GAMES
RANKINGS
The Houston Christian Mustangs celebrate their first SPC championship
LAST ONE STANDING: Houston Christian claims its first-ever SPC Football State Title
At this time last year, the Houston Christian football program had already set a new precedent by making their debut at the SPC-3A state championship, where they narrowly fell 30-27 to Trinity Valley in a double-overtime heart-breaker.
Fast forward to this past weekend and the Mustangs were back in the Final, playing against none other than Trinity Valley.
In what ended up being a battle of the defenses, head coach AJ Eisenman and company would dish out some poetic justice by defeating the Trojans 21-12 on Saturday.
"For one thing in our league, they (Trinity Valley) matched up with us size-wise," said Eisenman. "The strength of our team has been our line on both sides of the ball, which definitely came into play. They had some big guys, and a great running back (Ben Ngishu). But we buckled down, and our defense played really well -- limited them to just two scores in the game.
....
CHECK OUT, LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to out “ON MY WHISTLE” (football) and “SIX ROTATION” (volleyball) Podcasts on our Youtube Channel.
....
"It was really just about us doing what we do. You get to that point as a coach where you don't want to over-do it. You just want to trust in what these guys have been working on all year long, put them in the best position to make plays, and that's how it played out."
Offensively, the Mustangs were without one of their star athletes, Greg Guidry (Sr. RB/DB), who suffered a shoulder injury in the week prior.
However, Eisenman gave plenty of credit to a number of individuals who stepped up when it mattered most -- Mac Barrow (Sr. LB/RB), newcomer Noah Chang (Sr. CB), and the team's two quarterbacks, Ron Reis (Sr.) and RJ Evans (So.) among them.
Their re-tooling of the offense, particularly with new packages, placed a higher emphasis on the passing game -- allowing senior receivers Bennett Mallory, Kirby Orth, and Anderson Jones to play bigger roles -- which proved to be a determining factor in the match-up.
More so than a "revenge game", though, this critical victory marked Houston Christian's first state title since the school was founded in 1998.
Naturally, the weight of the moment was not lost on Eisenman.
"It's always fun when you can come back and redeem yourself," he said. "The same thing we've been talking about last season -- it's been a long time coming. It was a win on the back of culture that's been built up for so long. Our mantra, again, was 'Stand Strong', and at the end of the day, we were the one left standing.
"This achievement was extremely validating for me, my staff, the young men on the field, and everyone involved. A lot of the times you're told to compartmentalize your faith, but we did the exact opposite. We leaned into it. When you come at it from that angle, it's twice as rewarding."
The Southwest Preparatory Conference is sure to dole out plenty of All-SPC selections towards Houston Christian in the near future.
But for now, the Mustangs can finally revel in the prize they've been seeking for the past two decades.
The 2022-23 SPC Softball State Finalist -- Houston Christian Mustangs
BURN THE SHIPS: Houston Christian Softball galvanized to claim first-ever SPC Title
There’s no doubt that last year’s Houston Christian team was the best that audiences have witnessed on the softball diamond in recent memory.
The Mustangs finished the 2023 season with a final record of 18-12, highlighted by an appearance in the SPC State Championship, in which they ultimately fell to fellow powerhouse Episcopal.
That narrow defeat is still fresh in the minds of coach Cassidy Bowen and her team, which feeds into the mentality they possess this Spring.
“We expected our team to make a run for it and play in that game (SPC Championship) last year,” she said. “This year, we’re expecting to go and win that game. We’re back and we didn’t graduate anybody off that team. We’re not going to compete anymore, we’re going to win.”
All-SPC selections Jadyn Granere (Sr. C), MC Been (Jr. CF/1B), and Emily Thompson (Sr. 3B) return to the lineup, and will be complemented efficiently by the talents of Maddie Pickett (Jr. SS), Riley Warnica (Sr. OF/P), and junior 2B Lily Herveat, just to name a few.
“The difference between this year and others is the fact that we just don’t have a weak spot in the lineup,” said Bowen. “Everybody, top to bottom, puts a bat on the ball and can hit with power.”
Their lack of any discernible weaknesses should put the Mustangs in prime position to fulfill their team’s ultimate motivation.
“Our motto for this year’s team is ‘Burn the Ships’,” Bowen said. “We want to leave it all on the field. The senior class this year has been the group that has built what Houston Christian Softball is today, and we’re trying to give them a send-off in a big way.”
With a 6-2 start to the season – highlighted by exceptional initial performances by the aforementioned Granere, Been, and Warnica – it would appear that HCHS is certainly starting off on the right foot.
April’s SPC Championship is already within throwing distance for Coach Bowen and company.