School: High School

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:

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!

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.

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 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!

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

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!

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:

1. People – which is the lowest level of conversation
2. Events – a neutral kind of conversation
3. 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

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.

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.”

Regardless of this week’s outcome, we are proud of our Warriors for putting together another great season. The State Championship game is Saturday December 3, at 7 p.m. at Waco ISD Athletic Complex, 1401 S New Rd., Waco, TX 76711.

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

Honorable Mention Action- Caroline Tate

Best of Action- Aidan Dougherty

Honorable Mention Reaction- Sam Girard

Best of Reaction-Kayla Barfoot

Best of Creativity- Katelyn Hong

Honorable Mention Photojournalism- Conley Martin

Best of Photojournalism- Aidan Dougherty

Best of Warrior Spirit- Allison Zaccari

Yearbook’s Overall Winner- Aidan Dougherty

Photography Class Winners

Honorable Mention Action- Damien Reyna

Best of Action-Ethan Grumbles

Honorable Mention Reaction- Allie Boujaoude

Honorable Mention Reaction- Ethan Grumbles

Best of Reaction-Cres Harris

Best of Creativity- Carissa Simcik

Honorable Mention Photojournalism- Allie Boujaoude

Best of Photojournalism- Carissa Simcik

Honorable Mention Warrior Spirit- Mariella Lee

Best of Warrior Spirit- Paige Petru

Photography Overall Winner- Cres Harris

Fall Fine Arts Festival

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.

Game Information:

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!

Varsity Baseball Earns Academic Excellence Award

For the second consecutive year, the CCS Warrior varsity baseball team has earned the American Baseball Coaches Association’s Team Academic Excellence Award. The roster of 13 student-athletes compiled an average GPA of 95.7%, while also defending their TAPPS district championship. During the 2021-2022 academic year, only 18 high school teams in Texas earned this distinction. 

The CCS baseball coaching staff commends the steadfast academic support of players from both family and faculty, alike. We sincerely recognize the sacrifice of players, families and teachers who arrived early and stayed late in pursuit of excellence.

Student Leadership University 201 2022

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

The conference began with a livestream interview and question and answer session with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, impressing on students the importance of Christian leaders in government positions.

Students had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Jay Strack, Jeff Struecker (former Army Ranger who participated in the ‘Black Hawk Down’ mission), Edward Graham (former Army Ranger, member of the executive leadership team of Samaritan’s Purse and grandson of Billy Graham) 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. 

Other speakers included Keisha Toni Russell (Religious Liberty Attorney with First Liberty Institute) on the importance of standing for religious rights, no matter a person’s age. Emily Midgette and Mallory Carrol of Susan B. Anthony List spoke on the sanctity of life.

Students returned home to Texas with pages of powerful notes, taken from the lectures and staff debriefings that were held each evening.

During the conference, CCS students toured the Holocaust Museum, The Museum of the Bible, The Smithsonian Museum of American History, the World War II Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial, the Viet Nam War Memorial and the Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington Monuments. While at Arlington Cemetery, Jackson Potts participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetary. 

Memories were made that will last a lifetime along with many important lessons to grow and develop strong, patriotic, Christian leaders. It is our prayer that the trip inspire the students to grow into the men and women they have been created to be!

AP Capstone Student Success

CCS is proud to be one of approximately 2,300 high schools worldwide 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 10 members of the Class of 2022. We are pleased to announce that all students successfully completed the AP Research Academic Paper and Presentation. Colin Burns, Griffin Fisk, Aaron Holl, Grace Macune, Ana Sofia Navarro, Jackson Owen, Pearson Pollard, Anthony Shatby and Andrew Williams each earned the AP Capstone Diploma. Additionally, Claire Achterkirch has earned the AP Capstone Certificate.

“With initial research topics ranging from the global power grid to considerations in urban planning, I knew this group would be special,” commented Mr. Leonard upon hearing of the students’ successes. Mr. Leonard added, “This group was full of talent, and the GoGuardian technology provided by CCS helped them along the way. I will miss this group, but GoGuardian and I are anxiously awaiting the next group of talented researchers.”

