Aug. 31, 2024 issue

Vol. 1, No. 1

Austin Sports Journal August 31, 2024

AustinSportsJournal.com

Bragging Rights

Anderson wins annual rivalry game PAGE 5

ON SOCIAL MEDIA @ASJSportsATX

BI-WEEKLY EMAIL UPDATES

austinsportsjournal.com/newsletter-signup/ Austin Sports Journal P.O. Box 160911 Austin, TX 78716

VOLLEYBALL

Jaguars ready to pounce on 29-6A Buda Johnson is turning heads with upset after upset of former district rivals as they emerge as a contender in their new district.

– Page 7

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Buda Johnson......28 Cedar Ridge........14

Westwood..............7 Waco Midway......43

Lake Travis..........51 Arl. Martin............12

Drip. Springs........14 Vandegrift............31

Hays....................31 Elgin.....................21

NB Canyon..........35 Austin High..........45

Bowie...................40 Cedar Ridge........27

Victoria East........14 Georgetown.........54

Thorndale............29 Thrall....................50

– More scores inside, page 4

2 | Aug. 31, 2024

Briefly

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Austin Sports Journal | AustinSportsJournal.com

QUESTIONS WITH...

AVA MONCADA, WESTWOOD VOLLEYBALL

What is your biggest volleyball ick?

A rat tail ponytail or bun.

The Austin Sports Journal is on a quest this high school football season to find the best student section in the Greater Austin Area.

Send us video or photos from your student sections or tag the Austin Sports Journal (@ASJSportsATX) on social media posts that show your school’s student sections during the game.

We will take your submissions, pick the best 10 and poll our readers each week to decide who was the the title of Best Student Section in Austin for that week.

You can email submissions to madams@austinsportsjournal. com. Deadline for submissions is Sundays at 5 p.m.

Voting will begin on Monday and continue for 24 hours.

The winner will be announced on Wednesdays. We will present your school with a plaque the following week at your pep rally, if you’ll have us!

CONTACT US Mailing address: P.O. Box 160911, Austin, TX 78716 Email: madams@austinsportsjournal.com Phone: 512-779-4527 PUBLISHER & OWNER Michael Adams AUSTIN SPORTS JOURNAL (ISSN: Pending) is published weekly on Saturdays

by The Sports Journals, LLC. Reproduction or use without permission of editorial or graphic content in any manner is strictly prohibited. Subscription rates are $29.99 annually (52 weeks) or $5.99 monthly.

Subscriptions automatically renew, but can be canceled anytime. Readers may purchase subscriptions at austinsportsjournal.com. © 2024 | Austin Sports Journal STORY IDEAS Send tips to publisher Michael Adams at madams@ austinsportsjournal.com.

ADVERTISE WITH THE ASJ For advertising information, rates and production specifications, contact publisher Michael Adams.

CORRECTIONS & CLARRIFICATIONS Fair and accurate reporting is at the heart of what we do at the Austin Sports Journal. Contact Publisher Michael Adams at madams@austinsportsjournal.com about anything that is incorrect or needs clarification.

What would your last meal be?

Pad see ew (Pad Thai) Who is your favorite volleyball player from the Austin area that’s not on your team?

Weiss setter Takyla Brown What are the first three songs you’re putting on a pregame playlist?

200FORLUNCH by Gunna; Shabooya by Hitkidd; Child’s Play by Drake Bonus question: If you could invite one person in the history of the world to dinner, who would you invite?

Princess Diana. She seems very interesting and would have a lot of stories.

Photo courtesy of Westwood volleyball

Enter the ASJ’s contest to find the best student section in the Austin area

If you were given $1 million, what is the first thing you’d do, and you can’t say travel?

Give some of the money to my grandma so she can retire and then I’d hire a personal pilot.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

It’s the Austin Sports Journal’s birthday A well-kept secret is that today, Aug. 31, is the Austin Sports Journal’s birthday.

I came home after covering a game for the Dallas Morning News and mapped out an idea on a piece of paper.

The next day, I bought the URL for MICHAEL ADAMS onthesidelinessports.com, created a logo PUBLISHER and started posting things to a website.

