Prosper HYPE - Winter 2020-2021

Prosper ISD Sports - Winter 2020-2021 SWIM & DIVE | WRESTLING | BASKETBALL

ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

2020 -2021 Winter Sports RECAP

PRIDE

DISCIPLINE

RELATIONSHIPS

SERVANT

LEADERSHIP

//PREGAME//

ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

SPOTLIGHTS

Publisher Cedarbrook Media Admin@CedarbrookMedia.com

12 //2021 PISD HALL OF HONOR 16 //PHS SWIM & DIVE 18 //RHHS SWIM & DIVE 22 //PHS WRESTLING 24 //RHHS WRESTLING

Creative Director / Photographer Jason Reynolds Jason@CedarbrookMedia.com www.CedarbrookMedia.com Director of Sales & Marketing Heather Reynolds Heather@CedarbrookMedia.com 972-347-6231 District Coordinator Valerie Little Director of Athletics - Prosper ISD valittle@prosper-isd.net

A Cedarbrook Media Group, LLC Publication www.CedarbrookMedia.com

28 //PHS BASKETBALL 34 //RHHS BASKETBALL 40 //OPENING NEW DOORS 42 //PISD SCHOLAR ATHLETES

ON THE COVER//

Photo by Jason Reynolds - Cedarbrookk Media

Prosper ISD Natatorium

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Prosper HYPE is published by Cedarbrook Media Group, LLC. Prosper HYPE Magazine is published 3 times a year. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or copied whole or in part without expressed written permission from the publisher, Cedarbrook Media Group, LLC. ©2020. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. The title and all material are protected by international copyright laws and are reserved. Although the greatest of care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this magazine at time of going to press, neither Prosper Hype Magazine, Prosper ISD nor Cedarbrook Media Group, LLC can be held liable for omissions, inexactness or errors. The views and opinions of Prosper HYPE advertisers does not reflect that of Prosper HYPE Sports Magazine.

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s we finished the Fall and rolled right into our Winter sports, the successes on and off the field of play continued on A both campuses. At this point, we still had to worry about COVID and quarantines but maintained our protocols and pushed through our Winter seasons as well.

PHS Swim had another good season as we had our boys relay and 2 individuals qualify for State after a good District and Regional showing by the Eagles.

RHHS Swim had a great inaugural year as a program. Both boys and girls finished 2nd in District as a team. The girls qualified 6 athletes for State, with 4 of them making the medal stand. The girls 200 medley relay finished 3rd in State while Sophomore, Kiara Xanthos finished 2nd in the State in her individual event. The boys qualified 8 athletes for State who all performed well and represented Rock Hill HS in great fashion.

PHS Basketball had a good year with both boys and girls team qualify for the playoffs after battling it out in a tough District.

The boys finished 3rd while the girls finished 4th. Both lost in their Bi-District round of playoffs, but we could not be prouder of their grit and determination.

RHHS Basketball also had both boys and girls teams qualify for the State playoffs. The girls finished 4th while the boys finished in 3rd place. Both Blue Hawks teams faced tough first round opponents and were knocked out of the playoffs.

PHS Wresting had a great season that culminated in a State Champion as well as 2 State runner ups. The girls were 2nd place finishers as a team in District. Taylor Martinez was the Regional Champion and secured 2nd place in State! The boys team finished 3rd at District. We also had LJ win a Regional Championship as well as 3 State Qualifiers. Chase Parham finished as a State Runner up while LJ finished as a STATE CHAMP! RHHS Wrestling earned a few District Championships, qualified several for Regionals and had 3 athletes qualify for the State meet in their first year! Eleanor Jukes represented the Blue Hawks at the state competition for the girls. For the boys, Xavier Jukes and Xavier Rogers represented well at State. We are proud of their perseverance in the longest wrestling season in the books.

We are very proud of all of our Winter programs and their successes. We simply proved that nothing can hold us down when it’s our time to shine. Great job Eagles and Blue Hawks!

