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Shadow Creek's Chris Stewart
THE PLAYMAKERS: On the offensive, powered by UTMB Health
Here are the UTMB Athletes of the Week, as the Fall season continues to heat up.
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Tate Chisolm -- Pearland Football
Some of the stars of 2024-25 Pearland Football
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
Following a narrow 19-12 defeat at the hands of Fulshear in the season opener, Pearland responded by claiming victories in each of their subsequent six matches -- in dominating fashion.
Now, the Oilers (6-1) are poised atop the District 22-6A standings, tied only with Shadow Creek (6-1).
The defense has been playing lights out (10.4 points allowed/game), which is what we've come to expect. However, the offense is just as critical -- contributing roughly 40 points per contest.
While the connection between Jake Westmoreland (Jr. QB) and Jordan Hernandez (Jr. WR) can give any opposing defensive coordinator a headache, the catalyst behind the team's barrage comes from their ground game -- led by Tate Chisolm.
The senior running back was a first-team, all-district selection a year ago, and now we know why.
In the absence of the, now, graduated LaDamion McDowell, Chisolm has accumulated 785 all-purpose yards and 10 scores entering the eighth week of the regular season.
As mentioned earlier, the Oilers are currently tied with Shadow Creek for the top spot in the district. The true test for them will be when the two face off next Friday on the Sharks' home turf.
Mycah Whittemore -- Deer Park Volleyball
Alex Hinson (VYPE)
It hasn't always been easy-sledding for the Deer in 2024.
However, given the quality of opponents they've competed with throughout the first half of the year -- namely Stratford, Seven Lakes, The Woodlands, Friendswood, College Park, etc. -- you can't fault them too much.
Despite that, coach Cortni Cox's squad now maintains a 19-18 record, which includes a 7-3 start in district to put them 3rd overall.
Offense certainly hasn't been an issue, with senior OH Mycah Whittemore headlining the relatively young group.
As it stands, Whittemore has tallied well over 400 kills, averaging 4 per set.
Paired with the talents of Erin Goodson (Jr. DS), Abi Woodson (Jr. S), and Alixandra Klein (So. OH), a trip to the playoffs should be well within the reach of Deer Park.
Chris Stewart -- Shadow Creek Football
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Similar to their district counterpart Pearland, Shadow Creek dropped the first game of the season -- although it was against 2023 State Finalist Summer Creek -- before taking home the W in their next six contests.
This roster is clearly loaded with skill on both sides of the ball.
However, the brightest star for the Sharks this campaign has unquestionably been that of Chris Stewart (Jr. WR).
Stewart was named a unanimous first-teamer in 2023, before committing to Texas in July.
Throughout this season, though, he's already brought in 34 receptions for nearly 600 yards (85 ypg) and 10 touchdowns. If that wasn't enough, Stewart is also a force in the return game, adding on 332 extra yards, which includes two more scores off punts.
After resting up this week during their bye, Stewart and company will look to potentially seal a District 22-6A title when facing Pearland next Friday.
Taylor Ranney -- Dawson Volleyball
Some of the stars of 2024-25 Dawson Volleyball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
It wasn't a huge secret that Dawson was going to be among the top clubs in H-Town, entering this Fall.
While they've had their fair share of close battles, the Eagles are rapidly picking up speed at the perfect time, having won each of their last 10 games to bring their record to 28-10.
In the second round of district-play, they are coming off instrumental wins against Shadow Creek (3-2) and Pearland (3-0), which has ascended them into the top-10 of our weekly city-wide rankings.
We've talked about Kennedy Jones (Sr. MH). We've talked about Jenna Thedford (Jr. L). But one name that has flown quietly under the radar is none other than Taylor Ranney.
Dawson's junior setter recently surpassed the 1,000-assist mark on the year, which is a remarkable achievement, in and of itself.
Furthermore, Ranney has contributed 245 digs and 83 kills, making her a key weapon in each phase of the game.
One thing has been made abundantly clear: these Eagles are going to be a feared opponent entering the the postseason.
Julian Salazar -- Clear Springs Football
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
The Chargers have proven to be one of the most consistent teams in Houston as we approach the final stages of the 2024 season.
Under the direction of coach Anthony Renfro, Clear Springs improved to 5-1 with their most recent 50-21 thrashing of Brazoswood.
It was mentioned, not too long ago, that the connection between senior signal-caller Julian Salazar and Arizona-commit Muizz Tounkara (Sr. WR) would pay dividends for the offense, and that notion still stands today.
Salazar received District 24-6A Offensive MVP honors last Fall, and appears to be in the running for a full-on District MVP nod come November.
Before he moves on to Lamar next year, however, there is still a task at hand, with critical matchups against Clear Falls (10/18), Dickinson (10/25) and Deer Park (11/1) on the horizon, and a likely playoff appearance to follow.
Clear Springs' Muizz Tounkara
THE PLAYMAKERS: Rising to the challenge, powered by UTMB Health
Here are the UTMB Athletes of the Week, as the Fall season continues to heat up.
