GAMES
RANKINGS
The All-VYPE Defensive Teams presented by Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
What a big year it was for Houston-area public school football as North Shore and Paetow won their respective UIL Classifications.
Katy reached the State Semis along with Tomball and Crosby. A team is make of stars and here are the All-VYPE Defensive Teams of the Year presented by Houston Methodist Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.
DEFENSIVE MVP (WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED AS PART OF THE VYPE AWARDS presented by Houston Methodist Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.)
FINALISTS
Kris Ross, North Shore
Gerrod Henderson, Spring
Ty Kana, Katy
DEFENSIVE LINE
First-Team
Gerrod Henderson, Spring
AJ Holmes, Westfield
Kris Ross, North Shore
Malick Sylla, Katy
…
Second-Team
Eti-ini Bassey, Tompkins
Jacoby Brass, North Shore
McCoy Casey, Crosby
Taurean Crawford, Elkins
…
Honorable Mention
Jarra Anderson, Cy Park
Isaiah Bogerty, Stafford
Tyler Cooper, Crosby
JP Deeter, Manvel
Nathan Earle, Bridgeland
Jamall Lindsey, Morton Ranch
Jayden Madkins, Shadow Creek
Chibby Nwajuaku, Cy Ranch
David Oke, Hastings
Jeffrey Patton, Jersey Village
John Podowski, The Woodlands
Ashton Porter, Cypress Ranch
Matthew Reyes, Friendswood
Luke Roaten, Tomball
Ronald Wilson, North Shore
…
LINEBACKERS
First-Team
Kent Battle, North Shore
Martrell Harris, The Woodlands
Ty Kana, Katy
…
Second-Team
Justin Medlock, Manvel
Bra’lon Jones, Spring
Leslie Williams, Montgomery
…
Honorable Mention
Bruce Bauer, Memorial
Gavin Guthrie, Alvin
Keegan Handal, Tomball
Cooper King, Stratford
Trelan Nelson, Cypress Ranch
Dylan Rogers, Cy Woods
Bryce Shaink, Tompkins
Braylan Shelby, Friendswood
Hunter Warren, Cy-Fair
Joseph White, Cy Ranch
Josh Wright, Clear Falls
…
DEFENSIVE BACKS
First-Team
Denver Harris, North Shore
Julian Humphrey, Clear Lake
Dejuan Lewis, Shadow Creek
…
Second-Team
Caleb Flagg, North Shore
Dylan Dixson, Pearland
Jake Schaper, Deer Park
…
Honorable Mention
Jayven Anderson, North Shore
Jacoby Davis, North Shore
Raymond Davis, Cy Park
Maurice Evans, Jersey Village
Graham Gillespie, Bridgeland
Dantonion Hackworth, Bush
Lamond Henry, Cy-Fair
Nick Hudson, Shadow Creek
Kobe Jones, Lamar
Kameren Kirkwood, Crosby
Hamilton Martin, Katy
Fordham Parks, Cinco Ranch
Marcus Scott, Conroe
Joshua Wiggins, Klein Oak
...
Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is Houston's leading provider of orthopedic services, from sports medicine to joint replacement. Houston Methodist offers comprehensive diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative services with a high standard of excellence for elite athletes, active adults and student athletes. Houston Methodist serves as the official health care provider for the Houston Texans, Houston Astros, Rice Athletics, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™, Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera.
Texas A&M the hot spot for elite Houston area talent
Texas A&M football entered Early Signing Day on Wednesday with its 2022 recruiting class ranked third nationally, according to 247sports.com. It’s possible when it’s all said and done that the Aggies could have the top class in the country.
Texas A&M is a hot ticket these days among Greater Houston area recruits like Bridgeland five-star quarterback Conner Weigman, Fort Bend Marshall four-star receiver Chris Marshall, and Atascocita four-star offensive lineman Kam Dewberry, among others. Head coach Jimbo Fisher has serious momentum. He is a national championship coach, having won at Florida State in 2013, and has signature wins over Alabama and LSU during his tenure in College Station. His passion for Texas A&M and his approach toward players are difficult to ignore.
