2023 Taylor Press Sports Year in Review

Taylor Ducks

• Taylor Independent School District named Earven Flowers the new athletic director and head football coach earlier this year. Flowers, a former Division I football player at the University of Kentucky, has been on the Ducks sideline since 2018, he served as defensive coordinator under former Head Coach Brandon Houston. Flowers preaches “commit to the T on your chest” as a line of motivation for players.

• Taylor boys basketball had a very experienced senior core of players under Head Coach Stephen Gibson and it showed during January as the Ducks. Despite starting 4A-District 22 play with a 2-4 record, the Ducks powered down the stretch with six straight district victories beginning on Jan. 20 to make the 4A playoffs.

• Taylor boys varsity powerlifting standout Ernest Alderete represented the Ducks as a junior at the 4A-1 Texas High School Powerlifting Association State Championship as he lifted 1,560 pounds in the 275-and-over competition.

• Taylor boys varsity soccer soared under former Zachary Gibson in the 2023 season and capped off March with a perfect 12-0 record as 4A-District 24 champions. Los Patos fell with a tough 1-0 defeat to El Campo High School in the area round as Taylor finished with a 21-4 overall.

• At the 4A UIL Track and Field State Championships, Ducks star senior Jarvis Anderson set a boys conference record in the boys’ 300-meter hurdles with a time of 35.96 seconds to earn a gold medal. Anderson also won gold in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.64 seconds and his mark of 22’6’’ won silver in the long jump.

• Taylor varsity baseball made a Cinderella run throughout the 4A playoffs as the Ducks advanced to the regional finals against China Spring High School. The Ducks would fall in the best-of-three series to the Cougars, and finished the season with a 31-5-1 record.

• The Taylor varsity football team went 3-1 at the 7-on-7 state qualifying tournament hosted by Cameron Yoe High School. The Ducks were able to qualify for the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football 7-on-7 State Tournament June 22-23 held at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station.

• Taylor Duck football under first-year Head Coach Earven Flowers dominated rival Rockdale in their first game of the season with a 39-6 victory.

• On Oct. 27, the Ducks picked up a big win over Canyon Lake to claim a playoff spot. Taylor fell to No. 1 ranked Boerne High School in the bi-district round 42-28. Taylor finished the season 5-6.

Lady Ducks

• Under Taylor High School girls basketball Head Coach Lawrence Bailey, the Lady Ducks dominated January with a perfect 6-0 mark in 4A-District 22 games during a pivotal point of the season. The Lady Ducks finished 12-1 in district play. This included a thrilling 53-52 victory over La Grange High School in the tie-breaker game for the district championship title. The Lady Ducks fell to Waco Connally High School squad in the area round playoffs.

• Taylor girls’ varsity powerlifting capped off the 2023 season with a Lady Ducks’ third-place finish at the 4A-1 Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association State Championship. Lady Ducks senior Analise Frias lifted 1,190 pounds in the 259-and-over class, which made her the best lifter at the 4A-1 state tournament.

• Lady Duck varsity tennis player Rylee Michna burst onto the scene as a freshman and captured her first UIL 4A girls singles state title.

• At the beginning of a historic season, Taylor varsity volleyball first-year Head Coach Rylee Davis and the Lady Ducks willed their way to a stellar comeback victory Aug. 29 in a home match against Burnet High School. The Lady Ducks finished the season 30-14, the program’s best since 1988. The Lady Ducks brought home district and bidistrict titles before falling in the area round to Salado.

• Longtime Taylor cross country and girls’ track and field Head Coach Shelli Cobb took a step towards retirement April 7. Throughout her illustrious career, Cobb helped the Ducks collect multiple district titles and other accolades in track and was known for always putting her athletes first to make sure they got the showcasing they deserved.

Thrall Tigerettes

• Thrall High School girls varsity basketball under Head Coach Katina Walker finished the season 24-1 with a 9-3 record in 2A-District 27. The Tigerettes captured a bi-district and area titles before falling to Big Sandy High School in the regional quarterfinals.

• The Thrall varsity tennis team placed fourth in the Texas Tennis Coaches Association 2A and Under State Team Tennis Tournament March 10-11 in Waco.

• Thrall girls varsity track and field took first place as a team April 28-29 at the 2A Region 4 Championship at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville. Several runners quaified for state including Avery Koonce, Melaina Grissom, Kassandra Jackson and Nevaeh Irvin.

• Thrall varsity volleyball Head Coach Bethany Grissom recorded her 500th career win Oct. 24 after the Tigerettes defeated long-time rival Thorndale High School. The win clinched the Tigerettes’ 10th district title in Grissom’s 12 years at Thrall and extended their districtset winning streak to 44 matches. The Tigerettes finished the season 31-7, and fell in the regional tournament to Johnson City.

Thrall Tigers

• The Thrall varsity football under Head Coach Aaron Vanecek made a massive statement Sept. 1 in its home opener as the Tigers won a 56-42 thriller over Johnson City High School. The Tigers, with a 3-3 district record, made the playoffs as the No. 4 seed out of 2A-1 District 13 but fell to Mason High School in the bi-district round. Thrall finished the season 6-5 overall.