I just built everything as I went along through trial and error. (More error than I’d like to admit) I took out a few hundred dollars from my savings and bought a camera, video equipment and a microphone.

My initial plan was to cover all sports in the Austin area and provide an alternative to traditional sports coverage. That proved to be a little tougher than I thought it would be.

So as the football season went on, I narrowed down my coverage plans to high schools and put the focus on

highlighting the talented athletes in the Austin area.

And it grew.

And grew some more.

And then some more.

It grew so fast that I had a hard time keeping up.

If the current traffic trends continue, the Austin Sports Journal website will hit its one millionth lifetime page view sometime in late October or early November.

A lot has changed in the last year.

I re-branded from On the Sidelines Sports to the Austin Sports Journal to more align with what I really wanted this to be – a newspaper, albeit a digital newspaper.

The irony is, I never really considered publishing an e-paper or magazines when initially putting all this together. It’s just sort of evolved into all this.

And we are with the first issue of the Austin Sports Journal on the company’s first birthday!

I can’t thank you all enough. If it wasn’t for each and everyone of you, I wouldn’t be here.

Austin Sports Journal | AustinSportsJournal.com

Aug. 31, 2024 | 3

HOW OUR POWER 5s FARED

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CLASS 6A WESTLAKE (1-0)

UP NEXT vs. San Benito

LAKE TRAVIS (1-0)

UP NEXT vs. Rockwall

VANDEGRIFT (1-0)

UP NEXT at. Cedar Park

MCNEIL (0-1)

UP NEXT at Lake Belton

DRIP. SPRINGS (0-1)

UP NEXT vs. SA Wagner

def. Prosper 35-14

def. Arl. Martin 51-12

def. Drip. Springs 31-14

Lost to Weiss 42-41 (OT)

Lost to Vandegrift 31-14

BATTLE OF 79

50 29

Tigers wake up in 2nd half, outscore Bulldogs 21-7 to win

CLASS 5A WEISS (1-0)

UP NEXT at San Marcos

def. McNeil 42-41 (OT)

LIBERTY HILL (0-1)

UP NEXT vs. Rouse

CEDAR PARK (0-1)

UP NEXT vs. Vandegrift

Lost to Cibolo Steele 49-26

Lost to H. Heights 45-43 (OT)

BASTROP (1-0)

UP NEXT vs. China Spring

ANDERSON (1-0)

UP NEXT at Elgin

def. Alvin 41-6

def. McCallum 57-40

CLASS 4A & BELOW

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High School Football

WIMBERLEY (1-0)

def. Canyon Lake 46-0

Michael Adams/ Austin Sports Journal

Thrall’s Anson Gonzales (8) tackles Thorndale quarterback Gunner Ferguson (10) during the Battle of 79 rivalry football game between Thrall and Thorndale on Friday, Aug. 30 at Tiger Stadium in Thrall.

UP NEXT vs. Fredericksburg

LBJ (1-0)

UP NEXT Open

def. Sam Houston 56-7

BLANCO (0-1)

UP NEXT at Randolph

GRANGER (0-1)

UP NEXT at Thorndale

LAGO VISTA (1-0)

UP NEXT vs. Waco Connally

Lost to Hondo 49-40

Lost to Johnson City 34-22

def. Burnet 23-20

By Michael Adams madams@austinsportsjournal.com THRALL ¬– It took nearly two quarters of football Friday for Thrall to take the lead over their bitter rivals.

When the Tigers finally did, quarterback Chance Parker put the offense in turbo mode and went on to defeat Thorndale 50-29 in front of a packed house at Tiger Stadium.

Thrall (1-0) outscored the Bulldogs 21-7 in the second half.

However, the Battle of 79 rivalry game between the two schools separated by five miles along U.S. Highway 78 was closer than the final score suggest.

Thorndale (0-1) started the game recovering an onside kick but failed to capitalize on the opportunity.

