Sports

SPC Sports

Boys soccer team shows early signs of SPC dominant play

LILY O’GORMAN

Editor In-Chief

The EHS boys soccer team has had an explosive start to their season with a 2-1 record as of November 28. With a 1-0 win against The Village School, a 7-0 win against St. Thomas Episcopal, and a tough 2-1 loss against Central Catholic, the team has seen highs and lows which they expect will prepare them for intense competition leading up to the SPC tournament in April. Yousuf Saeed, one of the team’s senior captains, stated, “We have a very strong team this year. With the talent and amazing coaches our team has, I’m sure that as long as we use each other, our team will go very far. I’m confident that with the right mindset, the trophy is coming home this year.” With 11 seniors on a roster of only 23, the makeup of the team surely lends itself to a highly experienced, driven, and dedicated mindset. Head Coach Travis Smith commented on this unique quality, stating, “It’s the most senior-laden team in my time at EHS. With that perhaps comes bigger expectations.” He went on to discuss the team’s vibrant and united mindset, stating, “In terms of energy and collective team spirit, it’s also one of the best teams I’ve been around at EHS. The team is very close and connected.” The team hopes to see continued success and support from EHS fans in the following months of games.

Sophomore Tomas Gomez works the ball to a teammate during varsity soccer action. Photo by Libby Davis.

Boys team enjoys three-game streak

THOMPSON WHITE

Staff Writer

The Episcopal High School boys basketball team got off to a shaky start this year with two losses to two great teams, but have since rebounded and are on a threegame win streak. The Knights first games were against Fort Bend Elkins, which led to an 84-39 loss, and Bellaire, a 64-49 loss. Having learned from the first two games, the Knights started to pick up momentum and beat St. Pius 71-56, with junior Justin Begg leading the team scoring with 44 points. The Knights kept this momentum going and beat El Campo 65-42 and Silsbee 6959, but lost to Dobie High School 59-79. The Knights basketball team looks like it has a lot of depth and is led by Begg, a junior who is a shifty ball handler with a great, playmaking shot and smooth finish at the rim. The Knights will face Stafford on December 20, which will be a challenging opponent for the Knights, but anything is possible with this team.

Swimming and diving teams anticipate making a splash

JAKE BERLIN

Sports Edtor

The EHS swimming and diving team has continued training diligently for its winter season following the cancellation of its first scheduled tournament against the Village School. The unexpected cancellation of this event has presented the team of athletes with more time to sharpen their skills through arduous training and daily practices. The team is seasoned and well trained, consisting of predominantly senior athletes with a small selection of dedicated juniors and sophomores. Under the leadership of the elected senior captains and Head Coach Shaun Flood, the team expects promising results and a high-ranking in the upcoming SPC Championship that is to take place on February 10. The swim and dive teams compete simultaneously at the same tournaments while participating in separate events. This year’s set of divers are an exceptionally skilled group of athletes who are bound to yield success throughout the rest of the season as they partake in upcoming events.

Texas High School Jamboree hosts talented Knights squad

IZZIE SONG

Staff Writer

The varsity girls basketball team recently participated in the Texas High School Jamboree, an annual tournament, that took place on November 26 in Fort Bend. Competing against Bellaire High School, the girls lost 57-42 in a game that pushed them to reach out of their comfort zones. Usually a jump-shooting team that works the perimeter, the Knights were forced to score in the paint as their normal tactics were halted. The girls subsequently decided to experiment with lay ups and inside shots. The lessons learned at the tournament proved impactful, as the girls went on to beat St. Agnes 41-37 bringing their recrord to 3-3 at press time. Emily Burke, a core player, notes that her teammates have been doing a great job at communicating among each other and with the coaches. Now that the season is just beginning, she looks forward to upcoming SPC games along with team bonding.

