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Sports
BIG BOOTS: HILLCREST KICKER PROVIDES A RARE SPECIAL TEAMS WEAPON
At 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, Malphurs proves size isn’t just for defensive ends
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By Todd Jorgenson
People Newspapers
During the first day of his freshman year at Hillcrest High School, Reed Malphurs caught the eye of football coaches.
Never mind that his background was in soccer rather than football. As one of the tallest kids in his class, he could fit as a wide receiver or defensive end. Three years later, the coaches were right about Malphurs’ star potential. They just had the position wrong.
The 6-foot-6 senior has emerged as one of the top kickers in Texas, with a booming leg that gives the Panthers a special-teams weapon many of their opponents lack.
Early in the 2020 season, after Hillcrest had an opening for a kicker, Malphurs secured the job by nailing a 38-yard field goal on his first try. Later that season, he added a 45-yarder during a playoff
With a career long of 57 yards, Hillcrest’s Reed Malphurs has emerged as one of the top kicker
recruits in Texas. (PHOTOS: COURTESY AND CHRIS MCGATHEY)
game against Aledo.
As a junior, Malphurs improved both his range and his accuracy, culminating in a pivotal school-record 57-yard field goal as the first half expired during a win over Seagoville.
“I was really not comfortable at all. I was freaking out,” Malphurs said. “I took a deep breath, he snapped the ball, and the rest is history. As I kicked the ball, the buzzer went off.”
The next morning, he got a call from SMU, wanting him to visit. Malphurs subsequently began training with local kicking guru Scott Blanton and linked up with some recruiting services.
“He’s truly changed my entire kicking form,” Malphurs said. “I went from barely being able to make 60-yarders to having a [personal record] of 70 yards.”
Malphurs still trains with Blanton multiple times each week, in addition to participating in full offseason workouts with the rest of the football team, at his insistence.
“A lot of it is natural ability, but Reed is one of the hardest workers on the team,” said Hillcrest head coach Jacob Ramon. “He’s a leader on this team because of that work ethic. We’re very blessed to have him.”
This season, he hopes to have an opportunity to break the state record of 63 yards or perhaps even the national record of 68 yards, which has stood since 1985.
College interest has increased too, with Malphurs taking visits to TCU, LSU, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Mississippi State, and others. But he still must explain he’s not a defensive end.
“There’s not too many times you see a 6-foot-6 kicker walking into a college camp,” he said. “It’s just unheard of.”
New Challenge Awaits Rangers in Water Polo Jesuit hopes more experienced roster will make a splash in first UIL campaign
By Todd Jorgenson
People Newspapers
Unlike many schools in Texas this year, Jesuit Dallas isn’t starting its water polo program from scratch. But for players and coaches, it almost feels that way.
The Rangers have been a mainstay in the sport for the past several seasons. Still, as the University Interscholastic League begins sanctioning water polo this fall, Jesuit will have a chance to grow its program further.
“I have seen the excitement build over the past year,” said Jesuit head coach Jason Gall. “There’s definitely more interest on campus.”
The Rangers finished with a 9-14 record during the 2022 spring season, which was the last sponsored by the Texas Interscholastic Swim Coaches AssoPCP_Aug2022_Banner-FINAL.pdf 1 7/6/2022 4:15:34 PMciation. The two years before that were cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Gall, who came to Jesuit from California a year ago, sees the transition from TISCA to UIL and spring to fall as a great opportunity to reset. That’s already been in the works. Jesuit had six freshmen on the roster last season, trying to build momentum and continuity in anticipation of the short turnaround between campaigns.
Gall estimates the program is already up to 25 participants — a mix of experienced club players and newcomers — compared to 21 in the spring. “We created the buy-in last year,” he said. “The goal was to make them want to come to practice the next day and see improvement. Going into this season, we’ve kind of kicked it up a notch.”
Where the spring was about building the foundation for a young roster, the offseason has featured more advanced workouts to suggest steps forward.
“We got to see what the best looks like, and even though we didn’t really have a chance to beat them, we saw that we could compete,” Gall said.
Now the Rangers hope their progress will include a playoff appearance in their first UIL season. However, that won’t be easy in a district that includes traditional powerhouses like Southlake Carroll, Flower Mound Marcus, and Keller.
“As long as you keep the guys motivated and not discouraged, let’s see how we can play with the top teams in the state,” Gall said. “If we’re going to qualify for postseason, we will have to beat teams who finished ahead of us last year.”
Jesuit with players like Dominic Arra and Tyler Wick will face tough
competition in District 2 during its first UIL water polo season. (PHOTOS:
FRANCIS CELII PHOTOGRAPHY)