Cheer Teams Win Multiple Awards at Camp

This past week, the varsity and middle school cheer squads attended the UCA cheer camp at Texas A&M University. The varsity cheerleading team adhered to their mission to excel in cheer and character throughout their time at camp. Three separate UCA camp staffers commented on the team’s positive and encouraging attitude and their kindness shown to one another and to other teams. These girls were actively being the LIGHT of Jesus as they represented our school as the only Christian school at camp.

In addition to displaying excellent character, the varsity cheer team won the following awards: blue ribbon for superior performance, gold ribbon for superior performance and the “banana” for most spirited! Ashleigh Townsend was recognized for her excellent character and kindness to others. Makena Pham and Sophia Swanton were given the title of All-American Cheerleader. On the last day of camp, the varsity cheerleaders competed against other schools and the team received first place in camp routine, second place in cheer and first place in sidelines.

Middle school cheer also had an excellent week full of new material, stunts, dance parties and awards. Middle school cheer won two blue superior ribbons, a spirit stick and first place for their camp routine.

Our varsity and middle school cheerleaders cheered each other on during practice and performances, and on the last night of camp both teams celebrated their wins at a local ice cream shop in College Station. This was just the beginning of an amazing year to come!

Student Leadership University 101

Fifty-three 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.

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.”

2022 High School Academic & Athletic Awards

On Tuesday, May 17, the high school administration was pleased to honor high school students for their accomplishments in the classroom and on the field as a representation of how important it is to educate the whole person for the glory of God.

To see the scholarships that were awarded to senior students, please click here. To view a video of the ceremony, please click here.

ACADEMIC AWARDS

AP Scholars

As an AP Capstone School, CCS attempts to provide as many opportunities as possible for students to take AP classes because they are some of the best at preparing students for college classes. AP Scholars who have scored a 3 or higher on three or more AP exams:

• Alex Andrus
• Cody Andrus
• Coleman Mabry
• Matthew McClellan
• Michael Slabic
• Andrew Smith (not pictured)
• Carolyn Trent

Students who have scored a 3 or higher on four or more AP exams earn recognition as an AP Scholar with Honors Award:

• Claire Achterkirch
• Audrey Mills
• Jacob Patterson
• Mason Runge
• Andrew Williams

Students who have earned a minimum of 3.5 on all AP exams and scored 3 or more on at least five exams earning the AP Scholar with Distinction Award:

• Colin Burns
• Griffin Fisk
• Nathan Hamm
• Bella Henslee
• Aaron Holl
• Justin Kostecki
• Grace Macune
• Ana Sofia Navarro
• Jackson Owen
• Pearson Pollard
• Anthony Shatby
• Jacob Swan
• Makaylah Williams

Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award

The Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award recognizes and rewards individuals, male or female, who possess the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism in their homes, schools and communities. The student selected to receive this year’s award is the definition of a servant leader, representing CCS with enthusiasm, integrity and humility and actively seeking opportunities to serve our broader community. This student is Lynden Yough.

Cy-Fair Women’s Club Scholarship

The Cy-Fair Women’s Club (CWC) is a community-based service organization for women committed to providing support to families and non-profit organizations in the Cy-Fair area. Each year, the organization looks for students who exhibit a high-level of community service, school involvement, leadership, good character and academic accomplishments. The Cypress Christian School recipient of this scholarship is Justin Kostecki.

Bible Department Award

The Bible department award is somewhat unique in that we seek to recognize those who are not only excellent students when it comes to learning God’s Word, but who also actively seek to put these things into practice, thereby exemplifying the traits of a Christian disciple both inside and outside the classroom. We are blessed to have many good candidates, but these students have distinguished themselves from their peers this year.

