Kentucky is adamant about understanding the assignment, the door open for the Wildcats to hang banner No. 9 exactly 30 years after Mark Pope won a championship as a player in 1996. To get there, the program is bringing it back to the 90s with camcorder footage from practice at the Joe Craft Center.

Denim walls and new signage honoring the past, why not stick with the trend?

The new practice highlights show off dunks from Malachi Moreno, Mo Dioubate, Braydon Hawthorne, Brandon Garrison and Denzel Aberdeen, along with threes from Kam Williams and Otega Oweh, plus good nostalgic vibes with music resembling old high school mixtapes.

It’s only 46 seconds, but there is plenty to work with — especially considering it’s July 2 and we’re grateful for any and all summer basketball content we can get.

Any irrational takes we can pull from that? Moreno had the most to show off in those clips while Aberdeen had some real bounce and creativity in transition. How about that sweet stroke from Williams? Expect to see a whole lot more of that. Don’t forget about that lob from Dioubate — pretty incredible for a do-it-all gadget forward. I wish we had hours of camcorder footage to work with, but we’ll take it.

It adds to the 45 seconds we got early Wednesday morning with the video team sharing some clips from the team’s satellite camp in Northern Kentucky last weekend. There, the Cats signed autographs and interacted with young campers, blocking some shots and showing off their dunking skills to create memories that last a lifetime.

That was the team’s third satellite camp following previous stops in Laurel and Russell Counties.

Take a look:

October can’t come fast enough — just three months away from Big Blue Madness, followed by the start of regular season action in November.

Nine months until No. 9 in April, for those keeping track at home.

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Sachse rising junior Abigail Leonard sprints to the finish line at the area 9-6A/10-6A meet at Wylie ISD Stadium. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media

By David Wolman

[email protected]

Another year has come and gone for student-athletes at Sachse High School.

It was a successful year in so many ways.

Here are the highlights from an incredible spring season for Sachse.

Three-peat for Mustang baseball team:

It was a battle until the end in District 9-6A with the top four teams being separated by just two games. 

Ultimately, Sachse, which went 14-2 in district play and 23-7-1 overall, prevailed. The Mustangs outlasted 13-3 Wylie, 13-3 Rowlett and 12-4 Wylie East to win their third consecutive district title.

An experienced team that returned 10 players with previous varsity experience, Sachse outscored its district opponents 114-17 and posted eight shutouts. 

Sachse was led by the play of District 9-6A MVP Zach Evans. The Ranger College signee hit .412 in 9-6A play with 16 RBIs and scored nine runs. On the mound, he didn’t allow a run in four appearances during district play and struck out 24.

The Mustangs weren’t able to translate that to postseason success. They lost a pair of one-run games to Rockwall in bi-district, falling by scores of 4-3 and 1-0.

Softball team extends playoff streak:

Two things have become synonymous with Sachse softball – winning and personal milestones for head coach Pete Vamvakas.

Vamvakas earned his 150^th career coaching win on March 11, when Sachse defeated North Garland 15-0.

One month later, he guided the Lady Mustangs to another playoff berth, but it didn’t come easy. They didn’t clinch their spot in the playoffs until the final week of the season. Sachse officially got in after Wylie East defeated Garland 1-0 on April 15. 

A big reason why Sachse made the playoffs was the right arm of alumna pitcher Logan Schultz. Named the 9-6A pitcher of the year, she went 10-1 against district opponents while striking out 75 and only gave up 23 earned runs in 14 appearances.

Sachse struggled against Rockwall rising senior pitcher McKinley Mann in bi-district. Mann recorded 22 strikeouts over the two games. Although rising junior Maya McClarity hit a three-run home run in Game 1, Sachse lost both games, losing the opener 10-4 and Game 2 by a 12-0 final.

The Lady Mustangs finished the season with an 18-12 overall record. 

Male golfers win District 9-6A Tournament:

Sachse’s boys’ golf team rose to the occasion, shooting scores of 296 and 298, for a 584 total, to win the district tournament, held March 24-25 at Firewheel Golf Park Bridges Course.

Dylan Wisener won the individual title after he carded a 36-hole score of 141. 

Sachse’s depth was a big reason why the Mustangs won the team title as all five golfers shot 90 or below on both days.

Landon Hilario turned in the second-best finish for Sachse, shooting a 145 with rounds of 71 and 74. Andrew Scott carded a 149 with rounds of 77 and 72, respectively. Riley Tobin finished with a final score of 159, shooting 80 on Day 1 and 79 on Day 2. Colton Henderson rode a strong first day 78 to finish the tournament with a 164. 

The Lady Mustangs also punched their ticket for regionals, placing second with a 725.

Sachse was paced by Taylor Kim’s 171. Annsley Creel finished with a 179. Valerie Dunaway had a strong day-two performance, shooting an 88 on the final 18 holes after a 96 on Day 1 for a 184 total. Hunter Cheek shot 193. Natalie Cheek finished with a 203. 

No one from Sachse qualified for the state tournament.

Distance runners set tone for Sachse track and field team:

Sachse had quite the spring season in track and field.

