High School Archives

NHS Students Serve at the Houston Food Bank

Living Out Leadership, Scholarship, Service and Character

Last weekend, students from Cypress Christian School’s National Honor Society (NHS) dedicated their time and energy to serving at the Houston Food Bank, one of the largest charitable food distributors in the nation. Through their hard work and teamwork, our students helped pack an incredible 9,000 meals for families in need across the greater Houston area.

The heart behind NHS is more than academic excellence. Founded on the pillars of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character, the National Honor Society calls students to go beyond the classroom and use their gifts to make a positive impact on the world around them. Service is not simply an optional component of the program—it is a defining feature of what it means to be an NHS member.

This project was a powerful opportunity for our students to put that mission into action. Working in assembly lines, our members packed food, organized supplies, and supported the Food Bank staff with humility and enthusiasm. The students served joyfully, knowing that every box filled represented support, dignity and hope for a family facing difficult circumstances.

For many students, the experience was both eye-opening and deeply fulfilling. They saw firsthand how collective effort—many hands working together—can create meaningful change in a short amount of time. Projects like these help shape our students into compassionate leaders who understand the importance of giving back.

We are incredibly proud of our NHS members for showing up with a heart to serve and for representing CCS with integrity, kindness and perseverance. Their work made a real difference in our community, and we praise God for the opportunity to serve others in His name.

A heartfelt thank-you to all students, parent volunteers and staff who helped make this service project possible.

Praise God, and go Warriors!

Senior Artist Spotlight – Cailea Chalton

Cailea Chalton is an incredible artist who will be pursuing animation in college next year. She has applied to and been accepted into several top art schools across the country. Cailea was the president of the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) last year and is the president again this year. She is an amazing example to her peers as someone who is extremely talented but very humble.

Cailea has won many awards and contests throughout her high school career at CCS. During her 10th-grade year, Cailea won first place for her painting of a horse at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. She was selected as one of the students whose Christmas card design was sold in the Warrior Warehouse. At TAPPS that year, she placed fourth on the art history test, second in on-site drawing and eighth in painting. On-site drawing and painting often have 75 to 100 students competing, so the competition is fierce!

Last year, as a junior, Cailea continued to excel as an artist and in the various competitions we compete in throughout the year. She was a finalist in the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Art Competition. Also, despite CCS moving up to a much more competitive TAPPS division, Cailea won first place in the on-site drawing competition! In addition, she placed sixth on the art history test and received honorable mention in painting. Over the course of the year, she developed an excellent AP Art and Design portfolio, earning her a high score in AP. This year, she is developing her portfolio in AP Drawing and doing a fantastic job!

The CCS art department has been so blessed to have Cailea as a leader. We can’t wait to see how she succeeds in college and beyond! Congratulations, Cailea!

Varsity Volleyball Finish Successful Season

Warriors Advance to the Final Four & Brings Home Major Honors

Our varsity volleyball team closed out an unforgettable season with a Final Four appearance at the State Tournament, an achievement that reflects their determination, grit and heart. In one of the most intense matches of the year, the Warriors battled powerhouse Lutheran South Academy in a five-set thriller. Though the match ended in a narrow loss, our girls left everything on the court and made our school and community incredibly proud.

State Tournament Honors

Two of our standout athletes were recognized for their exceptional performance during the state tournament:

Raquel – All State Tournament Team
Connie – All State Tournament Team

These honors reflect not only their skill but also their poise and leadership on the biggest stage of the season.

We also celebrate several players who earned 2025 All State honors based on their outstanding performance throughout the year:

First Team All State – Brynn
Second Team All State – Raquel
Honorable Mention All State – Lilah & Connie

District Awards

The success of this season is reflected across the board, with an incredible number of athletes recognized in district selections.

First Team All District

Brynn
Raquel
Lilah
Connie
Sade

Second Team All District

Isabella
Addison D.
Aryana

Honorable Mention All District

Addison K.
Karly
Conley
Allie Kate

A Season to Remember

This year’s varsity squad showed what true teamwork looks like, fighting through adversity, trusting one another and competing with relentless heart every step of the way. Making the Final Four in TAPPS 5A is a landmark accomplishment for this program, and every athlete contributed to the journey.

To our seniors, thank you for the legacy you leave behind. To our returners, your fire sets the stage for an even stronger future. To our coaching staff, parents and supporters, this run wouldn’t have been possible without your unwavering commitment.

Congratulations, Warriors. You made history, and you made us proud.

Varsity Football Finishes the Season 9–0

What a season it was for the Warriors! Finishing 9–0 is an incredible blessing and Coach Sells couldn’t be prouder of the young men who wear our school’s colors each Friday night. This group has officially made CCS history as the first undefeated football team in school history.

From day one the team’s focus has been about more than football. Coach Sells and his staff have emphasized playing with purpose by using their gifts to honor God and leave a legacy the younger generation can look up to. Over the season these players have grown not only in skill and strength but also in faith and maturity, praying together before every game and keeping their hearts aligned with what truly matters.

When Coach Sells looks at this team he sees young men who understand that true success isn’t found on a scoreboard but in how they carry themselves with humility, faith and perseverance. That’s what makes this undefeated season so meaningful.

Our coaches are thankful to guide a team that lives out the CCS mission: To honor the Lord Jesus Christ by providing students an education based upon academic excellence and biblical values. We are deeply grateful for every fan, parent and student who supported the program this year. Your prayers and encouragement made a difference.

As the Warriors close out this unforgettable season they do so with hearts full of gratitude, eyes fixed on the Lord and a legacy of brotherhood that will inspire teams for years to come.

Bridgeland Campus Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

On August 28, 2025, the Cypress Christian School community gathered in celebration of God’s abundant blessings and faithfulness to celebrate the official ribbon cutting of our new Bridgeland campus. The morning began with a special welcome from Board Chairman Sean Tackett, setting a tone of excitement and thankfulness for this milestone in the life of our school.

In keeping with CCS tradition, the ceremony began with reverence and prayer as students led the community in pledges and prayer to the Lord. Lilly Clark (Grade 5), Caleb Colchado (Grade 7), Sydney Swan (Grade 10), Sophie Fransen (Grade 12) and Will Werlein (Grade 12) each took part in this meaningful moment, reflecting our mission to raise up future leaders grounded in faith.

The celebration continued with inspiring words from Dr. Jeff Potts, President, and Tom Forney, Owner & Chairman of the Board of Forney Construction, who each uniquely shared reflections on God’s provision, the vision for this campus and the significance of investing in the next generation of Warriors.

The highlight of the morning was the official ribbon cutting, marking the formal opening of our new home in Bridgeland and symbolizing the beginning of a new chapter in Christian education for our students and families.

The program concluded with a heartfelt closing prayer from Board Member Stacey Fransen, who dedicated the campus fully to the Lord’s purposes, asking His blessing over every student and family and charging us all with the call to ‘make heaven crowded.’

This day will be remembered as a milestone of God’s faithfulness and the commitment of our CCS community to provide Christ-centered education for generations to come. As Cypress Christian School continues to grow and expand, we are grateful for the unwavering support of our families, faculty and the Cypress community.

For more information about Cypress Christian School and our Bridgeland campus, visit CypressChristian.org/bridgeland-campus-updates/.

2025 STUDENT LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY 201

Cypress Christian School students had a great leadership trip to Washington, D.C. The second leg of the Student Leadership University (SLU) journey is a great leadership conference filled with powerful guest speakers and a patriotic experience in our nation’s capital. The speaker list included top Christian leaders from our military, business, government and several prominent ministries. The leadership lessons and inspiring stories from the speakers were great as always, but the speakers were also able to convey how the Lord and biblical principles were critical to the success they have had.

Students not only heard about the personal lives of the speakers but also received leadership lessons from the lives of our country’s great founders through biographical presentations.

Our students visited The Holocaust Museum, The Museum of the Bible, The Smithsonian Museum of American History, plus an inspiring tour of monuments where they learned about America’s proud contributions and the incredible cost of freedom. From the Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson monuments to the hallowed ground of Arlington Cemetery and the tribute of Iwo Jima, students were surrounded by the awe-inspiring leaders and events that have shaped the world. It was a great week of learning about the God-based vision of our founding fathers, as well as the sacrifices made throughout history to ensure the freedoms and blessings we have experienced as a nation.

2025 STUDENT LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY 101

Fifty-four freshmen students began their Student Leadership University journey by attending the SLU 101 conference in San Antonio. This is the first step in a four-year pathway to develop strong, active Christian leaders who will allow God to use them to do exceedingly and abundantly more than they can ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

SLU 101 is designed to encourage and equip students to be leaders now—in their homes, schools, churches and relationships. Students learned that in all things, they are commanded to be excellent. (1 Corinthians 10:31) While observing sharks and dolphins at SeaWorld, they learned about personality types and how best to build positive and lasting relationships with each other. (1 Corinthians 12:25-27) Students were challenged to dream and do big things to fulfill God’s will for their lives. They were encouraged to “swallow the big frog first” as a reminder to make a habit of doing hard things first, understanding that growth and change occur when difficulties are overcome.

Throughout the conference, students were reminded of Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Next stop for these students is Washington, D.C. for SLU 201 in July 2026. We can’t wait!

2025 Student Leadership Trip to Europe

From May 25 through June 7, students who had completed SLU 101 and SLU 201 over the last two years embarked on a life-changing trip to England, France and Italy to continue their leadership journey through the CCS Warrior Leadership Academy.

There they stood, the students and their chaperones, staring at the unbelievable architecture of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It was the highlight of their day. The cathedral was originally built in 604 A.D. The great Sir Christopher Wren, one of the most gifted architects in not just English history but all history, designed the rebuild and construction after the Great London Fire of 1666. It is a breathtaking building for a believer. To stand inside and look up is to see God’s Word, some of the greatest stonework depicting the great Bible scenes of history, and abundant natural light flooding the entire inner dome. One of the great inspiring statements was when London was devastated by the Blitz in World War II, but on December 29, 1940, as bombs fell all around, a photo was captured of the Cathedral rising above the smoke—untouched. For Londoners, in fact, all of the West, St. Paul’s standing straight and true in the face of terror and fire became a symbol of defiance and courage. Seeing the photo himself and understanding what it wrought in the hearts of his people was more than the Prime Minister could stand. Winston Churchill first went to his war cabinet, and then, his voice was almost yelling and full of passion as he exclaimed on a radio broadcast to his proud nation, “St. Paul’s must be saved at all costs!” We have a proud Christian heritage in the West.

From London, the group headed to Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry, Oxford, which has a special place in Christian heritage in England, mainly for its connection to the great C.S. Lewis. Tucked away in a peaceful residential setting, a little east of the center of Oxford, the church is unassuming in size but rich in spiritual legacy. Coach Hogan gave a quick lesson to the students since we had a reservation for just our group to be there alone. If you were to look the church up online, you could see its simple, sacred atmosphere, prioritizing reverence rather than grandeur. That said, it does have beautiful antique lancet windows and a fabulous timbered roof. C.S. Lewis attended church here faithfully each Sunday and sat in a quiet pew near a central pillar—now marked by a small brass plaque. The students rotated through to get a picture in his seat, and the group also visited his gravesite. Interestingly and refreshingly, Lewis chose never to speak formally in church. He attended to worship his Maker, not be seen. Lewis loved his home church for its simplicity and seriousness of worship, the lack of pomp or pretension and his fellow parishioners’ humility and devotion. Coach Hogan has a book titled “The Quotable Lewis” where there is a statement Lewis once made: “The service works on me like a bath or a medicine. I can’t help feeling it—even when I’m not in the mood.” Indeed, it is a church made not for spectacle but for the soul.

The group made their way across the English Channel on an overnight ferry and woke up a stone’s throw from the hallowed grounds of Normandy and the beaches of D-Day. They visited the American Cemetery & Pointe Du Hoc, where a legendary Texan, with his Army Rangers, broke through the German stronghold of machine gun nests. The cemetery allowed our students to perform a wreath-laying ceremony, and over the powerful intercom that reaches the entire grounds, they played our National Anthem & Taps. It was awesome! Coach Seabaugh did a great job on Omaha Beach, sharing about the sacrifice those very young men made that day. When the boats opened, many of them knew instantly they would never make it off that beach, but they charged ANYWAY on behalf of their countrymen and a beautiful future they would never live to see. They laid down their lives for the blessings we are fortunate enough to have had our whole lives. In the message, Coach Seabaugh also shared the Gospel with not only our students but also the group of European strangers curious enough to gather around and see what these Texans were doing! It was beautiful. Many have sacrificed for Christ and Country; we need to be good stewards of both gifts.

A favorite activity was a bike tour in Versailles. The trip included a cool market stop featuring fresh food of seemingly every type, a picnic and a tour of the most influential places, including the palaces and other spectacular architecture. The Treaty of Versailles was signed here, ending World War I, and our two key leadership takeaways that stand out are:

Do what you ought to do when you ought to do it. This simple principle can lead to a great life. If France had followed it after WWI, Hitler might never have risen to power, and millions could have been spared.
Values must be defended—or they vanish. Christians are in a culture war whether they choose to be or not. If we fail to stand for our core beliefs—freedom of religion, speech, life, family and God’s design—history shows they will be lost.

As the group moved through Europe, our students received some compliments. For example, upon arrival in Florence, they were greeted by a lady named Stefania. She was their momentary guide. She was thrilled to know we were from Texas. Why? Because her father was a cattle and farm guy who, about 30 years ago, needed to learn more about cattle, so he went to Amarillo, Texas! Stefania went with him and seven other farmers. They flew into the DFW area and into Houston and attended the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, where they were absolutely shocked! As soon as she found out they were from Texas, she exclaimed, “I love Texans! They are so nice, so welcoming, so REAL, like us!” It gave Coach Hogan a great lesson to teach our students about leadership and influence: “Even though she didn’t know us, she made assumptions about us because of other Texans.” It’s why Paul, writing to the Corinthians, says, “You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” We are all letters read by all people. There’s an old saying, “It’s important how we live as Christians because our life may be the only Gospel a person reads.”

The group started their first full day in Rome at Mamertine Prison—the grim holding cell where the apostle Paul and Peter were imprisoned on death row. Thrown into a dark, lower chamber through a hole in the floor, they were chained in brutal conditions for two years before execution. While awaiting death, Paul and Peter led fellow prisoners to Christ. Miraculously, water is said to have risen from the prison floor, allowing them to baptize new believers—just days before their martyrdom. The trip leaders walked through that very dungeon with our students, saw the chains and had a time of prayer. It was a humbling experience. This sacred place is where Paul penned some of his final words in 2 Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

The Colosseum was as advertised: massive and awe-inspiring. Built to hold crowds that rival modern college football stadiums, construction began around 70 A.D., becoming the stage for gladiator battles, often involving prisoners and exotic animals from around the world. In its first 100 days, over 5,000 animals were slaughtered for entertainment. Many gladiators became popular heroes, even while remaining prisoners. The Colosseum is well known for its many death sentences, including Christian martyrs.

