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Bridge City's John Van Huis
BALLER BY TRADE: Van Huis carrying on the Bridge City brand
Enter John Van Huis.
The senior center fielder for the Cardinals is a Bridge City-lifer, crafting his game since day one to become one of the undisputed leaders of the program.
“I started at an early age, playing t-ball,” he said. “It was supposed to just be something fun and it turned into something that built my hard work-ethic. I actually wasn’t very good when I was younger, but my Dad and I worked through it and eventually it grew into where I’m at now. The game has taught me several lessons over the years, and it’s played a big part in shaping me.”
That work ethic will be taking Van Huis south next Fall, as he will continue his baseball career at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“It’s a Division-I school, so it’s big-boy baseball. I’ve always wanted to compete at the highest level possible,” said Van Huis. “It’s a beautiful campus right on the water on top of that, which is always a plus. It will be a good stepping-stone of where I want to be.”
Not shocking that City native wants to stay somewhere Gulf. Before he becomes an Islander, however, Van Huis has high expectations for both himself and his teammates on the diamond.
“This will be another year of Bridge City baseball,” he said. “We’re going to have a lot of young guys that people won’t necessarily be looking for right at the start. They’re going to step up. I hope to lead by example and go all-state for my final year in the program. Of course, a deep playoff run would be nice too. It’s going to be a really great year for us.”
2023-24 Bridge City BaseballBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
As one might expect, the Cardinals’ captain will thrive on more than just the love of the game when he takes to the field this Spring.
“Bridge City has a somewhat small community feel so everyone knows one another and rallies around each other,” Van Huis said. “Baseball is kind of the brand of Bridge City, so every Friday night it’s always packed. That kind of support is awesome to see as a player and it helps to fire us up.”
The Cards finished second in a tough district a year ago (9-3) before reaching the second round of the postseason. Could this be the year that Van Huis and company turn that up a notch?
Bridge City's Hallie Bearden
FAITH OVER FEAR: Bearden's strength knows no limits
Bearden happens to be one of the most elite power-lifters in the state for her weight class. Funny enough, she embarked on this journey out of the simple matter of sibling rivalry.
“It actually began with my brothers, which is still an ongoing argument over who’s stronger,” she laughed. “I remember in the sixth grade I so desperately wanted to be stronger, especially after seeing my twin lift weights. So, I joined the strength and conditioning camp, started dead-lifting, benching and squatting, and I fell in love with it."
"What’s kept me going has been the thrill of testing my limits. In power lifting, it’s not just about the next weight. Sometimes it’s breaking a mental block or maybe you get sick and lose all your progress. It’s about how you can overcome the situation and how you can give God the credit throughout all of it.”
She didn’t just stop at being strong, though. Bearden wanted to be the strongest.
Bridge City’s star would go on to win the Class 4A-II State Title last Spring in the 114-pound weight class, after lifting a combined weight of 820 pounds in the tournament’s three events.
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“It really did mean the world to me, especially knowing all that I had to overcome,” said Bearden. “It’s so intimidating to think that in my sophomore year – my first time going to State – I would go on to win it. I knew it was a possibility, but seeing it happen felt like a dream.“
"I knew that if anybody was going to believe in me, I had to first believe in myself. Next, I knew that God had equipped me for the situation. All the strength, opportunities, coaches and people that helped me achieve this dream, came from him.”
Overcoming one’s opponents is difficult enough as it is. However, Bearden has faced more challenges than many will ever have in their lifetime.
But it was her faith that will ultimately take her to new heights.
“This year definitely won’t be a breeze, especially after winning it last year,” she said.“Right after State, I actually got really sick with a rare disease and I lost everything. So much so, that I struggled to even squat the bar.“
"But I remember going to a church service – it was May 19th and I’ll never forget the day. This lady was giving a sermon and she said ‘you’re going to come back stronger than you were before’. I can say as I prepared for the first meet, that I was in fact stronger because of what God had done for me. After coming back from that, I’ve decided to move up weight classes, and hopefully I can accomplish a repeat this season.”
With everything she has been through and come back from, there is little doubt that Bearden is destined for greatness.