Cypress Christian dominates McKinney for 1st state title
Warriors Win!
Thomas Bingham
12 December 2017
Originally appeared on Vype.com.
Cypress Christian (13-1) entered Friday’s TAPPS 11-Man Division III state title game as one of the state’s hottest teams, and wrapped up its first championship season with a 68-34 win against McKinney Christian (9-4) at Hewitt’s Panther Stadium.
“It’s really a blessing,” said VYPE Player of the Game Josh Holl. “This program’s really given back to me, and help me grow as a man.”
The Warriors, who ended the season with 13 straight wins, had another big first half. Holl kicked off his six-touchdown outing with early passes to Joseph Carbone and JT Mounce.
Their success continued with Christian Fleischhauer, who was a force on both sides of the ball. His rushing touchdowns extended the Warriors’ lead to a margin McKinney could not overcome, and he also slowed down the Mustangs in the secondary.
The defense also wanted a piece of the pie. It forced five turnovers in the game, including two key stops in the 44-21 first half. The first was a fumble at the end of Will Baxter’s 14-yard run, which set up Fleischhauer’s second score. The other was a 25-yard pick six by Drue Hirth.
The complete team effort wasn’t a surprise for coach Jacob Spenn. He’s seen it from his players all year.
“We keep battling,” he said. “It wasn’t just the title game. That’s every day.”
McKinney’s only first half answers came in the opening and closing minutes. Baxter used his legs to even the score at 7, and later found Ford Dossey and Ren Willis on touchdown connections.
The Mustangs had all the momentum, especially with the second half kickoff going to them, but the Warriors didn’t let them get any closer. Holl bookended the half with a pair of touchdowns to Reid Chapman, and used another lengthy connection to set up Ian Jones’ second field goal.
Even though Baxter found Dossey for their second and third scoring connections, Holl wrapped up the win with his fifth and sixth touchdown passes. He found a new target in Braden Barbisch, who scored from 17 yards out in the closing minutes of the third quarter. He also connected with Mounce again at the eight-minute mark in the fourth.
If you enjoyed the recap, follow Thomas (@Texan8thGen) and VYPE (@VYPEPrivates) on Twitter.
How Astros surging ace raises key questions about Houston's short, long-term rotation moves
Jul 25, 2024, 5:39 pm
It's no secret to Astros fans that the ascension of Hunter Brown is one of the primary reasons the team was able to rebound from a disastrous start to the season.
Astros manager Joe Espada has seen enough from Brown to start throwing around the word “ace” when talking about him.
Joe Espada on Hunter Brown: "He's having that ace feeling to him. We are expecting him to go out there and deliver what he just did. We knew all along that is in him and now he's starting to turn the corner. He's starting to have that swag where he knows 'my team needs a win.'"
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 24, 2024
And it appears the biggest key to Brown's turnaround was mixing in a two-seam fastball to keep right-handed hitters honest. Brown needed a pitch that could command the inside of the plate, which allows his other pitches to be more effective.
We learned just recently, from Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that Alex Bregman was the one that suggested the addition of the two-seam fastball to Brown's arsenal.
Come to find out, Bregman often shares advice on how to attack hitters. Or he'll ask pitchers why they chose a certain pitch in a specific situation.
This just goes to show that veteran leadership can make a big difference. Especially on a team with so many young pitchers and catchers. Bregman was able to help Brown when no pitching coach could.
For Brown, this small tweak could be the catalyst that changes the course of his career. And the Astros season for that matter.
However, some will say the difference in Brown is more about confidence than anything else. But confidence only builds after repeated success. Nobody knows where Brown would be without the two-seam fastball.
Looking ahead
If the Astros do make the playoffs, where will Espada slot Brown in the playoff rotation? Framber Valdez has the playoff experience, so he'll probably be penciled in as the number one starter.
Justin Verlander (neck) still isn't facing live batters, so it's hard to count on him. Ronel Blanco has been an All-Star level pitcher this season, but he doesn't have any experience pitching playoff games for the Astros.
So it wouldn't be surprising at all if Brown is the team's number two starter. In all likelihood, whoever is pitching the best at the end of the season may get the nod. But it's fun to discuss in the meantime.
Finally, how does Hunter Brown's arrival impact the Astros' plans at the trade deadline? And how could that affect Justin Verlander's future with the club?
Be sure to check out the video above for the full conversation!
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