Next, the group visited the Pantheon, originally built in 26 A.D. and rebuilt in 126 A.D. after a fire. It has been in use ever since. Touching the same ancient pillars as people from the second century was awe-inspiring. Think of this: it was built 2,000 years ago and is not only beautifully standing but is still in use! It was built on a flat stone that nature seemed to have provided. The Pantheon is a living testament to Matthew 7: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”

Finally, the group toured Santo Stefano Rotondo, a fifth-century church dedicated to the first Christian martyr, Stephen. The 34 interior frescoes vividly depict early Christians being killed for their faith. It was deeply sobering and convicting—a reminder to be bold in our walk with Christ. As they left, Hebrews 12 echoed in Coach Hogan’s mind, “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…let us run with endurance the race set before us.”

This trip was special because the group was able to see the indelible mark of Christianity throughout the incredible history in the West! The leaders were blessed to share this experience with a great group of CCS students!

Cypress Christian School Named 2024 Nonprofit Business of the Year

Cypress Christian School (CCS) is honored to be named the 2024 Nonprofit Business of the Year by the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce. This recognition highlights CCS’s commitment to providing high-quality, Christ-centered education while making a lasting impact in the Cypress community.

Founded in 1978, Cypress Christian School has been dedicated to equipping students with academic excellence, biblical values and servant leadership. As a private Christian school in Cypress, CCS serves students in grades K-12 and prepares them for success both academically and spiritually. Last year, the school broke ground on its new campus in Bridgeland, which is set to open for the 2025-26 school year. This expansion will allow CCS to continue its mission of providing Christian education in Houston to even more families.

CCS was recognized alongside fellow nonprofit finalists MESA Outreach and Cy-Fair Helping Hands, both of which are making a meaningful difference in the Cypress area. Dr. Jeff Potts, President of CCS, expressed his gratitude for the award, stating, “To receive this honor is extra special because Cypress is extra special. There were many outstanding nominees, and I want to congratulate everyone in this category and in each of the categories. Any one of the other nominees would have been completely deserving of this award because of the incredible impact they are making in our community.”

In addition to this recognition from the Chamber, CCS was also honored by the offices of Congressman Wesley Hunt, Congressman Morgan Luttrell, and County Commissioner Tom Ramsey, further affirming its influence as a leading K-12 private school in Houston.

As Cypress Christian School continues to grow and expand, we are grateful for the unwavering support of our families, faculty and the Cypress community. We remain committed to providing exceptional Christian education and shaping the next generation of leaders through faith-based learning.

For more information about Cypress Christian School and our upcoming Bridgeland campus, visit CypressChristian.org/bridgeland-campus-updates/.

2024 Christmas Program

On Tuesday, December 10, the sanctuary of The MET Church was filled with the sounds of Christmas. Our youngest TK Warriors opened the evening with a song, followed by amazing performances from the secondary choirs. With the help of high school drama students, our K-5 students honored the Lord Jesus while performing “Wrapping All the Way.” Thanks to the CCS fine arts directors, faculty, staff, students, volunteers and the staff at The MET Church for making this event a joyful and God-honoring occasion. Merry Christmas!

2024 STUDENT LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY 201

CCS Warrior Leadership Academy students traveled to Washington, D.C., for their Student Leadership University (SLU) 201 experience.

The conference featured many great speakers filled with leadership wisdom and insight. The students were treated by hearing from two decorated hero Army Rangers, Edward Graham, grandson of Billy Graham and Jeff Strueker. Strueker, a highly esteemed Ranger, was highlighted in the movie Black Hawk Down and inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame in 2017. The two Rangers shared how God molded their leadership, literally through the fire of war and the fire of life. A good number of speakers were featured throughout the week with compelling messages and great stories full of leadership insights. While the speakers and trainers were obviously accomplished in their own right, each of them gave credit to the Lord’s guiding hand in their respective journeys.

Students not only heard from the personal lives of the speaker but also received leadership lessons from the lives of our country’s great founders through biographical presentations. By the end of the conference, the students’ journals were full of notes they will be able to utilize for years!

CCS students toured the Holocaust Museum, The Museum of the Bible, The Smithsonian Museum of American History, as well as many monuments. While at the hallowed ground of Arlington Cemetery, students witnessed the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well as the changing of the Guard.

It was a great week of learning about the God-based vision of our founding fathers, as well as the sacrifices made throughout history to ensure the freedoms and blessings we have experienced as a nation.

2024 Student Leadership University 301

From June 27 to July 7, students in the Warrior Leadership Academy traveled to London, Oxford, Normandy and Paris to experience Student Leadership University 301. The goal of our student leadership program is to give our students a decade head start on their peers across the world by the time they graduate high school. This group of rising juniors began SLU 301 by navigating London in the CCS version of The Amazing Race of London! Navigating a major European city via various means of public transportation as a 17-year-old is an amazing experience…and they did a great job, culminating in a meeting for dinner at the famous Dickens Inn at historic St Katherine’s Dock.

To begin the week, our students crossed the English Channel and had the privilege of visiting the hallowed grounds of the American Cemetery in Normandy, France. CCS students took part in a somber wreath-laying ceremony honoring our brave warriors who secured freedom for the West and beyond. On the same day, the group had lunch and heard a leadership lecture on Omaha Beach. Each participant was able to gather a small vial of sand off of the beach to take home to keep in remembrance of the day.

The following day was spent in Paris, where students had the opportunity to visit the Eifel Tower. While many rode an elevator to the top of the tower, a few brave students chose to take on the stairs and climb to the top of the tower. Additionally, they saw Rodin’s Sculpture Garden and had some time to contemplate all that Rodin was saying about God and God’s relationship with us through his artwork. There were also stops at Notre Dame, the Arc De Triomphe and an opportunity to shop on the Champs-Élysées.

Upon returning to London, students visited a variety of sites. This included attending a great lecture in John Wesley’s home church, which highlighted the leadership lessons from his life of awesome impact. The old chapel was classic and beautiful. They began with prayer and singing. They were also able to visit the final resting places of several giants of the faith, including Wesley, his brother Charles, their mother and John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress.

On Friday, students visited The Holy Trinity Church, the home church of C.S. Lewis. Students sat in the same beautiful wooden pews where Lewis and many other impactful Christian leaders spent Sunday after Sunday and had another opportunity to learn more about leadership and the steps they should take in continuing to grow into the young men and women God intends them to become.

Afterward, students spent time at the University of Oxford, where they were free to participate in any number of activities, attractions and lots of shopping. The differences in what students decided to do were broad, funny and a good testimony to the uniqueness of each and every person! Everyone hit the bus probably over-caffeinated yet exhausted!

The group finished the evening with a great meal, a leadership lecture and a graduation ceremony. The ceremony included a recognition of the completion of the SLU conference series and a time of prayer over the students. It was a beautiful culmination of a fantastic day.

2024 STUDENT LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY 101

Fifty-five freshmen students began their Student Leadership University journey by attending the SLU 101 conference in San Antonio. This is the first step in a four-year pathway to develop strong, active Christian leaders who will allow God to use them to do exceedingly and abundantly more than they can ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

SLU 101 is designed to encourage and equip students to be leaders now – in their homes, schools, churches and relationships. Students learned that in all things, they are commanded to be excellent. (1 Corinthians 10:31) While observing sharks and dolphins at SeaWorld, they learned about personality types and how best to build positive and lasting relationships with each other. (1 Corinthians 12:25-27) Students were challenged to dream and do big things to fulfill God’s will for their lives. They were encouraged to “swallow the big frog first” as a reminder to make a habit of doing hard things first, understanding that growth and change occur when difficulties are overcome.

Throughout the conference, students were reminded of Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Warrior Softball is State Runner-Up!

The Cypress Christian Warriors softball team finished the season with its fourth consecutive trip to the TAPPS Final Four, where the team finished as state runner-up.

The Warriors came out swinging in their semifinal game against annual rival Holy Cross with a season-best offensive explosion, beating the Knights 23 to 12. Junior Megan Smith led the attack with four hits, including a homerun and four RBIs. Freshman Katelyn Bienko also had an inside-the-park grand slam, finishing the day with a team-best seven runs batted in.

The semfinal victory set up a championship game rematch with the Brook Hill Guard, the team the Warriors beat last season for Cypress Christian’s first state softball championship.

Brook Hill jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run opposite-field homerun by Karmen

Miller. Miller, Brook Hill’s starting pitcher, kept Cypress Christian’s bats at bay, holding the Warriors to just three hits on the day. Warriors’ third baseman KK Smith had a pair of doubles, and senior shortstop Sarah Olenick also delivered a line drive single, but the Warriors’ hopes of a late rally came up short, and Brook Hill held on for a 3-0 win in the title game.

Audrey Petrowski, Megan Smith, KK Smith and Sarah Olenick were named to the TAPPS All-State Team. Petrowski was the winning pitcher in the victory over Holy Cross and only allowed two earned runs in the championship game. KK Smith led the team with six hits in the state tournament. Megan Smith hit for the cycle in the semifinal win, and Olenick contributed three hits and several outstanding defensive plays in the two games.

The Warriors, playing an extremely tough schedule this season, finished the year with a 19-14 record. In addition to their runner-up finish at the state championship, CCS won its district softball title for the fifth straight season.

NHS Induction Ceremony

On April 8, National Honor Society was proud to welcome its newest members. It was an evening of fun and accomplishment for the incoming students. We are incredibly proud of our inductees and their dedication in acquiring hours of community service, their devotion to maintaining the highest level of academic excellence, as well as their demonstrated leadership and character in and out of school!

The new NHS members are:

Name	Grade
Madeline Boctor	10
Allie Boujaoude	10
Zoe Brashier	10
Annabel Burgos	10
Cailea Chalton	10
Keaon Chalton	10
Caden Chelette	10
Riley Chelette	10
Rachel Czagas	10
Erica Davenport	10
Hudson Dennis	10
Jana Faraclas	10
Sophie Fransen	10
Ava Gonzalez	10
James Creswell Harris	10
Finn Howren	10
Lilah Johnson	10
Ava Kapadia	10
Corinne Keim	10
Caden Kreitz	10
Conley Martin	10
Katherine Martin	10
Maddy McKnight	10
Dean Mestayer	10
Jaclyn Millender	10
Grace Philipp	10
Jackson Potts	10
Damian Reyna	10
Alison Richard	10
Charles Rizzutto	10
Danielle Robertson	10
Aidan Salazar	10
Carissa Simcik	10
Kelsey Stephens	10
Mary Wax	10
William Werlein	10
Ellie Wisenbaker	10
Zak Wright	10
Allison Zaccari	10
Aiden Bialas	11
Emily Erwin	11
Anya Hull	11
Beckett Swinney	11

Fine Arts Students Travel to NYC

The Cypress Christian School art, theatre and music departments spent the end of their Spring Break in the Big Apple! Twenty-one CCS high school students, five parents, Mrs. Harris, Mrs. Ward and Mr. Williamson spent four days of their spring break in New York City. The field trip focused on experiencing great art!

On the first night, the group spent time in Times Square and then headed to “The Play that Went Wrong”. It is a silly, laugh-out-loud, high-energy comedy. One of the students exclaimed, “It was great! An easy 10 out of 10!”

Friday was a day of learning about the history of New York and America. The group started the day visiting Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, better understanding what America stands for and why it is a beacon of hope to so many people. In the afternoon, they visited Trinity Church founded in 1697, Federal Hall – the site where George Washington was inaugurated President in 1789, the 9/11 Memorial and the 9/11 Museum.

On Saturday, they first visited the United States Museum of Natural History. The consensus was two hours is not even close to enough time to see all the exhibits. In the afternoon, they traversed 70 floors to the top of Rockefeller Plaza, known as Top of the Rock. What a spectacular view! The highlight of the trip for most of the students was attending the brand-new musical, “Back to the Future”. The entertainment value and special effects were of the highest quality, but it became even better after the show. The entire audience was dismissed from the theater, and our group was able to move down front and have a talkback with eight of the actors and actresses along with the stage manager. Our students were able to have 30 minutes of Q&A time with them. Even Marty McFly and Biff stayed after the show to interact with our students. The students asked well-thought-out and deep questions. We all learned so much from them.

The last day was beautiful! The group worshipped at Central Presbyterian Church on Park Avenue. Twelve of our students who are in the CCS choir joined the church’s choir in leading worship and were able to sing the offertory, which they had prepared in advance. We are so grateful for the talents God has placed in our students and for the beautiful art they were able to share. After church, they spent the afternoon at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. And again, there was not nearly enough time to see all of the beauty the museum has to offer.

The excursion was the trip of a lifetime! Students look forward to future trips to New York City and have been blessed by God’s handiwork, made even more evident by this experience. A huge thank you to Forge Tours, and Greg “Papi” St. Jacques for putting this trip together, to the parents and chaperones that made this dream trip a reality for our students and finally, to Mrs. Amber Ward for her connections to arrange a talkback with professionals on Broadway. We look forward to many trips to come!

Bridgeland Campus Groundbreaking

We were blessed to hold the groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, February 23 for the new Cypress Christian School campus in Bridgeland, opening in August 2025. Dr. Jeff Potts and the Board of Directors prayed over the campus before the ceremony.

Mike Slabic, Dr. Potts and Scott Mestayer spoke, fifth-grader Berkleigh Elsner led the pledges and junior Ryan Fisk said a prayer over the ceremony. The ground was broken by the Board and Dr. Potts and Board Member Stacy Fransen closed the ceremony in prayer. “We are not only here today to celebrate groundbreaking, we are also here to recognize that there has never been a greater need in our nation for what will be happening under the roof of this building and out on the fields of this campus. Increasing the scope and impact of Christian leadership in our community and our country through an academically rigorous and Christ-focused education experience is what we believe this new campus will do.” – Mike Slabic, Chairman of the CCS Board of Directors

Community Impact article

Chapel Speaker Al Jowdy

This week in chapel, middle and high school students had the unique opportunity to hear the amazing story of Mr. Al Jowdy. Mr. Jowdy was born in San Antonio in 1927. He was the sixth of nine children, growing up in a two-bedroom, one-bath home. At the age of 15, he altered his baptismal certificate to say he was 17 and enlisted in the Navy. In his first six months of duty, he recovered bodies from the Pearl Harbor bombing and two different ships he was stationed on were torpedoed, resulting in him twice having to survive on life rafts in the South Pacific.

Our students were mesmerized by his stories and storytelling. It is a rare gift to have a 96-year-old be so clear in thought with the ability to clearly describe some of America’s most important stories. The students walked away with an even greater appreciation for the “Greatest Generation”. A seventh-grader was quoted to say, “I could listen to him forever.”

