Super 60
VYPE Ranks the Top 60 2019 Football Recruits in Houston
Matt Malatesta
May 15, 2018, 8:10 pm
Grant Gunnell of St. Pius X Vype
VYPE's Annual Spring Football magazine hits stands this week. In this month's issue, VYPE explores the Greater Houston Area searching for the best football stories as we head into the Summer.
One thing that remains consistent from year to year in Houston? Recruiting across the Bayou City is absolutely on fire.
Offers are being extended to athletes in Houston at an alarming rate, and why wouldn't they? It's no secret Houston is the hottest of hotbeds when it comes to football talent.
VYPE's Matt Malatesta and Taylor Hamm worked together to come up with the 60 best 2019 recruits. Without further ado...
THE LIST
The Class of 2019 Super 60
By Matt Malatesta and Taylor Hamm
Rank, Name, School, Position, College
1. Grant Gunnell, St. Pius X, QB
2. Kenyon Green, Atascocita, OL
3. Marcus Stripling, Mayde Creek, DE
4. Erick Young, FB Bush, DB
5. Javonne Shepherd, North Forest, OL
6. Braedon Mowry, Katy Taylor, DE, Texas A&M-commit
7. Isaiah Spiller, Klein Collins, RB
8. Tyler Johnson, Oak Ridge, OL
9. Arjei Henderson, FB Travis, WR, Oklahoma-commit
10. Bobby Wolfe, Madison, DB
11. Andrew Coker, Katy Taylor, OL
12. Deondrick Glass, Katy, RB
13. Marcus Banks, Dekaney, DB
14. Ainias Smith, Dulles, WR
15. T’Vondre Sweat, Huntsville, DE, Texas-commit
16. Kori Roberson, Manvel, DE, Oklahoma-commit
17. Jalen Curry, St. Pius, WR
18. Jamal Morris, FB Bush, DB, Oklahoma-commit
19. Terrance Gipson, Westfield, QB
20. David Ugwoegbu, Seven Lakes, TE
21. Marques Caldwell, Alvin, DB, Oregon-commit
22. David Gbenda, Cinco Ranch, LB
23. Chase Lane, St. Pius, WR, Texas A&M-commit
24. Chris Herron, Langham Creek, QB
25. Rian Davis, Clear Lake, DE* (Moved to Apopka, FL)
26. Jalen Wydermyer, Dickinson, TE
27. Thomas Gordon, Strake Jesuit, TE, Northwestern-commit
28. Gilbert Ibeneme, Pearland, DE
29. Gabriel Hall, Waller, DT
30. Nelson Ceaser, Ridge Point, DE
31. Zach Zimos, FB Travis, LB, Cal-commit
32. Corien Azema, Langham Creek, DB
33. McKade Mettauer, St. Pius, OL
34. Kaymen St. Junious, Shadow Creek, DB
35. Garrison Johnson, Manvel RB, North Texas-commit
36. Gerald Irons III, Klein Oak, DT
37. Peter Mpagi, George Ranch, DE
38. Harrison White, Klein, DE
39. Nathaniel Beal III, Strake Jesuit, WR
40. Tony Bradford, North Shore, DT
41. Shae Suiaunoa, Clear Lake, QB
42. Shea Whiting, Alief Taylor
43. Tyrone Brown, Atascocita, LB, Baylor-commit
44. Jason Gold, Clear Springs, DE
45. Bryton Thompson, Atascocita, DT
46. Corey Williams, Episcopal, ATH
47. Alex Hogan, Lamar, DB
48. Cole Birmingham, Katy, OL
49. Rayshawn James, Westfield, RB, Houston-commit
50. Rodquice Chaney, Elsik, OL
51. Korey King, FB Marshall, WR
52. Ja’Corey Benjamin, Hastings, DB
53. Layden Robinson, Manvel, OL
54. Kenneth Dotson, Lamar, DE
55. Todd Hudson, Clear Springs, Athlete
56. Peyton Matcocha, St. Thomas, QB
57. Asher Alberding, Clear Lake, TE
58. Jaiden Howard, Crosby, QB
59. Kealon Jackson, Shadow Creek, WR
60. Ben Montgomery, Katy Taylor, DB
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The NFL Draft, NBA playoffs, and NHL playoffs all dwarf baseball in the sports pecking order this week, but that doesn’t detract from the Astros playing their best stretch of baseball in the still young season. Following up taking two of three from the previously sizzling hot Padres by sweeping the Blue Jays three straight has the Astros’ record at a just fine 13-11 as they open a three-game weekend series in Kansas City. 13-11 may not sound special, because it isn’t, but having come home from St. Louis last week with the record at 8-10 makes 13-11 a quality leap. Plus, a 13-11 pace over 162 games extrapolates to 87 wins, which last season were enough to win the American League West and for an AL Wild Card spot.