However, with 7:44 left in the first quarter Thorndale got a safety and then scored on the ensuing possession on

Up next • •

Thrall vs. Rosebud-Lott, 7 p.m., Friday Thorndale vs. Granger, 7 p.m., Friday

a 7-yard run by senior running back Noah Crabtree, who scored all three of the Bulldogs first half touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs had to play catchup.

Parker ran in an 11-yard touchdown with 4:37 left in the first quarter and the two-point converstion try was good to tie the game at eight.

Thorndale scored on back-to-back possessions to take a 22-8 lead early in the second quarter, but Parker cut the lead to seven with a 26-yard toss to Nick Trueter on the next possession.

Continued on page 4

4 | Aug. 31, 2024

Austin Sports Journal | AustinSportsJournal.com

High School Football SCOREBOARD

23 20

Thursday’s scores Weiss 42, McNeil 41 (OT) Westlake 35, Prosper 14 Anderson 57, McCallum 40 Stony Point 28, East View 22 Hendrickson 14, Belton 0

Vikings hold on to beat Burnet

Friday’s games Class 6A Waco Midway 43, Westwood 7 Vista Ridge 31, Killeen 21 Vandegrift 31, Dripping Springs 14 Buda Johnson 28, Cedar Ridge 14 Hutto 63, San Marcos 8 Round Rock 22, Killeen Shoemaker 14 Lake Travis 51, Arlington Martin 12 Travis 24, Akins 0 Austin High 45, New Braunfels Canyon 35 Bowie 40, Manor 27 Del Valle 54, Cedar Creek 21

Photo courtesy of Martelle Luedecke

Burnet’s defense lines up across Lago Vista’s offense during a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 30 at Bulldog Stadium in Burnet. The Vikings held on for a 23-20 victory over the Bulldogs.

Continued from page 7

Michael Adams/ Austin Sports Journal

Thorndale running back Noah Crabtree scores a touchdown.

Parker then ran in touchdowns for 45 and 7 yuards to give Thrall a 29-22 lead going into the locker room at halftime.

Thrall has won the last three meetings in this storied rivalry game that some argue is the best in Central Texas, if not the state.

Thorndale has lost 12-straight games with their last win coming on Nov. 10, 2022 against Johnson City in the Class 2A-I playoffs.

The Bulldogs will look to end their losing streak next week at home against nearby Granger. Thrall will host Rosebud-Lott. Both games are slated for 7 p.m.

ROUNDUP Vandegrift 31, Dripping Springs 14: Quarterback Miles Teodecki threw for 223 yards and three touchdwons to lift the Vipers over Dripping Springs Friday at Monroe Stadium.

Running back Brendan Fournier rushed for 93 yards and scored one touchdown for the Vipers (1-0), who led 31-7 at halftime.

Dripping Springs (0-1) couldn’t get their offense going against a stingy Vandegrift defense that gave up just 68 rushing yards, with 58 coming from Tigers’ running back Jack Tyndall.

Lake Travis 51, Arlington Martin 14: The Cavaliers tallied 380 total yards and outscored Arlington Martin 34-2 in the second half to defeat the Warriors in Arlington Friday night.

Quarterback Chaston Ditta threw for 146 yards and two touchdowns for the Cavaliers (1-0). Running back Vann Hopping rushed for 183 yards and had five touchdowns.

Georgetown 54, Victoria West 14: Jeff Walker rushed for 192 yards and scored two touchdowns, while sophomore quarterback Kaleb McDougle threw for 202 yards, completing 11 of 18 passes, with five touchdowns to lift the Eagles to a season opening win over Victoria West.

Rockdale 42, Smithville 27: Rockdale scored 21 first quarter points and held off a Smithville comeback to win Friday night in Rockdale.

See more coverage at austinsportsjournal.com.