• As of Dec. 28 at the TexasBank Holiday Classic tournament in Brownwood, the Thrall boys varsity basketball team is still undefeated at 18-0 following victories over Gorman High School, San Saba High School and Meyer High School.

Granger

• Granger High School varsity softball finished with a 22-10 overall record and made a deep run in the playoffs after finishing fourth in 2A-District 27.

• Granger varsity football Head Coach Stephen Brosch was honored in the 2023 issue of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine in the 40 Under 40 section along with the other best young coaches in the state.

• Two Granger class of 2023 athletes were named in their respective sports to the Texas High School Coaches Association 2A All-State Super Elite Team with Mattie Wilkie in softball and Nathan Tucker in baseball.

• It was pandemonium at The Lions Den Oct. 20 as the Granger varsity football team pulled off a 17-14 upset victory over Chilton High School. The Lions would fall in the regional semifinals with a loss in a rematch with Chilton, as Granger finished with a 10-3 record.

Hutto

• Hutto High School boys varsity basketball team, under Head Coach Gant Caraway, entered the 6A playoffs with a 9-3 district record, but fell in a 47-46 heartbreaker in the bi-district round to Cedar Hill High School.

• Hutto varsity base- ball finished as the runner- up in 6A-District 12 after defeating Harker Heights High School 7-6 in the seeding game to finish 10-3 in the district. The Hippos would fight hard in the bi-district playoffs, but came upshort against Mansfield Lake Ridge in the decisive third game.

• The Hutto varsity volleyball team continued its strong run in 6A-District 12 play this year. Uner Head Coach Jessica Martinez, the Lady Hippos would make the 6A playoffs as the No. 4 seed and but were defeated by Mansfield High School in the bi-district round.

• The Hutto varsity football team, who started the season with a 1-5 record, turned it around on the gridiron this 2023 season. Hutto clinch a playoff berth in 6A-District 12 with a thrilling 66-63 victory

Oct. 27 over Bryan High School, the team’s third straight victory.

Hutto dropped the bidistrict playoff round to Duncanville. The Hippos finished the season 3-3 in district and 4-7 overall.

St. Mary’s

• The St. Mary’s Catholic School varsity golf team traveled to Azle to compete in the Texas Christian Athletic Fellowship at the Cross Timbers Golf Course.

Brady Altman finished with a third-place state medal as an individualist, and Mercy Barta finished with a fifthplace state medal as an individualist.

• St. Mary’s six-man football started off its 2023 season with a bang Aug. 26 as the Rams cruised to a dominant 56-8 victory over Williamson County Home School in the opener for both teams at Taylor Memorial Stadium. The Rams season was cut short due to teams with not enough players. St. Mary’s went 3-5 overall, and 1-3 in district.

Local sports

• The Taylor community gathered together Feb. 4 near the intersection of Main Street and Lake Drive to dedicate a mural to Fred Kerley, a star Olympian and the 2022 World Champion in the 100-meter dash.

Later in the year, Kerley won his second Rabat Diamond League event in a span of six days when he ran a blazing 9.94 seconds in the men’s 100-meter dash in Florence, Italy.

• Local boxer Destiny “Too Sweet” Jones won her May 5 fight for the ABF InterContinental Super Featherweight Title held at Tech Port Arena down in San Antonio. Jones made quick work of opponent Brittany Ordonez as she knocked her out just 1:37 into the first round, taking home the title belt back to Taylor.

• The 10th annual Taylor Press 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament was held July 8–9 at Taylor High School with 19 teams in the 18-and-older division, six squads in the 11–14 division and the Shining Stars special needs group playing at the end of the action.

A new champion was crowned in the 18-andolder division as Snipe Squad Reloaded. In the 11–14 division final, the Lightning Bombers had to come from behind and win in the final seconds against Str8 Buckets to become the new champions.

• The 6U Taylor Ducks youth baseball team capped off a season to remember July 19-22 at the 2023 South Zone Shetland World Series in Louisiana, where the team went 2-4. Under Head Coach Jake Ness, the team was previously crowned the 2023 Pony League Regional Champions.

• The Taylor Press had a huge milestone Oct. 4 for Around the Watercooler, as Area Editor Jason Hennington, Area Sports Editor Andrew Salmi, Taylor Youth Ducks Football Head Coach Quincy Griffin, Digital Director Suzanne Stevens and the live studio audience celebrated the 300th episode of the weekly sports show.

• The Taylor Middle School eighth grade football team capped off an undefeated season Nov. 2 on the road against Burnet Middle School.

• A storybook season for Taylor Youth Ducks football with a dominant playoff run was capped off Nov. 11 as the Ducks were crowned the 2023 Tri-County Youth Football League Varsity Division champions with a dominant 38-0 victory over the Thrall Youth Football League varsity team.

In the varsity division made up of kids aged 10 to 12, Taylor’s team entered the weekend as the No. 2 seed in the league with a 7-1 overall record, while Thrall was the No. 4 seed in the league with a 5-3 mark. The Tigers entered the Super Bowl championship title game after pulling off a huge 14-7 upset over Rockdale in the semifinals. The Taylor Youth Ducks football program also competed Nov. 18 at the Dallas Red Zone Games held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington against many other youth teams of different age groups from across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.