The vibes have shifted in Waco this spring, and it all starts with Dave Aranda.
After finishing 110th nationally in total defense last year, Aranda has become the de facto defensive coordinator and has started to put his stamp on the Baylor defense.
Because all of my groomsmen were also
@MSUMarchingBand
trombone players and there were a few batons around, an unplanned performance broke out. First time I’ve done Series in 5 years.
@michiganstateu
Cedar Park junior Gisella Maul, the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year who helped
@CPLadyWolves
win back-to-back state championships, commits to
@TexasWBB
.
Maul is the No. 45 recruit in the nation according to ESPN’s HoopGurlz.
@GMoneyMaul
Baylor QB Blake Shapen: "I believe in all of our coaches, I believe in all my teammates. I never stopped believing. I get we were 1-3, and that's not a (good) way to start the season, but I never stopped believing."
Brandon Mann never gave up hope. After more than 16 seasons, 17 teams and two countries, the late-round pick that at one time stopped playing the game altogether to work at a grocery store made his MLB debut at age 33.
#RRExpress
#TexasRangers
Greetings from McNeil HS, where the Mavericks and Vista Ridge face off in district play. The visitor side is packed to the rafters with those remembering the life of Myles Hutcheson, who died in a car accident on Monday.
#LiveLikeMyles
I started covering
#AustinFC
when it was just an idea being talked about in a dingy bar in South Austin.
After many late nights in City Hall and even more nights at Q2, this is where it ends.
Thanks for following along. It's been a blast.
BREAKING: Sports journalist signs lifetime contract with nine-time world champion twirler. Per league rules, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
#VivaLaSmith
Will Noble was one of the most consistent players on the Houston offensive line in his time with the Cougars after a wildly successful high school career at Rouse.
The Raiders have never had an NFL player. Noble has the potential to be the first.
I went to Ohio to see first hand exactly what the leadership of Columbus Crew SC would be leaving behind. I had possibly the most Columbus experience imaginable. My column:
#MLS2ATX
#SaveTheCrew
Sources: Baylor will retire Brittney Griner's No. 42 jersey at its home game on Feb. 18.
"I’m honored to return home to Baylor and celebrate where so much of my journey started."
Five years ago, Rouse failed to win a district game. Then the Raiders hired Chad Krempin.
Since
@ckrempin
was named HC,
@rouse_baseball
has won two district titles, made the playoffs every year and is getting ready to play in its first-ever state tourney.
When Byron Vaughns was at Texas, he was told he was a waste of a scholarship.
With help from his family, he never gave up. He proved himself at Utah State, and now he's making plays early on in his Baylor career.
The rise of the underDAWG:
Baylor AD Mack Rhoades with an impromptu presser postscript:
"Tonight was an embarrassment for this league. Scott said we have the best basketball league in the country. And the officiating tonight did not match that. Period. End of story. This league needs to get better."
Baylor HC Dave Aranda: "A win is important. To get a win and to do it in a fight and everything is good. This has been the team all along. We've had to get through a lot of our own stuff and out of our own way to bring what happens on a Tuesday practice to a Saturday game."
BREAKING: Michael Quintero officially named head football coach at Cedar Park.
One of the architects of the original 'Black Rain' defense, Quintero returns to CP after stops at Red Oak and Colleyville Heritage.
"I don’t know if I could be more excited."
Greg Brown could've gone to just about any prep school in the country, but he chose to stay at
@VandegriftHS
because of the connection he felt with his teammates.
Brown is the fourth Austin-area player to be named to the McDonald's All-American team.
The other half of my personal news: I’m thrilled to say that I’ll be covering Baylor football and a host of other sports for the
@wacotrib
.
I could not be more excited to be around college football on a day-to-day basis.
Final: Rouse 2, Dripping Springs 1
Keagan Solomon with a laser off the wall in left to send
@rouse_baseball
to the state tournament. What a game.
#TXHSBaseball
After over six and a half years, today is my last day at the Hill Country News.
The sports community in Central Texas is so passionate, and I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to tell your stories.
“This is a team that refuses to say die.” - Vandegrift head coach Drew Sanders after the undefeated Vipers beat Klein Collins in double overtime on Friday to advance to the Class 6A third round for the first time in school history.
#txhsfb
Baylor head coach Nicki Collen said she hasn't read the Washington Post article about Kim Mulkey, but that she's offended.
"Nothing is withering in Waco. We're going to do it our way, and it's going to be just as good."
Baylor head coach Dave Aranda on college football: "It's a game of random events and setbacks, so it forces you to respond as opposed to react."
Probably one of my favorite quotes of all time.
Final/2OT: Cedar Park 45, Frisco Memorial 40
What a game. What a season.
@CPLadyWolves
finish off an undefeated season to win their second-straight state title.