//WINTER 2020-2021

Left to right- Tommy Sacco, Natatorium Director: Mary Anne Cooper, Admin. Assistant to the Director of Athletics: Valerie Little, Director of Athletics:

Michael Sain, Assistant Athletic Director: Max Bledsoe, Ticket & Event Manager

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Prosper ISD Athletics announced their 2nd class to be inducted into the Hall of Honor last June, and then celebrated the inductees with a banquet on January 15, 2021. The district began the Hall of Honor in 2020 with five recognitions. The Hall of Honor is designed to recognize and celebrate those athletes, coaches, supporters, and teams who have laid the foundation for what Prosper ISD Athletics is today. Prosper has seen insurmountable successes in the past few years with multiple individual and team State Championships contributing to winning the 5A UIL Lone Star Cup in 2018!

The Hall of Honor committee is committed to inducting the best representatives of the district. After a nomination process, the nomination committee deliberates and chooses the honorees from four categories: Athletes, Coaches, Supporters, & Teams.

The Class of 2021 Inductees include: Bailey Belvis (Athlete) - Bailey graduated from Prosper ISD in 2009. Bailey was a UIL Cross Country State Champion in 2008 setting a State Record time of 11:10:24. Bailey ran track in the spring of 2008 finishing 2nd in the 800 Meters at the UIL State Meet with a time of 2:16:19 and finished 4th in the 1600 meters with a time of 5:12:43. In 2009, she won the UIL State Championship at the State Track Meet in the 1600-meter race.

Bailey went on to the University of Missouri on a track scholarship.

While in attendance, she won several races and received several recognitions including All-Midwest Region and All Big 12 for Cross Country, All Big 12 for Indoor Track, All-Academic Honors, and First Team Academic All Big 12 for Cross Country.

Kim Castleberry (Athlete) - Kim also graduated from Prosper ISD in 2009. She was active in both track and soccer. In 2008 she won the UIL State Championship in the 400m race. She set many school records in long jump, the 200, the 400, the 4x100 relay, and the 4x400 relay. She was named the Soccer Offensive player of

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the year in 2007. Her Senior year she was the #1 recruited soccer player after receiving two NSCAA All Americans Recognitions and two High School Parade All American Recognitions. Kim went on to earn full scholarships at both Texas A&M and TCU. Erin Kauffman (Coach) - Coach Kauffman just finished her seventh year at Prosper High School as the Volleyball Coach and Assistant Campus Coordinator. Coach Kauffman was an Assistant volleyball coach at SFA State University for four years and then served as a Varsity Assistant at Lovejoy High School. Since starting at Prosper, she has coached the PHS Varsity Volleyball team to six District Championships, five Regional Tournament appearances, a State Runner-up and a 5A State Championship in 2017. Coach Kauffman has numerous coaching awards: 5-time District Coach of the Year, 2-time Dallas Morning News Coach of the Year and PISD Head Coach of the Year. She has been selected as an AllStar coach by both TGCA & TAVC and was named the NFHS State Volleyball Coach of the Year in 2018.

2008 State Championship Football Team (Team) - In 2008, Prosper High School won the Class 3A, Division 1 State Championship with a 14-1 record on the season. Coached by Kent Scott with Team Captains of Hunter Nix, Cole Dafft, Ryan Carroll, Chase Petersen, and Drew Miller the team’s only loss was on Homecoming which proved to be the motivating factor to propel them all the way to the State Championship. They then went on to win their next 12 games, outscoring their opponents 366-155 and defeating longtime rivals Celina and Argyle to capture the District title. The journey to the State Championship wasn’t an easy road with a double overtime thriller win against Abilene Wylie in the State Semi-finals. The Eagles were down 10-3 at halftime in the State Championship game, but came back to defeat La Vega 17 – 10 and claim the 2008 Texas 3A State Championship title.

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

|| PISD Natatorium

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Winter 2020-2021 || Prosper HYPE | 15

ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||PHS Swim & Dive

- Coach Trey Sullivan

The Prosper High School Swim and Dive team is led by Head Coach Trey Sullivan and Assistant Coach Sierra Marchand. The team began the season with tryouts on August 6th and began competing on September 16th. The teams participated in Districts on January 20th – 22nd. Several of the athletes finished well at Districts and moved on to Regionals on February 5th and 6th. Six swimmers moved on to the State Championships on February 26th. But the most notable effort throughout the season was that the swimmers’ times and divers’ scores continued to improve meet after meet. In fact, the boys 200 Medley Relay team (Kadence Griffin, Justice Hunt, Mithuun Ramesh, and Lane White) set a new school record on January 13th with a time of 1:36.9. The same day, the 200 free relay team (Sam Taylor, Justice Hunt, Mithuun Ramesh, and Lane White) broke their own previous record!