Class 5A Bastrop 41, ALvin 6 Pflugerville 54, Leander 28 Hays 31, Elgin 21 Rouse 57, Connally 10 Georgetown 54, Victoria East 14 Glen 21, Medina Valley 7 Killeen Chaparral 12, Lehman 6 Harker Heights 45, Cedar Park 43 (5 OTs) Navarro 14, Eastside 0 Cibolo Steele 49, Liberty Hill 26 Victoria East 30, Lockhart 7 Class 4A & below Wimberley 46, Canyon Lake 0 Troy 49, Salado 28 LASA at Manor New Tech Gatesville 42, Taylor 27 Northeast at St. Andrews New Braunfels Christian 63, Austin Achieve 0 Marble Falls 56, Crockett 0 Rockdale 42, Smithville 21 Lago Vista 23, Burnet 20 Jarrell 20, Giddings 14 La Grange 52, Cameron Yoe 49 LBJ 56, San Antonio Sam Houston 7 Hondo 49, Blanco 40 Johnson City 34, Granger 22 Thrall 50, Thorndale 29 McDade 24. Copas Rose Legacy 6 Bosqueville 21, Bartlett 12

Austin Sports Journal | AustinSportsJournal.com

Aug. 31, 2024 | 5

Thursday Football Rewind TACO SHACK BOWL

42 41

57 40

Freshman QB leads Wolves to win over McNeil

By Steve Thomas Special to the Austin Sports Journal Weiss senior quarterback Jax Brown revealed Thursday on X prior to the Wolves season opener with McNeil that he would be out for the season after suffering a knee injury in the Wolves’ scrimmage against Waco University last week.

That meant freshman Jaxson Schad would get the start for the Wolves (1-0), and he didn’t disappoint.

Schad willed Weiss to a 42-41 victory in overtime at Kelly Reeves Stadium, fighting off a resilient Mavericks team that was out to prove 2023 wasn’t a one-trick pony.

Trailing by seven points in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks rallied to tie the game at 35. McNeil had a pair of chances to win the game, but the Mavericks missed two field goal attempts.

Continued on page 7

Michael Adams/ Austin Sports Journal

Anderson quarterback Max Gerlich (3) steps back to pass during the annual Taco Shack Bowl at House Park Stadium in Austin, Texas on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

Trojans outgun rival McCallum in Taco Shack offensive shootout

By Michael Adams madams@austinsportsjournal.com

Ursula Rogers for the Austin Sports Journal

Weiss running back Nick Johnson scores a touchdown during a football game at Kelly Reeves Stadium in Austin on Thursday.

Max Gerlich waited for this moment all summer.

And he took full advantage of it.

Anderson’s senior quarterback produced 446 total yards of offense Thursday night in front of a packed house at House Park Stadium to push the Trojans to a 57-40 win over rival McCallum in the annual Taco Shack Bowl.

Gerlich, a UTSA pledge, threw for seven touchdown passes – three to TCU commit Ed Small – and ran for another in his first game since suffering a serious knee injury.

Of his 446 yards, 308 were through the air to his favorite targets Small and Zayden Sharp.

Up next • •

Anderson at Elgin, 7:30 p.m., Friday McCallum at Travis, 7:30 p.m., Friday at Burger Stadium

Not to be outdone, McCallum’s Luke Dunham got into a duel with his Anderson counterpart. The senior quarterback scored four touchdowns while throwing for 326 yards and rushing for another 150. Running back Mark Sanchez Jr. had a spectacular night as well, rushing for 104 yards and scoring two touchdowns.

Anderson (1-0) has won four of the last five Taco Shack Bowls, with McCallum (0-1) last getting the win in 2021.

6 | Aug. 31, 2024

Austin Sports Journal | AustinSportsJournal.com

Football Look Ahead: Week 2 SCHEDULE

Thursday’s games

Leander at Hendrickson, 7 p.m. at The Pfield McNeil at Lake Belton, 7 p.m.

Akins at Cedar Creek, 7:30 p.m. at BISD Memorial Stadium Westwood at Austin High, 7:30 p.m. at House Park Bowie at Vista Ridge, 7:30 p.m. at Gupton Stadium Pflugerville at Hays, 7:30 p.m. at Shelton Stadium

Friday’s games

Vandegrift at Cedar Park, 7 p.m. at Gupton Stadium Cedar Ridge at Waco Midway, 7 p.m.

McNeil at Lake Belton, 7 p.m.

Hutto at Converse Judson, 7 p.m.

Taylor at Connally, 7 p.m. at The Pfield China Spring at Bastrop, 7 p.m.

