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Shadow Creek's Michael Collins
THE PLAYMAKERS: Buzzer Beaters powered by UTMB Health
Here are the UTMB Athletes of the Week, as the Winter season continues to unfold in the new year.
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Kamryn McLaurin -- Clear Brook Girls Basketball
Justin Hartojo (VYPE)
What a difference a year makes.
After going through their fair share of ups and downs last winter, things have only been looking up for Clear Brook this time around.
As it stands, the Wolverines are 23-2 are among the most highly-regarded squads, not just in our updated Houston rankings, but in the entire state.
Offensive production has been in ample supply for head coach Mileka Loydrake's roster, and while the two-time District MVP Rezia Castillo (Sr. PG) and Chardel Terrell (Sr. G) are playing phenomenally, Kamryn McLaurin deserves just as much praise.
McLaurin earned first-team, all-district honors in 2024 and looks to be on the same trajectory, if not better, considering she's remained one of the team's leading scorers.
Clear Brook now has their sights set on securing the District 24-6A title in the coming weeks, but they'll have some stiff competition with Clear Creek and Dickinson vying for the same distinction.
A'Zyua Blair -- Pearland Girls Basketball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
As expected, Pearland is red-hot entering the second half of the season, with a 21-6 record to show for it.
The Oilers raised eyebrows recently, when they competed in the Sandra Meadows Classic just before New Year's.
After they toppled the reigning state champs Duncanville in a 68-63 overtime thriller, coach Jere' Adams and co. gave the No.1-ranked team in Texas, the Boswell Pioneers, a run for their money before narrowly falling 44-39.
They were then defeated by St. Francis (Georgia) -- once again by a close margin (53-51) -- to wind up placing 4th overall in the tournament, which is still an impressive accomplishment, given the quality of opponents they faced.
Pearland features several stars, but few have been more essential than sophomore point guard A'Zyua Blair.
On average, Blair puts up 19 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals per game, meaning she can impact any phase of the game.
With the combined efforts of Blair, senior Eliece Perry (13 ppg, 9 rpg), and sophomore Shiloh Grays (9 ppg, 8 rpg), the Oilers are going to be contending with rival Dawson this month (1/25 rematch) for District 22-6A supremacy.
Stay tuned.
Michael Collins -- Shadow Creek Basketball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
When it comes to Texas high school hoops, it simply doesn't get much better than Shadow Creek.
Boasting a record of 19-2, the Sharks are literally 7 points shy of perfection-- their only losses this season came at the hands of state powers, St. Michael's (49-46) and Lake Ridge (70-68).
Regardless of how those two matches ended, this team has proven that they're capable of contending with the state's best.
What makes Shadow Creek so threatening, aside from their irrefutable athleticism, is the fact that they play unselfish ball and each player finds ways to contribute.
However, it's hard to argue against Michael Collins being named the Team MVP down the line.
Collins put up a team-leading 23 points in their recent 82-41 trouncing of Pearland last Friday, which extended their district record to 6-0 on the year.
Of course, he's not alone, considering Bryce Jackson (21 pts), Julian Cuillier (12), Aiden Law (11), and Adin Lewis (10) each had impressive showings in the same win.
Basketball is a team game, but Collins is that dude.
Journey Lovett -- Dawson Girls Basketball
Justin Hartojo (VYPE)
With Coach Sharee Griffin at the helm, the Eagles (23-4) are coming off an exemplary performance at the Aggieland Invitational to end December, in which they claimed the 3rd Place trophy.
The No. 2-ranked team in our updated H-Town rankings has exceeded expectations the winter and look to continue proving the doubters wrong -- hence their recurring hashtag on Twitter "#NotSatisfied".
This was a truly difficult decision to make, because there a number of individuals who should (and likely will at some point) be on this list.
Mia Barre (Jr. G) is a three-point specialist (she scored 7 in one game at the tournament), while Jaycee Ingram (Sr. F) provides a unique brand of skill and quickness, in addition to veteran experience.
However, Journey Lovett deserves some recognition.
In addition to being named to the Aggieland Invitational All-Tournament team, the junior guard has been Dawson's "Player of the Game" on a number of occasions - most recently in their 77-22 win against Alvin last Friday.
Standing at 6 feet tall, Lovett combines size with finesse, which can make her a handful for any opponent.
Team-wise, Dawson will now gear up for the second round of district-play, and do so with a remarkable 8-0 record in 22-6A.
First up is Tuesday night's meeting with Manvel (20-6; 6-2), on the path towards a district championship and more.
Madden Hill -- Clear Springs Basketball
Clear Springs picked up right where they left off a year ago, when they went 28-10 and reached the Region III-6A Final, only to start this year with a pristine record of 21-3.
They enter the new year on the heels of winning the Conroe Christmas Classic with their 52-39 win over Crosby, prior to making a statement by dominating the reigning district champs Dickinson (79-42) last Friday.
However, one of the most notable headlines regarding the Chargers this winter has been the emergence of freshman point guard Madden "Mighty" Hill.
In his debut with CSHS, Hill has consistently lit up the scoreboard, while efficiently dishing the ball out to his teammates, and making key contributions on defense.
Despite facing a red-hot Dickinson squad, he went on to put up 18 points, 6 assists, and 8 rebounds to help the team clinch a crucial district win.
Alongside the towering Izuchukwu Emelife (Sr. PF/C) -- who was named the MVP of the Conroe tournament and continues to gain attention from college recruiters -- the pair will be a force worth reckoning as they battle their way towards a potential District 24-6A title and ensuing playoff run.
