April 2025 | Athletic Quarterly Report

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ONE HEART ONE HEART QUARTERLY QUARTERLY

What an incredible quarter it has been for Faith Athletics! God continues to bless our programs with exceptional talent, dedicated coaches, and a community that relentlessly supports our mission to glorify Him through sports.

This winter season, our athletes shone brightly, earning 33 district and all-state awards. We celebrated a historic moment as our beloved outgoing soccer coach led the team to the Final Four and notched an extraordinary 100th win before his departure. The track program sent four athletes to the state meet, which kicked off today, and two golfers have also qualified for state competition, exemplifying the hard work and dedication of our student-athletes. Additionally, our tennis team triumphantly returned to the state tournament this year, and baseball is gearing up for their second postseason match up next week..

A special congratulations goes to Vivian Anderson on signing to compete on the swim team at the University of North Texas. This achievement reflects not only her individual excellence but also the dedication and faith-filled foundation that our athletic programs cultivate.

We are thrilled to welcome a new head soccer coach with a long history at Faith, and several new coaches and assistants who bring fresh energy and a shared vision for the future of Faith Athletics. Their leadership is already igniting excitement and fostering growth within our programs. As I enter my fifth month as Athletic Director, I am humbled by what God has accomplished and eagerly anticipate who He will bring to fill a few remaining key roles.

Thank you for your ongoing prayer, encouragement, and support. Your commitment to our mission strengthens our community and inspires our students to pursue excellence both on and off the field.

It’s a great day to be a Lion!

WAY TO ROAR, LIONS! WINTER SPORTS | DISTRICT &

STATE HONORS

Charis Andrews | Women’s Soccer Co-Offensive Player of the Year First Team All-District, First Team All-State

Cosette Dennington | Women’s Soccer First Team All-District, Honorable Mention All-State

Ella Claire Rosenthal | Women’s Soccer First Team All-District, First Team All-State

Reese Hamell | Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Year First Team All-District, First Team All-State

River Gatlin | Women’s Soccer First Team All-District, Honorable Mention All-State

Abby Grace Sewell | Women’s Soccer First Team All-District, Second Team All-State

Veronika Fleischer | Women’s Soccer Second Team All-District

Lily Wirt | Women’s Soccer Second Team All-District

Stella Gatlin | Women’s Soccer Second Team All-District

Chayce Brown | Women’s Soccer Honorable Mention All-District

Blake Mitteis | Women’s Soccer Honorable Mention All-District

Ellie Davis | Women’s Soccer Honorable Mention All-District

Scarlett Bair | Women’s Basketball First Team All-District

Tatum Neal | Women’s Basketball Second Team All-District

Anna Henderson | Women’s Basketball Second Team All-District

Abby Grace Sewell | Women’s Basketball Honorable Mention All-District

Brennen Byrd | Men’s Basketball First Team All-District, Second Team All-State

Mason Barnett | Men’s Basketball First Team All-District

Landon Harlin | Men’s Basketball Second Team All-District

Chase Leslie | Men’s Basketball Second Team All-District

Matthew Branco | Men’s Basketball Second Team All-District

Max Siebert | Men’s Basketball Honorable Mention All-District

Price Andrews | Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Year First Team All-District, First Team All-State

Braden Cope | Men’s Soccer First Team All-District, Second Team All-State

Mateo Reyes | Men’s Soccer First Team All-District, First Team All-State

Beau Heimann | Men’s Soccer First Team All-District, First Team All-State

Ethan Barker | Men’s Soccer First Team All-District, Second Team All-State

Cade Johnson | Men’s Soccer First Team All-District, Second Team All-State

Andrew Savage | Men’s Soccer First Team All-District, First Team All-State

Thomas Hudnall | Men’s Soccer Second Team All-District

Brodie Ciesiolka | Men’s Soccer Second Team All-District

Logan Santini | Men’s Soccer Honorable Mention All-District

Knox Wharton | Men’s Soccer Honorable Mention All-District

VIVIAN ANDERSON: VIVIAN ANDERSON: 9TH LION TO COMMIT 9TH LION TO COMMIT

It's official! The most distinguished swimmer in GFCS program history will begin the next chapter of her career at the University of North Texas in the Fall.

Vivian Anderson pledged her commitment to the Mean Green in March as the newest member of UNT Swimming & Diving. She was most recently honored with the Bruce Rollins Distinguished Swimmer Award as the most outstanding swimmer at the TAPPS State Meet; and earned (5) TAPPS

State Titles in her career as a Lion.