Blanco at Randolph, 7 p.m.

Burnet at East View, 7 p.m.

Georgetown at Belton, 7 p.m.

Glenn at Copperas Cove, 7 p.m.

Manor at Harker Heights, 7 p.m.

Granger at Thorndale, 7 p.m.

Rosebud-Lott at Thrall, 7 p.m.

St. Anthony’s at Austin Achieve, 7 p.m.

McDade at Hubbard, 7 p.m.

Rockwall at Lake Travis, 7:30 p.m.

San Benito at Westlake, 7:30 p.m.

San Antonio Wagner at Dripping Springs, 7:30 p.m.

Anderosn at Elgin, 7:30 p.m.

Stony Point at Buda Johnson, 7:30 p.m. at Shelton Stadium Round Rock at Temple, 7:30 p.m.

Weiss at San Marcos, 7:30 p.m.

Travis at McCallum, 7:30 p.m. at House Park Lockhart at San Antonio Southwest, 7:30 p.m.

Lehman at San Antonio Jay, 7:30 p.m.

Del Valle at Schertz Clemens, 7:30 p.m.

Rouse at Liberty Hill, 7:30 p.m.

Navarro at Northeast, 7:30 p.m. at Nelson Stadium Crockett at Canyon Lake, 7:30 p.m.

Giddings at Smithville, 7:30 p.m.

LASA at Eastside, 7:30 p.m. at Burger Stadium Fredericksburg at Wimberley, 7:30 p.m.

Bartlett at Bruceville Eddy, 7:30 p.m.

Marble Falls at Jarrell, 7:30 p.m.

Johnson City at Senora, 7:30 p.m.

La Grange at Columbus, 7:30 p.m.

Waco Connally at Lago Vista, 7:30 p.m.

Lampasas at Salado, 7:30 p.m.

Big School Game of the Week VANDEGRIFT CEDAR PARK @ 1-0 VIPERS TIMBERWOLVES 0-1 7 p.m.,Friday at Gupton Stadium | Series record: Cedar Park leads 8-6 Last meeting: Vandegrift won 41-17 in 2023 at Vandegrift VANDEGRIFT TO WATCH: DE Deshon Morgan; DB Aidan Jones; RB Brendan FDournier; DB Hollister Stephens; WR Brock Chilton; OL Will Wood; LB Parker Davis

The Vandegrift Vipers.

Michael Adams/ Austin Sports Journal

CEDAR PARK PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Trae Hill; LB Jahiem Porter; LB Lockan Wicketts; DB Garrett Nichols; OL Jacob Slaughter; QB David Cooper

Michael Adams/ Austin Sports Journal

Cedar Park head coach Michael Quintero

Who has the advantage?

OFFENSE If you love smashmouth football, you’ll be in for a treat. The big offensive names in this game are both at the running back position. The Vipers will rely on RB Brendan Fournier to carry the load as they still mold a young quarterback. The Timberwolves are in a similar situation, as RB Trae Hill will carry the load.

Cedar Park has a slight advantage at running back and a big offensive line should be the difference.

DEFENSE Defense is the trademark of Cedar Park football, but the Timberwolves’ are very young on that side of the football. Vandegrift, on the other hand, has a lot more experience. There’s a bit of role reversal with these teams, as the Vipers are known for the offense. However, Vandegrift has the advantage here.

INTANGIBLES This game will be played at Gupton, which should give the Timberwolves home field advantage. But not so fast! Vandegrift has dominated this series the past three seasons, winning by an average of 34.7 points.

The Vipers have won five of the last six meetings, so recent history is on their side.

OVERALL This game has a history of being a high scoring affair. These teams have met 14 times, but only three times have there been fewer than 20 total points scored. This might be one of those years because we think defense will decide this game. If that’s the case, the Vipers will extend the current streak to four games.

Small School Game of the Week GIDDINGS SMITHVILLE @ 1-0 BUFFALOES TIGERS

0-1

7 p.m.,Friday at Tiger Stadium | Series record: Giddings leads series 14-6* (last 20 meetings) Last meeting: Smithville won 35-34 in 2023 at Giddings.