We are grateful to the Granato family for making the introduction of Mr. Jowdy to Mr. Williamson and CCS.

Learn more about Mr Jowdy – https://www.jowdy.com/_Cart/al-jowdy/home/.

TAPPS State Swim Competition 2024

The Warrior Swim Team competed in the TAPPS State Swim Meet on Wednesday, February 14, in San Antonio. The Warriors were represented by 16 athletes and competed in four relay events and six individual events.

The girls’ team was represented by juniors Audrey Fransen, Katie Schmitt and Jadie Weatherly; sophomores Madeline Boctor, Zoe Brashier, Annie Burgos, Jana Faraclas, Kayla Geyer and Ali Richard; and freshman Lexie Stamos. They placed 22nd out of the 28 schools represented in Division III with Brashier, Richard, Schmitt and Weatherly also scoring points in individual events – the 100 Breastroke, 200 IM, 100 Butterfly and 200 Freestyle, respectively.

The Warrior boys team was represented by seniors Ayden Farrell, Brody Johnson, Reagan Lubs and Will Simcik; junior Noah Utley; and freshman David Achterkirch. The boys’ team placed 13th out of the 28 schools represented in Division III with Johnson scoring in the 100 Breastroke and Utley placing and breaking a new school record in the 100 Freestyle with a 54.05. The boys had an outstanding performance in the 200 Freestyle Relay with a new school record of 1:43.18 by Lubs, Johnson, Simcik and Utley and ended the meet with another big bang by placing fifth overall in the 400 Freestyle Relay.

Coach Nugent and Coach Hamm are very proud of all of the swimmers. From the early morning practices to the exciting moments of competition, each team member has exemplfied the true spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie. From the seasoned seniors to the promising freshmen, they have formed a bond that transcends the pool, forging friendships that will last a lifetime. The swim program at CCS has a strong foundation to build upon and the future indeed looks bright. Way to go, Warriors!

TAPPS Solo & Ensemble Competition

CCS singers wowed judges at this year’s TAPPS Solo and Ensemble competition! The CCS middle school ensemble came home with a I-Superior Rating (highest possible) for their performance of the French chanson, “Je le vous dirait”.

Cypress Christian School took a total of 41 soloists to competition, middle school and high school combined, 30 of which were first-time soloists at TAPPS Solo and Ensemble. Of these singers, the following students received a I-Superior Rating (highest possible) from the TAPPS judge for their solo performances:

Middle School – Molly Ahrendt, Amanda Atkins, Ethan Bryon, Kira Farrington, Owen Layton, Chelsea Scott, Elliana Sproule and Sydney Swan
High School – Dyllen Baptiste, Jaeda Dumas, Erica Davenport, Pepper Eichelberger, Evan Ellington, Daniel Hamm, Rayne Harris, Melody Janz, Maddie McCown, Emily Muse, Madison Mynes, Jeykei Ortiguero, Caleb Poirrier, Aidan Salazar, Bella Thomas, Ashleigh Townsend, Noah Utley, Jadie Weatherly and Camille Zemke.

The following students received the TAPPS All-State Honor Award, given to students who received a I-Superior Rating when singing a solo at the most challenging level:

Pepper Eichelberger, Rayne Harris, Emily Muse, Madison Mynes, Caleb Poirrier, Ashleigh Townsend and Camille Zemke.

Congratulations, students! CCS Chamber Choir will travel to Waco for TAPPS State Large Ensemble contest in April.

Lemonade Day Results

When Junior Achievement was no longer an option for our elementary school students, Dr. Allen began searching for alternative curriculum that matched our mission of cultural impact. Ryan Fisk, Rowan Smith and Ian Barrow approached Dr. Allen to suggest Lemonade Day, whose mission is to help today’s youth become the business leaders, social advocates, community volunteers and forward-thinking citizens of tomorrow…one lemonade stand at a time.

With strong support from the elementary faculty, Fisk, Smith, Barrow, our NHS students and our fourth and fifth-grade students were challenged to build a business plan, purchase required supplies and run a lemonade stand. Each group of students worked in teams to identify pricing and marketing strategies and plan execution. They completed the curriculum on January 25, as the East Gym hosted 15 lemonade stands, alongside the bustling activities for Run-4-Fun.

But it wasn’t just about the lemonade or learning — it was about the impact. Every dollar of the over $3,000 raised went directly to three local charities, amplifying the reach of these young changemakers far beyond their lemonade stands. With each donation, they planted seeds of hope and kindness, nurturing a culture of giving back that will continue to flourish for years to come.

National Signing Day 2024

Approximately 7% of high school athletes go on to play college sports. These 10 Warrior athletes have signed letters of intent to play their sport at the next level in a class of 82 seniors. This is over 12% of the Class of 2024!

Mariana Van Dyk – Track & Field – Abilene Christian University
Parker Hirth – Track & Field – Texas A&M University – Kingsville
Caden Clinton – Gymnastics – University of Nebraska
Brody Johnson – Football – Oklahoma Baptist University
Jacob Rauch – Football – Colorado School of Mines
Jacob Lukaszewski – Baseball – Centenary College of Louisiana
Xavier Sanchez – Baseball – Howard Payne University
Brandon Williams – Baseball – East Texas Baptist University
Drew Mestayer – Baseball – East Texas Baptist University
Ameron Sheikh – Baseball – University of Texas – Dallas

Congratulations, Warriors! We are so proud of you!

Computer Software Engineering with Legos

The Principles of Engineering class had the opportunity to play with Legos. The Lego kits were not just basic kits, they included a program that the students were able to use to code the creations to move. One type of engineering that overlaps with the commonly known computer science coding world is computer software engineering. Students were introduced to the similarities of these fields of study and then allowed to code in some online programs as well as see their computer codes come to life with Legos.

Capstone Engineering Partners with Reach Unlimited

Mrs. Yaw’s senior capstone engineering class spent January meeting with their clients and brainstorming ideas for their projects. Partnering with Reach Unlimited, the students met with clients and learned the needs that each group will need to meet for their spring semester projects. After brainstorming ideas for a solution, each group decided on a design and began planning how to execute it. To gain ideas on what they would need to complete their projects, Mrs. Yaw took her class to Home Depot to explore supplies they could utilize. The teams look forward to the rest of the semester and will continue to work through the design process to exceed the needs of those at Reach Unlimited.

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Winners 2024

Mrs. Eichelberger is so proud of the secondary art students and their participation in the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Art Contest.

High School Winners:

First place – Cailea Chalton
Second place – Anya Hull, Rayne Harris, Connie Quaglia, Brooke Intrau
Third place – Corinne Keim, Reagan Lubs, Sasha Farrington, Bria Lloyd, Caden Clinton

Middle School WInners:

Second place – Aemilia Crawford, Audrey Petru, Katie Krueckeberg, Lucas Wolfswinkel
Third place – Emma Oliverson, Max Bernhart, Mason Bickle, Allie Kate Stovall, Camille Allain, Bailey Hickey

Great job, Warrior artists!

Warrior Dance Team – 2024 State Champions!

The Warrior Dance Team won the state champion title at the Division IV TAPPS Dance competition held in Waco on January 13, 2024. The team received superior ratings for both their jazz and pom performances.

Ester Torres-Pinheiro and Allison Zaccari were selected First-Team All State in their division.

Congratulations to the team and coach for this amazing accomplishment!

Elementary Basketball Night

The CCS basketball programs were pleased to offer our first Elementary Basketball Night last week. It was a festive and fun atmosphere as we celebrated our fourth and fifth-grade teams and cheered on the future stars of the basketball program while they performed at the halftime of the games. Their energy and enthusiasm propelled both teams to victory vs. Logos Prep.

New Swim Records Set

The Warrior high school swim team competed on Saturday in the Houston Area Private & Parochial Invitational Swimming City Championship (HAPPI) at the University of Houston. The meet had 359 competitors and was a good test for our swimmers as they prepare for the TAPPS East Regional meet on January 25.

Although the Warriors did not have any top five finishers, a few school records were set. For the boys, the 200 Free Relay team of Brody Johnson (12), Will Simcik (12), Reagan Lubs (12) and Noah Utley (11) set a new school record with at time of 1:47.56 beating a record set in 2018. For the girls, the 400 Free Relay team of Jadie Weatherly (11), Katie Schmitt (11), Kayla Geyer (10) and Alexa Stamos (9) set a new school record with a time of 4:36.30 beating the record set in 2020 by almost 30 seconds. Another individual school record was set last week at the Bay Area Invitational by Zoe Brashier in the 100 Breast with a time of 1:27.57 beating the previous record of 1:28.98 set in 2017.

All seniors in the Houston area were recognized at the APPI meet on Saturday. Ayden Farrell, Brody Johnson, Reagan Lubs, and Will Simcik were recognized for CCS.

The Warriors are preparing for state competition with the Regional TAPPS meet taking place on Thursday, January 25, at the University of Houston with many swimmers expected to advance to the State meet in San Antonio on February 14.

TAPPS Fall 2023 Photo Award Winners

Cypress Christian School photographers exhibited their talent and skill in the 2023 TAPPS Photo Contest. In the 4A division, our photographers earned 11 student awards – one first place, two second place and eight honorable mention awards, and two faculty award – two honorable mention awards. On a special note, in the 4A Animal category, CCS was awarded 50% of the awards. We are so proud of all the photos that were submitted for the contest and are already thinking about our entries for next year.

Animals:

Second Place – Cailea Chalton (Madikwe Lions)
Honorable Mention – Kayla Barfoot (Yellowstone Bison)
Honorable Mention – Keaon Chalton (Untitled)
Honorable Mention – Hank Yeates (The Bug)

Landscape/ Scenic

Honorable Mention – Kayla Barfoot (Majestic Mountains)
Honorable Mention – Keaon Chalton (Tswalu Landscape)
Honorable Mention – Colton Beckman (Alaska Dog Sled)

Sports 4A:

First Place – Jackson Gibb (Tunnel Vision)

Student Life 4A:

Second Place – Tatum Webb (Reading Time)
Honorable Mention – Allison Exum (Homecoming Confetti Celebration)

Waterscapes 4A

Honorable Mention – Jackson Gibb (Arctic Freeze)

Faculty:

Honorable Mention – Rachael Lechman (Price)
Honorable Mention – Rachael Lechman (47-0)

Thank you for encouraging our student photographers to strive for excellence. CCS is proud of their accomplishments.

Out of the Box Christmas

On December 14-15, the Middle School Intro to Theatre class performed “Out of the Box Christmas” for their families and classmates. The show featured eighth-grader, Bella Wright, as the crazy drama teacher dealing with a costume mix up for the nativity play including, wisemen dressed as cowboys, shepherds dressed as pirates and angels dressed as cheerleaders. But even with the hilarity of the situation, the message of Jesus’s incredible birth was clear. The performance was made complete with a special appearance by the CCS Middle School Choir singing a “Christmas Love Song.”

Swim Teams Compete at St. John 23 Holiday Classic

Last Saturday, the Warrior swim teams, both high school and middle school, competed in the St. John 23 Holiday Classic at Katy High School. The Warriors were competitive as they work toward Regionals and State competitions next month. Two school records were broken at the meet, both in the 200 Free. For the girls, junior Jadie Weatherly broke her own record with a time of 2:18.60 and placed first in the event. For the boys, junior Noah Utley broke the record set in 2016 (2:31.59) with a time of 2:22.34, placing third. There were many top five finishers, particularly in the middle school division where the Warriors had 15 finishes in the top five, including first place finishes by Aiden Leyrer in two events, Brooks Johnson, Sophie Boctor and two relays.

Top five finishers in high school:

Girls 200 Free – Jadie Weatherly – first place
Girls 100 Free – Jadie Weatherly – first place
Boys 200 Free – Noah Utley – first place
Girls 200 IM – Ali Richard – third place
Girls 500 Free – Katie Schmitt – fourth place
Boys 200 Free Relay – Noah Utley, Ayden Farrell, Will Simcik, Brody Johnson – fourth place

Top five finishers in middle school:

Boys 100 Free – Aiden Leyrer – first place
Boys 100 IM – Aiden Leyrer – first place
Girls 100 IM – Remi Brashier – second place
Girls 50 Free – Sophie Boctor – first place, Mary Ellen Southall – fifth place
Boys 50 Free – Landon Hamm – third place, Henry Southall – fourth place, Tate Lubs – fifth place
Girls 50 Back – Ava Rogers – fifth place
Boys 50 Back – Brooks Johnson – first place, Jackson Connelly – third place
Girls 50 Breast – Remi Brashier – third place, Sophie Boctor – fifth place
Boys 50 Breast – Landon Hamm – fourth place
Boys 50 Fly – Tate Lubs – second place
Girls 200 Medley Relay – Ava Rogers, Remi Brashier, Sophie Boctor, Karis Hamm – second place
Boys 200 Medley Relay – Brooks Johnson, Landon Hamm, Aiden Leyrer, Tate Lubs – first place
Girls 200 Free Relay – Sophie Boctor, Remi Brashier, Mary Ellen Southall, Karis Hamm – first place
Boys 200 Free Relay – Brooks Johnson, Landon Hamm, Aiden Leyrer, Tate Lubs – second place

The Warrior swim team next competes on Saturday, January 6, at the Bay Area New Year Exhibition at the Clear Springs High School Natatorium at 12 p.m. The meet will again be a combined high school and middle school meet.

2023 Christmas Program

On Thursday, December 7, the sanctuary of The MET Church was filled with the sounds of Christmas. Our youngest TK Warriors opened the evening with a song, followed by amazing performances from the secondary choirs. With the help of high school drama students and members of the drumline, our K-5 students honored the Lord Jesus while performing “The Little Drummer Dude.” Thanks to the CCS fine arts directors, faculty, staff, students, volunteers and the staff at The MET Church for making this event a joyful and God-honoring occasion. Merry Christmas!

CCS-Hosted Swim Meet

The CCS swim team hosted a combined high school and middle school swim meet on Monday, December 4, at the Cy-Fair Natatorium. There were 11 schools represented and 239 total swimmers in the competition. Both divisions of the swim team were competitive and there were several top five finishers.

High School:

Girls 200 Medley Relay – second place – (Lexi Stamos, Zoe Brashier, Ali Richard, Jadie Weatherly)
Girls 200 IM – fourth place – Katie Schmitt
Girls 100 Free – fifth place – Jadie Weatherly
Boys 500 Free – fifth place – Noah Utley * School Record 6:51.59
Girls 200 Free Relay – fourth place – (Ali Richard, Katie Schmitt, Jadie Weatherly, Lexi Stamos)
Boys 200 Free Relay – fourth place – (Will Simcik, Reagan Lubs, Ayden Farrell, Brody Johnson)
Girls 100 Back – fourth place – Jadie Weatherly
Girls 100 Breast – fifth place – Zoe Brashier

Middle School:

Boys 200 Medley Relay – fourth place – (Brooks Johnson, Landon Hamm, Aiden Leyrer, Tate Lubs)
Girls 100 IM – third place – Michelle Leyrer
Boys 100 IM – third place – Aiden Leyrer
Boys 50 Free – fourth place – Landon Hamm
Boys 100 Free – fifth place – Aiden Leyrer
Boys 50 Back – third place – Brooks Johnson

The Warrior swim team next competes on Saturday, December 8, at the SJ23 Holiday Classic at the Katy High School Natatorium at 1 p.m. The meet will again be a combined high school and middle school meet.