Other notables for this season include the Eagles’ .11 second win over Carroll in the 400-freestyle relay in the Regional tournament to qualify for State. The boys’ 200 freestyle relay (Taylor, Hunt, Ramesh, and White) also set a new school record of 1:24.40 to punch their ticket to state. Both relay teams also placed in the Top 8 during the preliminaries. Also placing in the prelims were Lane White, taking 4th in the 50 free and Justice Hunt who took 6th in the 100 free. Both individual swimmers and both relay teams advanced to the state championship finals, an amazing accomplishment in the UIL 6A division!

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“The 2020/21 season was a record season for me. I hit personal bests in all my focus strokes, helped score points for the team in meets, was a Regional Qualifier, and stayed mostly injury free. This and prior seasons helped me earn a Swim Scholarship to Ouachita Baptist where I will attend in the fall this year.”

-Jocelyn Hayes, PHS Swim & Dive

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||RHHS Swim & Dive

-Coach Kimmie Phillips

The Rock Hill Swimming and Diving Program certainly made a splash in their inaugural season! Led by Head Coach Kimmy Phillips and Assistant Coach Chip Peeples, the program’s goal is to give each athlete the opportunity to achieve their highest potential. They strive to instill in their athletes an understanding and appreciation for concepts such as self-esteem, self-discipline, personal responsibility, goal setting, achievement, and a team concept regardless of their ability level. They believe that “Success is a journey, not a destination. While every participant may not become a world ranked swimmer or diver, each will benefit from the experience of striving for self-improvement. The positive life lessons gained from the process will prove invaluable in helping each individual succeed in his/her future endeavors. Winning, the ultimate goal for all competitive athletics, is not our purpose- the pursuit of excellence is!”

All seven of the team’s divers advanced to Regionals after an amazing showing at the District Championships, and Luke Sitz and Emily Rothacker were District Champions. The girls’ team had a great showing at the

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District Championships. The 200-medley team (Bethany Sitz, Kiara Xanthos, Erin Farlow, and Kasidy Lazarine) set a new 5A District 10 record and earned the District Championship title. Julie Kerkman placed 2nd and Natalie Liles placed 4th in the 200-freestyle at Districts and advanced to Regionals. Erin Farlow was the District Champ in the 200 IM, while Bethany Sitz finished 2nd and Jewel Jung placed 6th. Kasidy Lazarine won districts in the 100-free, while Erin Farlow took 2nd and Jewel Jung finished 4th in the 100-fly. Also winning a district title was the girls 200-free relay team (Erin Farlow, Kiara Xanthos, Kasidy Lazarine and Julie Kirkman). Bethany Sitz took 2nd in the 100 backstroke and Kiara Xanthos won the district title in the 100 breaststroke, while Julie Kirkman took 4th.

The 400-free relay team (Sitz, Xanthos, Kirkman, and Liles) won the district championship. The Boys also competed well at Districts, beginning with a Championship title in the 200-medley Relay (Ethan Hogan, Julian Pala, Saxon Boring, and Carson Kieffer). Ethan Hogan also won a district title in the 200-freestyle and Julian Pala took 2nd in the 200 IM. Saxon Boring took 3rd in the 100-freestyle,

“Had a great time, with a great team, at a great new school” -Saxon Boring, Rock Hill Swim

while Julian Pala took 2nd in the 500. The 200-freestyle relay team (Boring, Pala, Kieffer, and Hogan) placed 2nd. Both teams took 2nd overall at Districts, while Kiara Xanthos was named Girls Swimmer of the Meet and Ethan Hogan was named Boys Swimmer of the Meet.

Coach Phillips was Co-Coach of the Year and Coach Peeples earned Dive Coach of the Year.

The teams also claimed a Regional Champion in Diving

by Luke Sitz, while freshman Deacon Colbert took 2nd.

The 200-Medley Relay team (Sitz, Xanthos, Farlow, and Lazarine) also claimed a Regional Title. Kasidy Lazarine took 2nd in the 50-free and 4th in the 100-free.