The Mustangs put together a solid showing to begin the postseason. They won six titles at the District 9-6A meet, held in chilly weather conditions at Garland ISD’s Williams Stadium.

Sachse posted a sweep of the 1-mile and 2-mile runs. Abigail Leonard won the girls’ 3,200-meter run in a time of 11:39.74 and the 1,600 with a 5:41.05. Samuel Ledbetter won the boys’ 3,200 with a time of 9:54 and the 1,600 in 4:38.78. 

Kamryn Harry captured the 9-6A title in the 100-meter dash (10.59) and 400-meter run (49.07), while Cameryn Fair was crowned district champion in the 200 (24.9).

At the area 9-6A/10-6A meet in Wylie, the Mustangs qualified for regionals in 11 events and won two titles. Harry won first place in the 100 dash (10.52). Leonard earned first place in the 3,200 (11:23.74).

No one from Sachse qualified for the state meet.

Plano East alumna infielder Kylie Grant, right, helped to lead the Lady Panthers’ softball team to their first regional final since 2012. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media

By David Wolman

[email protected]

Another year has come and gone for student-athletes at Plano East High School.

It was a successful year in so many ways.

In today’s edition of The Murphy Monitor, we will look back at the highlights of the 2024-25 spring sports season for Plano East. 

Softball team reaches 1^st regional final since 2012:

Built around an offense that had a knack for working up the pitch count and a pitching staff that was anchored by District 6-6A MVP Jadyn Dawson, Plano East not only made the playoffs for the first time in six years but went on to make their first regional final since 2012.

That playoff run nearly didn’t make it past the first round.

Trailing 5-3 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Plano East was down to its final three outs. However, the Lady Panthers weren’t ready to see their season end. Incoming junior Gina Martin drove in two runs with a triple to tie the score at 5-5. Following an intentional walk to Dawson, rising junior Julia Wilson, named the District 6-6A newcomer of the year, hit a walk-off RBI single to give the Lady Panthers a 6-5 win over Hebron.

Plano East rode the momentum from that come-from-behind victory to earn a two-game sweep of South Grand Prairie in the area round and then won two games against Euless Trinity in the regional semifinals. In the Region I-6A final, the Lady Panthers battled but came up short in a pair of losses to Flower Mound.

Boys’ lacrosse completes turnaround with state title:

One year after winning four games, Plano East went 11-3 this season, capped off by defeating George Ranch 15-11 in the Texas High School Lacrosse League Class C state championship game.

Plano East outscored George Ranch 7-3 in the second half after trailing 9-8 at halftime.

The Panthers went ahead for good four minutes into the third quarter after alum Austin Egler finished a 2-on-1 with rising senior Brian Johnson II for a 10-9 lead. 

Johnson II was named the game’s most valuable player after he netted four goals.

Alum Vance Flick earned offensive player of the game.

Big strides made by baseball team:

Tommy Sparks only coached at Plano East for three seasons, but the Panthers made massive improvement under his watch.

After winning just two district games during the 2024 season, Plano East won seven district games this season but came up just two wins short of making the playoffs.

Plano West went 3-1 to begin District 6-6A play, beginning with a two-game sweep of Princeton, The Panthers’ offense struggled over the next two weeks as Plano East scored just two runs over their next five games and lost all five games, dipping to 3-6 in district play. Plano East didn’t give up on its postseason hopes, posting back-to-back sweeps of Plano and McKinney to improve to 7-7 in district action. But the Panthers were eliminated from playoff contention after two straight losses to Allen, finishing district play with a 7-9 record and an overall record of 14-15-1.

Former North Forney head coach Carey Willingham was hired as head coach June 17.

Reed hurdles to another state berth:

Alum Philip Reed concluded his standout career by running to eighth place in the boys’ 110 hurdles at the Class 6A state meet in Austin with a time of 14.3 seconds. 

Two weeks prior at the Region I-6A meet in Arlington, he broke the 24-year school record in the 300 hurdles.

Plano East qualified for the finals in the regional meet in five events – Reed in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles, his sister, Hannah, in the 100 hurdles, Liana Wright in the 100, the girls’ 4×100 of Payten Cooper, Wright, Karis Jenkins and Ayaan Richardson and the girls’ 4×400 of Kosi Ngadi, Cooper, Goodness Dikeocha and Hannah Reed.

Incoming sophomore Kourtney Houston the freshman school record in the shot put.

Golfers capture 6^th place at district tournament:

The Plano East boys’ golf team finished in sixth place at the District 6-6A Tournament, held March 31-April 1 at The Courses at Watters Creek, with a score of 653.

Incoming senior Kristian Leask turned in the top individual score for the Panthers, placing 24^th overall with a 163. Finishing one stroke behind Leask was another incoming senior, Carter Cox, who placed 24^th with a 164. Alums Aadesh Sharma and Trevor Vecchio tied for 27^th place with a 165. Rising junior Jake Li captured 35^th place with a 166.

On the girls’ side, Plano East finished in ninth place with a 776.