Wrestlers secure early wins

JULIA SHERMAN

Staff Writer

This winter season, the Knights wrestling team started the year with two wins in duals against George Ranch (60-18) and Klein Forest (47-24). Assistant Coach Tom Estus is looking forward to a successful season and said, “Our four captains - Jimmy Guzman, Lane Robinson, Ben Sanders, and Thalia Vogelsang - are all ranked very highly in their weight classes in the state for private schools, and Jimmy is a two-time returning state champion, having won the state tournament as a freshman and sophomore. Rob Britton is off to a great start and won his weight class at the Northside tournament.” The Carlos Malina Tournament at Northside High School, right before Thanksgiving Break, was a successful tournament for the team. Vogelsang, Guzman, and Britton all finished first in their weight classes. The wrestlers were back on the mat soon after break, having matches versus Bellaire, Strake, and Northside.

Jackson Adams squares up with his opponent, looking for an advantage. Photo by Libby Davis.

Soccer kicks into high gear

JALYNN WOOLEY

Production Editor

The girls soccer team has had a great start to its season after earning a 2-1 win over Bishop Lynch and 1-0 over St. Agnes. Starting the year against two challenging opponents, the girls proved their hard work and dedication last season and off-season work they did on their own was well worth their time. Unfortunately, Head Coach Rachel Stelter announced that she would be taking some time off due to her health, but Coach Bryce Reynolds was ready to take her place until Coach Stelter returns for the start of the SPC season in January. Coach Reynolds, familiar with the girls after serving as the varsity assistant coach for the 2021-2022 season, just returned from playing professionally in the Netherlands, but is excited to rejoin the coaching staff for another great season.

Sports

Nations unite with the start of World Cup 2022 in Qatar

JALYNN WOOLLEY

Staff Writer

After four years of anticipation, 32 teams across the globe are currently competing in the 22nd FIFA Men’s World Cup that is being held in Qatar, with games taking place from November 20 to December 18. The international tournament opened with Ecuador’s 2-0 defeat of the host country and was soon followed up by the US team’s 1-1 draw with Wales on Monday and Argentina’s upset loss to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The World Cup’s 2018 champion, France, made its return in their opening game against Australia on November 22 and earned a 4-1 win as they compete for another international title. Some of the most anticipated games of the tournament included England’s face off against the US, which ended with a 0-0 tie on November 25, and the match between Mexico and Argentina that ended with Argentina’s 2-0 win. Each of the 32 teams was split into eight groups (Groups A-H) and entered the competition in order of international ranking. Once the competition began, each team earned three points for a win, one point for a tie, and zero points for a loss. The two highest scoring teams in each group will enter the knockout stage until the final match on December 18. After another four years, the next World Cup will be held in 2026 with match locations distributed across North America, including host cities Dallas and Houston. In addition, the FIFA Women’s World Cup will take place in 2023 in host country New Zealand where the Women’s US team will fight to defend its 2019 title and aim to earn its third consecutive win and fifth FIFA title overall.

FIFA World Cup 2022 favorites including Lionel Messi, who is yet to win a World Cup, and England’s Harry Kane. Photo courtesy of ESPN.com.

EHS alumnus serves as Houston Rockets marketing assistant

RAIGAN CLAY

Staff Writer Denman Kane, EHS Class of 2018, after four years at Birmingham-Southern College, finds himself back in Houston, working for the Houston Rockets organization. Denman characterizes his experience at EHS with fondness as a journey of growth. Denman grew up coming to football games in middle school with his brothers who attended EHS, so the Episcopal culture was nothing new to him. When Denman was at EHS, he played basketball for the Knights and continued the sport into his college years. He says from his time on the team he most valued “all of the relationships [he] made with friends, coaches, and teammates [he] will never take for granted.” Denman’s love for the game of basketball and the team aspect of that environment prompted him to pursue a career in communications for a sports team. Denman works as a marketing assistant for the Rockets and the Toyota Center in downtown Houston. His department handles marketing, youth basketball camps, and draft parties. When asked what a typical day at the Rockets organization is like, Denman said, “One day I could be finalizing contracts with facilities for our youth basketball camps, and the next day be in Lake Charles for Rockets training camp with season ticket members and the players. I like the variety and that every day is a chance for something new to occur.” Denman has endured the transition of playing basketball and being on the court to the logistics side of basketball. He says he carries the lessons he learned on the court, like “having mental toughness, keeping your teammates accountable and being persistent on what you want to accomplish in whatever path you decide is best for you” at the forefront of his job. “The department I am in right now has that ‘team’ aspect, and so those life lessons definitely prepared me for where I am now.” When asked if he could give any words of wisdom for potential sports or communications students at EHS, he said, “The more you are humble, kind, and easy to talk to, the harder it will be for someone to turn you away. You are going to be surrounded by and dealing with all different kinds of people. Learning how to stand your ground and keep in mind what’s important can be a big key.”