VYPE : @KamDewberry talks with VYPE after committing to the Aggies. \n#txhsfb #EarlySigningDay \n(@KPRC2RandyMc @DavidNuno @kbtxsports @TexAgs @BarstoolTexasAM @ConnerWeigman @AlexMill20 @AggiesToday @KBTXDonnie @MaxPreps @247Sports @Perroni247 @HumbleISD @HumbleISD_AHS)pic.twitter.com/FZVh7Iyjem— VYPE Houston (@VYPE Houston) 1639604389
But no matter how much success A&M has garnered in recruiting—and Fisher has three consecutive classes ranked in the top 10 nationally entering 2022—it hasn’t translated to meaningful postseason success. Under Fisher, the Aggies have been to the Gator Bowl twice, the Orange Bowl once, and the Texas Bowl once. A&M has not won a national title since 1939 and has won 10 or more games in a season just twice since 1999.
Even this season, the Aggies are ranked No. 25 in the country, 8-4 heading into the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
So, what is it, exactly, that makes the Aggies so attractive to recruits?
“The environment, for one,” Katy four-star defensive back Bobby Taylor said. “The 12th Man. Of course, the winning aspect of it. Coming from a winning program, of course I wanted to go to a program that was winning. I didn’t want to go somewhere to feed off the winning by itself, but somewhere I can be a part of something to build to it.”
Added Clear Springs four-star receiver Noah Thomas: “It’s the facilities, the bond with the coaches. A whole bunch of stuff. I know a lot of dudes going here and it’s going to be a lot of fun. They’re trying to bring in the Texas boys and represent. It’s going to be a big recruiting class. Just wait on it.”
VYPE #EarlySigningDay : @ClearSpringsFB WR @Thomas3Noah talks with VYPE about signing with the Aggies on Wednesday. #txhsfb #GigEm #NSD22 \n\n(@KPRC2RandyMc @DavidNuno @kbtxsports @TexAgs @BarstoolTexasAM @ConnerWeigman @AlexMill20 @AggiesToday @KBTXDonnie @ClearSpringsHS)pic.twitter.com/xJh3yTRNXT— VYPE Houston (@VYPE Houston) 1639598500
Texas A&M certainly has its perks. It is close to Houston, a little more than an hour and a half drive. And for the lack of significant postseason success, the Aggies do win. Since Fisher got to College Station in December 2017, Texas A&M has gone 9-4, 8-5, 9-1 and 8-4. Twice, the Aggies have finished second in a hellacious SEC West.
“It felt like a second home,” Katy four-star defensive end Malick Sylla said. “It was an environment I wanted to be in. I knew I could go in, work and hopefully win a national championship.”
Fisher knows how to appeal to players individually and their own goals, which worked with Taylor and Dickinson four-star tight end Donovan Green.
“I get to play early,” Taylor said. “That was the biggest thing for me. I could come in here my senior year, get things done here. One thing I benefited from was doing summer school last year so I could enroll early, play spring ball, develop my body. Stuff like that.”
“You can always say whatever you want, but actions are going to go farther than your words,” Green said. “He’s (Fisher) shown me how much they use tight ends and how they can produce them at a high enough level to go to the next level. You can’t beat that. Being that they are so close, and, again, they are at another level getting the ball to the tight ends, there’s just not a better place for me.”
The Aggies’ being oh-so-close to turning the corner and becoming a consistent force to be reckoned with is also endearing. Recruits like that A&M wins. But, as Taylor said, they want to be a part of the team that puts the program over the top and in the same sentence with the Alabamas and LSUs of the world.
“A couple of days before I committed, it was just me and (teammate) Donovan (Green) just talking,” Dickinson four-star offensive tackle PJ Williams said. “I had A&M in my top three and I told him I just wanted to commit. I wanted to build a dynasty there. So, after that day, we just talked and both agreed if it was A&M we both agreed on, we wanted to go there together. That was our chance and that was our ride.”
There is a distinct vibe at Texas A&M with recruits. It’s the spot. It’s the place to be. The Aggies’ Class of 2022, which includes nine Houston area talents, is proving it.
“It was the best family atmosphere I got out of everybody else,” said Dewberry, who chose the Aggies over Texas and Oklahoma on Wednesday afternoon on ESPN. “I felt home.”
(VYPE Media managing editor Joshua Koch contributed to this report).