#UILState
#txhshoops
There were a few activists outside he Chamber of Commerce. They're East Austin residents that want the city to invest in public parkland.
#MLS2ATX
#SaveTheCrew
Rough estimate: my flight to Denver is about 50%
#Verde
. The other half are probably just camouflaged.
Credit
@AustinAnthem
and
@LosVerdesATX
for starting the green tsunami.
Saturday was a special day for Jarvis Anderson.
Born deaf, the McNeil sophomore could feel the excitement and support he got at the
#UILState
Track and Field Meet. He finished 4th in the 300-meter hurdles.
Cedar Park head coach Donny Ott fell to his knees moments before the final buzzer sounded. Four years of hard work had built up to the ultimate prize: state champions.
“What makes this feel so good is that I know we earned it."
#txhshoops
Hayden Thomas and Cody Vannoy have been playing baseball together since they were eight years old. They helped
@rouse_baseball
win its first-ever district title in 2017.
They've reunited once again with the Round Rock Hairy Men this summer.
Touchdown Vandegrift!
Tommy Hartman to the house!
An awesome moment for the senior, who has meant so much to
@VHSFootball
and
@VandegriftHS
since arriving on campus.
#txhsfb
Final stat line for Westwood QB R.J. Martinez: 50-of-76 passing for 606 yards and 7 TDs; 12 rushes for 193 yards and 3TDs; 1 reception, 2 yards.
Incredible.
#txhsfb
The Vandegrift defense put on a clinic, kicker Tim Barney remained consistent and the Vipers stayed perfect with a win over Hendrickson in a weather-delayed game Friday night.
#txhsfb
Some personal news: My time at
@HCNSports
is coming to an end. My last day is June 23.
To the coaches and players, thank you.
Special thanks to
@scottwcoleman
for giving me the freedom to be creative and try new things.
Very excited about what's next. I'll share more soon!
Final: No. 6 Baylor 71, No. 23 TCU 50
The Bears outscored the Horned Frogs 49-24 in the second half.
Baylor extends its winning streak to 36 straight games against TCU and improve to 13-0 for the first time since 2015-16.
Do you want to go to basketball school? Go watch Cedar Park and head coach Donny Ott. It was hard to watch
@CPLadyWolves
dominate on the way to the state title and not learn something about basketball.
My column:
#txhshoops
Final: Cedar Park 61, CC Veterans Memorial 28
@CedarParkFB
advances to the fourth state title game in school history next Friday at 7 p.m. at AT&T Stadium.
#txhsfb
Viper strike: Vandegrift hands Cedar Park first regular season loss since 2014. Vandegrift QB Drew Dawson tosses three TDs in debut while defense plays lights out.
#txhsfb
Friday was about redemption and history for Vandegrift.
@VHSFootball
came up clutch when it counted to beat Dripping Springs and advance to the state semis for the first time in Class 6A.
"We never ever stopped believing in ourselves, and it paid off."
“It means a lot not just for us, but for the community of Cedar Park." -
@CPLadyWolves
junior Shelby Hayes after the No. 1 Timberwolves beat Beaumont United on Saturday to advance to the state title game for the first time in school history.
#txhshoops
"I still bleed Green and Gold, so I’m happy that Baylor fans can come see one of their Baylor Bears play so close."
Kalani Brown won a National Championship with
@BaylorWBB
, now she's committed to bringing another title to Texas with the
@DallasWings
.
BREAKING: Defensive coordinator Chad Scott named head coach at Vista Ridge.
"I love the journey and the process of moving one direction as a group and a team, growing together and seeing those results at the end of the day."
#txhsfb
One game does not define the body of work for Vandegrift.
@VHSFootball
has won at least a share of four straight district titles and advanced to the regional final in consecutive seasons.
#txhsfb
Gisella Maul is relentless.
She scored the final 10 points for
@CPLadyWolves
to help Cedar Park outlast Frisco Memorial in double OT and win its second-straight state title.
"I feel like I have prepared for this moment my entire life."
#txhshoops
From Vista Ridge to the Elite Eight: Success has followed Nikki Cardano-Hillary wherever she has been, and it's no surprise to her coaches.
Cardano-Hillary and No. 4 Indiana battle No. 3 Arizona at 8 p.m. on ESPN for a trip to the Final Four.
#ncaaW
Jon Rham just played the round of his life at Memorial, leads the tournament by six shots and will be forced to WD after a positive COVID test. Unbelievable.
Land Grant is one of many businesses I’ve seen across the city with the
#SaveTheCrew
sticker in the window. The mural out back takes it a step further.
New Baylor receiver Ketron Jackson is firmly on the Blake Shapen hype train:
"I’ll be just staring at the ball. He threw a good ball today to Jordan (Nabors), I was just like ‘Man, that’s a pretty ball.’"
