Saul Chavez (black kit), Kevin Muratalla (White kit), Oliver Reyes (Red Kit)
By Amanda Kennington, Healthy Community School Coordinator
If you ask GCCISD Athletic Director Lee Martinez how he defines success, you will get a variety of answers that don’t just include the number of wins the teams obtain. Although he stressed the importance of competition, he believes that is only a part of what we do. “We have stressed our core values of enthusiasm, competition, college readiness, accountability, and community to all of our coaches and our student athletes,” he said. “We want them to grow as young men and young women and provide opportunities for them to do so. Our coaches set the tone for that and what we do speaks for itself.”. The Athletics department once again set the standard for student academics this year by averaging a 90% passing rate for all report cards throughout the district, as well as logging over 8,000 hours of community service.
“These are the things that define success,” Martinez said. “We want to make sure that our student athletes understand how to become well rounded and competitive and utilize athletics as a tool to help them accomplish their goals in life.”
For the second consecutive year, the GCM men’s soccer team achieved something that very few teams are able to do: finish the season undefeated in district play. This accomplishment came under the leadership of Coach William Freeman, who stressed to his team the high standards and the pressure that comes with it. “We had some early success in the preseason against some powerful 6A teams that prepared us for district,” Freeman said. “The district was tough this year, so we knew it would not be easy.”
After district play, the Patriots felt confident and prepared as they headed into the playoffs to face off with Friendswood in the first round and Houston Madison in the second. That led them to the regional quarterfinal game against Fulshear, who Baytown Lee played the week prior. It was certainly an exciting third round game, as they battled for 80 minutes to find themselves tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation and again after overtime. The Patriots battled through the penalty kicks, but ultimately fell short by one goal. “The seniors did an amazing job of building this team,” Coach Freeman said..” I am extremely proud of the way the boys handled this season. It was full of pressure that we were able to fight through.”
In the past, the aquatics team had a long grace period to train during off-season, but this was the first year that UIL scheduled water polo for the fall semester; giving our athletes even less time to prepare. Fortunately, Coach Clym Gatrell at Sterling was up for the challenge as his boys’ and girls’ teams both fought their way through the district meet, placing third for the boys, first for the girls and an overall combined district championship!
Sebastion Kingston, Stephanie Miranda, Tyce Smoke (top left to right) Aaron Avant and Amari Pickens (bottom left to right)
After the district meet, Sterling sent several swimmers to the regional meet to compete against the top schools in the greater Houston area. Standouts included Emma Adamson in the 200-yard freestyle, finishing 16th overall; Sebastian Kingston, finishing 15th in the 50-yard freestyle and 12th in the 100-yard breaststroke; Amanda Wood, finishing 16th in the 500-yard freestyle; and Cooper More, finishing 16th in the 500-yard freestyle (as a freshman). The relays also excelled with the girls’ 200-yard medley relay earning 11th place, the boys› 200-yard individual medley relay earning 13th place, the girls› 200-yard freestyle relay earning 13th place, the boys› 200-yard freestyle relay earning 12th place, and the girls› 400- yard freestyle relay placing ninth.
“Overall, I am very proud of this group of swimmers, and we are excited about the future,” Coach Gatrell said. “ My main goal is to continue to promote our program within the Baytown community to encourage more fans to come watch our meets. It’s a great sport, and we hope to get more kids interested.” It was a season to shine for Ranger Aquatics, and the future is bright.
It comes as no surprise that track and field has proven to be an extremely successful sport in GCCISD, as well as the foundation for all sports. The concept of the individual mindset that it takes to compete at this level in track and field, the training, and the athleticism make this a fun sport to take part in and even more fun as a spectator. The kids pour their hearts and souls out on the track; even if it’s only for one jump or for one short run.
All three schools have that competitive mindset as they all qualified to participate at the regional meet at Turner Stadium in Humble. Goose Creek Memorial sent the boys 4 x 100 relay and the men’s 400M dash. Sterling men, after finishing as district runner up, sent the 3200M, 800M, 400M, 300 hurdles, 1600M, and the 4 x 400 relay. The Sterling women also sent the 3200M, and the 4 x 200 relay. Lee High School women sent the 4 x 100M, 200M, and the triple jump. These athletes all showcased their athletic abilities with many of them setting personal bests.
These programs are led by head coaches Robert Espinoza (GCM), Ronald McDowell (RSS), Erica Criswell (RSS), and Crystal Aguero (REL).
The Texas Army National Guard and the Texas High School Coaches Association recognized Brock Glasscock and Juan Hernandez for being named to the 2022-2023 Academic All-State 1st team for track and field. The THSCA Academic All-State teams recognize high school athletes who excel in the following categories: GPA, class rank and ACT/SAT score. Brock and Juan were recognized as team members based on their scores in these categories.
Shanya Gordon
Shanya Gordon of Lee High School is one of Coach Aguero’s stand out athletes. When asked what makes her special, she did not mince words. “Shanya is a true Celebrity on campus,” she said. “She has been on the grind since the beginning of the school year. From dance practices before sunrise in the fall, to a three-peat regional appearance in the 4x100m relay, and now district champ and regional finalist in the triple jump in her first year competing; her natural talents make things look easy for her, but she is no stranger to hard work. She is a competitor at heart and driven to put in the time needed to develop her craft and become one of the best at whatever she does. We get to see her every day in practice, and she still leaves us in awe when she goes out there to compete. It’s really cool to see everyone else’s reactions when they see her at meets too! It’s surreal! We are very glad that she bleeds maroon and white.”
For the second time in three years, the GCM men’s basketball program has earned state recognition for their coaching staff. First year head coach, Jamaal Haymon, received the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches 5A Coach of the Year Award during the 2020-2021 season. This year, one of his assistant coaches, McNeil Greenidge, was honored as our region’s 5A Assistant Coach of the Year by the Texas High School Coaches Association.
Jamaal Haymon and McNiel Greenidge
“Coach Mac is one of the most genuine guys I have ever had the pleasure of working with on a daily basis,” Haymon said. “He does so much for our school and basketball program. Coach Mac is an intangible guy, so a lot of the things he does might go unnoticed or unheard of, but the effects are felt. He’s truly one of the best in the business when it comes to empowering coaches and student athletes. He’s just an incredible person and wise beyond his years.”