Varsity Cheer is State Runner-Up!

The Warrior varsity cheerleaders took second place overall in the TAPPS Division 4 State Championships and received a Superior Honor. The girls competed at the Belton Expo Center in Temple, TX on Monday, December 4, 2023. They entered the Traditional Division which had 10 other teams and the routines were performed twice to determine the winners. On both routines, Cypress Cheer hit a zero deduction in helping bring home the State Runner-Up award! The team faced many challenges and through their hard work and dedication the team prevailed.

The following athletes received individual accolades that were given by TAPPS at the competition. Please join us in congratulating these ladies!

1st Team ALL-STATE

Claire Johnson (12) & Evie Greenberg (11)

2nd Team ALL-STATE

Alex Slabic (12)

Honorable Mention ALL-STATE

Rachel Czagas (10)

Competition Cheer Team:

Alex Slabic, Annika Sandhu, Ashleigh Townsend, Claire Johnson, Makena Pham, Sophia Swanton, Evie Greenberg, Sophia Wanic, Mary Wax, Rachel Czagas, Brooke Intrau, Faith Bender. Alternate: Lilah Johnson

We are so incredibly proud of these girls, and our Warrior Cheer program!

Volleyball Awards 2023

Warrior Volleyball celebrated and reflected on their season with the players and their families. All-district awards were awarded to the varsity team as well as the CCS team awards for both junior varsity and varsity teams.

District Awards

First Team All-District – Melody Janz
Second Team All-District – Raquel Hernandez-Rodriguez
Honorable Mention – Riley Stevens, Mariana Van Dyk, Emily Muse, Connie Quaglia

CCS Team Awards

Varsity:

MVP – Melody Janz
Offensive Player of the Year – Mariana Van Dyk
Defensive Player of the Year – Raquel Hernandez-Rodriguez
Timothy Award (most Christ-like player) – Lilah Johnson
Most Improved Player – Corinne Keim
Outstanding Leadership Award – Riley Stephens
Incomer of the Year Award – Connie Quaglia

Junior Varsity:

MVP – Connie Quaglia
Offensive Player of the Year – Katelyn Bienko
Defensive Player of the Year – Allison Exum
Timothy Award (most Christ-like player) – Ellie Wisenbaker
Outstanding Server Award – Bella Thomas
Most Improved Player – Heather Haesly

CCS One Act Play is STATE RUNNER-UP!

TAPPS_One_Act_Play_-_State_Runner-Up_2023

On November 11 and 12, Cypress Christian School’s One Act Play students competed in the TAPPS State One Act Play Competition in Kerrville, TX with their performance of “Peter and the Starcatcher ” by Rick Elise. Students worked diligently as a team and received State-Runner-Up (second place). Upon reviewing their scores with the TAPPS judges, students learned that one of the three judges gave them a state champion (first place) rating. This is a huge accomplishment and we hope you join us in celebrating their achievements.

SENIORS: (6)

Robby Mynes, Ezekiel Hogan, Rayne Harris, Ashleigh Townsend, Jackson Broussard, Brandon Fivecoat

JUNIORS: (10)

Avery Connelly, Ester Torres-Pinheiro, Nicole Santos, David Romero, Matthew Storey, Noah Utley, Sasha Farrington, Barrett Wilhelm, Emily Muse, Katie Schmitt

SOPHOMORES: (8)

Zak Wright, Erica Davenport, Caden Kreitz, Gabe Caldwell, Jerry Kiely, Alison Richard, Danielle Roberts, Aidan Salazar

FRESHMAN: (1)

Lydia Duphorne

Cypress Christian School was also the school that won the most individual awards in the contest:

Sophomore, Caden Kreitz, and Senior, Jackson Broussard, were recognized as All-Star Technicians
Junior, Ester Torres-Pinheiro was awarded Honorable Mention Cast for her performance as Smee
Seniors, Robby Mynes and Rayne Harris, along with Junior, Nicole Santos, were recognized as All-Star Cast members for their performances as Boy (Peter), Mrs. Bumbrake and Molly, respectively

Students made lots of memories and look forward to another award-winning season next year as they move up to Division I. Students would like to thank their directors, (Marit Broussard, Kiley Harris and Jessica Mynes) chaperone/trailer driver, (Daniel Wright) and their parents for their unwavering support and dedication.

Great job, Warriors! Way to bring home the silver!

Cross Country Awards Banquet 2023

The middle school and high school cross country teams celebrated the end of their season with their annual banquet to honor all runners and highlight team award recipients. The first group to be recognized were the WARRIOR MILE CLUB recipients who reached milestones by running over the summer. Next, the team recognized the high school Skull Crushers and the middle & high school Timothy & MVP award winners.

100 – mile Warriors: Alise Andrade, Lorelai Waller, Michaela Smith

150 – mile Warriors: Joy Anderson, Caleb Burgos

200 – mile Warriors: Maddy McKnight, Ali Richard

Skull Crusher Award (High School Only):

Audrey Fransen, Ben Hensley

Timothy Award:

Lorelai Waller, Carter Boul, Audrey Fransen, Gray Layton

MVP Award:

Michaela Smith, Jackson Connelly, Maddy McKnight, Caleb Burgos The coaches are so proud of everyone this season and would like to wish our outgoing seniors the absolute best! Enjoy the offseason and we look forward to seeing you next year!

Cross Country State Meet 2023

The cross country teams braved Monday’s cold and muddy conditions to conclude their season at the state meet in Waco on Monday, October 30. Overall, the boys’ team finished 17th out of 26 and the girls’ team 14th out of 20. Top individuals of the day include Caleb Burgos (28th out of 176) and Sophie Fransen (41st out of 143). The coaches want to congratulate everyone on a wonderful season and extend gratitude to all the parents, faculty and volunteers who help make it a success!

Volleyball Senior Night 2023

We celebrated our volleyball seniors last Thursday night! They shared future plans, past memories and advice. The girls were represented well and cheered on by their family and friends for their last home game.

Cross Country District Meet

The cross country teams hosted the district meet last Saturday with great success! The boys’ team had two individual medalists: Caleb Burgos (fourth) and Ben Hensley (15th). Maddy McKnight finished 10th overall in the girls’ race. Thanks to all the volunteers who made the district meet a terrific experience to all the visiting schools Both teams will conclude their season next Monday, October 30, at the State Meet in Waco. The boys’ team races at 1:15 p.m. and the girls follow at 2:20 p.m. Please wish all the runners well as they look to finish their season strong!

Cross Country Galveston Ball Beach Run

The high school cross country teams competed in the Galveston Ball Beach Run last Friday with great success! The boys’ team placed third as a team in their division with Caleb Burgos finishing third overall while the girls’ team placed fourth and had three top 10 finishers: Maddy McKnight (fourth), Sophie Fransen (eighth) and Ali Richard (10th).

This week, the Warriors host the CCS Invitational on Saturday, September 16, at HNW Church with over 1,800 runners planning to attend! We need your help to make this a memorable and smooth experience for the visiting teams so please consider volunteering on race day. You can sign up using the link below and earn service hours for students as well!

2023 Student Leadership University 301

Students in the Warrior Leadership Academy traveled to London, Normandy and Oxford to experience Student Leadership University 301 last week. The goal of our student leadership program is to give our students a decade head start on their peers across the world by the time they graduate high school. This group of rising juniors and seniors began SLU 301 by navigating London in the CCS version of The Amazing Race of London! Navigating a major European city via various means of public transportation as a 17 or 18-year-old is an amazing experience…and they did a great job, culminating in a meeting for dinner at the famous Dickens Inn at historic St Katherine’s Dock.

To begin the week, our students crossed the English Channel and had the privilege of visiting the hallowed grounds of the American Cemetery at Normandy, France. CCS students took part in a somber wreath-laying ceremony honoring our brave warriors who secured freedom for the West and beyond. On the same day, the group had lunch and heard a leadership lecture on Omaha Beach. Each participant was able to gather a small vial of sand off of the beach to take home to keep in remembrance of the day.

The following day began with visiting the Victoria & Albert Museum in London where they saw artifacts and religious sculptures dating back as far as 300 A.D. up to the 18th century. It was very affirming to see the massive impact of our God in the lives of the ancients they were studying. The best artwork was, without question, the art depicting the Word of God and His power. The group then had lunch in the famed Piccadilly Circle in London, a very impressive cultural setting drowning in history in every direction.

After lunch, they attended a great lecture in John Wesley’s home church, highlighting the leadership lessons from his life of awesome impact. The old chapel was classic and beautiful. They began with prayer and singing a few lines from classic hymns. They were also able to visit the final resting places of several giants of the faith, including Wesley, his brother Charles, their mother and John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress.

They ended a great day by walking across Westminster Bridge over the River Thames past Big Ben and the Eye of London, finally ending up at the Imperial War Museum. The museum was closed to the public and booked exclusively for CCS as the group was treated to a tour and special program.

On Friday, students had an all-day excursion to beautiful Oxford, England. They began the morning with a very rare opportunity. First, they visited and had an event at The Holy Trinity Church, the home church of C.S. Lewis. Students sat in the same beautiful wooden pews where Lewis and many other impactful Christian leaders spent Sunday after Sunday.

As an educational opportunity, students listened live and in person to a living legend, Dr. John Lennox. Because it would be impossible to list his credentials, work history and impact for the Kingdom of God and in the lives of so many people across the globe here, you make click here for your information. The lecture was recorded and is part of a series for a course to be used at several Christian universities. He was gracious, eloquent and logically flawless. Students experienced a modern-day hero of the faith.

Students spent the rest of the day in town, and around the University of Oxford, where they were free to participate in any number of activities, attractions and lots of shopping. The differences in what students decided to do were broad, funny and a good testimony to the uniqueness of each and every person! Everyone hit the bus probably over-caffeinated, yet exhausted!

The group finished the evening with a great meal, a leadership lecture and a graduation ceremony. The ceremony included a recognition of the completion of the SLU conference series and a time when the President and Vice President of SLU prayed over the students. It was a beautiful culmination of a fantastic day.

2023 STUDENT LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY 201

CCS Warrior Leadership Academy students traveled to Washington, D.C. for their Student Leadership University 201 experience.

The conference was headlined with an awesome speech by Dr. Ben Carson. He connected with the students in a powerful way, not only sharing his unbelievable journey, but he really did a great job bringing glory to the power of God. He did all of this while teaching several powerful leadership lessons related to developing yourself for God’s service. It was awesome.

Students had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Jay Strack, Jeff Struecker (former Army Ranger who participated in the ‘Black Hawk Down’ mission), and Chaplain Barry Black (Chaplain for the United States Senate). From these lessons, students were shown what it means to be a leader for Christ with the heart of a patriot.

During the conference, CCS students toured the Holocaust Museum, The Museum of the Bible, The Smithsonian Museum of American History, as well as many monuments. While at the Hallowed ground of Arlington Cemetery, students witnessed the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well as the changing of the Guard.

Coach Hogan is confident our students took away many important lessons to grow and develop strong, patriotic, Christian leaders.

2023 AP CAPSTONE STUDENT SUCCESS

CCS is proud to be one of approximately 450 high schools in the state of Texas to be recognized as an AP Capstone School. This innovative College Board program consists of two courses, AP Seminar and AP Research, taken during the junior and senior year of high school. The courses teach students skills including college-level independent research, collaboration, teamwork, writing and communication that can be used in any discipline.

Original research was conducted this year by five members of the Class of 2023. We are pleased to announce that all students passed the AP Research Academic Paper and Presentation. Luc Shyaka-Ngabo earned the AP Capstone Diploma through successful completion of AP Research, AP Seminar and four other AP courses. Lucy Davis, Connor Keim, Kiley Kreitz, and Matthew LeForce each earned the AP Capstone Certificate.

“As it relates to overall AP scoring, this group was statistically the most successful AP Research class ever at CCS. However, I am most proud of their care and concern for one another throughout this process,” remarked Mr. Leonard. “This group will always be special to me because they had a genuine love for each other. I am going to miss them very much.”

2023 STUDENT LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY 101

Twenty-eight freshmen students began their Student Leadership University journey by attending the SLU 101 conference in San Antonio. This is the first step in a four-year pathway to develop strong, active Christian leaders who will allow God to use them to do exceedingly and abundantly more than they can ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

SLU 101 is designed to encourage and equip students to be leaders now – in their homes, schools, churches and relationships. Students learned that in all things, they are commanded to be excellent. (1 Corinthians 10:31) While observing sharks and dolphins at SeaWorld, they learned about personality types and how best to build positive and lasting relationships with each other. (1 Corinthians 12:25-27) Students were challenged to dream and do big things to fulfill God’s will for their lives. They were encouraged to “eat the big frog first” as a reminder to make a habit of doing hard things first; understanding that growth and change occur when difficulties are overcome.

Warrior Baseball Claims 2023 State Championship Title

During a two-game tournament event on Monday and Tuesday, the Cypress Christian Warriors battled against weather delays and two formidable opponents in Geneva School and McKinney Christian. After a scoreless first inning against the Geneva Eagles, Cypress Christian took a 5-1 lead in the second inning when Beckett Swinney and Gavin Gray singled, Brody Tucker, Ameron Sheikh and Drew Mestayer walked and Zach Thibodeaux doubled. The two teams didn’t allow any further runs until Geneva tied up the game in the top of the sixth inning. Jacob Lukaszewski pitched an impressive first five innings giving up one unearned run on three hits and four walks while striking out six. Warren Haudek took the mound in the seventh inning to finish the game, allowing zero hits and zero runs while walking one and striking out two. In the final at bat, the Warriors started off with a strikeout but then earned walks for the next three batters, which loaded the bases. This set up the dramatic ending to the game, when Swinney hit a walk-off single to win the semi-final match up.

The state final game pitted the Warriors against the McKinney Mustangs who seemed hot offensively right from the start. While their first run was answered by a CCS run in the top of the second, the ‘Stangs then plated four in response. Cypress scored only one in the third, and McKinney struck again in the fourth – leaving the Warriors down 2-6. The fifth inning proved to be the turning point of the game when CCS scored seven unanswered runs. Both teams scored one run each in the sixth and went scoreless in the seventh, leaving the final score at 10-7. Mestayer and Haudek were the pitchers of record for the game, with Haudek earning the win. The Warriors collected 13 hits overall. Mestayer, Tyler Bienko, Gray, Haudek and Williams each managed multiple hits. Cypress Christian was sure-handed and didn’t commit a single error. Mestayer made the most plays with six. CCS stole five bases during the game as Mestayer and Thibodeaux each led the way with two.