FBS teams vie for playoffs

THOMPSON WHITE

Staff Writer

The college football playoffs will start December 31, and on December 20, the four teams playing in the tournament will be announced. Second-seed Michigan will almost certainly make the playoffs after destroying former second-seed Ohio State 45-23 on November 26. The Georgia Bulldogs also have a very strong likelihood of making the playoffs, but first they must go through LSU, who recently lost to unranked Texas A&M. Georgia is projected to win the college football national title, but Michigan has a great opportunity to win the title after their great performance against Ohio State. What makes Georgia so great is their physicality and depth as a team. Almost all their start-

ers are either four or five stars. Michigan, on the other hand, also has great depth, but what separates them from Georgia is Blake Corum, who is arguably the best college running back in the nation. Third-seed TCU currently has an undefeated season, and if they win the Big 12 championship against Kansas State (which they beat 38-28 earlier in the season), TCU will end up in the playoff party. The fourth spot right now is a little bit of a toss-up, but many people believe that either fourth-seed USC or fifth-seed Ohio State should make the playoffs. Ohio state lost to Michigan 4523; however, until the fourth quarter, Ohio state was down by only 3. USC, led by Heisman favorite Caleb Williams, has Heisman favorite Caleb Williams finds the en- had a phenomenal dzone. Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times. season and recently took down a ranked Notre Dame team. USC must beat Washington in the PAC-12 championship to secure its spot in the playoffs.

Denman Kane is working for the Houston Rockets. Photo courtesy of LinkedIn.

Astros make moves in free agency

CLARA CRENSHAW

Staff Writer

With the end of the 2022 season, the Houston Astros face competition in pursuit of Justin Verlander’s free agency. Coming off one of his best seasons and securing his second World Series championship ring with the Astros, there’s no guarantee he’ll return. Verlander stated early on that his decision would be primarily financially-dependent. Verlander has asked for over $40 million annually, surpassing what Astros owner Jim Crane will be most likely willing to pay. Verlander said, “I’m going to be in a situation where the market will dictate this, and we’ll see what happens. Obviously, there are other people that are interested. Jim (Crane) understands that.” If he doesn’t end up with the Astros, possible contenders include the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, and the Texas Rangers. The Mets are probably the top contender for Verlander, as owner Steve Cohen has been known to pay the most and is one of the wealthiest men in baseball. With Jacob deGrom and Chris Bassitt entering free agency this year, the Mets could use Verlander. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a logical option as they’re potentially losing Trea Turner in free agency and, being a strong contender to win the World Series

next year, could use Verlander’s skill. The Yankees are also a logical option, but less likely than the Mets based on the money. Nonetheless, the Yankees possibly lose Aaron Judge this year, and getting Ver-

Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander may not stay another year with the Astros. Photo courtesy of The Guardian.

lander would put him with a former Astros teammate, Gerrit Cole. Last, the Rangers is probably a long shot, but after last season’s big spending on infielders, they’re expected to have another year of paying big for their rotation. Although Astros fans are hoping Verlander ends up in Houston, it’s unlikely considering the mass of teams looking at him and willing to pay more.