While this candidate comes from a grade of many excellent options for this award, Audrey Fransen stands out for her Christian character. Whether it is helping a fellow student with understanding a difficult school concept or being patient in a group project, Audrey contains a sense of graciousness. Responsibility is a key component of who she is. Her kind smile is welcoming, and her humor never comes at the expense of others. Her sensitivity to others around her sets her apart. Audrey’s Bible knowledge is amazing, but the truly amazing part is that she goes the next step and applies it to her own life first. It’s not every day that a freshman sees the needs around her and genuinely volunteers to others that she will pray for them. Her confident faith in Jesus proves itself by the way she lives her life to be a blessing to others. Congratulations, Audrey!

Generally speaking, it can take some time for a student to get acclimated to any new school environment and to start leaving an impact, but to say that Luc Shyaka Ngabo has exceeded this timeline would be an understatement. From the first week of school to the conclusion of the last final, Luc has impressed many with his combination of integrity, kindness and work ethic. While it would be relatively easy for him to coast by in New Testament based on his prior knowledge alone, Luc has consistently put in the time and effort to continue to read, learn and practice God’s Word. This is evidenced by the way that he treats those around him, faculty and student alike. It is rare for a student to have the power to set the tone of their surrounding environment, but Luc leaves a positive impact on every conversation and class that he is part of. He is a joy to have in class and a true model of Christ-like character. Congratulations, Luc!

English Department Award

The recipient of the academic award in English is a student who consistently demonstrates a keen ability to discern and develop critical analyses of complex reading passages while simultaneously refining a writing style that is reflective and reasoned. In addition, this student excels in class discussions, often leading peers to challenge their own perspectives on both historical and current events as well as classic literature. This student dependably exhibits mastery through investigation, composition and deliberation. We have two students who are receiving our English award this year. 

Lynden Yough is a senior who graciously, selflessly, consistently excels in her English classes. As a sophomore, Mrs. Lambert sat amazed at the maturity and depth with which Lynden completed each assignment. She did not simply read a novel; she devoured it and gleaned universal truth from each chapter. As a natural leader, she tenderly facilitated Socratic Seminars, encouraging and challenging her classmates in their own participation. As she grew in AP Language and Composition last year, she fought to seek meaning in every piece of nonfiction she was assigned and revised her practice essays until they were pure perfection. As a senior in AP Literature, Lynden’s academic ability was continually evidenced in her nuanced interpretations of poetry and prose; moreover, it was her genuine empathy for others that naturally elevated her literary analysis. Finally, she correctly answered 3,483 Membean vocabulary questions…759 questions ahead of any other student. We celebrate her thoughtfulness, her commitment to sharing Jesus with everyone she meets and will miss her dearly as she steps into her future at Texas A&M University. 

Sophomore Keaton Barbisch receives our ELA award this year because he is simply a genius. When a student so young is blessed with such remarkable academic gifts, arrogance often rears its ugly face, but never with Keaton. He is humble in receiving constructive criticism, eager to improve his essays and insightful as he reads challenging pieces of literature. He questions everything in such a pleasant way as if he invites the opportunity to learn something new and grow from it. Another natural leader, Keaton embraces humor, truth, faith and obedience in all areas of his life, and we celebrate his excellence tonight. We know that as he continues as an upperclassman in the coming two years, we will continue to see incredible growth and value in him as a writer, reader and leader on our campus.

Foreign Language Department Award

The Spanish award is given to one upperclassman and one underclassman student who demonstrate a desire to become not only proficient in the language but endeavor to be completely bilingual. The motivation to learn about culture: the people, their practices and the products of Spanish speaking communities throughout the world is evident. These students have a willingness to take risks and learn from failure, understanding that the objective is communication with others rather than perfect grammatical accuracy or perfect test scores. 