The 200-free relay team (Farlow, Sitz, Xanthos, and Lazarine) also won a Regional title, while Kiara Xanthos won the Championship in the 100 breaststroke. Rock Hill Girls Swim and Dive took home the Regional Championship! It was then time for the Boys to

compete, and they didn’t disappoint. Ethan Hogan took 2nd in the 100 backstroke, while Saxon Boring took 6th in the 100-breaststroke, Julian Pala took 4th in the 500 free. The 200-free relay team (Boring, Kieffer, Pala, and Hogan) broke a school record to claim 5th.

Both teams then went on to UIL 5A State, with the boys capturing 15th overall, and Ethan Hogan placing 8th in the 100 backstroke, and Julian Pala taking 9th in the 500 freestyle. Luke Sitz also placed 5th at the State Dive Meet, while Deacon Colbert took 12th. The girls 200 Medley (Sitz, Farlow, Xanthos, and Lazarine) placed 3rd at State and Kiara Xanthos won 2nd in the 100 breaststroke, setting a new Prosper ISD record. Kasidy Lazarine also placed 10th in the 50-free. The Blue Hawks were incredible in their first year, and definitely set the bar high for the program in upcoming seasons.

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||PHS Wrestling

-Coach Sion King

What were some of the most memorable moments from this season?

Coach King: “My favorite part of the season was our experience at the UIL State Tournament where all 3 boys and our girl placed in state! Another spectacular moment was when my senior Chase Parham had battled back from a knee injury and surgery last season. He wasn't sure if he would be able to finish out this season because of an aggravation of his old injury in the first match of this year. He had to injury forfeit that match to the #2 ranked wrestler in the state. He then came back later in the season to beat the same opponent to qualify for state, and then made it all the way to the State Championship match!”

How has this year shaped the future of Prosper High School Wrestling?

Coach King: “The future is bright for Prosper Wrestling.

On our boys’ side, we've got a young talented class of freshman coming to Prosper next year. The combined talent of 8th grade boys from Rushing/Reynolds and part of Rogers will be a great addition to our program, as they won the majority of the individual district championships on the boys side. Several of our soonto-be-sophomores wrestled varsity as freshmen. On our girls’ team, we will have a few 8th grade girls that should make a big splash next

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season! We also had a talented bunch of freshman and sophomores that made it to regionals. Combined with our tough seniors, the girls should do quite well!

What were some of the notables for the Boys’ Team this season?

Coach King: “Our Boys finished 3rd in District, 5th at Regionals and 5th overall at the UIL 6A State Championship. We also had three boys who placed at State. Senior LJ Richardson was the 160-pound 6A State Champion, Senior Chase Parham was the 195-pound 6A State Runner-up, and Sophomore Joseph Richardson came in 6th Place at 120-pounds. We also had Sophomore Mason Gordon finish 5th at Regionals at 126-pounds and Senior Austin Gordon finish 6th at Regionals at 132-pounds.”

How did the Girls’ Team finish up?

Coach King: “Our Girls finished the season with a Dual Meet record of 15-2, and they beat Burleson Centennial, who is the #1 ranked 5A team in the state. They also finished 2nd in District, 8th at Regionals and 19th at the UIL 6A State Championship. Individually, Junior Taylor Martinez was the 138-pound 6A State Runner-up. We also had several girls place in Districts and qualify for Regionals. Freshman Lauren Garst at 102-pounds was 3rd in District. Sophomore Ashley Vogelpohl was District Runner-up at 165-pounds and finished 6th at Regionals. Senior Delia Luna was District Runner-up at 185-pounds, and Sophomore Alyssa Galindo was 3rd in District at 215-pounds. Junior Maegan Flaherty was a returning Regional Qualifier that went 5-2 before suffering a season-ending injury.”

“The wrestling program at Prosper HS is in a developmental phase right now. A lot of our experienced wrestlers have graduated over the last couple of years, but we have a tough group of sophomores and freshmen. The next few years will be exciting for this group of wrestlers. Looking for ward to seeing how my younger brother, JoJo, does.

Our coaches are very passionate and are committed to helping us grow as individuals both on and off of the mat. They set high expectations for us to be well rounded and respectful young men and women.

