—playing club and high school.”
Clark had an offer to play soccer at Indiana University, but made a life-changing decision.
“I was always planning to play college soccer,” she said. “But in the end, the sport became draining, and I burned out. The hardest part was telling my dad I didn’t want to play in college. He was heartbroken... it was a tough conversation, but I had something else I wanted to pursue.”
That “something else” was volleyball. Bitten by the bug in high school, Clark rapidly improved and wrapped up her career with 1,000 assists and a second-team, all-district selection as a senior.
“Coach (Kayla) Jenkins came in and made volleyball fun,” Clark said. “I improved so much, and it was refreshing. I know I’m playing catch-up trying to get recruited, but that’s my focus right now.”
Between club soccer, high school soccer, club volleyball, high school volleyball, dual-credit classes, and being ranked in the top 11 percent of her graduating class... where does she find the time?
“I like to be busy,” she laughed. “That’s probably an understatement.”
Clark plans to pursue a degree in Exercise Science, with hopes of becoming a coach or athletic trainer.
“I think I have a good sports IQ,” she said. “My coaches have always told me I should get into coaching.”
The only question left?
Which sport will it be.
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