The first award goes to a young lady in AP Spanish IV. From the first day that she entered Mrs. Galbreath’s class freshman year, she has excelled in both written and spoken Spanish. Among the topics that have been studied this year are world challenges, advances and pitfalls in science and technology and the role of family within the community. This student often comes to class with questions regarding those topics based on what she has read and researched while completing her monthly authentic resource assignment. Her questions have kept Mrs. Galbreath on her toes and challenged her to learn more. She is a true example of Colossians 3:17, dedicated to doing everything to the best of her ability to glorify Christ. This is evident through her humble approach to learning and thirst for knowledge as well as her willingness to encourage and help her peers She has taken on the challenge of speaking Spanish whenever possible to others here in our community as well others as she travels to Spanish-speaking countries. Mrs. Galbreath is proud to present the upperclassman award to Miss Gillian Storey.

The second award is being given to a sophomore in Spanish III Honors. He always gives his best effort, and it has been rewarding to see his confidence in the language grow from the beginning of freshman year to now. Mrs. Galbreath admires his relentless pursuit of becoming orally proficient in the language. He always speaks to her in Spanish regardless of when she sees him on campus. If the class is covering a new grammar concept which is presented in English the first time, he will still respond and ask questions in Spanish only. As the class learned how to share the gospel with others using the POR FE outline, he was doubling up by learning a different outline at church in preparation for a mission trip this summer.  Although he strives for excellence, perfection is not his goal or motivation. His goal is to communicate with others in Spanish and ultimately to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. This year’s underclassman award goes to Will Simcik.

History Department Award

The social studies award is awarded to students who have excelled throughout the year in the field of social studies. The two individuals are receiving this award because they have demonstrated a complex understanding of the historical development that is necessary to explain the relevant and insightful connections within and across periods. Congratulations, Dillon Wolff and Ethan Edwards.

Math Department Award

The recipient of the academic award in mathematics is a student who demonstrates an interest in the application of the concepts and not just the process, consistently participating in class discussions via asking relevant questions to clarify understanding and supplementing explanations with additional contexts in which the concepts can be applied. The student demonstrates an ability to move from the affective domain of learning to the cognitive domain evidenced by the student’s comprehensive justifications on assessments and willingness to assist peers in their pursuit of understanding, cognizant that, “to teach is to learn twice” and therefore seeking opportunities to impart knowledge if only to reinforce one’s own learning.

Macy Murray has a true heart of a Warrior. She always has a smile for Mrs. Escamilla when she comes to class, and she can rely on her to work diligently with her partners. Macy is very well organized and takes the time to work through challenging questions. She is also proactive when it comes to planning for upcoming absences or taking the time to reach out via email when she doesn’t understand a homework problem. She is kind and courteous, and Mrs. Escamilla has been truly blessed to get to know her.

Lucy Davis – Though it was eighth period, the end of the day, this student always walked into Mrs. Escamilla’s classroom with a smile – a smile that not only made her excited about the math lesson, but also strengthened and encouraged the class to finish the day strong! Her work was thorough – maybe too thorough as she would often send Remind messages to Mrs. Escamilla to check the posted answer key because she got a different answer and had checked her work multiple times. She was usually right, but she was also humble. Math may not have been where she felt her strengths lay, but she had an unmatched work ethic and utilized the gift of diligence God had given her and was determined to succeed.

Science Department Award

• Demonstrates persistence and diligence in the science classroom
• Consistently turns in all assignments with excellence
• Demonstrates an active interest in applied science
• Demonstrates leadership in the science classroom
• Initiates individual science projects or demonstrates interest in going beyond the regular classroom activities and assignments

Gillian Storey has earned the recognition and respect of all of her science teachers over the past few years for several reasons. Each day, she comes into class with a gentle and quiet spirt, always ready and willing to learn and apply difficult concepts. She  pursues every task, whether mundane or monumental, with consistent excellence. She is kind and encouraging to all of her peers, helpful without being patronizing. She excels without being prideful. She shares her success in class generously with others. She consistently puts others before herself and makes it look easy. It is evident to all of her teachers that God has blessed her with strong intellect, but even more so with a strong spirit that shines through regardless of the situation. When Mrs. Longridge thinks of a Bible verse that describes her, she thinks of Matthew 5:5 – Blessed are the MEEK, for they shall inherit the earth. Many misunderstand the meaning of meekness in our culture, but historically, Roman war-horses were described as being “meek”. Meekness is NOT weakness; it is substantial strength that is harnessed under firm self-control. Mrs. Longridge knows the Lord has great things in store for Gillian because He has blessed her with a meek and gentle spirit. Mrs. Longridge thanks her for her excellent work this year, and says congratulations.