Batter up!
While no one will be confusing the potency of this Astros’ lineup with those of the 2017 or 2019 juggernauts, some welcome perking up may have kicked in, despite Yordan Alvarez still not getting rolling. After Joe Espada gave Christian Walker a “mental rest” game off Monday, Walker produced a three-hit game Tuesday and a two-hit follow-up Wednesday, including a home run. Walker’s .202 batting average and .640 OPS are still lousy, but a much lesser grade of lousy than the statistical abyss he was in starting the Toronto series. Yainer Diaz has been much worse than Walker to this point. Diaz managed at least one hit in all three games of the Jays series. Baby steps. He is still sitting on an unacceptable three walks in 78 plate appearances.
Speaking of hits and walks, Jeremy Pena carries a 14-game hitting streak into the weekend. One-quarter of the way to Joe DiMaggio’s big league record! Willy Taveras set the Astros’ record with a 30-gamer back in 2006. Pena hasn’t been crushing it during the streak, during which he has just two multi-hit games. He’s had stretches where he has hit better and slugged harder (2022 postseason anyone?), but while too small a stretch to declare a leap has been made, it is noteworthy that over the 14 games Pena has drawn six walks. That gives him eight free passes in 24 games this season. More math fun! That’s one walk drawn per three games, which over 162 games would make for 54. Last season in 157 games played Pena drew a paltry 25 walks. Add in that his defense has been superb so far this season with a number of fabulous plays made and just one error committed, and Pena could be making modest offensive improvement that makes him a meaningfully better player.
Furthermore speaking of hits and walks, it’s been a struggle on both fronts the last couple of weeks for Jose Altuve. A two-week funk does not represent a crisis, but there are troubling trends that bear watching as Altuve sets to turn 35 years old May 6. Over his last 14 games, Altuve’s OPS is a sub-Maldonadian .547. In this stretch he has two doubles as his lone extra base hits and drawn just two walks. Altuve has struck out 22 times in 24 games. Setting aside the short 2020 COVID season when Altuve never got it going, last year he had the worst strikeout percentage of his career, while his walk rate was his worst since 2015. So far this season, Altuve’s strikeout rate is more than 20 percent worse than last year’s, with his walk rate down 30 percent from 2024. He is hitting line drives at a much lower rate than ever before, and struggling to get the ball in the air. The season still isn’t 20 percent old, but since Altuve last season finished with his lowest OPS (.790, again, exempting 2020) since 2013, and his current .728 OPS is 62 points lower than that, the antennae of at least mild concern are up. This is the first season of Altuve’s five-year 125 million dollar contract extension. Remember, the Astros would not offer Kyle Tucker a contract that took him to age 35.
Bringing the heat!
Hunter Brown makes his next start Sunday in Kansas City. Good luck Royals! Until getting a doubleheader against the pathetic Rockies Thursday, K.C. was averaging under three runs per game. Brown's earned run average through five starts is 1.16! It's waaaaay early to focus on this, but the best season ERA for an Astro pitcher who qualified for the statistical lead (one inning pitched per team game played) belongs to Nolan Ryan who posted a 1.69 in the strike-shortened 1981 season. Over a full-schedule season, Justin Verlander's 1.75 in 2022 is the standard. Brown has fired 24 consecutive shutout innings. Ryan Pressly holds the Astros’ record with 38 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. Orel Hershiser set the Major League record by finishing the 1988 regular season with a ridiculous 59 straight shutout innings. Yes he won the National League Cy Young Award. The Cy Young is strictly a regular season award. Hershiser in 1988 also won the League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award, and World Series MVP.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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