...
Alison Figueroa -- Clear Creek Volleyball
Alex Hinson (VYPE)
Although Clear Creek faced some tough sledding to begin their district schedule -- falling to both Dickinson and Deer Park -- they're now back on the right track with their recent 3-1 win over Clear Falls.
It's natural for a program to experience some ups and downs when under new leadership. However, the Wildcats (18-13) are a model of consistency, and that's still unlikely to change with coach Scott Simonds at the helm.
After all, there's way too much talent on this roster to indicate that the playoffs won't be in their future.
We've touched on the threat that senior Olivia Jones poses from the outside hitter position, and rightfully so, as she still leads the team with roughly 300 kills this Fall.
But, fellow senior Alison Figueroa is proving to be equally integral towards Clear Creek's overall success.
As the team's libero, Figueroa has already tallied 270 digs and counting, in addition to 452 receptions and 100 assists.
The combination of those two, along with Camdyn Cole (Jr. S), Laila Paulino (Sr. OH), and Sofia Dhanji (Jr. S), should be more than enough to propel the Wildcats to their 24th-straight postseason appearance.
Jerimiah Treadaway -- Dawson Football
Doug Brown (VYPE)
After falling to a formidable Bridgeland team in the season opener, the Eagles subsequently captured three hard-fought wins against FB Elkins (44-34), Dobie (51-36), and Pasadena Memorial (48-45), bringing their record to 3-1 (2-0 in district).
While their are numerous players who have provided significant contributions -- So. RB/DB Corey Brown among them -- in the team's recent surge, the focal point of coach Mike Allison's offense has unquestionably been Jerimiah Treadaway.
Entering Week 5, the senior has rushed for 546 yards and eight touchdowns which has been an exemplary way to follow in the footsteps of last year's District MVP Bryce Burgess.
Additionally, Treadaway plays on the defensive side of the ball in the linebacker spot, for which he received first-team, all-district honors a year ago.
Dawson will have some difficult competition in their upcoming schedule, with Shadow Creek and Pearland up next. But, if this start is any indication, Treadaway and company should be in prime position to make a playoff-return.
Muizz Tounkara -- Clear Springs Football
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Clear Springs (3-1) responded to their Week 1 defeat at the hands of Ridge Point by claiming three consecutive victories -- the most recent of which was a 43-13 trouncing of district opponent Clear Brook.
Their defense has been a vital asset, limiting the opposition to just 16 points on average since the opener, and that number is likely to drop even lower with some favorable competition (Clear Lake & Brazoswood) on the horizon.
But, the offensive side of the ball is likely where the Chargers will really flourish, beginning with the team's passing game.
The connection between seniors Julian Salazar (QB) and Muizz Tounkara (WR) should be one that propels the group to the next level, and will consequently make them a handful for defenses to stop.
Tounkara -- a recent Arizona-commit -- has a 6-foot-4 frame with exceptional explosiveness to match it.
While the three-star wideout was named a district second-teamer in 2023, the way he's been performing, as of late, could potentially lead to a first-team selection, if not District 24-6A Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Aniston Collins -- Lutheran South Academy Volleyball
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
It's no secret that LSA is one of the state's premier private school programs, and that hasn't changed throughout the first half of the 2024 season.
The Pioneers are currently the No. 1 team in our updated rankings, boasting a record of 20-5, which shouldn't be news to anyone familiar with the TAPPS scene.
While most eyes are on Texas A&M-commit Kirra Musgrove, it's the complementary pieces that make this team so formidable.
Speaking of which, senior Aniston Collins has played a pivotal role in all facets of the game. Despite primarily being a setter, she has currently registered 360 assists, 117 digs, and over 100 kills.
She's able to work in any part of the six-rotation, making her an invaluable jack of all trades for Lutheran South.
The first step in returning to the TAPPS-5A State Championship will be their upcoming district schedule, so they won't set their sights too far just yet.
But if they keep clicking on all cylinders like this, it wouldn't come as a shock if they meet up with Prestonwood Christian again.
Kyden Barker -- Galveston Ball Football
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
Throughout the first half of the Fall, the Tornadoes are playing like a championship-caliber roster.
Ball (4-0) has been toppling opponents left and right -- most notably with their dominant (54-26) season opener against 6A's Manvel.
Naturally, five-star DB/ATH and Texas-commit Jonah Williams will get the majority of the praise, and rightfully so.
Although, he isn't the only one playing clean, efficient football.
Galveston's junior signal-caller Kyden Barker has thrown for 12 TDs to just one interception through four weeks, is averaging just under 200 throwing yards per game, with an impressive QB rating of 124.7.
After locking in a 2023 first-team, all-district selection, Barker is on the path for a repeat, in addition to picking up more collegiate offers to match the ones he has from Texas State, UNT, Colorado State, and UNLV.
The real test for the Tors will be when they soon face Port Arthur Memorial (10/4) and Barbers Hill (10/25), but as it stands, we like their chances of another district title and more.