Due to Covid, this was not a typical wrestling season. There were times that our season was in jeopardy of being cancelled. I had placed my previous three trips to state, but I wanted to prove to myself that I could be at the top of the podium this year. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to wrestle and to finally achieve my goal. “ - LJ Richardson, State Champion

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||RHHS Wrestling

-Coach Huey Huynh

Four times is how many times the season got pushed back.

FOUR. That was four times that wrestlers with dreams of going to state and itching to compete had to adjust to the ever-changing world in a pandemic. The wrestlers at Rock Hill stayed focused and hopeful that they would be able to get on a mat and prove to well established programs that a new program can compete at the highest level, which they did. Despite UIL pushing back the high school season, several athletes competed in preseason tournaments where they could. Some traveled out of state to Iowa and Oklahoma. Several even traveled all around the State to compete when and where they could to turn their dreams into a reality.

Practice officially started in January and due to the success of athletes who had traveled and competed in the long pre-season, the team saw a growth in their numbers. They had roughly 50 athletes that participated in the competition season. Some of the more seasoned athletes, as well as those trying it for the first time, were extremely successful at both the varsity and junior varsity level. Under the guidance of Head Coach Huey Huynh, the boys team finished 3rd in the district and 5th in the Region, despite having only 10 out of the 14 boys competing on varsity for the first time. The boys produced two district champions, a district runner up, two 3rd placers, and an alternate (that ended up getting a chance to compete at regionals). Out of these gentlemen, two competed at state for their very first time.

The girls’ team was very young, comprised

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mostly of freshmen and sophomores. However, they produced a district champion and district runner up, both of whom moved on to compete in the regional tournament and ultimately qualified for State.

Coach Huynh had this to say about his inaugural season and team, “Wrestling is the BEST sport due to the fact that it is exciting to watch and fun while rewarding. This team believed in the coaching staff and improved every week. Two of our core values are ‘Embrace the Grind’ and ‘Control what you can control.’ What I loved most is when kids would overcome fear and beat someone when they were down. This is because of our 1st Core value of ‘Live and Train for something Bigger!’ We had a goal of making some history and we did that!”

Typically, when new high schools open, there are only freshmen and sophomores. This was not the case for Rock Hill. Every junior and senior got the choice to attend the new high school without knowing the administrators, teachers, or coaches. These student athletes took a leap of faith and hoped that moving would provide a chance for them to complete their high school career by building a legacy. Two seniors from the Rock Hill wrestling program are going on to wrestle at the collegiate level. Captain Xavier Rogers will be wrestling for Oregon State. He had an outstanding season and overall work ethic as a State qualifier, regional runner up, and district champion. Female Alison Simmons will continue her wrestling journey at Hastings College in Nebraska, helping to grow the women’s wrestling program that they recently established.

The wrestling program at Rock Hill is one unlike others. The athletes and coaches have laid a solid foundation that will continue to be built upon year after year. They demonstrate an unwavering character development and strive to live and train for something bigger than themselves, control what they can control, and above all else, embrace the grind. They all are truly champions on and off the mat in the Blue Hawk wrestling room.

BOYS’ RESULTS: 3rd in District 7 Regional Qualifiers 8th in Regionals 2 State Qualifiers – Xavier Rogers (Top 10) and Xavier Jukes 54th in State GIRLS’ RESULTS: 7th in District 3 Regional Qualifiers 11th in Regionals 2 State Qualifiers – Eleanor Jukes and Malaina Bowlby 49th in State

“This year has been tuff with a new school and new team and not knowing if we would get to wrestle. Our Coaches pushed us to adapt and over come adversity. As a team we kept movin for ward and never backwards.”

-Xavier Jukes

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

|| PHS Girls Basketball

-Coach Trey Rachal

The Prosper Girls Basketball team is led by Head Coach Trey Rachal and Assistant Coaches Leslie Wright, Mike Squiers, and Jordan Giesen. Coach Rachal is in his 9th season as the Lady Eagles head coach. During his tenure at Prosper, he’s had 20 academic all-state players and one player that was named to the TABC All-State team.

Coach Rachal had this to say about his team, “Prosper Girls Basketball ended the season with a record of 10-16. We finished 4th in District, securing our spot in the playoffs. However, we lost to Plano East in the Bi-District game. My favorite thing about this team is the resilience they showed throughout this tough season.

