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Shadow Creek's Chris Stewart
THE PLAYMAKERS: On the offensive, powered by UTMB Health
Here are the UTMB Athletes of the Week, as the Fall season continues to heat up.
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Tate Chisolm -- Pearland Football
Some of the stars of 2024-25 Pearland Football
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
Following a narrow 19-12 defeat at the hands of Fulshear in the season opener, Pearland responded by claiming victories in each of their subsequent six matches -- in dominating fashion.
Now, the Oilers (6-1) are poised atop the District 22-6A standings, tied only with Shadow Creek (6-1).
The defense has been playing lights out (10.4 points allowed/game), which is what we've come to expect. However, the offense is just as critical -- contributing roughly 40 points per contest.
While the connection between Jake Westmoreland (Jr. QB) and Jordan Hernandez (Jr. WR) can give any opposing defensive coordinator a headache, the catalyst behind the team's barrage comes from their ground game -- led by Tate Chisolm.
The senior running back was a first-team, all-district selection a year ago, and now we know why.
In the absence of the, now, graduated LaDamion McDowell, Chisolm has accumulated 785 all-purpose yards and 10 scores entering the eighth week of the regular season.
As mentioned earlier, the Oilers are currently tied with Shadow Creek for the top spot in the district. The true test for them will be when the two face off next Friday on the Sharks' home turf.
Mycah Whittemore -- Deer Park Volleyball
Alex Hinson (VYPE)
It hasn't always been easy-sledding for the Deer in 2024.
However, given the quality of opponents they've competed with throughout the first half of the year -- namely Stratford, Seven Lakes, The Woodlands, Friendswood, College Park, etc. -- you can't fault them too much.
Despite that, coach Cortni Cox's squad now maintains a 19-18 record, which includes a 7-3 start in district to put them 3rd overall.
Offense certainly hasn't been an issue, with senior OH Mycah Whittemore headlining the relatively young group.
As it stands, Whittemore has tallied well over 400 kills, averaging 4 per set.
Paired with the talents of Erin Goodson (Jr. DS), Abi Woodson (Jr. S), and Alixandra Klein (So. OH), a trip to the playoffs should be well within the reach of Deer Park.
Chris Stewart -- Shadow Creek Football
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Similar to their district counterpart Pearland, Shadow Creek dropped the first game of the season -- although it was against 2023 State Finalist Summer Creek -- before taking home the W in their next six contests.
This roster is clearly loaded with skill on both sides of the ball.
However, the brightest star for the Sharks this campaign has unquestionably been that of Chris Stewart (Jr. WR).
Stewart was named a unanimous first-teamer in 2023, before committing to Texas in July.
Throughout this season, though, he's already brought in 34 receptions for nearly 600 yards (85 ypg) and 10 touchdowns. If that wasn't enough, Stewart is also a force in the return game, adding on 332 extra yards, which includes two more scores off punts.
After resting up this week during their bye, Stewart and company will look to potentially seal a District 22-6A title when facing Pearland next Friday.
Taylor Ranney -- Dawson Volleyball
Some of the stars of 2024-25 Dawson Volleyball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
It wasn't a huge secret that Dawson was going to be among the top clubs in H-Town, entering this Fall.
While they've had their fair share of close battles, the Eagles are rapidly picking up speed at the perfect time, having won each of their last 10 games to bring their record to 28-10.
In the second round of district-play, they are coming off instrumental wins against Shadow Creek (3-2) and Pearland (3-0), which has ascended them into the top-10 of our weekly city-wide rankings.
We've talked about Kennedy Jones (Sr. MH). We've talked about Jenna Thedford (Jr. L). But one name that has flown quietly under the radar is none other than Taylor Ranney.
Dawson's junior setter recently surpassed the 1,000-assist mark on the year, which is a remarkable achievement, in and of itself.
Furthermore, Ranney has contributed 245 digs and 83 kills, making her a key weapon in each phase of the game.
One thing has been made abundantly clear: these Eagles are going to be a feared opponent entering the the postseason.
Julian Salazar -- Clear Springs Football
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
The Chargers have proven to be one of the most consistent teams in Houston as we approach the final stages of the 2024 season.
Under the direction of coach Anthony Renfro, Clear Springs improved to 5-1 with their most recent 50-21 thrashing of Brazoswood.
It was mentioned, not too long ago, that the connection between senior signal-caller Julian Salazar and Arizona-commit Muizz Tounkara (Sr. WR) would pay dividends for the offense, and that notion still stands today.
Salazar received District 24-6A Offensive MVP honors last Fall, and appears to be in the running for a full-on District MVP nod come November.
Before he moves on to Lamar next year, however, there is still a task at hand, with critical matchups against Clear Falls (10/18), Dickinson (10/25) and Deer Park (11/1) on the horizon, and a likely playoff appearance to follow.