Camille Zemke (not pictured) has consistently exhibited an unwavering pursuit of knowledge and the ability to apply this knowledge to problem solving in the science classroom. Mrs. Longridge knows Camille has spent many hours studying and her hard work did not go unnoticed. She took special care to go above and beyond the usual assignments, challenging herself to go the extra mile to ensure understanding. She is a model student, an example of what we hope all students can achieve, both in her academic performance in the classroom and in her willingness to help others. Mrs. Longridge had the distinct privilege of having Camille this year as a chemistry student and she can recount the numerous times that she exceeded her expectations and was always willing to help a fellow student with a difficult problem or explain a concept in simpler terms. Her prayer for Camille is that she will continue to grow in knowledge and wisdom. The verse that comes to mind is Proverbs 18:15 – The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. She has proven herself to be wise in always wanting to learn and in listening closely to gain knowledge. On behalf of the science faculty at CCS, thank you to Camille for her excellent work this year, and congratulations!

Fine Arts Department Award

The recipient of the academic award in fine arts is a student who demonstrates a passion for the arts and not just the end-product, but consistently participates in class projects, performance opportunities and leads like a warrior. The student demonstrates an ability to move from the role of a student to the role of a teacher or director for their peers. Students awarded the fine arts academic award showcase what it means to be a leader inside and outside of class whether it be in the classification of art, music or theatre arts. This year we are awarding three outstanding students with this honor. 

The first is Kiley Kreitz. Kiley has been part of the choir and theatre arts programs for the last five years and has always been a champion of the arts and has helped to organize every theatre arts performance for the last two years. Kiley serves as the secretary for the International Thespian Society on campus and although she is a junior, she has the drive, creativity and passion for the arts that rivals that of many adults. Cleverly disguised as a student in the drama program, she has shown what it means to lead courageously and guide her fellow students in their walk as actors, technicians and believers in Christ. 

Second, we honor Justin Kostecki. Justin has been a part of the Visual Arts program for the past six years and the Drumline for the past four years. Justin is extremely gifted in the visual arts, especially when it comes to his photography and creative ideas. He is always challenging himself to the next level for whatever he is creating. His work has received awards at the state, local and national levels in art competitions. He has always been an inspiration to Mrs. Brubaker as well as his classmates and is always willing to help and serve. In National Art Honor Society, he has always held a leadership position and has a heart for service and has led and created many service projects with his passion to help and serve others. 

Our final recipient of the fine arts academic award is Audrey Mills. She not only serves as the Yearbook Editor-in-Chief, but also is willing to help and teach others when working on an assignment or parts of the yearbook. Audrey has served in yearbook all four years of high school and has helped the school achieve top honors in the TAPPS State academics meet this spring. Audrey takes time out of her schedule to mentor students in the yearbook program and ensures the success of everything that she does through her tenacity, creativity and faithfulness in her talents. 

Principal’s Leadership Award

As a school, one of the character qualities that we see as being vital for our students to learn and participate while at CCS is that of leadership. As adults, we have all encountered different types of leadership that have been either, good, bad or indifferent. Those who are good at leading were not created overnight but have taken practice and learning to craft their leadership style. This year as Dr. Berens has walked the halls, and watched these high school students live out leadership opportunities, one student has truly stood out amongst his peers. This student has led in every avenue that is available to him. This student has led in the classroom, finishing in the top five of the class taking as many AP classes as possible. He has led on the athletic field, whether it be with a bloody nose in the state championship game or by throwing one of the his best discus throws at state. He led one of the most successful drives at CCS, bringing in over 20,000 diapers for a great cause. He is the president of the NHS and an officer of the Houston Chapter of the Young Men Service League. He has been a student pep rally leader and can be found in the stands of most every sport that he is not actively participating in cheering on his peers.  He leads in his family as he already is working to help his younger brother achieve his college dreams. He is thankful to his parents, which can be rare in high school students. Most of all, this young man has led in his faith. He shows his love of Jesus by being himself and raising up those around him. Dr. Berens looks forward to seeing what he will lead in the future and is thankful he got to be a part of his path. The winner of this year’s principal award is Griffin Fisk.