Due to injuries and COVID, they found their backs to the wall, but still made a run to get themselves into playoffs.”

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The Lady Eagles had many players earn academic and All-District honors. Chandler Browning was named 1st Team All-District, and Saylor Lewis was named 2nd Team All-District. Named to the Academic All-District team were Emma Bish, Chandler Browning, Aubany Russell, Aubrey Russell, Olivia Pennington, Ayden Allen, and Mason Duncan. There were also FOUR athletes names to the Academic All-State team: Emma Bish, Chandler Browning, Aubany Russell, and Aubrey Russell.

“We were so excited to have a 2020-2021 season after the uncertainty of Covid. As a team we were able to work to overcome obstacles on the court and came together to earn a place in playoffs. Even though we didn’t get the result we wanted, it was a great season I will cherish forever.”

-Emma Bish

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||PHS Boys Basketball

-Coach Jonathan Ellis

What did you enjoy most about this team?

Coach Ellis: “This team always showed resiliency…after losing our first two games of the season, our boys won both games the following week versus 6A playoff winners (at Rockwall, Jesuit). After losing our first two district games, our boys won 4 straight games including beating Allen for the first time. And after losing 3 games to begin the 2nd half of district, our boys finished strong to qualify for the playoffs. Trailing by doubledigits early to Marcus, our boys fought the entire 32 minutes and gave themselves the opportunity to tie or take the lead in the final minutes. They NEVER quit!”

Which of your players really embraced that Senior leadership role?

Coach Ellis: “With only 3 returning varsity players and no returning starters, the Prosper basketball team competed at the highest level and secured an 8th straight playoff appearance. Senior captains and starters, Justin Olaleye and Neal Utrup, led the inexperienced Eagles to a winning record and playoff berth.”

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With only returning 3 varsity players, were there other players who stepped up to lead?

Coach Ellis: “On the floor, freshman Jaxson Ford and senior Luke Chaney led the way in scoring and rebounding. Chaney averaged 10.7 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game. He had 3 Double-Doubles and scored his career high 23 points against Independence. Ford averaged 10 points per game and 9.4 rebounds. He had 9 Double-Doubles and set his career high at McKinney Boyd with 15 rebounds. Sophomore point guard, Addison Harmon, was a solid floor general all year long and improved as the season progressed. Junior, Jordan Hall, gave the Eagles instant energy, offense, and strong defense off the bench.

What are some of the best statistics from this season?

Coach Ellis: “This was our 8th straight year to make the playoffs. Our overall record was 14-11 and we tied for 3rd in District. Although we lost in Bi-Districts to Flower Mound Marcus, they never gave up! Jaxson was named Newcomer of the Year and we had two players named to 1st Team All-District, two named 2nd Team All-District, one named All-Defensive Team, and nine named Academic All-District, as well as several Academic All-State awards.”

DISTRICT 5-6A AWARDS 5-6A Newcomer of the Year: Jaxson Ford 5-6A 1st Team All-District: Jaxson Ford and Luke Chaney 5-6A 2nd Team All-District: Addison Harmon and Neal Utrup 5-6A All-Defensive Team: Justin Olaleye 5-6A Academic All-District: Jaxson Ford, Addison Harmon, Neal Utrup, Justin Olaleye, Boston Bogard, Noah Pecory, Cooper Boushey, Brandt Evanson, and Jordan Hall 1st Team THSCA Academic All-State: Noah Pecory 2nd Team THSCA Academic All-State: Cooper Boushey Honorable Mention THSCA Academic All-State: Neal Utrup, Justin Olaleye, and Boston Bogard

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ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

|| RHHS Girls Basketball

-Coach Stephanie Shaw

What was it like to develop and build the Rock Hill Girls Basketball program this year?

Can you tell us a little bit about Co-New-Comer of the Year, Sophomore Rebekah Juett?

Coach Shaw: “Starting a brand-new program in the middle of a pandemic has definitely been challenging but our players have handled all the challenges so well. Our growth from the start of school until our playoff game was tremendous. This group bought in from the very beginning and we believe that is why they had the success that we did.”

Coach Shaw: “Rebekah Juett led our team in points and rebounds. She does a great job on the offensive end of the floor, creating her own shot and reading the defense.”