Austin Sports Journal | AustinSportsJournal.com

RANKINGS

Records are as of Aug. 28

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CLASS 6A DRIPPING SPRINGS (22-0) Up next: vs. Hays (Tue.)

AUSTIN HIGH (21-1)

Up next: at San Marcos (Tue.)

BUDA JOHNSON (16-4)

Volleyball BUDA JOHNSON

Ready to pounce

Up next: at Anderson (Tue.)

ROUND ROCK (16-6)

Up next: at Vandegrift (Fri.)

WESTLAKE (12-8)

Up next: at San Antonio Brandies (Tue.)

CLASS 5A LIBERTY HILL (21-0)

Up next: at Georgetown (Tue.)

GEORGETOWN (19-1)

Up next: vs. Liberty Hill (Tue.)

WEISS (18-4)

Up next: vs. Ann Richards (Tue.)

MCCALLUM (10-10)

Up next: vs. Northeast (Tue.)

GLENN (10-11)

Up next: vs. Bowie (Tue.)

CLASS 4A & BELOW

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Aug. 31, 2024 | 7

WIMBERLEY (15-2)

Michael Adams/ Austin Sports Journal

Buda Johnson’s Mya Ibarra (17), Kate Tietz (15) and Brooklyn Myers (1) celebrate a point during a volleyball match on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 at Johnson High School in Buda, Texas.

Jaguars exceeding expectations; emerge as contender in 29-6A

Up next: vs. Blanco (Tue.)

By Michael Adams Austin Sports Journal

SALADO (18-4)

BUDA ­­– The Buda Johnson volleyball team had a relatively quiet offseason.

There wasn’t a lot of preseason attention.

The Jaguars weren’t showing up on “teams to watch” lists, nor were they anywhere on anyone’s preseason rankings list. By most accounts, Buda Johnson was just another team getting ready for a new season, but without the glitz and glam of say Dripping Springs or Liberty Hill.

An 0-2 start to the season with losses to Smithson Valley and Class 4A powerhouse Wimberley surely didn’t help draw attention to the Jaguars.

Maybe they were just waiting on the right time to pounce.

“There’s a lot of talent on this team, but I think we know who we are as a team, we know our strengths and we know

Up next: vs. Troy (Tue.)

GATEWAY PREP (11-2)

Up next: at Hendrickson (Fri.)

MARBLE FALLS (13-5)

Up next: at Llano (Tue.)

JOHNSON CITY (13-7)

Up next: vs. Copperas Cove (Tue.)

“

We’re not the most physical team, but we do a really good job of playing defense and capitalizing on our offensive opportunities.”

– Thomas Kane, Johnson head coach

our weaknesses,” said head coach Thomas Kane. “We play really hard, and I think that surprises teams. We’re not the most physical team, but we do a really good job of playing defense and capitalizing on our offensive opportunities.”

It starts with senior setter Brooklyn Myers, who is essentially the floor general. Myers picked up her 2,000th career assist on Tuesday in Johnson’s win over upstart Bowie.

The match wasn’t as close as some might have expected.

Continued on page 9

8 | Month, Day, Year

Austin Sports Journal | AustinSportsJournal.com

Volleyball Look Ahead Game of the Week

AUSTIN AREA VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

LIBERTY HILL PANTHERS

21-0 @

GEORGETOWN EAGLES

19-1

6:30 p.m.,Tuesday at Eagle Gymnasium | Series record: Liberty Hill leads 5-3 Last meeting: Liberty Hill won 25-17, 25-22m 25-23 LIBERTY HILL PLAYERS TO WATCH: Taylor Gaines, Sr. outside hitter; Annie Witt, Sr., outside hitter; Brooklyn Escobar, Sr., libero; Ava Kostroun, Sr., middle blocker; Aubrey Hughes, Sr., middle blocker.

