GAMES
RANKINGS
2023-24 Houston Christian Football
ON THE CUSP: Houston Christian is inches from making history
Just how have they accomplished this feat?
“It’s been a six year growth of culture for the program,” said head coach AJ Eisenman. “We’ve got an amazing group of seniors who have led the way for this group, so it’s been about them maturing through the process. We talk a lot about playing for souls and not just the goal, so we’re about significantly more than just football. From that standpoint, we’ve been winning for a while and it’s finally translating onto the field.”
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Eisenman took the reins of the program a year ago, following his tenure as the team’s defensive coordinator dating back to 2018.
"Coach Eisenman and his staff have worked hard to build community," said Houston Christian AD Terry Pirtle. "This has proven big dividends this season, and the results are showing!"
“I have had the fortune of being here from the ground up, so it was a very easy transition for our kids when I stepped in,” Eisenman said. “Like I said, we’ve been winning here for a long time, in the culture way. So, carrying over that continuity with the right mix of kids has allowed us to start seeing more success.”
That “right mix” would include senior QB Bret Kilchrist, who’s been connecting with fellow contributors Jack Henning (Sr. WR), Anderson Jones (Jr. WR), and Kade Gulledge (So. RB) on the offensive side, while senior DB Jordan Elie-Stuart (Air Force-commit), Dylan Hill (Sr. DB), and team captain Adam Sheppard (Sr. LB) have anchored the stingy Mustangs defense.
Bret Kilchrist
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Houston Christian has yet to win a state title, however they are finally on the cusp.
“It would be great for the school,” Eisenman said. “That would shine a light on what we’ve been doing here, and more importantly the way we’ve been doing it. When you put first things first, and build these young men up to be strong men of God, it shows in the result.”
“That’s what is the most reassuring thing – when you can look parents in the eyes and let them know that we’re going to care more about your kid’s character than what happens on the football field. If we can do that, it’ll produce a winner.”
The rapid development of Houston Christian’s football program is palpable, given that not too long ago there were only 18 players on the roster, whereas now there are 80 and counting.
“That’s what has been the most amazing thing,” said Eisenman. “The world tells you to keep your faith kind of private, but the more we’ve leaned into our faith, the more we’ve actually grown and the better we’ve gotten.”
On November 4th, the Mustangs will have their shot at making history for their school. Stay tuned for the finale.
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.
