After a very abbreviated 2020 schedule, the 2021 season is just underway with pretty much every team in the area getting started over the weekend - some already with a handful of games under their belts.
The mostly lost season a year ago has baseball coaches, players and fans/parents antsy to make sure the entire year plays out, culminating with crowning state champions across all classifications and organizations.
With that said, we're going to try a new spin on the previews. We'll introduce power rankings in a couple weeks after a good amount of games have been played.
What we'll do instead is highlight a team we think has a high chance to win state, a team that could be dark horse in that class as well as a preseason player to watch in each class.
<h4>Team to Beat: Prosper</h4><p>Simply put, Prosper is the best team in the state by Diamond Pro/THSB. Prosper went 11-2 in the abbreviated 2020 season and returns 10 starters from that team that looked to be headed toward a deep playoff run.</p><p>Junior catcher Easton Carmichael, Jr. and senior shortstop Chase Pendley are the headliners for a team laced with talent up and down the lineup.</p><h4>6A Dark Horse: Dallas Jesuit</h4><p>Like Prosper, Jesuit is a team that has double-digit returning starters (10) for a team that was off to a very solid start in 2020. Before things shut down, Jesuit was off to an 8-4 start.</p><p>Jesuit is led by senior infielder Jordan Lawlar, a Vanderbilt commit.</p><h4>Preseason Player to Watch: Tyler Collins, McKinney Boyd</h4><p>Collins is an Oklahoma State-bound outfield from McKinney Boyd. Last year, Collins started the year with a .486 average with 2 doubles, 2 triples, a home run and 18 runs scored. </p><p>Collins has made an impact for McKinney Boyd since his freshman year and has continually gotten better each season.<br></p>
IT’S RARE FOR A CITY TO HAVE ONE OR TWO NATIONAL GIRLS’ BASKETBALL RECRUITS IN A CLASS.
Well, the Class of 2027 in the city of Houston is special.
The popularity of girls’ basketball has completely skyrocketed. Names like Caitlyn, Angel, A’ja, Breanna, Kelsey and Sabina are mainstream, household brands, who are changing the game as it relates to marketing and how the game is played.
Jemini Mitchell exploded onto the Houston high school scene with a breakout season alongside South Carolina-commit Ayla McDowell. The dynamic duo has the potential to be cutting down the nets inside the Alamodome this March. The 6-foot-3 star can do it all.
Cy Springs' Jemini MitchellBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“I think she’s the most versatile recruit for the Class of 2027 in the country,” Cy Springs coach Taneisha Rogers said. “Her versatility is what sets her apart. She can guard anyone on the court.”
Relatively new to the game is Hightower’s Ogechi Okeke, who is the centerpiece for the Hurricanes’ present and future.
“She hasn’t been playing very long but she is a sponge,” Hightower coach Jasmine Brewer said. “She was starting on varsity as a 14-year- old. Her ability to be coachable and pick up concepts is really impressive. She’s a great teammate and student as well.”
Kinkaid coach Stacey Marshall has the luxury of having three sophomore game- changers on one team... Ma’Ryiah Alfred, Lauren Hull and her daughter Sydney Marshall.
The stars of 2024-25 Kinkaid Girls BasketballBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“This is a one of the best all-around classes I’ve ever seen here, and Houston has been a hotspot for recruiting for decades,” she said. “Sydney has an advanced understanding of the game and can really shoot the ball, while Lauren hasn’t even tapped her ceiling. She is an elite defender and can really finish around the rim. Ma’Ryiah is one of those ‘Three and D’ players who is so creative. She will also make the extra pass and has a high motor. Those three are high-level recruits.”
Down south is Pearland, home to A’Zyua Blair and Shiloh Grays, who also had big freshman seasons. They are getting a lot of recruiting attention already.
Pearland's A'Zyua BlairBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“A’Zyua really pushes the pace and will be a great college floor general,” Pearland coach Jere’ Adams said. “She gets her teammates involved and know when her teammates need her to take over. Shiloh is not her sister, RyLee. They are two different players. Shiloh can play inside and out and is a great rebounder. We call her a ‘walking double-double’.”
With a stellar sophomore class in H-Town, the future looks healthy for the Space City. It will be exciting to see how they develop and where they end up at the college level.
The stars of 2024-25 Concordia Lutheran Girls Basketball
Justin Hartojo (VYPE)
5 — CONCORDIA LUTHERAN CRUSADERS
Under the direction of head coach and CLHS AD Matt Neidigk, the Crusaders enjoyed their best season in years last winter, as they went 27-9 and reached the TAPPS-6A Regional round.
Fortunately for Concordia Lutheran, they have the luxury of bringing back nearly the entirety of their 2024 stars.
Senior forward Kenley Benson will continue to be the catalyst for the group, following yet another dynamic showcase that garnered her first-team, all-state honors.
Second-team, all-district selection and all-state honorable mention Leah Jurischk (Jr. G) also returns to provide additional veteran leadership, alongside fellow upperclassmen Kaitlin Rich (all-district honorable mention) and Megan Ingraham (Jr. F).
The Crusaders are in pursuit of their first State Final-Four appearance since 2016 and they just might have the fire-power to do so.
Cy Springs' Jemini MitchellBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
The stars of 2024-25 Kinkaid Girls BasketballBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Pearland's A'Zyua BlairBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