As an added bonus to the day, Lukaszewski, Swinney, Thibodeaux and Williams were each named to the TAPPS Division 3 All Tournament State Team. Congrats to the 2023 CCS Varsity Warrior baseball team!

The team’s perseverance and a “row the boat” mentality led them to the baseball program’s third state title.

Houston Chronicle Article – TAPPS state roundup: Cypress Christian wins baseball, softball titles (houstonchronicle.com)

Lady Warriors are STATE CHAMPIONS for the First Time in School History

CCS Warriors Ride Emotional Roller Coaster to State Softball Title

The Warriors softball team, after a divine twist of fortune, are TAPPS State Champions for the first time in school history!

CCS defeated Corpus Christi Incarnate Word 8-6 in the semifinals Friday to advance to the Division III title game against Bullard Brook Hill. The Warriors knocked off the Guard 5-1 in the championship game at Allan Saxe Field on the UT-Arlington campus on Saturday. The softball team’s first TAPPS championship would never have happened without divine intervention.

On Tuesday, the Warriors season, by all accounts, was dead and buried after their loss to Holy Cross-San Antonio, the two-time defending state champs, in the TAPPS Regionals. But their hopes were resurrected when Holy Cross was disqualified for using an ineligible player this season.

CCS Head Coach Jessi Harvey received the call on Thursday morning, the day before the state tournament was going to begin. “Things like this just don’t happen,” said Coach Harvey. “Going from being heartbroken Tuesday night, arranging uniform turn-in times on Wednesday, and then telling the girls they had at least one more day of softball on Thursday…it was an indescribable emotion of joy.”

Given new life, the Warriors rolled into Arlington relaxed and ready to capitalize on their second chance. “Since no one expected us to be there,” the Warriors first-year head coach added, “we told the girls that they were playing with ‘house money.’ And after explaining what that meant, I think it took the pressure off of them to just go out and play their best games ever….which they did!”

The girls jumped out of the gate with a three-run first inning against Corpus Christi Incarnate Word, sparked by Chloe Roberson’s two-run double. The senior catcher knocked in two more runs in the fourth inning to give CCS a 6-0 lead.

The Warriors backed starting pitcher Audrey Petrowski with outstanding plays in the field, including a rare 1-2-3-2 double play with two runners thrown out at the plate on the same play. Junior Sarah Olenick also played outstanding defense with several highlight reel plays to back her friend and teammate’s clutch pitching.

Incarnate Word wouldn’t give up easily though. The Lady Angels rallied with three runs in the sixth inning and two more in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to two runs. But junior Macie Dammeyer retired the last three batters in order to clinch CCS’ first ever appearance in the TAPPS softball championship game. Their opponent was Bullard Brook Hill, 22-3 coming into the title game.

The Lady Guard drew first blood with a solo homerun in the top of the first by star pitcher Karmen Miller. CCS answered right back in their first at-bat thanks to a two-run blast by senior third baseman Lucy Davis, her 10th homerun of the season.

The Columbia blue-clad Warriors padded their lead on a line drive by Olenick in the third inning that shot past the Brook Hill left fielder to the fence, allowing Olenick to race around the bases to make it 3-1. Two more runs would cross the plate in the fourth as a throwing error allowed freshman Corinne Keim and sophomore Kennedy Schwartz to scamper across home plate and give the Warriors a 5-1 lead.

From there, starting pitcher Audrey Petrowski took over, holding Brook Hill to just one hit over the final three frames. Outstanding plays by Davis, Olenick and Dammeyer backed Petrowski’s gritty effort in the pitching circle. And Petrowski struck out the final batter to close out the complete game pitching performance as her teammates swarmed to the middle of the field to celebrate the championship.

“I was in tears calling the pitches for that last batter. It all just kind of hit me in that moment that these girls had done it,” said Harvey after the emotional celebration. “They didn’t back down, they didn’t let the naysayers get in their heads. They went out and gave everything they had just like they’d done day in and day out this season.”

Chloe Roberson, Lucy Davis, Sarah Olenick and Audrey Petrowski were named to the TAPPS All-Tournament team for their outstanding play in the two games. Overall, CCS finished the historic season with a 20-3 record and the school’s first ever state championship in softball.

“God’s favor was definitely upon us as our girls got the timely hits and made outstanding defensive plays that stopped the other teams’ momentum,” said Coach Harvey, “This team is so special. They are so deserving of this, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to work with.”

Houston Chronicle Article – TAPPS state roundup: Cypress Christian wins baseball, softball titles (houstonchronicle.com)

Girls Track & Field are STATE CHAMPIONS for the Third Year in a Row!

Our 2022–2023 high school track & field teams had a great weekend at the TAPPS State Track Meet in Waco. The boys team took sixth place out of 27 schools and the girls team won their THIRD TAPPS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN A ROW!!!

All our athletes competed well with both of our 4×100 relays taking first place to start off the running events. The girls team consisted of Maddie Dodd, Riley Fox, Evie Greenberg and Sophia Swanton and boys team consisted of Brody Johnson, Adler Smith, Maxwell Landrum and Price Shultea. Nicole Santos won the triple jump and was runner-up in the long jump; Adler Smith won the boys 100m dash. Our girls 4×200 relay team won consisting of Maddie Dodd, Riley Fox, Evie Greenberg and Sophia Swanton. Mariana Van Dyk earned second place in shot put and won discus with a school record throw of 129’9”!

A list of the full results can be found here. We are so proud of all our track athletes and all the hard work they put into this season! Go, Warriors!

Cypress Christian School Lady Warriors Golf Team are STATE CHAMPS for the FIRST TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY!

Since 1978, the Warriors have not had a state champion in golf…that streak came to an end this week as our Lady Warriors competed in the TAPPS 4A State Championship in Glen Rose, TX at Squaw Valley Golf Club. They pulled out an impressive two-day total score of 720 and won by five strokes. The competition at this year’s event was much more difficult than it has been in any of the recent years and our top five girls (Megan Cater, Claire Johnson, Makena Pham, Lindsey Brashier and Paige Petru) came through with clutch performances on both days. On day one, Makena Pham and Claire Johnson led the way with top scores of 87 and 88 and on day two, the Lady Warriors had three girls, Megan Cater (85), Lindsey Brashier (88) and Makena Pham (88), post rounds in the 80’s. The Cypress girls clearly had the most depth in this year’s tournament and all five girls were able to contribute on one or both days to pull off the victory! This season has been amazing and the overwhelming support of all the players and parents has contributed to the team’s success!

CCS Sophomore, Grayson Petru Finishes as State Runner-Up at TAPPS State Championship!

Cypress Christian School’s Grayson Petru advanced to the State Championship this year by winning the TAPPS 4A Regional tournament in San Antonio, TX last week. He came into the tournament as a top qualifier and took those expectations to greater heights as he outperformed the entire field over the course of two days. He finished day one in fifth place overall, shooting two under par and on day two, he turned up the pressure on the other players as he went on an impressive streak of seven under par to finish in a tie for first place at the end of the round. One of the highlights of the tournament was when his dad recorded a video of him on the par four – 16th, as he holed out for an eagle…it was a moment that will be remembered by everyone there. Congratulations to our CCS Warrior, Grayson Petru, on an amazing performance as State Runner-Up!!

Announcing Chrissy Woodward, Varsity Volleyball Coach

Cypress Christian School is pleased to announce that Chrissy Woodward has been selected as our next varsity volleyball coach.

Coach Woodward grew up in a small Southeast Texas town called Tarkington Prairie, where she played volleyball, basketball, tennis and ran track in high school. Her school had a very successful volleyball program and made it to the state finals her senior year. She received a full volleyball scholarship to play for Sam Houston State University, receiving several All-Conference awards and All-Tournament selections as well as Most Valuable Player from 2004-2006. She still holds a few collegiate records. During her time in college, she coached a local club team, which started her coaching journey.

Coach Woodward graduated from Sam Houston State University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in health science. After graduation, she coached for two years in her hometown and continued coaching club volleyball. In 2008, she became the head volleyball coach at New Caney High School and later, Porter High School, taking both teams on playoff runs.

In 2010, after meeting her husband, she made Cypress her home. In 2013, she started and grew a club which had several successful seasons. After the birth of her second child, she became the head volleyball coach at Cypress Ranch High School. There, her teams made several playoff runs, including two undefeated district championship seasons. She was named Coach of the Year for two consecutive seasons for District 16-6A. In 2021, she started a club for the Cypress area that focuses on younger athletes and developing a love for the game of volleyball. She has also had the privilege of coaching many collegiate-bound athletes during her time as a coach.

Coach Woodward finds joy in coaching and teaching and loves being a wife to Sean and mom to three beautiful children (Tate (9), Carsyn (5), and Mack). Family has always been important to her, and she remembers fondly growing up attending her local Baptist church with her grandparents on Sundays, followed by family dinners to end each week. The Woodward family currently attend Good Shephard Methodist Church. They are looking forward to becoming a part of the Warrior Nation as they continue their faith journey. Cypress Christian School is excited to have them as a part of our family! Please help us in making them feel welcome!

Woodward, Chrissy Volleyball Coach - Family

Alaska Mission Trip

Over spring break, Bayou City Fellowship took some of our CCS students to Nome, Alaska on a mission trip. High school students served by shoveling snow, working concessions stands and even helped with the Iditarod. Seeing the Northern Lights in person was truly a sight to behold.

This is what the students had to say about the trip: “Going to Alaska was amazing. This was one of the first years a youth group helped. There had only been one other. The community was extremely receptive and friendly. We had been outside a shop when a man came to talk to us. Before he left he taught us how to say thank you in his language ‘Quiana’. The small moments were the biggest like just hanging out and having kids come up to us and play. The culture was also divided. At the Iditarod, most people were tourists, and some were natives. The basketball game had all natives cheering and having an amazing time. People in the community would walk into the church just to talk to Mrs. Brenda, the mission leader.”

“My favorite memory was the basketball tournament that was for all of the villages. The whole town showed up to watch.” ~ Jack Gibb

The CCS students who participated were Ian Barrow, Colton Beckman, Jack Gibb, Emily Leamons, Kyle Leamons, Katie Martin, Grace Philipp, Rowan Smith, Beckett Swinney and Adam Williams.

TAPPS Vocal Solo & Ensemble Competition Results

On Monday, March 20, CCS took 28 students to TAPPS Vocal Solo & Ensemble Competition. All students came back with Superior and Excellent division ratings. This was the first S/E Competition for each student. Thirteen out of 19 soloists earned Division 1 Superior medals and the rest Division 2 Excellent marks.

Students who sang a solo at the most challenging level while earning the highest rating of Superior Division 1, thus receiving the State Honors Award, are seniors Jessica Atkins and Kiley Kreitz, junior Rayne Harris and sophomore Gray Layton.

Other students who earned the highest Superior rating on a vocal solo are Jackson Broussard, Jaeda Dumas, Evan Ellington, Gia Granato, Maddy McKnight, Emily Muse, Caleb Poirrier, Ashnah Sandhu and Ashleigh Townsend.

The CCS middle school choir earned a Division 1 Superior rating on their ensemble performance. Also, two students, Gray Layton and Owen Layton, earned Division 1 Superior medals in piano solo. Way to go, CCS singers and musicians!

The CCS Chamber Choir will compete in TAPPS Large Ensemble Competition in Waco in April.

Warrior Swim Team End-of-Season Awards

The Warrior swim team, both high school and middle school, had their end-of-season awards banquet last Friday, March 3. The team celebrated a successful season which included TAPPS state qualifications for all high school relay teams along with four individual qualifiers. The season also represented the highest number of swimmers in the program overall with 41 swimmers in grades 6–11 on the team. Coach Nugent and Coach Hamm are excited about the growing program and are looking for even more swimmers to be a part of the program next season.

End-of-Season Awards were given to the following swimmers:

High School

Timothy Awards – Zoe Brashier and Brody Johnson
Most Improved Awards – Annie Burgos and Will Simcik
Team Development Awards – Katie Schmitt and James Allen
Most Valuable Swimmers – Ali Richard and Brody Johnson

Middle School

Timothy Awards – Michelle Leyrer and David Achterkirch
Most Improved Awards – Karis Hamm and Joseph Lavergne
Most Valuable Swimmers – Alexa Stamos and Bowman Price

Sheep Heart Dissection

Biology students culminated their learning of the cardiovascular system with a dissection of a sheep’s heart. Students were able to identify major structures of the heart, trace the pathway of blood through the heart and know what “they are tugging at my heart strings” really means.

Varsity Softball Bests 6A Public School

Audrey Petrowski made her first start as a CCS varsity pitcher against the Westside Wolves a memorable one for herself and her school. The freshman standout spun a seven-inning no-hitter as the Warriors beat Westside, a 6A public school, 5-2.

Petrowski struck out six and retired 14 batters in a row at one point. The Wolves lineup only managed to reach base in two innings as Petrowski mixed a sharp fastball with a variety of off-speed pitches to keep the Westside hitters off balance all evening.

Lucy Davis helped back the outstanding pitching effort with a homerun and three runs batted in. Megan Smith delivered two hits and scored two of the Warriors five runs.

CCS is off to a 9-2 start this season. The Warriors are seeking their third consecutive trip to the TAPPS 4A state tournament in May.

Warrior Baseball

The varsity Warrior baseball team won two of their four games in last week’s round-robin tournament, scoring 32 runs over the three days of games. The leaders at the plate were Tristan Fokken, Warren Haudek, Jacob Lukaszewski, Drew Mestayer, Ameron Sheikh and Beckett Swinney.

The junior varsity team split their doubleheader against HCYA over the weekend. Hudson Dennis, Adam Williams and Aidan Leonard each had multiple hits in the first game of the day, while Michael Conomos went 2-3 in the second game. The team beat Concordia Lutheran on Tuesday, 14-0 with Tristan Fokken throwing a no-hitter. They play away at Houston Christian today and at home on Monday against Bo Porter Academy.

CCS is hosting another tournament this week where the varsity team will face the Tomball Kings and Mansfield Knights, while the JV team will take on the Northside Falcons. Come root, root, root for the home teams while enjoying the weather and some tasty concessions.

Varsity Warriors take the field today at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., and they play again on Saturday at 12:15 and 2:30 p.m. JV plays the 10 a.m. game and 4:45 p.m. game on Saturday. Adult tickets are $5, while senior citizens and non-CCS student tickets are $2. All CCS students may attend free of charge. Remember to bring your cash; the gate and concession stand do not take credit cards.