#SicEm
Rouse goalkeeper Taylor Douthitt stood on her head as the Lady Raiders outlasted Bryan in a shootout on Tuesday to advance to the third round of the playoffs.
#txhssoccer
The first day of the
#UILState
Track & Field meet was a good one for Leander ISD athletes.
Meghan Wilcox from Cedar Park, Chloe Coffee and Gaby Thomas from Glenn and Abby Bendle from Rouse all won medals, while multiple school and personal records fell.
Final: No. 1 Cedar Park 50, No. 8 Georgetown 24
@CPLadyWolves
finish the regular season a perfect 30-0 and clinch their fifth straight undefeated district title.
Cedar Park has won 55 games in a row, and 69 straight district games dating back to 2017.
#txhshoops
Cedar Park seemingly has a different offensive weapon go off every time the explosive offense takes the field. Thursday night, that was Josh Cameron.
The senior had 191 yards and three TDs in the lopsided
@CedarParkFB
win over Richmond Foster.
#txhsfb
As the
@GeorgetownHS
motto goes, ‘Eagle Fight Never Dies.’
@EFND_Baseball
rallied three times on Thursday to beat Wakeland and advance to the state title game.
"We’re here to leave no doubt that Georgetown can be the best team in Texas."
#txhsbaseball
Baylor true freshman Caden Jenkins has been named the Bronco Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week.
Jenkins was also named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after finishing Saturday's historic comeback with an INT and fumble recovery that he returned for a TD.
Dave Aranda said once Matt Jones stopped puking on the sideline at UCF, he said he knew the Bears would come back.
"You get to where guys aren't thinking about themselves anymore. They're thinking about doing it for other people. You're at a different level when it's that way."
Baylor QB Blake Shapen has been feeling the good vibes in fall camp:
"We've got a better culture this year. We've got guys that want to do better than what we did last year. Nobody wants that to happen again. We're just going to take it one game at a time."
#SicEm
"We knew we could play with them, it was just a matter of seeing it on the scoreboard at the end." - Westwood coach Brad Hastings after the Warriors upset Vandegrift Tuesday night in their fourth meeting this season.
@RoundRockISD
@coach_awood
#txhshoops
This is great. Columbus
#CrewSC
fans have no ill will towards Austin or its fans. The whole situation is no fault of either fanbase and they shouldn't be pitted against each other.
#SaveTheCrew
#MLS2ATX
Final: Vandegrift 3, Memorial 0
@ViperFutbol
advances to the state championship game for the third time in school history (2014, 2015).
They’ll play Lewisville Flour Mound in the title game Friday at 6 p.m. at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown.
#txhssoccer
Baylor head coach Nicki Collen challenged Aijha Blackwell to prove just how dominant she can be on the glass.
She clearly took the message to heart.
Blackwell grabbed a season-high 19 rebounds to help the No. 13 Bears beat Oklahoma State.
“We’re not going to give up.”
There was no negativity in the Rouse dugout despite an early five-run deficit.
A fourth-inning homer run by Landon Miller flipped the momentum as
@rouse_baseball
rallied to beat Cedar Park in the regional quarterfinals.
Baylor head coach Dave Aranda confirms on his weekly radio show that quarterback Blake Shapen is officially out against West Virginia.
He said Sawyer Robertson and RJ Martinez have both been getting reps in practice.
Monaray Baldwin is Baylor's perfect hype man.
He stayed positive during the Texas game and carried that over to the comeback win against UCF.
"If I can have that type of impact, and it makes me feel good and makes the team feel good, I’ll keep doing it."
I'm headed to San Antonio for arguably the biggest game in
@VHSFootball
history.
Vandegrift is not intimidated by nine-time state champion Katy.
"Yes, they’ve won more state titles than us, but at the same time, at some point, Katy won their first one."
Vandegrift has had to change its gameplan in every district game this season.
It’s been nearly 700 days since the last
@VHSFootball
regular-season loss after the Vipers beat Round Rock on Friday night.
#txhsfb
Final: Cedar Park 75, Beaumont United 51
@CPLadyWolves
are in the state title game for the first time ever. Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Alamodome.
#txhshoops
Q2 Stadium has produced many memorable moments in its short history. Saturday might've been the best yet.
MVP chants showered Sebastian Driussi after his late goal completed another
#AustinFC
comeback.
"I don’t think I’ve experienced anything like that."
Baylor HC Dave Aranda on the coaching carousel:
"Whenever you see the Christmas (commercial) where it's the car with a ribbon on it, you know, 'Someone's about to get fired.' This is the signal that firings are coming next.
"That's just kind of how it is. You sign up for that."
Vandegrift had a chip on its shoulder when it took the field against Cedar Park on Friday night.
A breakout game from junior Miles Coleman helped
@VHSFootball
rebound from its opening loss with a dominant win over the Timberwolves.
#txhsfb