Dobie's Cameron Mathews
THE PLAYMAKERS: Phenoms on the Field powered by UTMB Health
Here are the UTMB Football Athletes of the 2024 Season, who represented South Houston to the highest degree this Fall.
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Jonah Williams -- Galveston Ball
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
It was a safe guess to assume that Galveston Ball super-star Jonah Williams would have another monster campaign to cap off his high school career.
Fans and critics alike could not deny the transparent impact he had on the field, whether that be on the defense -- where he played virtually every position at one time or another -- on offense as a tactical athlete, or in the special teams return game.
Stat-wise, the five-star Texas-commit contributed nearly 700 all-purpose yards, with a team-leading 15 total scores, two interceptions, and a blocked field goal in 2024.
Unfortunately for Williams and the Tornadoes, he suffered a broken collar bone when returning an interception during the second half of the team's Week 8 match-up against Barbers Hill -- a thrilling game in which the Eagles won 62-60 in quadruple overtime.
While this would sideline Ball's most vital asset for the remainder of the season, the Tors still produced a respectable run, as they reached the Area Round of the postseason.
When the time came to dish out the season accolades, Williams was rightfully recognized as the District 9-5A-D1 MVP, marking the second-straight time he received the award.
As Williams heals up and waits to become a Longhorn in the near future, let it be known that this young man gave everything to his team and hometown in his final year with the program.
Landon Kieselhorst -- Deer Park
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
The Deer had yet another productive campaign this Fall, under the direction of 24-6A Coach of the Year Austin Flynn.
Although they moved over to a new district (24-6A) in the UIL realignment, Deer Park wasted little time in establishing themselves as contenders -- evidenced by their 8-2 record to enter the postseason as the co-district champs.
Their offense -- which averaged just over 32 points per contest -- was humming for the vast majority of the Fall. This was thanks, in large part, to the leadership of senior signal-caller Landon Kieselhorst, who facilitated the entire process.
The 6-foot-6 QB passed for nearly 2,000 yards with 24 scores, while tacking on 840 more yards and 10 TDs on the ground, which earned him the distinction of being named the District 24-6A Co-MVP.
Kieselhorst had some help, of course.
He was able to function behind a sturdy offensive-line anchored by unanimous first-team, all-district selections Roberto Rodriguez and Rylen Votion. Furthermore, he had reliable targets such as WRs Tre Martinez (first-team) and Aandon Schroeder (second-team) to work with in the passing game.
While Deer Park was eliminated by perennial heavy-weight North Shore in the Bi-District round, the standard that this team embodies on a yearly basis is definitely worth acknowledging.
Malachi Gamble -- Dickinson
Some of the stars of 2024-25 Dickinson Football
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
From one District 24-6A Co-MVP to another, plenty of props should be given to tailback Malachi Gamble.
In his junior year with Dickinson, Gamble became the focal point of coach John Snelson's offense, as he went on to rush for over 1,500 yards (roughly 139 ypg) and found the end zone on 21 separate occasions.
This would form the catalyst that propelled the Gators to a 7-4 record and a trip to the playoffs, where they narrowly fell to Atascocita in hotly contested 50-45 battle.
Several big names on this offense -- such as Jeremiah Scoby (Bowling Green-signee), Mason Peterson (TCU), and Tyler Thomas (Texas A&M) -- will soon moving on to the collegiate level.
So, the torch is now passed on to Gamble to maintain the consistent level of success audiences have come to expect from Dickinson.
Cameron Mathews -- Dobie
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
Victories didn't always come easy for the Longhorns in 2024, but they can hang their hat on the fact that they always made games interesting.
While they experienced a slow start in the first half of the regular season, the resilience that Dobie showed in their final four games to secure a playoff berth is nothing short of remarkable.
A key component in the team's come-back relates to their emphasis on the run-game, which revolved around senior Cameron Mathews.
Mathews was, without a doubt, the heart and soul of Longhorns' offense, as he rushed for close to 1,900 yards and 19 touchdowns to secure his second consecutive Distrct 22-6A MVP nod.
While the Dobie stand-out has yet to commit to a college program as of right now, he'll have plenty to choose from -- namely UTSA, Houston Christian, Grambling State, and Utah -- when the time comes.
Chris Stewart -- Shadow Creek
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Shadow Creek's performance throughout the regular season could be described as "near-perfection".
After dropping the season opener against eventual State Semifinalist Summer Creek, the Sharks then proceeded to dominate in their subsequent nine contests to claim an undefeated District 22-6A championship.
However, head coach Tyrone Green and company dealt with their fair share of injuries and misfortune, which led to them enduring a 31-28 upset against Fort Bend Elkins in the first round of the postseason.
As difficult of a pill to swallow that must have been, it can still be argued that Shadow Creek featured one of the state's most complete rosters in 2024, when healthy.
That was certainly recognized in the district superlatives.
Among all the stars in the program, the one who stood out most was junior wideout Chris Stewart.
After tallying combining for 1,332 all-purpose yards and 18 total scores, Stewart (Texas-commit) was named the District 22-6A Offensive MVP for his efforts, both on offense and in the special teams department.
With Stewart returning next Fall, alongside players such as Tommy Baker (Defensive MVP), Tristan Willis (Offenisve Newcomer of the Year), DeMarco Jenkins (Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year), as well as all-district first-teamers Nathan Harris and Deneim Scott, Shadow Creek will still be in good hands.
They'll undoubtedly be eager to avenge their early exit from the playoffs a year from now.