Pearland's Cora Wolford
THE PLAYMAKERS: Silencing the doubters, powered by UTMB Health
Here are the UTMB Athletes of the Week, as the Fall season continues to heat up.
...
Caylee Young -- Clear Springs Volleyball
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
The Chargers were among the many teams to begin the year underestimated, considering the fact that several of their notable athletes had since graduated.
Well, that is no longer the case.
Throughout the first round of district-play, Clear Springs (21-14; 6-0 in District 24-6A) has yet to be defeated by their counterparts, with a crucial game against Clear Creek taking place Friday night.
When it comes to offensive weaponry for coach Shannon McClellan, the most integral of which has unquestionably been Caylee Young.
Despite only being a sophomore, Young has already racked up 363 kills on the year, and is prime position to surpass the 400-mark in the coming weeks.
Futhermore, she helps out on the defensive side, with over 250 digs to her name.
If their start is any indication, CSHS is easily on the fast-track back to the playoffs.
Jake Champagne -- Clear Falls Football
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
After suffering a narrow 36-34 defeat in their district opener against Deer Park, Clear Falls responded by throttling Brazoswood (56-3) to bring their record to 3-2.
Offensive production hasn't been an issue for the Knights, as they're averaging 39 points a game, and that all begins with the capability of the team's signal-caller.
It hasn't always been easy sledding for senior Jake Champagne, but it can't be said that he efficient.
Through five games, he's thrown for 1,122 yards (224.4 average) and 10 touchdowns through the air, with Cameron Kern (Jr. WR) and Dylan Proctor (Sr. WR) remaining his top targets.
If Champagne can keep trending at this pace, then the Clear Falls production shouldn't have any problems, as they now prepare for Clear Creek.
Cora Wolford -- Pearland Volleyball
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
Fresh off two instrumental victories in September, against Fulshear (3-2) and Shadow Creek (3-2), Pearland skyrocketed in our weekly rankings to become the No. 2 team in H-Town -- behind only Stratford (29-2).
Now, under the direction of coach Jamie Gill, the Oilers (31-4; 9-0 in district) begin the second half of their district schedule with more momentum than ever.
We've already touched on the phenomenal play of Avery Koonsen, who recently surpassed the 1000-kill career milestone, and the threat she poses from the outside hitter role.
However, it's partially thanks to the coordinated efforts of senior setter Cora Wolford that Koonsen has been put in that exemplary position.
Wolford has been lining up her teammates all season long, evidenced by the fact that she's already tallied well over 500 assists to this point.
If Pearland keeps clicking on all cylinders like this, they'll have the potential to give any contender a run for their money moving forward.
Jeremiah Scoby -- Dickinson Football
The Gators had a brutal schedule to begin the year.
However, after dropping two close ones against Katy (41-37) and C.E. King (28-14), Dickinson proceeded to kick off a three-game win-streak (Cy Fair: 34-31, Clear Creek: 56-13, Clear Brook: 63-0) to get back on the right side of .500.
Among the various weapons on coach John Snelson's offense -- including Malachi Gamble (Jr. RB), Ja'Marion Payne (So. WR), Jamal Mason (Jr. RB), and Mason Peterson (Sr. TE) -- the most difficult target for opposing defenses to contain has been senior TE/WR Jeremiah Scoby.
The Bowling Green State-commit has brought in 19 receptions for 343 yards and 4 TDs entering Week 6, which speaks to his versatility and explosiveness, standing at 6-foot-3.
With key district matchups against Clear Lake, Brazoswood, and Clear Springs taking place during the month of October, expect Scoby to keep wreaking havoc in plus-territory.
Lauryn Wiley -- Shadow Creek Volleyball
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Shadow Creek has made its way back into our 6A Top-10 due to the consistency they've showcased throughout this past month.
The Sharks dominate in their favorable matchups, and compete at a high level against their more talented opponents, which is why they now boast a 27-8 record, which includes an 8-1 start in District 22-6A.
In terms of production, this group is all set on offense, with Mackenzie Collins (457 kills), Aspen Brown (232 kills), and Tamarria Mitchell (227 kills) dealing out most of the punishment.
But the scary fact is that Shadow Creek is just as efficient on defense, with Lauryn Wiley (Jr. L) serving as on coach Whitney Daniel's rising stars.
As it stands, Wiley has registered 325 digs and over 100 assists, which gives the aforementioned offensive playmakers ample opportunity to rack up points.
Junior Bella Law (909 assists, 273 digs) has also been an invaluable piece to the puzzle.
The Sharks will now have their eye on a district championship over the next few weeks, as they compete with Pearland, Dawson, and Manvel.