GAMES
RANKINGS
2022-23 Episcopal High School Soccer
TITLE TOWN: Episcopal soccer dons SPC Crown... again
“It was especially rewarding [to win the ‘23 SPC Title] considering how last season ended for us,” said coach Travis Smith. “We felt that we were the best team in the conference in 2022, and we lost our opening game in the tournament. This time around everyone was incredibly excited, especially our seniors who’ve given so much to the program.”
Considering the team’s consistency in regards to getting results by optimizing the talent on the pitch, it’s easy to see why Episcopal has gradually become the gold standard in Houston high school soccer.
“Our consistency stems from how we have players who deeply care about EHS soccer,” Smith said. “Many of them are high-level club players, but they’re very committed to our program and sacrifice a lot to be a part of it because they truly value the experience.”
The standouts for EHS this season start with senior captains -- Connor Kuenstle (LeHigh-commit) and Yael Gonzalez. The offense runs through them with a knack for possession play and skilled touches. Furthermore, scoring was led by fellow skipper -- forward Yousuf Saeed (Sr.-Wesleyan) and Kadin Castillo. Lastly, the backline was anchored by senior Careem Flores, with the duo Ian Aitboughima and Aleck Camacho in goal, who all made a significant impact on defense, heavily contributing to the Knights’ 62-7 goal differential this Winter.
Throughout his nearly two-decade tenure as the coach of Episcopal soccer, Smith has witnessed the progression of several prolific playmakers, who’ve ushered the team to the SPC Championship in recent years. The level of talent he’s been given the opportunity to direct is not lost on him.
“I never take it for granted,” he said. “I know where we were as a team, 17 years ago, so it’s never assumed that we will be fighting for Championships every year. We’ve just been blessed with incredible players over the past nine years. Twelve seniors will be graduating at the end of this semester. That said, we have a number of talented freshmen and sophomores that would normally have played a larger role in our team this year, if we weren’t so senior-laden.”
Episcopal can now revel in title glory. Expect them to make a push to run it back a year from now.
2022-23 Houston Christian Girls Basketball
BACK-TO-BACK: Houston Christian captures another SPC Title
Following an undefeated 2021-22 season (33-0), the Lady Mustangs didn’t quite reach that level of perfection this Winter season. But, that didn’t stop them from dominating the competition throughout their repeat year.
After going 26-4 in the regular season, and subsequent four-game advancement throughout the postseason, Houston Christian faced division rival Episcopal in the SPC Championship. With seniors -- D’Asia Thomas and Loghan Johnson -- leading the charge, the ‘Stangs held their composure to retain the SPC crown winning 71-59.
Houston Christian's D'Asia ThomasBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Thomas, in particular, was instrumental in their victory scoring 28 points with 18 rebounds.
“I honestly don’t feel a certain type of way [in regards to their second-straight title] because we’ve done it before, and it wasn’t a surprise that we could do it again,” said Thomas. “It was just a matter of how much we wanted it as a team and how hard we played together. After the win, we all just took in the moment and we wanted to witness the boys win as well. As soon as we heard they won, we went crazy. It’s just exciting to see that both our teams fought to win SPC.”
Despite missing the majority of Saturday’s game due to an illness, senior SG/SF Loghan Johnson played a major role on the Mustangs' roster this season surpassing 2,000 career points in the process. However, she credits her team’s success to something much less tangible.
Houston Christian's Logan JohnsonBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“Energy was something that was never really lacking in big moments for us,” she said. “Our energy was definitely contagious throughout our team, which turned into hustle and determination that was able to help us get through a lot of games. If there was a way to measure it, I’d say we always had the most.”
Both seniors have certainly enjoyed the time spent at Houston Christian. Obviously, championships will do that. Although, the experience they’ve gained isn’t lost on them.
“I’m glad I got the opportunity to come here," Thomas said. "Some lessons I’ve learned at Houston Christian will help me to always keep fighting and have a winning mindset as I move on.”
Thomas will be advancing to Georiga Tech, and Johnson to Texas Tech at the conclusion of this semester. Despite the fact that they won’t be a part of next year’s program, the two are confident that Mustangs' girls basketball will remain a contender for years to come.
The stars of HCHS Girls B-Ball with Head Coach Ryan Bickham, post-victoryPhoto taken by HCHS' Madison Williams' mother: @Donster16
Madison Williams (Sr. PG/SG)