Construction Begins – Senior Capstone Engineering

Over the past week, all three teams from the Senior Capstone Engineering class have been in the beginning phases of constructing their projects by buying their materials, measuring out wood, testing products and conducting research. The three teams went to Mrs. Yaw’s house where her husband, Brandon Yaw, assisted them in measuring and cutting their wood to begin their projects.

Students learned how to 3D model their projects on the computer program, On Shape, and used that design to start the construction of the projects. Each team has an “engineer” who oversees the building process, but all members of the teams had the opportunity to use the saw to cut the wood.

Student Professional Coalition

This week, the Student Professional Coalition (SPC) was launched to connect CCS juniors and seniors with local professionals who are experts in their field/industry. The purpose of this coalition is to introduce students to local professionals who will help them understand what it takes to be a leader in their career. This will help students to consider what God has in store for them outside of their academic studies.

On February 15, the first lunch meeting of 2023 was led by Luke Ramirez and David Conomos, who introduced our first professional speaker from the real estate industry, alumni parent, D’rinda Randall. Mrs. Randall helped students to understand what is required to acquire a real estate license, interview and join a brokerage firm and earn income in the real estate business. She also showed examples of how interest rates impact the market for customers and agents and brought examples of marketing materials she prepares for her clients. Students enjoyed her presentation and the Q&A that followed.

Upcoming SPC lunch dates:

February 24 – Professional architect
March 24 – Professional pilot
March 31 – Professional engineer
April 14 – Financial professional
April 21 – Professional athletic trainer

Golf Teams Finish Third in First Tournament of the Season

The Cypress Christian boys and girls golf teams competed in their first tournament of the season this past Monday, February 13. The event was played at Magnolia Creek Golf Club in League City and hosted 23 teams in the field. Both the boys and girls teams finished in third place!

The awards are determined by combining the lowest four scores of the players from each team. On the boys side Grayson Petru, Johnathan Cater, Cres Harris and Taylor Hotchkiss were the top scores and on the girls side Makena Pham, Claire Johnson, Megan Cater and Camden Maxey had the lowest rounds. The tournament included several of the top golf programs in our area and the Warriors competed very well for their first showing in 2023! The Warriors next tournament will be hosted by Summer Creek High School at Atascocita Golf Club on Thursday, March 2.

Congrats, Cypress Christian golf team on a great start to the year! Go, Warriors!

Varsity & JV Defeat Fort Bend Christian

Both JV and varsity teams posted a win against Fort Bend Christian Academy earlier this week. Beckett Swinney led things off on the mound for the varsity Warriors and was followed by Jacob Lukaszewski throwing three innings and Warren Haudek closing out the final inning. They went ahead late in the game when Ameron Sheikh singled on a 2-2 count and scored two runs. Senior Zach Thibodeaux led the team in stolen bases and joined the list of base hitters (Gavin Gray, Tyler Bienko & Sheikh) to give the team the 5-3 victory.

JV won their game with six hits scoring 10 runs. Tyler Bienko was the winning pitcher who went four innings with only one earned run and three strikeouts. Tristan Fokken came in to pitch relief and gave up zero hits, only one walk and ended the game with a strikeout. The final score was 10-4.

Check out the schedule links below and come on out to support our guys. During home games, enjoy some hot chocolate, snacks and other goodies at the concession stand. Grilled hamburgers for $5 and hot dogs for $2 are often available during the games. In our upcoming CCS tournaments, we will have chopped beef sandwich meals on the menu for both lunch and dinner. For home games, CCS students get in free! Adult entry is $5. Senior adult and non-CCS student entry is $2. Gate and concessions are cash only. Booster club memberships and season tickets are still available!

Varsity Baseball Schedule | JV Baseball Schedule

Baseball Fan Store | Baseball Booster Club | Baseball Season Tickets

Varsity Boys Basketball Advance to Regionals

Varsity boys basketball won the area round of the playoffs on Tuesday, February 14. The team defeated the Geneva School of Boerne to advance to Saturday’s regional game against Veritas Academy of Austin. The game is Saturday, February 18 at 6 p.m. at Allen Academy in Bryan-College Station. Coach Rory Coleman says, “We are thankful for the hard work and efforts the boys have put into this season. All the glory and praise goes to God.”

Students Volunteer at “Night to Shine”

Several high school students, including Audrey Fransen, Sophie Fransen, Zoe Brashier and Carissa Simcik, volunteered on February 10 with the Tim Tebow Foundation’s “Night to Shine” at Houston’s First Baptist Church.

Participants had the following to say about this special event:

“This is my second year participating in Night to Shine. I love seeing my buddy smile.” – Sophie Fransen

“This was my first time volunteering for this event. I enjoyed dancing with all of the guests and seeing them enjoy their evening.” – Zoe Brashier

“The highlight of my night was dancing with my buddy, Macy.” – Carissa Simcik

“This is a wonderful event for students as well as their parents to be a part of.” – Stacey Fransen

Varsity Girls Basketball Finish Third in District

Varsity girls basketball earned a spot in the TAPPS 4A playoffs for the third straight year. They finished this season as third in district, losing Tuesday in the Area round of playoffs to Incarnate Word Academy-Corpus Christi. Addi McLain led the team with 13 points and dominated the post position. Sarah Olenick contributed with 10 points, closing in the score in the third quarter to one point after an amazing 3-pointer! This was definitely one of the team’s best-played games all season.

This was Coach Daija Coleman’s first year as head coach. She said, “I couldn’t be prouder of the way the girls worked together and used their God-given blessings on the court.”

Varsity Girls Soccer Undefeated in District

The CCS girls varsity soccer team finished undefeated in district play this week, with a 5-0 win over Bay Area. This clinches a BYE in the first round of the playoffs. Details about the first playoff game will be available soon. Congratulations, Warriors!

College Night on Campus

Last week, ninth through 12th-grade families met with representatives of more than 20 universities to learn about the variety of college opportunities that are available. College representatives shared that they were impressed with the maturity and questions of our students! We were happy to host several families from the community, who also benefitted from meeting with the college reps. As one student shared, “I learned about a college tonight that I had never considered. Now it’s one of my top choices!”

AP Capstone Engineering

CCS Senior Capstone Engineering is a class for seniors who have an interest in interacting with the special needs community while applying the engineering design process. Three groups were assigned clients at Reach Unlimited. Their goal is to impact their client’s life by building objects that will allow their clients to be able to interact with their friends and be involved in their everyday classes. CCS students took a visit to Reach Unlimited to meet their clients and understand the needs of each client.

The first client, who is nonverbal, would love to be able to participate and communicate with his classmates. The second client is wheelchair bound but loves to touch sensory items. The last need is a heavy duty light table so that clients can trace their art work to create products to sell in their gift shop. These three needs will turn in to projects that the Senior Capstone Engineering class will work on for the spring semester.

Lessons from Spiritual Emphasis Days – Bill Paige

In Ezekiel, Scripture describes one who has encountered God as someone who has come in from one direction but leaves toward a new direction. Mark 2 describes the healing of a paralyzed man whose friends lower him to Jesus as Jesus is teaching in a home. The friends believed that Jesus could change the direction of the paralyzed man’s life. The Bible recounts that the man came in the house through the roof, but he left through the door; the direction of his life was changed when he encountered Jesus. All have areas of life where we are unable to move or change ourselves like the paralyzed man. We are stuck in old habits, beliefs, views or patterns and cannot move on our own. We need to lay down our “stuck-ness” at the feet of Jesus. He will free us to go out a different way than we entered.

Mark 4-5 tells several stories of Jesus taking someone to a new place of freedom, peace, healing and forgiveness. Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, He cast demons out of a man who was consumed with evil thoughts, He brought a young girl back to life and He healed a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. In each situation, Jesus knew the truth of the hurt and pain. He knew when and how to show up for each individual. Jesus’s power is never diminished; His forgiveness is never weakened; His promise of peace never lessens; His faithfulness never slips away.

Baylor & University of Mary Hardin-Baylor College Tour

The freshman and sophomore classes spent a day in the life of a Baylor Bear and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusader. Students visited classrooms, recreation centers, outdoor spaces, student centers and dining halls. They learned about what makes each school unique and got to imagine what it would be like to be a student there. With only a few years to go at CCS, students enjoyed exploring some of the options available after graduation.

Warrior Softball Starts the Season with a Bang

The Cypress Christian Lady Warriors started off their season with a bang, turning a tight ballgame into a high-scoring offensive explosion, leading to a 17-6 win over Alpha Omega.

The Lions jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but CCS rallied to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the second on Megan Smith’s two-run double. Alpha Omega tied it 4-4 in the third inning and the score remained that way until the bottom of the fourth, when the Lady Warriors bats broke through in a big way.

Senior Lucy Davis’ two-run double off the centerfield fence was the biggest blow in a four-run fourth inning. The Warriors potent lineup added two more runs in the fifth and then put the game away, plating seven runs in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Addison Koma sparked the rally with a three-run double and Davis’ towering three-run homer over the flagpole in left field ended the onslaught with a 17-6 run-rule victory.

Davis finished the night with five runs batted in and also picked up the victory with five solid innings pitched. Sophomore Megan Smith had three hits and three RBIs to help fuel the team’s offensive fireworks. Smith and sophomore Anna Fernandez backed Davis’ sharp pitching with strong defensive plays in the field.

The Lady Warriors (1-0) continue their non-district schedule with road trips to The Woodlands Christian and Austin Veritas coming up.

Booster club membership is now open for the CCS softball program. Get admission to home games and some team gear to help cheer on our Warriors! Softball fan gear is also available for purchase through the link below through February 12.

Softball Schedule | Softball Booster Club | Softball Fan Store

TAPPS State Swim

The Warrior Swim Team competed in the TAPPS State Swim Meet on Monday, February 6 in San Antonio. The Warriors were represented by 13 athletes and competed in four relay events, and four individual events. The girls’ team was represented by sophomores Katie Schmitt and Audrey Fransen and freshmen Madeline Boctor, Zoe Brashier, Jana Faraclas, Kayla Geyer, Mariella Lee and Alison Richard. They placed 30th out of the 40 schools represented in Division III with Schmitt and Richard also scoring points in individual events, the 200 IM and 100 Butterfly, respectively. The Warrior boys’ team was represented by juniors Ayden Farrell, Brody Johnson and Will Simcik and sophomores James Allen and Noah Utley. The boy’s team placed 25th out of the 37 schools represented in Division III with Johnson, who qualified in two individual events, the 50 Free (placing 10th) and the 100 Back, and Noah Utley in the 100 Free, scoring points individually.

The Warriors had a successful season with many first-time swimmers on the team. The experience that was gained by this young team will pay dividends down the road as they develop in the program over the next few years. Coach Nugent and Coach Hamm are very proud of the efforts that not only the state qualifiers put in during the season, but also for the whole team, with 41 swimmers in high school and middle school combined, the most in the school’s history. The swim program at CCS has a strong foundation to build upon and the future indeed looks bright. Way to go, Warriors!

TAPPS STATE SWIM

STEM Box Challenge

The CCS STEM classes were challenged to create structures made of popsicle sticks and hot glue that were less than 50 grams and measured between 7.5″ and 9” in height. For the spring semester in STEM, the students are walking through different challenges and looking at how STEM is applied. With the “Box Challenge”, students brainstormed and talked through the design process to stay within the requirements and limitations. Teamwork and communication proved to be key throughout the challenge.

Spiritual Emphasis Days 2023

Last Thursday (1/19) and Friday (1/20), CCS held “Spiritual Emphasis” days to provide students with a pause from their ordinary academic schedules in order to hear from God’s Word, participate in worship through song and think through what it looks like to follow the Lord with their everyday lives. Champion Forest Baptist Church – Champions Campus graciously hosted both days, providing hospitality, a worship team and a myriad of activities for students to participate in.

Elementary students enjoyed learning about the importance of being a Warrior for God, starting and ending each day with large group sessions full of worship and biblical lessons led by the Champion Forest Baptist Church elementary and preschool staff. Students learned how to pray using the acronyms TPPP (Time, Place, Plan & Person) and PB&J (Prayer, Bible & Journal). Students also enjoyed making prayer bracelets and journals in small group sessions, connecting the lessons to their science knowledge by making elephant toothpaste (when you fill yourself with the Lord, it bubbles over into everything you do) and slime (prayer can make messy situations better) and getting their wiggles out with a scavenger hunt to find all the pieces to the armor of God.

Middle school and high school were blessed to welcome back Mr. Bill Paige as keynote speaker, and he passionately unpacked lessons from the ministry of Jesus. Whether exploring the restoration of a demoniac or the healing of the sick (and even the dead!), his impassioned plea was for students to encounter the Lord Jesus and leave these two days “a different way than they came in”. After each of his talks, students gathered into smaller, faculty-led discussion groups to respond to the teaching and to receive prayer and encouragement from their teachers and peers.

CCS would like to thank Stephanie Chase, Justin Holcomb, and the entire Champion Forest Baptist staff and volunteers who contributed to welcoming us and caring for our students for these days of “Spiritual Emphasis”. Our prayer is that each student who participated will find their walk with God deepened as they take the next step toward Christlikeness.

TAPPS Regional Swim Meet 2023

The Warrior high school swim team competed in the TAPPS East Regional swim meet on Saturday, January 21, at the University of Houston. In a field of 13 teams, both the girl’s team and the boy’s team finished in sixth place in Division III. Many of the swimmers swam their fastest times of the season and several individuals had top 10 finishes.

The girl’s medley relay team of Jana Faraclas, Zoe Brashier, Alison Richard and Katie Schmitt finished seventh.
The boy’s medley relay team of Brody Johnson, Ayden Farrell, Noah Utley and Will Simcik finished fifth.
The free relay girl’s team of Katie Schmitt, Zoe Brashier, Kayla Geyer and Alison Richard finished fifth.
The boy’s free relay team of Utley, Farrell, Simcik, and Johnson finished sixth.

Individual top 10 finishers:

Katie Schmitt – sixth in 200 IM
Alison Richard – eighth in both 50 Free and 100 Fly
Zoe Brashier – eighth in 100 Breast and 10^th in 100 Fly
Brody Johnson – fifth in both 50 Free and 100 Back
Noah Utley – ninth in 100 Free and 10^th in 50 Free

State qualifiers for TAPPS will be determined following the conclusion of all regional meets and CCS has an opportunity to send several swimmers to the state meet in San Antonio on February 6. Go, Warriors!

Dance Team Places Third in State

On Saturday, January 14, the Warrior Dance team competed in the TAPPS State Dance competition for the first time, taking third place!

AWARDS:

Division V Third place & Superior Rating
Division V All-State 1st team – Ester Torres-Pinheiro & Allison Zaccari
Division V All-State 2nd team – Jaclyn Millender & Kiran Harper

We are proud of you, Warriors!