Pulley Shares District Title Men’s and Women’s Golf Earn Regional Bid & Two

Golfers Advance to State Championships

Senior William Pulley took home a share of the Men’s Golf Individual District Championship last week at Hillcrest Country Club in Lubbock, TX. Pulley, and team members Jack McDonald, McConnell Gorman, Blake Zody, and Max Thompson as well as GFCS Women’s Golf, Alex Cudd, Cam Perry, Ellie Davis and Katie Brock completed at the TAPPS Regional Qualifiers on April 28, at Shadow Glen Golf Course in Manor, TX.

Congratulations to William Pulley and Cam Perry as they advance to the State tournament on May 5-6 in Waco.

Lady Lions Earn Bid to State Meet!

Texas weather made an attempt to slow down the TAPPS North Regional Track Meet. A couple of delays could not trip up Sophia Belcher, Reese Ratcliff, Bree Born, and Carlie Combe. The Lady Lions will represent Faith at the TAPPS State Track Meet on today and Saturday (May 2 and May 3) on the campus of Midway High School in Waco.

Belcher, who finished as the District Champion in the 800M and 1600M, finished first as the Regional Champion in the 800M with a time of 2:18.8. Her second place 1600M finish (5:17.98) earned her a State bid in the mile event as well.

Junior Carlie Combe and freshman Bree Born and Reese Ratcliff - both dual-qualifiers,will join her in Waco.

Ratcliff earned a second place Regional finish in the Triple Jump with a mark of 35’-6.5”, and Long Jump with a mark of 16’-3.75”; and Born finished runner-up in the 100M (12.59) and third in the 200M (26.10).

Combe will compete in the Women’s 200M after clinching the final qualifying spot at the Regional Meet. Good luck this weekend, ladies!

Tough Draw Tough Draw for for Men’s Basketball Men’s Basketball Lions Fall Lions Fall in Area Round in Area Round

Despite (28) wins in 2025, three district losses at the hands of west Texas foes forced the Lions into an Area Playoff matchup with Brentwood Christian (Austin, TX). The Bears, District II Champions winners of (26) games, spent most of the season ranked inside the TABC top-5. The Lions could not find firm footing on the road in Austin, falling to Brentwood 78-53.

The ‘24-’25 season was marked by milestones and record-setting performances by several Faith student-athletes. Seniors Brennen Byrd, Landon Harlin and Mason Barnett each surpassed scoring milestones over the course of the season.

Byrd and Harlin joined Faith Men’s Basketball 1,000 Point Club - while Mason Barnett scored his 3,000th point in a victory over DASCHE on December 15.

Byrd also finishes his career as the Career, Single Season, and Single Game leader in rebounds.

Tennis Qualifies Six for TAPPS State Tournament

Landry Smith and Tomas Carbonell represent the first time in Faith Tennis history that the Lions would compete on the Men’s and Women’s side of the Singles State bracket.

Also qualifying for the State, Kennedy Wedgeworth and Shelby Frank in Women’s Doubles, and Caden Marchetti and Charley Childs in Mixed Doubles.

Congratulations to Coach Ford and Coach Frank for another (overhead) smashing season on the courts.

| Playoff Thriller Nets 100 Playoff Thriller Nets 100

Win for Win for tth h

and Leads to Final Four

Mingledorff and Leads to Final Four

With mere minutes to play in the TAPPS Men’s Soccer Regional Finals the Lions stared upset dead in the face.

Down 1-0 to Cristo Rey felt like an impossible fate after a season in which the Lions earned their second straight District Championship and dispatched Regents of Austin in a dominating 8-1 Area Playoff victory just three days prior.

A jolt of relief, and then momentum was provided after senior Braden Cope delivered the ball to the feet of sophomore Logan Santini who netted an equalizerextending the Lions’ season. A Thomas Hudnall OT Golden Goal incited celebration from the Faith side, sending the Lions to their fourth Final Four in the last (6) seasons - their second in-a-row. The Regional win also represents the 100th victory under the leadership of Head Coach, Shawn Mingledorff.

The Lions would see Brook Hill in the Final Four, a solid side who kept them off the scoresheet in a 3-0 defeat.

A district title, and Final Four appearance were accompanied by record book revisions as senior Braden Cope ascended to Faith Men’s Soccer All-Time Leader in Goals Scored - and senior Price Andrews became Faith Men’s Soccer All-Time Leader in Assists.

Women’s Soccer Reaches Regional, Women’s Soccer Reaches Regional, Meets Familiar Foe... Meets Familiar Foe...

A 5-1 win over Brook Hill in the TAPPS Area Playoffs earned the District II Runner-Up Lady Lions their tenth-consecutive trip to the Regional round of the state playoffs and marked the 30th playoff victory in the career of Head Coach, Cat Meyer.