What did you enjoy most about your inaugural season and team?

Coach Shaw: "We are in search of uncommon women, willing to give uncommon effort, willing to make uncommon decisions, in search of uncommon results."

Coach Shaw: “What I enjoyed most about this season was watching these athletes grow into a team and a family. We had zero varsity experience in our program and had 11 players that were at 5 different schools the previous year. Watching this group grow and believe in themselves and each other was something amazing to watch happen.”

How did your team leadership develop throughout the season?

Coach Shaw: “We struggled with having someone step up into that leadership role, but by the end of season we became a team of leaders. When you have a player-led team versus a coach-led team, that's when you know they are growing into leaders.”

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Your team uses the hashtag UNcommon…can you explain what that means to you and your players?

One of your core values is 1% Growth. What does that mean and how does that play into your program?

Coach Shaw: “We want our players & coaches to have a growth mindset in everything they do. We talk about doing things to help you grow as a person, a student, a daughter, a sister, a friend, in everything. We want to try and grow every single day in every aspect of our lives. 1% growth is focusing on the little growth every single day that turns into big things. We asked for our players to give 1% more than they did yesterday.”

Selfless Disciplined Grateful Tough Growth (1%) 2020-2021 10-5A ALL-DISTRICT AWARDS Co-New Comer of the Year Rebekah Juett 2nd Team Haleyiah Hayes Honorable Mention Aariyahna Suggs Laney Hutson Jackie Powell

#UNcommon

Core Values:

ROSPER HY P E

Dedicated to Prosper ISD Sports

||RHHS Boys Basketball

-Coach Shawn Williams

Photos courtesy of Rock Hill Media

The Rock Hill Boys basketball program is led by Head Coach Shawn Williams, and Assistant Coaches Nick Reeder and Kreston Martin. Coach Williams is a graduate of Duncanville High School and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Southern Methodist University. He also received his Masters of Liberal Studies at SMU and served at a Graduate Assistant Coach from 2013-2015. Williams was named Mr. Texas Basketball in 2009 and played at SMU under Coach Larry Brown from 2011-2015.

Williams was hired to build the Blue Hawk Basketball program and came to Prosper after teaching at MacArthur High School in Irving.

The Blue Hawks opened their season against Rowlett on November 13th with a 75-50 win. Top scorers in the program’s debut game were Grant Shaw(10pts), Jaythan Jackson (12pts), Riley Shore (11pts), Connor Kern (13pts), and Anthony Williams (14pts). Rock Hill then went on to defeat their next opponent, Frisco Lone Star, 64-46, but fell to Kimball 73-80. They made a

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strong comeback, winning their next two games and claiming a Top 10 pre-season ranking! The new program also started out district play 1-0 with a win over McKinney North. The Blue Hawks went on to finish 3rd in District with a 10-4 district record and made the playoffs their very first year as a program. Unfortunately, they were defeated in Bi-Districts by Frisco Heritage.

Several awards for the inaugural team include Grant Jessen and Jaythan Jackson with 2nd Team All-District, Grant Shaw with All-District and 1,000-point Varsity Scorer and six All-District Academic: Riley Shore, Jaythan Jackson, Shaun Nganga, Grant Jessen, Marsalis Brandon, and Connor Kern. The team finished with an overall season record of 16-7.

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Photos courtesy of Rock Hill Media

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Opening New Doors

By Alexis Jacobs illiam Arthur Ward once said "Opportunities are like W sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them." In the fall of 2019, students in the class of 2021 were given the opportunity to be

part of the inaugural class of Rock Hill High School. Having been in Prosper ISD since 7th grade, and a starter on Prosper High School’s Varsity basketball team beginning his freshman year, Grant Shaw made the difficult decision to switch from Prosper to Rock Hill for his senior year.

“I chose to make the switch to Rock Hill because I really believe that change is good and that you can’t move up or get better at something if you’re not willing to open new doors,” says Shaw.

“Obstacles are a pathway to success.”

According to Shaw’s mother, while the decision was tough, she truly believes her son made the right one for himself.

“We [mom and dad] both emphasized that life sometimes throws you opportunities that you’ll never get again,” says Sarah Shaw.