Strong Season for the Warrior Swim Teams

The Warrior Swim team had a busy schedule the past week. First, the high school team competed in the Houston Area Private and Parochial Invitational on Saturday at the University of Houston. The meet includes all divisions of high school swimmers from across the area, including 17 girls’ teams and 14 boys’ teams in TAPPS and SPC. This was great competition leading up to the TAPPS Regional Meet this coming Saturday, also at the University of Houston. Many of our Warrior swimmers had their best times of the season at this meet as they were able to fine tune relays and improve upon individual performances.

Second, CCS hosted the Cypress Christian Invitational at the Cy-Fair ISD Natatorium. The Warriors, both high school and middle school, competed against five other schools and finished in second place overall. Highlights for the high school team include top three finishes by both the girls’ medley and free relay teams, individual top 3 finishes for Zoe Brashier, Brody Johnson and Katie Schmitt and a first place finish in the 200 Free by Grace Melancon. Middle school highlights include top three finishes by the girls’ free relay team and the boys’ medley and free relay teams. Individual top three finishes for the middle school were made by Tate Lubs and Henry Southall and first place finishes for Alexa Stamos in both the 50 Fly and 50 Back and for Bowman Price in both the 50 Free and 50 Breast.

Up next for the Warriors are the TAPPS Regional Swim Meet for the high school team on Saturday, January 21, at the University of Houston and the Greater Houston Athletic Conference Swimming Championships for the middle school team on Tuesday, January 24, at Lamar High School in HISD.

Warrior Leadership Academy

Last week, members of the Warrior Leadership Academy joined Director of Culture, Coach Kris Hogan for lunch where he reminded everyone that there are always three things people talk about:

People – which is the lowest level of conversation
Events – a neutral kind of conversation
Ideas – the highest level of conversation you can have

Ideas to consider:

All hard or big decisions should be made in advance.

Think about going to church once you are in college. No one is there to remind you to get up, so if you do not decide you’re going to make an effort to choose a church before that first Sunday in college, you are probably going to hit snooze on the alarm clock and just skip it.

There are no ‘correct’ answers in life, only tradeoffs.

You would like to stay close to home when going to college, that’s a good decision. However, remember that you might be trading off that there is a better college for you further away. Staying close to home, going further away, neither is right or wrong, you just have to trade off one for the other.

Missing church during college doesn’t mean that you are a bad person, but you did decide to trade the temporary comfort of extra sleep for the message that may have spoken something important into your life or the group of people that you would have liked to meet with. Every decision is a tradeoff.

What can you do to make the biggest impact on society?

Find a godly spouse and raise a godly family.

TAPPS Fall Photo Award Winners 2023

Animals:

Second Place – Cailea Chalton (Madikwe Lions)
Honorable Mention – Kayla Barfoot (Yellowstone Bison)
Honorable Mention – Keaon Chalton (Untitled)
Honorable Mention – Hank Yeates (The Bug)

Landscape/ Scenic

Honorable Mention – Kayla Barfoot (Majestic Mountains)
Honorable Mention – Keaon Chalton (Tswalu Landscape)
Honorable Mention – Colton Beckman (Alaska Dog Sled)

Sports 4A:

First Place – Jackson Gibb (Tunnel Vision)

Student Life 4A:

Second Place – Tatum Webb (Reading Time)
Honorable Mention – Allison Exum (Homecoming Confetti Celebration)

Waterscapes 4A

Honorable Mention – Jackson Gibb (Arctic Freeze)

Faculty:

Honorable Mention – Rachael Lechman (Price)
Honorable Mention – Rachael Lechman (47-0)

Thank you for encouraging our student photographers to strive for excellence. CCS is proud of their accomplishments.

TAPPS Fall Photo Awards 2022

The results are in for the TAPPS Fall Photo contest. TAPPS had over 1,300 student and faculty entries this year from 56 TAPPS schools. Our judging division consisted of both 3A & 4A schools with 10 different categories. We are so excited to announce that we earned 16 awards which made us the school taking home the most awards in the 3A-4A category!

The breakdown of awards received are as follows:

First place – Brody Tucker

Second place – Mary Wax, Carissa Simcik & Kayla Barfoot

Third place – Jack Gibb, Lincoln Bailey & Katelyn Hong

Honorable Mention – Kayla Barfoot (2), Katelyn Hong (3), Anna Fernandez, Sophie Fransen, Keaon Chalton

Senior Katelyn Hong was our top earner with four awards.

Thank you for encouraging our student photographers to strive for excellence. CCS is proud of their accomplishments.

CCS Swim Team Places Third

The Warrior swim teams, both high school and middle school, competed last Saturday at the Bay Area Christian Meet. The combined teams finished in third place overall in a field of seven schools. CCS was well represented in the pool with many swimmers finishing in the top 10 in almost every event. Highlights include top five finishes for high school boys by juniors Brody Johnson, Will Simcik and Ayden Ferrell. Sophomore Katie Schmitt and freshman Zoe Brashier had top five finishes for the girls.

Top five finishers in middle school include first place finishes by eighth graders Bowman Price, in both the 50 free and 50 breast and by Guy Stamos in the 50 fly. Other top five finishers include eighth graders Alexa Stamos, David Achterkirch and Preston Hamm. Seventh graders with top five finishes include Remi Brashier, Brooks Johnson, Joseph Lavergne, Michelle Leyrer and Caitlin Melancon. There were two sixth graders that also placed in the top five in their events, Ava Rogers and Tate Lubs. A great all-around effort by the team!

The high school team will compete in the HAPPI Meet at the University of Houston this Saturday. Both high school and middle school will then compete at our home meet next Tuesday evening, January 17, at the Cy-Fair ISD Natatorium.

Seis de enero

Spanish classes celebrated January 6 known as King’s Day or Epiphany by cutting and sampling a Rosca de Reyes. The oval or circular shape of the Rosca de Reyes has two meanings: God has no beginning and no end and the crowns of the wise men who visited Jesus in Bethlehem. The decoration of dried fruit represents the jewels on the crowns. A plastic baby is placed inside the Rosca showing that Jesus was taken to Egypt to hide from Herod while the cutting of the Rosca with the knife shows the desire of Herod to kill Jesus. Whoever selects the slice with the baby inside is traditionally obligated to make tamales and host a party on February 2, El día de Candelaria (Candelmas Day).

Conversation with Luke Zamperini

Eighth-grade English students completed the captivating reading unit, “Unbroken: An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive, the Life Story of Louis Zamperini”. After studying thematic ideas of hope, faith, dignity and resilient optimism, each student wrote a letter to Louis as a thank you for what this book has done in his or her life. The culminating project was a hope board where students applied the themes to their own lives and showcased their own hopes, aspirations and guiding Bible verses. The highlight of the unit was being able to talk to Luke Zamperini, Louis Zamperini’s son, via Zoom call. Students submitted and asked compelling questions and heard powerful personal anecdotes about Louis directly from his son. Learning and reading about Louis Zamperini’s life left a huge imprint on all the eighth graders’ hearts. It is truly a story they will never forget.

Christmas Program 2022

On Thursday, December 8, the sanctuary of The MET Church was filled with the sounds of Christmas as K-12 students honored the Lord Jesus through drama and song performing “All About that Baby” at the annual Christmas program. Thanks to CCS fine arts directors, faculty, staff, students, volunteers and the staff at The MET for making this event a very joyful and God-honoring occasion. Merry Christmas!

View Performance Video

Swim Top 5 Finishes

The Warrior high school swim team had a meet last Saturday at Westfield High School. The team had a few top five finishes in both individual and relay events while competing against 15 other schools. Highlights include top five finishes by the boys’ Medley Relay team (fifth place) and by Brody Johnson (fourth in 100 Free). Overall, the team showed great individual improvements as many swimmers had large reduction in times including Katie Schmidt who improved her 200 IM time by over 10 seconds and her 500 Free time by over 18 seconds. Zoe Brashier improved her 100 Fly time by 24 seconds, placing 10th, Ali Richard improved her 100 Fly time by 15 seconds, and Ayden Farrell improved his 100 Back time by 11 seconds. The high school team will compete next at Bay Area Christian on Saturday, January 7.

The Warrior middle school swim team had a meet last Friday at Westfield High School. The team had several top 10 finishes in both individual and relay events while competing against 12 other schools. Highlights include top five relay finishes by the boys’ medley and free relay teams, finishing third in each race. The girls’ teams finished fourth and ninth in the same races. Top 10 individual swimmers included Alexa Stamos (second in both 50 Fly and Back) and Remi Brashier (seventh in both 100 IM and 50 Breast) for the girls. Boys top 10 finishers included Guy Stamos (first in 50 Fly and third in 100 IM), Bowman Price (second in both 50 Free and Breast), Brooks Johnson (seventh in 50 Back), David Achterkirch (ninth in 50 Fly) and Sean Faraclas (ninth in 50 Back). Overall, the team performed well with the boys’ team placing third and the girls’ team placing seventh and a combined team finish of seventh overall. The middle school team will compete next at Bay Area Christian on Saturday, January 7.

Students Take Learning “On the Road”

Recently, Mrs. Baldwin’s seventh-grade English students took learning “on the road” and visited the Lanier Theological Library to complement the completion of a novel study, “Anna of Byzantium”. They began the morning with a tour of the Stone Chapel which was modeled after a sixth century Byzantine chapel in Cappadocia (Turkey). Students also learned about the impressive life of Mark Lanier and his passion to promote the literacy of God’s word. The students displayed their comprehensive Bible knowledge while studying the hand-painted frescos blanketing the ceiling of the chapel. Next, the students toured the exhibits in the library and witnessed students and scholars actively studying and using the library’s vast resources.

The impressive collection includes an original Dead Sea Scrolls fragment, a Qumran Scrolls Jar, a Tyndale 1536 New Testament, “The Great He Bible,” two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments, replica of Mt. Nebo mosaic, papyrus fragments and a significant number of items from C.S. Lewis. The students were especially fascinated by the Dead Sea Scrolls fragment and the magnificent Qumran Scrolls Jar, of which there are only three additional jars in private hands worldwide, and this particular jar is the only one in the United States. The students learned about the circumstances necessary to preserve the Dead Sea Scrolls for thousands of years as well as the fact that the Scrolls themselves prove the veracity of the Word of God. The seventh graders finished the day with a welcomed visit to Chick-fil-A which never fails to disappoint!

Warriors are in the State Championship for the Third Year in a Row!

The Cypress Christian School football team will once again be playing in the final game of the season as they make an unprecedented third trip in a row to the State Championship game! The Warriors definitely had to earn it, having to make a desperate comeback to defeat San Antonio Holy Cross 36-32 in a wild semifinal game. Coach Hogan says the team is beat up physically, but excited for the opportunity.

“We are limping around quite a bit! I think when you have the lack of depth we have, a season this long has a way of catching up to you. Right now, we are looking at the possibility of not having a two-way starter for the state game, and we have at least four more nursing some injuries that they will play through.”

The task at hand is a big one for the Warriors as they enter Saturday’s contest a huge underdog to Dallas Christian. The 12-1 Chargers are the defending state champions, having won their state title last year in the larger Division 2 classification. This year, they dropped down to Division 3 and have had no competition to speak of. Dallas Christian’s closest game to a Division 3 opponent was in last week’s semifinal where they crushed Lubbock Trinity 35-0. The reward for this year’s state title appearance is a date with Goliath for sure. One media source has the Warriors as 36-point underdogs.

Coach Hogan feels the team has a good perspective on the challenge. “We understand how dominating DC has been this year. Our players get it…but our guys will not be intimidated. Our program is built on the Biblical principle of ‘Whatever you do, do it to all of your ability as if you are doing it for the Lord’, and that’s what we’re going to do. Yes, it’s obvious we are outmanned and we are battling injuries to boot, but I know our kids will leave everything they have on that field, with the intention of pulling off a huge upset. These young men will represent our school well, not only in their effort, but in their character on the field.”

Tickets are $15 must be purchased through TAPPS Tickets. Parking is $5 per car. Click here to purchase tickets and for all other fan information. The game is available by livestream ONLY through TAPPS TV Network.

Volleyball Awards Night 2022

High school volleyball recently ended the season with an awards banquet. It was a time to reflect and celebrate the season. Both teams did great in district with JV tying for second and varsity winning a tiebreaker for second place. We are so proud of our Cypress Christian School volleyball girls!

JV volleyball team awards:

Valiant Warrior – Conley Martin
Offensive Player of the Year – Marley Murray
Playmaker – Kayla Barfoot
Timothy Award – Lilah Johnson
Heart of a Warrior – Corinne Keim

Varsity volleyball team awards:

MVP – Bethany Janz
Offensive player – Briana Isham
Timothy Award – Chloe Roberson

Mole Day 2022

Tenth-grade students celebrated Mole Day 2022, at the end of October. Each year, Mole Day is celebrated on October 23, from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. to commemorate Avogadro’s number, 6.022 x 10²³. This is an important number in chemistry and is used to count and calculate the number of atoms, molecules or ions in a given substance. Students celebrated Mole Day through a variety of activities. Many students created a stuffed mole with a specific theme such as Hamoleton, Moleauna, and finding Nemole. Students also wrote poems, made Mole Day cards and posters and made mole analogies to celebrate.

Warriors Compete in First Meet of the Season

The Warrior Swim Team competed in their first meet on Saturday, November 5. The competition included swimmers from CHSM, The Woodlands Christian and Frassati. The Warriors were well represented with 14 swimmers on the varsity team and placed in the top 10 in several events. Highlights include a third-place finish for Brody Johnson in the 100 Free and a top-five finish, along with Noah Utley, in the 100 Breast. Alison Richard and Zoe Brashier finished in the top 10 in the 50 Free and 100 Breast, respectively. Overall, it was a good showing in the team’s first meet.

The Warrior Swim Team has a lot of future potential with over 40 students involved in middle school and high school combined, the largest number in our school’s history. Both MS and HS will compete next Tuesday in Sugar Land at the Logos Prep/Fort Bend Academy Turkey Swim.

Cross Country Team Awards

The high school and middle school cross country teams celebrated their season at their annual awards banquet on Monday, November 7 at The MET Church. The coaches recognized each team’s MVP, Timothy Award, the “Skullcrusher” Award (high school runners who pass the most competitors in each race), and those who complete different summer running milestones. Coach Begnoche, Coach Jamie, and Coach Burke are so proud of everyone this season and hope the next sport is full of success as we look to the future of the cross country program in the years to come. Thank you for everyone’s help to make this season a success!

MVP Award Recipients:

Middle School: Michaela Smith, Mason Bickle

High School: Maddy McKnight, Caleb Burgos

Timothy Award Recipients:

Middle School: Addie Wilhelm, Jackson Connelly

High School: Gillian Storey, Gray Layton

High School Skullcrusher Award Recipients:

Gillian Storey

Caleb Burgos

Warrior Mile Club Recipients:

100 Mile Club

Maddy McKnight, Ali Richard, Camille Zemke

200 Mile Club Recipient:

Mason Bickle

Warriors are District Champions – Again!