Barnabas Servant Leadership Award

Barnabas in the Bible was a gracious personality, characterized by his generous disposition. This award goes to the student that has made the greatest impact through her service to others during her high school career. She has accumulated over 500 hours of community service and is always seen as willing to help with a smile on her face. We are thankful for the impact she has made on the Cypress Christian School community. This year’s award goes to Mallory Overton.

Military Appointment – West Point

Congratulation to Grace Macune, who has received an appointment to and will attend the United States Military Academy at West Point where she will also play on the Women’s Rugby Team. 

TAPPS & OTHER AWARDS RECOGNITION

ART

• Art Team: State Champions
• Communication Design: Tyson Anding – State Champion
• Senior Portfolio: Lynden Yough – State Champion
• Computer Rendered Art: Ana Clements – State Runner-Up
• 2-D Mixed Media: Katelyn Hong – State Runner-Up
• Seek & Sketch Color: Emily Matthews – State Runner-Up
• Senior Portfolio: Abigail Sanders – State Runner-Up
• On-Site Drawing: Abigail Sanders – State Runner-Up
• Communication Design: An Tran – State Runner-Up
• Printmaking: An Tran – State Runner-Up
• Fall Photography Contest – Student Life: David Wahmhoff – First place
• Fall Photography Contest – Waterscapes: David Wahmhoff – First place
• Fall Photography Contest – Informal Portraits: David Wahmhoff – First place
• Rodeo Art Competition: Abigail Sanders – “The Bull and the Pig” – Gold Medal Winner & Highest Auction Amount, $45,000 Scholarship

ACADEMICS

• Academic Team – State Runner-Up
• Math: Ben Hensley – State Champion
• Yearbook: Audrey Mills – State Runner-Up
• Yearbook: Cayden Tate – State Runner-Up
• Spelling: Verena Shatby – State Runner-Up

THEATER & SPEECH

• TAPPS One Act Play – Actor: McKenzie Davenport – All-State
• TAPPS One Act Play – Actor: Jackson Murrill – All-State
• Solo Acting: Jackson Murrill – State Champion
• Oratory: Kiley Kreitz – State Runner-Up
• Duet Acting: McKenzie Davenport & Jackson Murrill – State Runners-Up

ATHLETIC AWARDS:

Academic All-State

Academic excellence is a core value of the CCS mission statement. This award provides the opportunity to recognize individual students who are true to this core value while competing well in the area of athletics. The Academic All-State Award is given to athletes who not only have been recognized for their contributions on the field but have also shown themselves to be dedicated students in the classroom. To qualify, students must be juniors or seniors, have qualified for a state tournament in lifetime sports or have been voted first or second-team all-district, while having an academic average of 90% or better.

Academic All-State Athletes – Boys

• Cody Andrus – Football, Soccer
• Grayson Beckman – Football, Baseball
• Jackson Braun – Football, Track, Baseball
• Jared Erby – Football
• Griffin Fisk – Football, Track & Field
• Max Landrum – Football, Soccer, Track & Field
• Matthew McClellan – Football, Track & Field
• Jacob Moran – Football
• Jackson Murrill – Football
• Jackson Owen – Football, Track & Field
• Ryan Randall – Football
• Michael Slabic – Football, Track & Field
• Jacob Swan – Football, Baseball
• Alex Andrus – Soccer, Track & Field
• Colin Burns – Soccer, Track & Field
• Parker Coates – Soccer
• Kevin Dubon – Soccer
• Price Schlutea – Basketball, Track & Field
• Nile Austin – Basketball
• Will Hotchkiss – Basketball, Track & Field
• Michael Lavigne – Basketball
• Matthew LeForce – Basketball
• Jalen Young – Basketball, Track & Field
• Coleman Mabry – Track & Field
• Taylor Hotchkiss – Golf
• Zach Thibodaux – Baseball
• Dion Thompson – Baseball
• Pearson Pollard – Baseball
• Andrew Williams – Baseball
• Cole Wisenbaker – Baseball

