Finish Strong

Tompkins starts season hot, but has bigger goals in mind

Tompkins starts season hot, but has bigger goals in mind
Tompkins’ Barbara Olivieri, Skylar Parker, Leanne Veary, Kayla Ruopp and Lauryn Wild. Photo by Chris Brown

Originally appeared on Vype.com

The page has turned and a new chapter began for the Katy Tompkins Lady Falcons soccer team led by head coach Jarrett Shipman.

It was a difficult and motivated off-season for Tompkins after last year’s 0-2 defeat in the 2017 UIL 6A State Championship game against Hendrickson High School.

Now, it is a new year and a new season for Tompkins and they are looking to get back to the same place they were last season — playing in the UIL State Championship game.

Tompkins opened their new year in the Lady Highlander Tournament with a 0-0 tie against The Woodlands. The Falcons then took down Cedar Ridge 4-0 and finished the tournament with a 5-0 victory over Plano East. Sophomore Skylar Parker finished the game with a hat trick (3 goals).

“We are hungry and experienced now coming off last year’s defeat in the state championship. I am excited about this season and our goal is to just leave everything out there on the field,” Shipman said.

Tompkins will be an experienced team this season with several of their players returning from last year’s state finalist team including senior captain, Kayla Ruopp.

“After last year’s defeat in state, we became motivated to get back, but this time to win it all,” Ruopp said. “Everyone on the team is motivated and we are giving it our all, and especially with this being my last year playing competitive soccer, so I know I will.”

Tompkins kicks off the I-10 Shootout with a first round matchup in the “Falcon Bracket” against Clear Springs on Thursday, Jan. 11 at Tompkins HS.

Tompkins knows what it will take to get to the 2018 UIL State Championship game, but the real question that is yet to be answered; do they now know what it takes to win it all?

Keion Cage is a student at Tompkins High School and a member of the VYPE U Internship program. To learn more about how you can become a VYPE U Intern, click here. 

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Kyle Tucker returns to Houston this weekend. Composite Getty Image.

Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.

The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.

The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.

On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.

Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.

It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.

The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.

How the mighty have fallen.

Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.

Screenshot via: MLB.com



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