With a dominating performance against Bay Area Friday night, our varsity football team secured their third straight district championship. The 47-0 victory culminated in a district-run that had the Warriors averaging 51 points per game while holding opponents to only seven.

As district champions, CCS will get a first-round bye in the playoffs this Friday, November 11, and will play the winner of an area-round game on November 18 at a site yet to be determined. After graduating a very large senior class, the Warriors began the season replacing 17 of 22 positions for the starting offense and defense from last year’s state championship team. Coach Hogan has seen our young team grow into maturity as the season has progressed. “It takes some experience to learn how to consistently play at the varsity level, particularly at a level that meets the standards we have set for ourselves, so it can be slow and filled with growing pains. This group of young men has dedicated themselves to growing and improving individually in order to put themselves in the position to accomplish their season goals.”

This season, the Warriors offense has developed an ability to strike both on the ground and in the air. The offensive line, made up of Tucker Goodall, Andrew Owen, Christian Slabic, Jacob Rauch and Zeke Hogan, has gelled into a unit of powerful run blockers who also give quarterback Max Landrum time to deliver passes all over the field. Landrum, perhaps the best dual-threat QB in our division, is having a strong year both running and passing. Landrum and sophomore running back Warren Haudek have carried the load on the ground while Kyle Prazak, Preston Hamrick, Owen Witschonke and Drew Mestayer have been a dependable receiving corps for the Warriors.

On defense, the Warriors have been a strong run defense and have gotten better overall each week of the season. The defensive line is anchored by All-State nose guard Jacob Rauch, who makes life miserable on opponents’ run schemes between the tackles. A strong rotating cast of Andrew Owen, Christian Slabic, Becket Swinney, Maximus Supplee and Ryan Fisk have all made contributions at the defensive end positions, leading to a solid defensive line.

Having to replace all four starting linebackers seemed to be a challenge, but Coach Hogan says the group has really grown into themselves as we headed into district play. Preston Hamrick, Max Landrum, Cooper Griess, JD Potts and Luke Wisenbaker, have had the majority of snaps while Jackson Potts and Will Simcik have also gotten reps. Quarterback Landrum has played more defense than ever before, and Hamrick, who Coach Hogan calls our “Iron Man”, really never comes off the field.

The secondary is led by safeties, Witschonke, Prazak and cornerback Mestayer while Brayden Stovall and Cody Mabry have gotten quality time in a group that Coach Hogan says is “very smart” and “has really grown into a strong group.” Additionally, Hogan added, “We also have a very good punter in Brody Johnson who has on multiple occasions flipped the field for us, as well as put a few dead inside our opponents’ red zone.”

According to the coaches, another thing that makes this group special and has helped the Warriors’ growth has been the guys willing to do the behind-the-scenes work in practice or be flexible enough to play multiple positions, out of a selfless heart. “For instance,” says Coach Hogan, “I can’t imagine us developing like we have without the tireless work of guys like Adler Smith, Luke Ramirez, Reagan Lubs and Noah Utley, who are willing to play any role in practice from their normal position to the scout team. They are so important to the goals of our team.”

On another note, Coach Hogan noted how much he loves the support groups around our football program. “It takes more than players to create a special program. I think about our cheerleaders, many of whom I’ve coached in track, and our dance team and, of course, our drumline and band. Every Thursday, our players’ juices start flowing when they hear our drumline rehearsing from across campus for the next day! Along with parent and student support, these groups help create excitement and bring an energy to our players and to the game. I also think about Myles Martin filming all of our practices with our drone and guys like Ben Hensley and James Allen working hard as managers at both practices and games. Another special group is our student trainers led by Mr. Brad Newton, our athletic trainer. This team of young ladies consisting of Zoe Brashier, Madison Dodd, Anna Fernandez, Kayla Geyer, Katelyn Hong, Lauryn Jackson, Theede Parker, Anna Smith, Kynsie Ramirez, and Ashlyn McCartney are at every practice, day in and day out, taking care of everything from hydration to ankle taping and lots of stuff in between!”

“Overall, I’m very proud of our team and I’m excited to watch them in the playoffs, competing for the goals we have. I love coaching these guys, they are great young men.”

Our ONE HEART culture is certainly demonstrated by the number of students involved in serving in so many different ways. We look forward to watching our Warriors as they compete through the playoffs once again.

One Act Play – District Champions!

God has blessed Cypress Christian School with some talented actors and actresses! The students listed below recently competed in the Division II District 4 One Act Play Competition and ranked first in their district! As district champions, they have qualified for the State One Act Play competition in Kerrville, TX on November 9 & 10.

One Act Play cast:

Jessica Atkins, Avery Connelly, Alli Crawford, Max Duphorne, Sasha Farrington, Gia Granato, Kiran Harper, Rayne Harris, Zeke Hogan, Caiden Kreitz, Kiley Kreitz, Ashley Lopez, David Romero, Aidan Salazar, Annika Sandhu, Ashnah Sandhu, Nicole Santos, Katie Schmitt, Amanda Taylor, Ester Torres-Pinheiro, Ashleigh Townsend, Noah Utley

Students worked diligently as a team and received Superior ratings in the categories of characterization, believability and direction. Students were commended on their ability to work as an ensemble both on and off stage, earning five awards at the competition:

All-Star Cast:
- Noah Utley for his portrayal of Henry Cobb and Congressman Waggoner
- Jessica Atkins for her portrayal of young Geraldyn Cobb
- Alli Crawford for her portrayal of Geraldyn Cobb
Best Technician is our very own stage manager, Kiley Kreitz
Best Actress is Gia Granato for her portrayal of Jackie Cochran

The directors, Marit Broussard and Kiley Harris, would like to thank Mrs. Amber Ward and Mrs. Jessica Mynes for their additional help with coaching and direction of students along this journey. Way to go, Warriors! Let’s bring home a State Championship!

Volleyball Senior Night 2022

We celebrated our volleyball seniors Tuesday night! They shared future plans, past memories and advice. The girls won easily in three sets. It was their last district match before moving into playoffs.

Homecoming Photo Contest Winners

This year, our photography and yearbook classes offered our first annual homecoming photo contest. Students were asked to enter at least two photos in any of the five possible divisions: action, reaction, creativity, photojournalism and Warrior spirit. They were encouraged to take photos which document such a great week of our student life memories. All winners are awarded with a jeans day next Monday, October 17. The two overall best of show winners are the recipients of a $20 Chick-fil-A gift card in addition to Monday’s jeans day. We are proud of all of our talented Warrior photographers.

Yearbook Class Winners

Best of Action- Aidan Dougherty

Best of Reaction-Kayla Barfoot

Best of Photojournalism- Aidan Dougherty

Honorable Mention Action- Damien Reyna

Best of Action-Ethan Grumbles

Honorable Mention Reaction- Ethan Grumbles

Best of Reaction-Cres Harris

Best of Photojournalism- Carissa Simcik

Best of Warrior Spirit- Paige Petru

Fall Fine Arts Festival

On Saturday, October 8, Fine Arts students from our choir and theatre programs put together a production that glorified God and the talents that He has given our students.

The performances for the evening began with entertainment by our wonderful sixth-grade and middle school choirs. Students charmed audiences with performances of songs like “Good News”, “Witness!” and finally “So Good” with soloists Jack Moore and Dyllen Baptiste. As the evening continued, patrons were wowed by the Intermediate Drama Class performance of “They Promised Her the Moon” by Laurel Ollstein. The students portrayed the story of the first American woman to test for space flight, Jerrie Cobb, as she steps into an isolation tank for a record-breaking nine hours as her memories unfold before her, from learning to fly a plane as a child in Oklahoma to testifying in Congressional hearings about the under-the-radar all-female Mercury 13 space program. “They Promised Her the Moon” is a compelling drama about the challenges of sisterhood and fighting for the greater good, based on a true story. The Advanced Drama One Act Play cast will perform this same show on October 22 at The MET Church HUB.

Next, the high school chamber choir performed “Siyahamba”, a traditional Zulu Song arranged by Russell Robinson, then performed “Look Up, Child” with soloists Ashleigh Townsend, Emily Muse, Gia Granato, Jessica Atkins and Gray Layton. The night was finished as the chamber and middle school choirs joined together for a delightful rendition of “The Lord Bless You and Keep You”.

In addition to these beautiful concerts, the Fine Arts Program partnered with 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Blanketed In Grace, to do a silent auction. Blanketed In Grace is run by senior, Kiley Kreitz, who has been a member of the chamber choir and advanced drama throughout high school. Blanketed In Grace’s mission is to blanket God’s people with love, warmth and grace. The silent auction raised $1,125 to make blankets for the homeless during the winter.

The Arts at CCS are alive and thriving for Christ. The Fall Fine Arts Festival was an unforgettable evening! A special thanks to Mrs. Harris, Mrs. Ward, Mrs. Mynes and Mrs. Broussard for all their love and help to make this night amazing.

2022 Warrior Invitational

The cross country team hosted 58 teams in this year’s Warrior Invitational on Saturday, September 24 at Houston Northwest Church (HNW) with spectacular results. The varsity boys finished third with top 10 finishes by Caleb Burgos (third place) & Ben Hensley (seventh place). The Lady Warriors took the varsity girls championship trophy with three finishes inside the top five: Maddy McKnight (first place), Ali Richard (third place) and Gillian Storey (fourth place). Additionally, Emily Leamons earned eighth place in the junior varsity girls race.

In the middle school divisions, the Warriors also earned championship honors as they were buoyed by four top 10 finishes: Ryan Scaife (first place), Mason Bickle (fourth place), Jackson Connelly (fifth place) and Maddox Ahart (ninth place). Despite not being able to compete for the team title, the Lady Warriors had terrific individual races with Michaela Smith finishing second, Kenzie Winkler fourth and Addie Wilhelm sixth overall.

Both high school and middle school teams have their last invitational this Saturday as they compete in the St. John’s Maverick Ramble at Spring Creek Park before their district meets. Middle school will wrap up their season on Saturday, October 15 at the HAPS Championships hosted by Covenant Christian School. High school will host the district meet Saturday, October 22 at Houston Northwest Church (HNW) before travelling to compete at the TAPPS State Championships on Monday, October 31 in Waco.

National Merit Recognition

Four current CCS students have been honored by the College Board National Recognition Program for “academic achievements in school and outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and/or AP® Exams.”

Madison Fowler, Ethan Edwards and Fatima Mendoza earned the National Hispanic Recognition Award, while Luc Shyaka Ngabo earned the National African American Recognition Award. Congratulations to these students for their hard work and academic prowess!

Warriors Shut Out Brazos Christian School in Season Opener

Football season is back! Our Warriors opened the 2022 football season with a decisive victory over the Eagles from Bryan Brazos Academy. While both offenses started slow with several early miscues, the Warriors were strong on defense from the first snap. Senior quarterback, Max Landrum, began the scoring for CCS midway through the opening quarter on a 33-yard run. Meanwhile, the Eagles, facing a stiff Warrior defense, punted each possession of the half, with the exception of ending a drive with a Warrior interception by safety, Owen Witschonke. After another Landrum TD run, fullback, Warren Haudek, capped a 60-yard Warrior drive for the third score of the half and the Warriors went in 21-0 at the half.

The Warriors exploded on offense in the second half with 33 points with touchdowns being scored by Cooper Greiss, Adler Smith, Max Landrum and Kyle Prazak. Prazak, playing the slot position, had a good game in multiple areas, racking up 80 yards in punt returns in addition to the 37-yard TD reception from Landrum. The Warriors finished with 384 yards of total offense with the majority coming on the ground behind a good performance from the offensive line of Zeke Hogan, Christian Slabic, Jacob Rauch, Tucker Goodall and Andrew Owen.

Led by junior nose guard, Jacob Rauch, and senior linebacker, Preston Hamrick, the Warrior defense overwhelmed the Eagles offense the entire game. Rauch had a sack and two tackles for loss while Hamrick stood out, recording seven tackles, three for losses and recovering a fumble. Continuing a couple of trends from last season, the Warriors defense forced four turnovers and gave up almost nothing on the ground.

This Friday will be a much stiffer challenge as the Warriors travel to take on another defending state champion from 2021 in the Dragons from John Cooper High School. Coach Hogan believes this game will be a tough one for the Warriors. “John Cooper has a very good quarterback and a talented group of receivers. They do a great job attacking with their full-spread passing game. Every part of our pass defense better be prepared for a challenging night. Their Linebackers may be the strength of their team and they have enough guys returning from their state team last year to help shape a mindset that knows how to win. We will definitely have our hands full with Cooper. On the other hand, I’m very proud of the work our guys are putting in and I’m encouraged by the progress we’re making. We look forward to a competitive game Friday night,” says Hogan.

September 2, 7 p.m. kickoff

John Cooper High School

1 John Cooper Dr

The Woodlands, TX 77381

If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch varsity games live on Texas Sports Radio Network (TSRN) online and on any smart TV via the TSRN app available on Roku, Apple, Amazon and Droid. All games are free to view.

Class of 2023 Parking Space Painting

Last Thursday evening, students in the Class of 2023 continued the tradition of painting their newly assigned parking spaces with their classmates and families. Students spent time enjoying a nacho bar, iced coffee bar and ice cream sundae bar as they helped each other to design and paint their spots. It was a great opportunity to fellowship and bond as a class. They did an amazing job helping each other and came up with some cool designs.

Student Leadership University 301

Around 30 Warrior Leadership Academy students from CCS traveled to Charleston, SC for their Student Leadership University 301 stateside experience. As part of the leadership experience, CCS students took a few days to visit some of the sites in and around the city, many of which have historical implications in shaping the framework of the United States.

Charleston, South Carolina played a major role in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Students visited storied Fort Sumter, where the first shot of the Civil War was fired. They were able to visit the famous Magnolia Plantation, with a guided tour including some walking through original and restored slaves’ quarters. The tour included a lecture on the life, hardships and stories of the slaves’ lives. The students also saw alligators roaming about in the former rice and crop fields and were able to tour part of the mansion and beautiful garden and grounds.

One exciting aspect of the trip was being able to stand in the same room where some of the signers of the Declaration of Independence once stood, in buildings dating back to the late 1600s. It was a packed week of constant movement which included an all-day scavenger hunt, a guided historical carriage ride, a trip to the infamous Provost Dungeon, the sobering Exchange Building where slaves were sold and the beauty of Battery Park.

The Revolutionary War history was really unbelievable, with lots of rich and proud history-making moments, buildings and events right at their fingertips. Students were able to hit the beach two times and made the most of the waves, playing in the sand and some volleyball! There were teaching sessions and lots of notes throughout the trip, culminating in a final lesson after sunset on their last evening together. It was a beautiful way to end an impactful trip and they look forward to hitting Europe next July!