Academic All-State Athletes – Girls

• Faith Cullison – Volleyball, Soccer
• Bella Henslee – Volleyball, Track & Field
• Bethany Janz – Volleyball
• Chloe Roberson – Volleyball, Softball
• Camryn Whitmarsh – Volleyball
• Abbie Hirth – Cheer, Track & Field
• Ashlyn Jackson – Cheer
• Claire Achterkirch – Cheer
• Addison Petru – Cheer
• Remi Greenberg – Soccer
• Gillian Storey – Soccer
• Grace Macune – Basketball
• Stacey Muthoka – Basketball
• Cayden Tate – Basketball
• Lynden Yough – Basketball
• Riley Fox – Track
• Olivia O’Bannon – Track & Field
• Megan Cater – Golf
• Lucy Davis – Softball
• Makaylah Williams – Softball

All-State Athletes

The highest TAPPS award that an individual athlete can earn is to be named to the All-State Team. These athletes were first voted to the All-District First Team by their own District coaches. From there, they are voted on by coaches from across the state to be named to the TAPPS All-State Team. This is a very big honor that is earned by very few athletes…so they also sign a special sport-related item, kept in the CCS trophy case to permanently display this accomplishment. 

All-State Athletes – Boys 

Football

• Cody Andrus – First Team Offense
• Grayson Beckman – First Team Defense
• Grayson Beckman – Honorable Mention Offense
• Jackson Braun – Second Team Defense
• Jared Erby – Second Team Defense
• Griffin Fisk – First Team Defense
• Zeke Hogan – First Team Offense
• Max Landrum – First Team Offense
• Jackson Owen – First Team Defense
• Jackson Owen – First Team Offense
• Jacob Moran – First Team Offense
• Jackson Murrill – First Team Defense
• Jacob Rauch – First Team Defense
• Michael Slabic – Honorable Mention Defense

Basketball

• Nile Austin – First Team
• Jonathan Quarles – Honorable Mention
• Price Schultea – Honorable Mention

Soccer

• Colin Burns – First Team Offense
• Kevin Dubon – Second Team Midfield
• Max Landrum – First Team Defense

Track & Field

• Alex Andrus – First Team
• Jackson Braun – First Team
• Colin Burns – First Team
• Will Hotchkiss – First Team
• Max Landrum – Honorable Mention
• Coleman Mabry – First Team
• Jackson Owen – First Team
• Price Schultea – First Team
• Michael Slabic – First Team
• Jalen Young – First Team

Golf

• Grayson Petru – First Team 

All-State Athletes – Girls

Volleyball

• Bella Henslee – Second Team

Cheer

• Claire Achterkirch
• Abbie Hirth
• Ashlyn Jackson
• Addison Petru

Basketball

• Sarah Olenick – Honorable Mention
• Lynden Yough – Second Team

Soccer

• Faith Cullison – First Team Defense
• Remi Greenberg – Honorable Mention Offense
• Anna Smith – Honorable Mention Midfield
• Madeline Talkington – First Team Midfield

Track & Field

• Riley Fox – First Team
• Evie Greenberg – First Team
• Bella Henslee – Honorable Mention
• Abbie Hirth – First Team
• Olivia O’Bannon – Second Team
• Nicole Santos – Second Team
• Sophia Swanton – First Team
• Mariana Van Dyke – First Team