Joining them - Grace Community, of Tyler, Texas. The Lions and Cougars are no strangers. The programs have met (7) times in the postseason since 2016; each of those games with high stakes - 2016, 2018, and 2020 in the Final Four - 2017, 2021, and 2025 with a trip to the Final Four on the line. The Lady Lions could not generate enough offense to pair with a stingy defensive effort, falling to Grace 1-0.

Baseball Begins Baseball Begins Their Postseason Run Their Postseason Run with a Win! with a Win!

2023 is only a couple of years ago; but even closer in the minds of several members of the 2025 edition of Faith Baseball. The 23-5 Lions will entered the postseason as the 2Seed from TAPPS Division II, District I after finishing (8-4) in district play.

Most of the Baseball class of ‘25 - just sophomores in 2023 - were key contributors in a 28-4 season that ended far sooner than anticipated on the field at Abilene Christian University in the Regional Finals.

For the third-consecutive season, the Lions hosted the first round of the playoffs and came away with a 7-1 win in their area match-up vs Hyde Park. The team moves onto regionals to face Brook Hill with first pitch at 7PM on May 6 at Forney High School. th

Softball Falls Softball Falls in District Finale in District Finale

Just Short Just Short of Playoff Berth of Playoff Berth

The Lady Lions entered the final week of the regular season on the hunt for the final playoff spot from TAPPS Division II, District I. But, a pair of losses to Southwest Christian would end their 2025 campaign, one game short of what would have forced a play-in scenario and a last effort to squeeze into the TAPPS playoffs. They will return (12) student-athletes to what was a very young group in 2025.

Morgan Tabbed Morgan Tabbed as Next Head Coach as Next Head Coach in Long Line of in Long Line of Men’s Soccer Success Men’s Soccer Success

Inside of GFCS Men’s Soccer 100 wins since 2018 are 22-consecutive district victories, 10 playoff wins and four Final Four appearances.

Over those seven seasons, 39 student-athletes have been named First Team All-District - 14 of them also named to the TAPPS All-State Team. Head Coach Shawn Mingledorff will depart from Grapevine Faith having done exactly what we would all hope to do - leave a legacy of continued soccer success for the men ’ s program.

Also, inside this highly successful stretch of GFCS Men’s Soccer has been Bryan Morgan - an assistant on Mingledorff’s staff since 2020. Also on Morgan’s Faith resume are five years of service on the women ’ s side, where he has contributed to three TAPPS Women’s Soccer State Championships alongside longtime Head Coach Cat Meyer, while also playing a critical role in the development of the Junior High Boys Soccer program as Head Coach since 2020.

Like Meyer (class of 2011), Coach Morgan is a graduate of Faith Christian School, class of 2010, and will be the sixth Men’s Soccer Head Coach in program history.

HEAD COACH SPOTLIGHT: ROBERT VAUGHN

Coach Robert Vaughn’s story is one of service, passion, and faith. A native of Belleville, IL, and a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan, Coach Vaughn’s love for baseball runs deep. His life’s path, however, showcases not only his commitment to the game but also his country, his family, and most importantly, his faith.

Following his graduation from Belleville East High School, Coach Vaughn attended the United States Air Force Academy, embarking on a distinguished 26-year military career. From serving as a Tactical Air Base Commander at Tinker Air Force Base to spending time overseas in Mallorca, Spain, and Hawaii, Coach Vaughn’s leadership brought strength to our nation’s defense. His service culminated in his role as Chief of Satellite Communications at U.S. Space Command, retiring in 2000.

A dedicated husband to Cathy (married in 1978) and proud father to Tyler and Jordan, Coach Vaughn has nurtured not only a legacy of service but also a legacy of baseball. Both of his sons played at collegiate and professional levels, showcasing the game they love under his guidance.

Coach Vaughn’s coaching career reflects his passion for developing young men both on and off the field. After teaching and coaching at Pantego Christian Academy and Temple Christian School, he joined Faith in 2019. Since then, he has led the Lions to incredible success, including 114 victories, two District Championships, and multiple Regional Final appearances. His ability to mentor his players led to producing 51 All-District and 17 All-State selections.

More than his accolades, Coach Vaughn’s greatest joy is instilling godly wisdom in his players and modeling a life anchored in Jesus Christ. Dedicated to fostering strong character, faith, and purpose, he works to show his team what it means to walk with the Lord through every challenge and victory.

We honor Coach Vaughn for his commitment to excellence, service, and faith. Thank you for your leadership and unwavering dedication to our students!

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