GEORGETOWN PLAYERS TO WATCH: Addison Gaido, Sr., outside hitter; Mackenzie Bernard, Sr., middle blocker; Sadie McCaluley, Sr., outside hitter; Sophia Jazesf, Sr. middle blocker; Reagan Ramirez, Sr., libero

Takyla Brown Weiss, setter., senior

Brown helped the Wolves win the bronze bracket of the Pflugerville ISD VolleyPfest and was named to the all-tournament team. She recorded her 3,000th career assist on Tuesday in Weiss’ loss to Austin High.

About the selection process: Each week, the Austin Sports Journal selects five players from Austin area schools that had standout performances during the previous week of action and let readers vote on the winner. Voting takes place Thursday through noon, Fridays. The winner is announced each week in our e-paper and online on Sundays.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE TUESDAY Hays at Dripping Springs Westlake at San Antonio Brandies Hendrickson at Del Valle Austin High at San Marcos Hutto at Westwood* McNeil at Vandegrift* Cedar Ridge at Stony Point* Canyon Lake at Akins Liberty Hill at Georgetown Lake Travis at Cedar Park Buda Johnaon at Anderson Travis at Elgin Ann Richards at Weiss Lockhart at Pflugerville Connally at Cedar Creek Northeast at McCallum Chaparral at East View Bowie at Glenn Blanco at Wimberley Troy at Salado Copperas Cove at Johnson City Crockett at Eastside Austin Achieve at Prairie Lea Fredericksburg at Burnet Bartlett at Somerville Lampasas at Lago Vista Marble Falls at Llano Manor New Tech at Fayetteville Giddings at Taylor Jarrell at La Grange LBJ at Thrall

FRIDAY Dripping Springs at Waco Midway Westwood at Vista Ridge* Manor at Cedar Ridge* Georgetown at Westlake Round Rock at Vandegrift* Rouse at Stony Point Hutto at McNeil* Elgin at Akins San Marcos at Anderson St. Michaels at Glenn Ann Richards at Connally Lake Belton at East View Buda Johnson at Pflugerville Killeen Chapparal at Lehman Bastrop at Lockhart Eastside at McCallum Travis at Crockett Gateway at Hendrickson Salado at West Manor New Tech at Granger Bartlett at Rosebud-Lott Troy at Taylor Giddings at Columbus La Grange at Sealy Lago Vista at Thorndale Rogers at Jarrell Fredericksburgh at Johnson City Burnet at Wimberley Austin Achieve at Marble Falls Del Valle at LBJ

Note: Game times vary, but most approximately start at 6:30 p.m.

Liberty Hill’s Aubrey Hughes

Michael Adams/ Austin Sports Journal

Georgetown’s Sadie MacCauley

Who has the advantage?

OUTSIDE Georgetown has future Texas Longhorn Addison Gaido on the outside, but there’s a strong supporting cast with Sadie McCauley and Molly O’Shaughnessy. Liberty Hill is also pretty solid on the outside with Taylor Gains and Annie Witt. Depth is the biggest difference here and Georgetown has more of it than Liberty Hill.

MIDDLE DEFENSE This match may likely be decided by who’s middle defense can step up to slow the other’s offense.

Liberty Hill has the advantage here with a little more height in the middle with the trio of Aubrey Hughes, Evie Bruce Ava Kostroun. McKenzie Bernard and Sophia Jazesf are good, but don’t matchup well with Liberty Hill’s middles.

PASSING & BACK LINE DEFENSE Both teams have standout liberoes. Reagan Ramirez leads the way for the Eagles, while Brooklyn Escobar, an all-state soccer player, mans the back line for the Panthers. The setter position might be where Liberty Hill has the advantage. Senior Ava Hight and sophomore Addison Betzen give Liberty Hill good depth at that position.

INTANGIBLES The Panthers have made back-to-back state tournament appearances, while the Eagles haven’t made it out of the second round the last two years. Liberty Hill has won the last five meetings, only giving up one set in three matches and sweeping the other two.

Michael Adams/ Austin Sports Journal

Austin Sports Journal | AustinSportsJournal.com

Month, Day, Year | 9 Continued from page 5

Michael Adams/ Austin Sports Journal

Buda Johnson’s Macy Phillips (12) sets the ball during a volleyball match on Tuesday at Johnson High School in Buda.