“Being part of a new high school and helping to build the foundation of the basketball program was one of those lifetime events that only comes once.”

Serving as captain, Shaw has been a key player in helping lay the groundwork for the Rock Hill Boys Basketball program. Under the leadership of Coach Shawn Williams, Rock Hill Varsity Basketball finished their inaugural season 16-7, going 10-4 in district 10-5A, and making playoffs their first year. With the foundation built, the

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future is bright for the Rock Hill basketball program.

Shaw started playing basketball for the MLK Center/Little Dribblers in Denton when he was only 4 years old. Even at young age Shaw was focused and took the game very seriously and by third grade he started playing on an AAU travel team and played select ball up until 11th grade. During his four years on varsity, Shaw has been awarded several district honors. On February 5th, senior night, he scored 22 points, giving him over 1,000 points scored during his high school basketball career, an achievement he was completely unaware of until the announcement was made following the game.

Shaw is also a high achiever off the court. He is a member of the National Honor Society, a Concord Baptist Church Scholarship recipient, and was recently named “Dale Hansen’s Scholar of the Week”. Shaw has volunteered for the last five years with ManeGait, a horse therapy program for people with special needs, serving as a side walker ensuring that the riders do not fall off during their riding sessions. He has also volunteered in other capacities assisting people with special needs since 7th grade. Upon graduation, Shaw plans to attend college, where he hopes to play basketball and major in business.

As a member of the first class of Rock Hill High, Shaw is a role model to those who will walk down the school halls long after he leaves. “I hope people remember Grant Shaw as a really good basketball player that made being respectful, nice, and positive a cool thing,” says Shaw.

Shaw

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2020-2021

PROSPER ISD SCHOLAR ATHLETES

Samantha Jacobs

University of Alabama

Anthony Lozada

East Texas Baptist

Aidan Siano

Rice University

Chase Pendley Baylorv

Jenna Curran

LeTourneau Univ

Holly Ferguson

PISD Superintendent

Nikki Steinheiser

Boston College

Haili Moore

Kansas University

Jackson Berry

Southern Utah

Gabriel Colina

Taylor Youtsey

Bailey Birmingham

Kialah Jefferson

Chandler Browning

Blake Bergeron

Abbey Beasley

Cal Poly-SLO

University of North Texas

Masson Jolley

Southern Methodist

Jackson Juvera

North Central TX

North Central TX

Shalee Shore

Josh Livingston

Rice University

Valerie Little

Director of Athletics

42 | Prosper HYPE || Winter 2020-2021

Crowder JC

Michael Sain

Assistant Director of Athletics

Tulsa

Concordia

Ryan Medeiros

VCU

Rogers State

Evan Brown

Pittsburg State

Angelo State

Blake Paradis

Josh Barnhouse

North Central TX

Spencer Stillman

Oklahoma Wesleyan

Crowder

Colton Van Voorhis

Texas A&M Commerce

Kaitlyn Giametta Texas Tech

Sarah Smith SWAGU

Alex Stowers

Angelo State

Blake McEwan Grayson

Rebecca Betanzo UT Dallas

Dr. John Burdett

Prosper HS Principal

Haley Nichols Tulsa

Sydney Reid

Centre College

Brad Larson

Keaton Nickerson

Morehead State

McMurray

Jocelyn Hayes

Case Pettis

Ouachita Baptist

Hill

Alexis Svoboda

Appalachian State

Mr. Dustin Toth

Jett Anderson

Coe Collage

Herman Lee

Kristin Towle

Appalachian State

Brandon Schmidt

PHS Athletic Coordinator

Jordyn Gunnarson

Texas A&M University

John Richardson

UMKC

Rock Hill HS Principal

Natalie Smathers

Seattle University

Erin Kauffman

Angelo State

Hayden Jestes

Ouachita Baptist

Laleh Lonteen

Jacksonville State

Cameron Harpole

San Diego State

James Eckrote

Mary Hardin Baylor

Allison Simmons

Hastings College

PHS Asst. Athletic Coordinator

Mark Humble

Hannah Schulze

Ouachita Baptist

RHHS Athletic Coordinator

Xavier Rogers

Oregon State

Angel Mauterer

RHHS Asst. Athletic Coordinator

Winter 2020-2021 || Prosper HYPE | 43