A 40-year playoff drought ends and UIL state history. The top 5 HS sports stories of 2019
Top 5 high school sports stories of the year in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram coverage area:
1. North Side Steers go dancing
Heartbreak after heartbreak for the Fort Worth North Side football program; the Steers sent home when the playoffs started for every year since 1980. They’ve come close in recent years, but couldn’t punch their ticket.
A new light in 2019 as North Side, under the direction of head coach Joseph Turner, finally got over the mountain top and clinched its first playoff berth in 40 years.
The Steers would be one and done with a bi-district loss against Wichita Falls, but a huge stepping stone for the program, school, alumni and community.
They also got a rare first-team all-state selection in junior Da’Wain Lofton, who accounted for 32 touchdowns.
2. Aledo’s record-setting state title
The Bearcats graduated some key pieces from the 2018 team, most notably on defense and the offensive line. But Jase McClellan, Jake Bishop, Money Parks and JoJo Earle returned. And Coach Buc was back on the sideline in his return as head coach, his first since the 2013 season.
After losing an offensive explosion in Week 1, 60-57, at home against state qualifier Denton Guyer, Aledo won 15 straight games. The Bearcats went undefeated in district play to extend their district winning streak to a state record 91 games.
They capped it off with a 45-42 win in the 5A Division 2 state title game against Fort Bend Marshall for their ninth state football title, a UIL 11-man state record.
3. Byron Nelson brings home volleyball championship
Despite a 42-2 record in 2018, the Bobcats were bounced in the third round of the playoffs. With a strong core coming back, featuring dynamic play makers Paige Flickinger, Charitie Luper and Payton Chamberlain, it was to no one’s surprise Byron would be in for another great season in 2019.
Byron went 50-2 and lost just once in Texas before going to the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland for the first time.
The Bobcats finished second in a very tough tournament in Hawaii, were co-champs at the Lone Star Circle of Champions and won the Northwest ISD Classic outright. They finished 13-1 in District 5-6A, perhaps the toughest in the state.
They beat Lake Ridge, Flower Mound and Guyer to get to the state tournament, where they swept Schertz Clemens in the semis and outlasted Plano West in five sets for the program’s first state championship.
4. Southlake Carroll dominates the competition
Each program and every school shoots for one thing; a state title. Well, at Southlake Carroll, the Dragons won six of them in 2019 (boys swim, girls swim, girls soccer, baseball, boys cross country, girls country).
It started in February when the Dragons swept the swim and dive meet. The boys team has been the best in the state, capturing its ninth straight while the girls won its first since 2013. Divers Hailey Hernandez and Bridget O’Neil finished in the top-2 for the second straight year.
Two months later, the girls soccer team won its first state title since 2008 in dominating fashion, shutting out opponents in its last four matches, including 7-0 in two state tournament games.
The Dragons beat Katy Tompkins 5-0 in the 6A final. Taylor Tufts was voted District MVP and named the Fort Worth Star-Telegram girls soccer player of the year.
Carroll’s baseball team beat the odds by winning its second straight title, despite having no returning starters. The Dragons beat Fort Bend Ridge Point 17-0 in the title game, setting a 6A state tourney record for runs in a state game and runs in a single inning with 11 in the third.
The Dragons swept the cross country awards in November and the football team went 13-1, won district, finished No. 6 in the final 6A state rankings and went to the state quarterfinals.
Head football coach Riley Dodge was the winner of the Landry Award for Coach of the Year, sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers was voted District MVP and the Dragons won the Lone Star Cup.
5. Colleyville Heritage baseball wins state; Bobby Witt Jr. goes second overall
Led by All-American Bobby Witt Jr., the Panthers won it all in Class 5A, defeating Georgetown 14-2 for the program’s first state title and just the school’s second since the 1999 girls soccer team won.
The Panthers had six different players record two hits and three players had three hits as they finished with 18 hits, a 5A state tournament record for one game.
Heritage had three players drafted in the MLB First-Year player draft, Witt, Logan Britt and Mason Greer and seven players signed national letters of intent to Division 1 schools.
Witt Jr., who was named Gatorade National Male Athlete of the Year, was drafted second overall by the Kansas City Royals.
6 others
6. Timber Creek wins first girls wrestling title
7. Trinity King makes history for Arlington Martin golf
8. Lake Ridge star Jasmine Moore sets record, honored by Gatorade
9. Mansfield Timberview wins second boys basketball title in three years
T10. Graydon Morris dominates track, cross country again
T10. Grapevine rallies to 3-peat in girls state golf
Top 6 Athletes
Bobby Witt Jr., Colleyville Heritage, baseball: 5A state champ, No. 2 overall draft pick, Gatorade National Male Athlete of the Year, Star-Telegram player of the year
Taylor Tufts, Southlake Carroll, soccer: 6A state champ, 31 goals, 24 assists, S-T POTY
Paige Flickinger, Byron Nelson, volleyball: 6A state champ, S-T POTY, Class 6A POTY
Jose Ortiz, Arlington Sam Houston, soccer: 3-time S-T POTY, city record 59 goals
Myra Gordon, LD Bell, basketball: Alabama signee, S-T POTY, DFW-leading 928 points
Jasmine Moore, Lake Ridge, track: Georgia signee, triple jump record holder, Gatorade Texas Female Track Athlete of the Year
Top 5 Photos
All-Area Players of the Year
Boys Basketball: CJ Smith, Timberview
Girls Basketball: Myra Gordon, LD Bell
Boys Soccer, Jose Ortiz, Sam Houston
Girls Soccer: Taylor Tufts, Carroll
Softball: Dylann Kaderka, Keller
Baseball: Bobby Witt Jr., Heritage
Volleyball: Paige Flickinger, Byron Nelson
Football: Quinn Ewers, Carroll
In Memoriam
Grand Prairie police officer AJ Castaneda (former football player for Martin head coach Bob Wager)
Burleson Centennial senior Dawson Barnes (baseball)
Boyd senior Ashley Fouts (volleyball)
Arlington Bowie senior Anthony Strather (football)
This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 9:00 AM.