Alumna Kate Polimeru turned in the top score for the Lady Panthers, finishing with a 177, good for 23^rd overall. The second-best score was turned in by incoming junior Michelle Phan, who finished 40^th with a 193. Alumnae Mackenzie Owen and Presley Elliott tied for 50^th, both shooting 203, while rising senior Georgia Martin placed 66^th with a 230.

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Wylie East catcher Jayleigh Dressler lifts pitcher Kimma Kincaid in the air after the Lady Raiders defeated the Royse City Lady Bulldogs 4-0 in Game 2 of their Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game April 26. Photo by Oladipo Awowale / C&S Media

By David Wolman

[email protected]

Another year has come and gone for student-athletes at Wylie East High School.

This week, The Wylie News will highlight the accomplishments of the Raiders during the spring sports season. 

Softball team wins 1^st district title:

A year ago, Wylie East barely missed the playoffs despite winning 10 district games.

Fast-forward to this year, and the Lady Raiders not only made a return trip to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus, but they also captured their first district championship. Wylie East finished as co-District 9-6A champion, sharing the title with crosstown rival Wylie.

Wylie East went the distance with Royse City in the bi-district round of the Class 6A Division II playoffs but lost a hard-fought 5-3 affair to the Lady Bulldogs in Game 3.

Experience was a big reason why Wylie East captured its first district title. The Lady Raiders returned all but one starter from their 2024 team, which included a deep pitching staff that was anchored by alumnae Isabella Flores and Kimma Kincaid and rising junior Kinley Kovar. 

Flores was named the 9-6A defensive player of the year after she went 5-4 on the mound with a 2.61 ERA, 65 strikeouts, 24 walks and 54 runs surrendered (28 earned) in 75 innings. 

Quick rebuild paves way for another playoff berth for baseball team:

Wylie East came into the season having to replace several starters from their 2024 team, including District 9-6A MVP Anthony Kelley.

It proved to be a quick rebuild.

The Raiders made their way back into the playoffs after going 8-2 over their final 10 regular-season games, highlighted by a thrilling 8-7 win over Wylie on March 22. 

Recent graduates Austin Scribner and Victor Zandate and rising senior Trent Jones led a Raiders’ pitching rotation that tossed four shutouts during district play.

Rising junior shortstop Parker Brunson was named the district’s co-newcomer of the year after he hit .300 with 27 hits, including five doubles and three triples, 18 RBIs and 20 runs scored. 

Alum catcher Caleb Vaclavik was named one of the top five seniors in 9-6A on the all-district team. 

Wylie East lost both games to Royse City in bi-district, losing Game 1, 4-1, and Game 2, 3-2.

Girls’ track and field wins 1^st District 9-6A title:

The Lady Raiders won their first District 9-6A title in dominating fashion, crowned eight district champions and qualified for the area meet in 15 events.

Landry Titsworth set the tone for the Lady Raiders by capturing first place in the girls’ long jump with a clearance of 17-11.25. 

Wylie East’s girls’ 4×100 relay of Maranata Tadesse, Alauna Booker, Precious Akpati and Egypt Baxter posted a winning time of 47.49. The 4×200 of Baxter, Titsworth, Ava Bradshaw and Alauna Booker won in 1:42.33. The Lady Raiders made it a clean sweep of the relays after Bradshaw, Adaze Ejikeme, Oluwaseyi Ajakaiye and Maranata Tadesse crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 4:03.3.

Tadesse added a third gold medal in the 400 (59.3).

Madison Akers won the 800-meter run (2:27.84), Akpati captured the 9-6A title in the 100 dash (12.15) and Eliana Young won the girls’ high jump with a clearance of 5-6.

On the boys’ side, Jayden Young swept the hurdles, winning the 100 hurdles in 14.35 and the 300 hurdles with a 38.3.

Tyree Washington dominated in the triple jump, recording a winning leap of 44-8– a new school record.

Washington became a first-time state qualifier after earning second place in the triple jump at the regional meet with a PR of 47-11.5. At the state meet, he earned eighth place with a leap of 47-2.35.

Tennis players play in regional tournament:

The Raiders competed in four divisions in the Region II-6A Tournament but fell short of earning a state berth.

Spencer Murphy and Wyatt Kelly took aim in boys’ singles but didn’t qualify for the state tournament. Murphy won the district title and Kelly placed second. Ruby Sullivan was a regional qualifier in girls’ singles after she placed second in the district tournament. Austin Glenn and Kaleb Borovay represented Wylie East in boys’ doubles at regionals.

Golfers compete at District 9-6A Tournament:

Wylie East concluded its season at the District 9-6A Tournament.

Bryson Reising (78-86-166), Kannon Kovar (88-84-172), Ryder Lamm (83-99), Ben Staub (87-83-170) and Sam Mattox (97-87-184) competed for the Raider boys. Wylie East’s boys shot a final score of 678.

The Lady Raiders, meanwhile, were led by team captain Charlotte Duckworth, who carded a 213 with rounds of 100 and 113. Olive Nguyen (114-112-226), Bailey Steiger (115-108-223), Hazel Pugh (137-122-259) and Lily Simmons also teed off for Wylie East. The Lady Raiders carded a 919 over the course of the two-day tournament.