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THE PLAYMAKERS: South Houston’s Best Powered by UTMB Health

Theo

The South Houston area is full of talented athletes who give their all in their respective fields of play.

Welcome to VYPE Playmakers powered by UTMB Health, where we highlight five stars from the past week who made headlines.

Here are some of the athletes, teams and coaches of the year, who have delivered exemplary performances throughout the 2023-24 season.

Coach David Rogers – Pearland Baseball

Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)

The Oilers picked up where they left off a year ago, as they dominated Class 6A throughout the spring, which continued into the playoffs.

Pearland now prepares to make back-to-back appearances in the UIL state tournament, marking the program’s seventh overall finish, with a rematch of last year’s state final against Flower Mound on the schedule.

After being named GHBCA 6A Coach of the Year in 2023, fifth-year head coach David Rogers has continued to cultivate a championship culture within the Oilers organization, which is also a testament to the dedication of his staff and its players.

Rogers and company have their sights set on winning the team’s first state title since 1980, and it all starts this Friday (4 p.m.) at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

Hitchcock Boys Basketball

Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)

Under the leadership of coach Christopher Jordan-Foster, the Bulldogs won their second consecutive UIL-3A state championship last winter, with their 53-49 victory over Ponder at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Hitchcock featured a host of stars, especially TABC All-State selections Damien McDaniel (UIL-3A State MVP), Lloyd Jones III (District 24-3A MVP) and Elijah Sherwood (District 24-3A Offensive MVP ), who propelled the team. to a historic end in March.

Although McDaniel has since graduated, it will be up to Jones III, Sherwood, along with all-district selections Kamari McNeal, Maleek Clark and Kelshaun Johnson, to keep this outstanding program high in 2025.

Iowa Colony Girls’ Athletics

Photo acquired via Twitter (@ICPioneersTF)

2024 was a banner year for the Iowa Colony athletics program.

After standout performances at the UIL State Meet in May – primarily from Ashtyn Lewis, Bailee Wilturner, Arius Williams, Aysha Mitchell and Adriana Murry – coach Rachel Easley would see her team win the state’s first-ever state championship. school, since its creation in 2022.

The Pioneers accumulated 58 total points for first place, also featuring sophomore Lewis’ gold medal in the 400m Dash (54.31s), in addition to the relay team, who placed first in the 4×400 m.

Likewise, coach Aundra Long’s men’s team would also walk away with the UIL-4A title to complete an extraordinary precedent set by the fledgling Iowa Colony organization.

Tony Laurito – Friendswood Swimming

Photo courtesy of Friendswood coach Craig Sikkema

Coach Craig Sikkema’s team has become a staple in Texas high school swimming, and last season exemplified that.

Friendswood finished second overall in the UIL state meet, with a combined total of 183 points at the conclusion of the February meet at the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin.

This was due, in large part, to the efforts of senior Tony Laurito, who won gold in the 200-yard IM (1:48.13) and 100-yard backstroke (49.04s), individually, while also playing a key role in the team’s best finishes in the 200-yard medley (1:31.54) and 400-yard freestyle (3:07.46) relays.

Laurito will now advance to the collegiate level, where he will continue his swimming career at the University of Tennessee.

Mackenzie Collins – Shadow Creek Track & Field/Volleyball

Matthieu Ogle (VYPE)

Dual-sport superstar Mackenzie Collins is making a name for herself among the throng of prolific athletes that make up Houston area high school sports.

The new Shadow Creek senior made her mark at the UIL track and field meet last month, where she won the Class 6A title in the 300 hurdles event (41.59 sec.), all also contributing to two crucial performances for the Sharks relay team. , who won silver in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.

Ultimately, at Austin’s Mike A. Myers Stadium, Shadow Creek would end up being named the UIL-6A state runner-up.

Not only that, but Collins should be considered one of the city’s top volleyball players heading into next fall, after transferring from Episcopal in the 2023-24 school year, during from which she earned All-SPC honors before her move. Shadow Creek.

Stars Texas A&M-commit (Volleyball) and Houston Skyline can seemingly do it all. The sky is the limit for Collins as she enters the final year of her successful high school career.

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