Continued from page 7 Johnson (16-4) surprisingly dominated the first two sets over a taller Bulldogs team. The Jaguars were clearly the better team, and they continue to prove just how good they are over and over again.

“We’re playing really good as a team, right now,” Myers said. “We work hard in practice and had a great offseason and its showing. I think we’re going to surprise a few people this season.”

A 6-1 showing in the Garland Tournament after the two season-opening losses earlier got the season back on track However, last week, Myers and the Jaguars lived up to that promise of surprising people with an impressive four-set win over traditional Austin power Lake Travis.

Myers had 13 kills and 27 assists, wile senior outside hitter Zaniah Hoskins tallied a match-high 26 kills to lead the Jaguars.

Johnson rode that momentum into this past weekend’s Pflugerville ISD’s VolleyPfest Tournament, where they reached the championship match and lost to red-hot Austin High. In fact, all four of Johnson’s losses have been to ranked teams.

“We come into the gym every day and work hard,” said Hoskins, who recently committed to the University of

Louisiana-Monroe. “I think we’ve really come together as a team, and what you see is the result of that and our hard work.”

The Jaguars play in the Smithson Valley Tournament this weekend and have three non-district games remaining before starting District 29-6A play. One of those non-district games is a rematch with Austin High on Sept.

10 at Austin High School.

With a strong start to the season, Johnson will likely not be able to sneak up on their new district opponents, which includes perennial powerhouse New Braunfels Canyon, San Marcos, Cibolo Steele, Schertz Clemens, San Antonio East Central and Converse Judson.

It’s a far cry from the district competition the Jaguars have played the past two season in 26-6A, which included Westlake, Dripping Springs, Lake Travis and Austin High. Some coaches refer to 26-6A as the SEC of Texas high school volleyball.

“Playing in (26-6A) the past two years has prepared us for what we are going to see this year,” Kane said.

“That’s why I kept some of those teams on our non-district schedule this year, because I think those teams challenge us the way our new district. They are doing just that, and I love how my kids are rising to the challenge.”

In overtime, McNeil answered Weiss’ score, but elected to go for two instead of kicking the game-tying extra point.

The Wolves’ defense stopped junior wide receiver Jarell Gary just short of the goal line and escaped with the win.

“I told my players they almost gave me a heart attack,” said Weiss head coach Vernon Hughes.

On the opening drive, Weiss moved the ball methodically and took a 7-0 lead on a one-yard touchdown run my Nicholas Johnson.

On their next two drives, however, penalties and mistakes killed the Wolves’ momentum.

Early in the second quarter, McNeil quarterback Jaden Sultz tossed a 38-yard touchdown to Joshua Williams to tie the game.

Weiss responded with a one-yard touchdown run by Schad to retake the lead at 14-7.

On the ensuing McNeil drive, the Wolves forced the Mavericks into a third and 12, but Sultz tied the game with a 46-yard touchdown to Aden Taylor.

Daniel Berry returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to retake. the lead for Weiss a 21-14 lead.

After trading punts to open the second half, Weiss intercepted Sultz and capitalized with a 59-yard touchdown pass from Schad to Adrian Wilson to put the Wolves up by 14.

In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks put together a methodical drive and took advantage of several Weiss penalties.

Willams scored his third touchdown to trim the Wolve’s lead to 8 after a failed two-point conversion try.

Sultz capped off a late drive with a one-yard touchdown keeper, and Aden Taylor converted a two-point conversion to tie the game.

With two seconds left in the game, McNeil kicker Cesar Baza missed a 39-yard field goal attempt, but Weiss was flagged for roughing the kicker. On the second try, kicker Jackson Edwards missed a 24-yard field goal.

On the opening drive of overtime, Nicholas Johnson punched in the ball from two yards for a touchdown to give Weiss the lead.

Gary responded with a spectacular catch in the end zone on the first play of McNeil’s possession.

Rather than extend the game to a second overtime, the Mavericks decided to go for the win.

Up next • •

Weiss at San Marcos 7:30 p.m., Friday McNeil at Lake Belton, 7 p.m., Friday