CLICK THE LINK BELOW OR "KEEP READING" TO WATCH THIS MATCHUP ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 25:
Chris Lane has been appointed as the new Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator at Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg, Texas. He brings over 21 years of coaching experience, having developed players and built successful programs at both the high school and collegiate levels.
Before joining Lamar Consolidated, Lane served as the Offensive Coordinator at Alief Hastings High School. His coaching career also includes roles at Channelview, Bellaire, Fort Bend Travis and Sweeney High School. Lane's appointment comes as Lamar Consolidated High School seeks to revitalize its football program, aiming to return to playoff contention after recent seasons without postseason appearances.
VYPE's Matt Malatesta talked with the new coach as he takes on his new endeavor.
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When the UIL shrank District 26-6A from nine to seven teams in its latest round of redistricting, they moved out Buda Johnson and Anderson, both of whom are in this year’s playoffs from their new districts. Like a Red Giant star shrunk to a Brown Dwarf, the slimmed down district still maintained much of its power. That power was simply concentrated around perennial playoff contenders Westlake and Lake Travis, usually joined by Dripping Springs and Bowie.
In other words, not much changed.
Case in point is this year’s 26-6A baseball race – with a twist. For the first time in a while, someone not named “Westlake” or “Lake Travis” began the season with the biggest target on its back. Preseason favorite Dripping Springs will end the regular season trying to overtake Westlake and grab the district title when they clash in one of this week’s VYPE Series Spotlights.
Dripping Springs punched above its weight in 2024, apparently not realizing that a team loaded with juniors shouldn’t post a 26-11 record and reach the second round of the 6A playoffs. With virtually the entire starting lineup back, including a pitching staff anchored by Taylor Tracey (26-6A MVP, 1st Team All-State) and Cooper Rummel (26-6A Pitcher of the Year), along with seniors Connor Helms, Tristan Ciechanowicz, Traigh Perry, Dominic Hurley, Jack Tyndall, and Gavin Hoel, expectations were understandably soaring heading into this year’s campaign. Coach Chris Payne’s Tigers (18-8, 8-2) held their own at the prestigious Five Tool Tournament to start the season. Like Westlake, they split with Lake Travis in district play where their one unforced error was a loss to Austin High last month. That loss means they must sweep the Chaps to claim at least a piece of the district title.
Speaking of Westlake, it’s not as if the Chaps were awful last season. In fact, a lot of teams would love to go 19-11, as Coach J.T. Blair’s 2024 squad did. Unfortunately, seven of those losses were in district play, which was enough to keep Westlake out of last year’s playoffs. Like their rivals from the Hill Country, Westlake returned a healthy core of seasoned ballplayers, including All-District standouts Jack Casteel and Holland Page and seniors Luke Nogalski, Evan Lung and Hudson Byrd. An unheralded pitching staff has helped power Westlake to a 21-4-1 overall record, 9-1 in district play.
Both Westlake and Dripping Springs are locked into Division 2 for the playoffs, making this series important for seeding purposes – but both want that district title. Should Lake Travis sweep Austin High this week, Dripping Springs must sweep Westlake to keep pace and claim a share of the title; the Chaps can accomplish the same thing with a split – or win the title outright with a sweep.
Game 1 will be tomorrow (4/22) from Tigers Field at Dripping Springs High School before the series moves to the Westlake High School Baseball Diamond on Friday (4/25). VYPE Live will broadcast both games, courtesy of the Dripping Springs Baseball Booster Club and sponsors.
What: Dripping Springs vs. Westlake
When: Tuesday 4/22 and Friday 4/25 (7:15 Pregame, 7:30 First Pitch)
Where: Dripping Springs HS & Westlake HS
Who: Melvin Jones
Watch:https://www.vype.com/ AND http://vypelive.com/web/broadcast/index
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THE POWER RANKINGS: Johnson, Liberty Hill, Cedar Ridge finish on Austin area Softball podium
21 Apr, 2025
Considering that teams moved up and down the softball Power Rankings this season like an express elevator at a downtown high rise, there was remarkably little movement in this final poll of the season.
Buda Johnson took over the top spot mid-season and remained #1 the rest of the way, followed by Liberty Hill, Cedar Ridge, Dripping Springs and Bowie. Georgetown flipped spots with Stony Point after the Lady Tigers dropped one of their games against unranked Vista Ridge. The only other movement comes down in the bottom third of the Rankings with East View sliding above Round Rock for 12th after the Lady Dragons suffered a loss against 3rd-ranked Cedar Ridge.
And that was it. All the other teams in this final poll of 2025 remain in place.
Here is the final Power Rankings of the year. We’ve had a blast making educated guesses about how the best softball teams in the Austin area compare with each other this year. Thanks for reading, discussing and arguing about it amongst yourselves.
Now these teams get to decide it all on the field. Best of luck to all in the playoffs!
VYPE's Austin Softball Rankings
1. (1) Buda Johnson Lady Jaguars (6A) 21-4-1 (Def. Steele)
2. (2) Liberty Hill (5A) 21-4-1 (Def. Cedar Park)
3. (3) Cedar Ridge Lady Raiders (6A) 18-3 (Def. #12 Round Rock)
4. (4) Dripping Springs (6A) 23-7-1 (L @ #7 Georgetown; Def. Westlake)
5. (5) Bowie (6A) 16-7 (Def. Austin High)
6. (7) Georgetown Lady Eagles (5A) 20-9-1 (Def. #4 Dripping Springs; Def. Pflugerville)
7. (6) Stony Point Lady Tigers (6A) 19-6-1 (L @ Vista Ridge; Def. Westwood)
8. (8) Del Valle (6A) 16-5-1 (Def. Westlake; Def. Akins)
9. (9) Lake Travis Lady Cavaliers (6A) 18-9-1 (Def. Akins; Def. Austin High)
10. (10) Leander Lady Lions (5A) 20-9 (Def. Glenn; Def. Hays)
11. (11) Bastrop Lady Bears (5A) 17-7-1 (Def. McCallum)
12. (13) East View Lady Patriots (5A) 17-7 (Def. Elgin; Def. Hendrickson)
13. (12) Round Rock Lady Dragons (6A) 13-9 (Def. Manor; L vs. #3 Cedar Ridge)
14. (14) Rouse Lady Raiders (5A) 17-9-2 (Def. Lockhart)
15. (15) Weiss Lady Wolves (5A) 18-10 (Def. Pflugerville; Def. Pflugerville Connally)
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