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RANKINGS
THE RECAP: Kingwood Softball punches ticket to UIL-6A State Tournament; Photo Gallery
They did so by overpowering the No. 1 ranked team in the nation -- Katy Tigers -- by completing a series sweep in the Region III-6A Final.
The Mustangs, led by first-year head coach Christa Williams-Yates, were buoyed by the shining performances of Mia Gagliardi (Jr. C), Leilani Garcia (Jr. 2B), Hunter Quentel (Fr. P), and Addy Sheppard (Jr. SS), just to name a few.
KHS now have their sights set on the coveted state title, and the next opponent standing in their path is Midway, who they'll face this Friday at 7:00 pm, with a bevy of fans in tow,
For now, here were some of the sights from Kingwood's 7-6 series clincher over Katy.
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
Additionally, we interviewed the stars of the game, as well as Coach Williams-Yates, detailing their remarkable achievement.
Check out the interview below!
Katy's Ella Kate "EK" Smith
THE CLOSING STAGES: UIL Softball Regional Finals Preview
Here is a breakdown of what's to come this week.
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Katy Tigers vs. Kingwood Mustangs
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Katy proved why they're one of the top teams in the nation, much less the state, when they swept a fellow powerhouse in Brazoswood (Game 1: 3-1, Game 2: 2-1), this past weekend.
The Tigers (39-1-1) now have their sights set on returning to Red & Charline McCombs Field for the first time since 2019, when they would ultimately take home the state championship trophy.
Coach Kalum Haack's laundry list of performers consists of Arkansas-signee Cameryn Harrison, Ella Kate "EK" Smith, Lauryn Soeken (LSU), Ashtyn Reichardt (Arkansas), Montgomery Henderson (Oklahoma State), Avery Porter (Mizzou), and Hailey Gore (Houston), among others.
Similarly, Kingwood is coming off a statement sweep against Heights (Game 1: 10-2, Game 2: 14-0), which brings their record to 35-7 on the year.
Coach Christa Williams-Yates and the Mustangs have college-level talent of their own, including Addy Sheppard (Arizona), Mia Gagliardi, Hunter Quentel, Sara Haug (Texas State), Ava Jolley (UMHB), Leilani Garcia, Abella Mata, and Kendall Yates.
While they've already achieved their goal of advancing the Region III Final, a point in which they reached in 2016. But, KHS isn't inclined to let their journey end now.
GAME 1: Thursday (7:00 pm) @ Kingwood HS
GAME 2: Friday (7:00 pm) @ Katy HS
GAME 3 (If needed): Saturday (7:00 pm) @ Kingwood HS
Justin Hartojo (VYPE)
Lake Creek Lions vs. Lake Belton Broncos
Matthew Ogle (VYPE)
What a year it has been for Lake Creek softball.
In her first year as head coach, Candyce Carter has helped to guide the Lions (34-7) to their fourth-consecutive Region III-5A Final appearance, which is a testament to the level of talent the program brings in on a yearly basis.
They accomplished this feat by triumphing in last week's pivotal series against Foster (Game 1: 8-6, Game 2: 3-5, Game 3: 9-1).
Lake Creek is nothing if not resilient, evidenced by their extra-innings comeback in Game 1, followed by their dominant performance in the series clincher, in which, Tarleton State-signee Alyson Higginbotham bruised the ball over the fence for a grand slam, to put an exclamation mark on the victory.
The Woodlands-transfer Chesney Davis (Texas State), Sara Wiggins, Madalyn Davis, Carmen Uribe (Central Arkansas), Piper White, and Bella Battaglia (Louisiana Christian) have also flourished in the big moments, which makes them a scary-good club for any team to contend with in the postseason.
On the other side of the diamond, Lake Belton (38-4) is coming off a Regional Semis nail-biter against Barbers Hill, in which they claimed a 4-2 win.
The Broncos are led by coach Kelsie McEachern, and feature an imposing roster that includes Casey Schultz (Tarleton State-signee), Angie DeLeon (Temple JC), Shelby Schultz (Tarleton State), Maddison Ruiz, Alexis Ortiz, and Madison Naser.
The opportunity to enter the UIL State Tournament is on the line, so this is one series you won't want to miss.
GAME 1: Wednesday (6:30 pm) @ Mumford HS
GAME 2: Friday (6:30 pm) @ Mumford HS
GAME 3 (If needed): Saturday (12:00 pm) @ Mumford HS