Golf

• Claire Johnson – First Team
• Makena Pham – First Team
•  

Multi-Sport Athlete Award

• Alex Andrus – Football, Soccer, Track & Field
• Cody Andrus – Football, Soccer, Track & Field
• Faith Cullison – Soccer, Track & Field
• Jackson Braun – Football, Baseball
• Kevin Dubon – Football, Soccer
• Will Hotchkiss – Football, Basketball, Track & Field
• Grace Macune – Cross Country, Basketball, Track & Field
• Griffin Fisk – Football, Track & Field
• Grayson Beckman – Football, Baseball
• Jack Ellisor – Football & Basketball
• Abbie Hirth – Cheer, Track & Field
• Coleman Mabry – Football, Track & Field
• Audrey Mills – Cross Country, Track & Field
• Mallory Overton – Cross Country, Track & Field
• Jackson Owen – Football, Track & Field
• Ryan Randall – Football, Track & Field
• Michael Slabic – Football, Track & Field
• Andrew Smith – Football, Track & Field
• Jacob Swan – Football, Baseball
• Camryn Whitmarsh – Volleyball, Swimming
• Parker Wright – Football, Baseball
• Jalen Young – Basketball, Track & Field
• Makaylah Williams – Volleyball, Softball

Valiant Warrior

The Valiant Warrior Award is given to the senior male and female student who exhibit excellence in athletics, leadership, determination, sportsmanship, Christian character, academic achievement and integrity while participating on athletics teams at Cypress Christian School.

The Valiant Warrior Award is a long-standing tradition where Cypress Christian School honors a student whose high school career has shown a high level of success in multiple sports, dedication in the classroom and an exemplary attitude. This award is earned by a student who is a strong representative of what it means to honor God, their family and represent the entire CCS family with a level of excellence that makes the entire Warrior Nation proud! The Valiant Warrior Award is the highest award given by CCS athletics.

The young lady selected has been a student at Cypress Christian School since Kindergarten. She has participated in many activities over the years and once in high school, she continued to excel in soccer for two years, and cheerleading and track and field for four years. “Once a competitor, always a competitor” rings true for this young lady because she always competes at her best and never backs down from a challenge. As a result, she served as a tremendous leader for her teams, setting a high example and encouraging those around her. She has enjoyed serving others, while also being the best at her sports. She has been through the highs and lows of her sports, and even though she had to learn lessons the hard way, that is when God speaks the most to us. She has risen from defeat and continued to press on to give God her best. She has been a source of strength with her relay teams over the years, someone they knew they could depend on and she never backed down from a battle. Give her someone to run against, and “it’s on!” She will beat you and yes, she did. Two years in a row, she anchored the 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams and two years in a row, they earned the title of state champions. Her teammates did their part and handed the baton to her in first place, and she never let anyone who challenged her pass her. She is most known for her incredible high jump skills, and next year, she will be a member of the Texas A&M University Track & Field team. We cannot wait to see her battle there! She ran relays, the 100 m. dash, high jumped and long jumped for CCS and she was a star in each event, a state champion in three of those events! We are honored to recognize Abbie Hirth as this year’s Valiant Warrior.

The young man selected for this year’s Valiant Warrior embodies every description of this award and has been involved in many activities along the way. In high school, he played four years of football, two years of basketball and participated in track. In football, as a junior and senior, he was voted both First-Team All-District and First-Team All-State. He served as a team captain for his junior and senior seasons, and in his senior year, he was named the Cypress Christian School Defensive MVP. At the conclusion of his senior season, he was also voted the District’s Defensive Player of the Year by the coaches in the district. Athletically, academically, and in leadership, he excels, and it is apparent other students gravitate toward him. One coach described him saying, “his attitude and effort are THE examples of what coaches dream about from their players. He is a true difference-maker in anything he is involved with, on and off the field. As a senior, having never participated in track as a thrower, he approached the coaches about “trying discus.”  He started slowly while learning the techniques. By the time he got to the district track meet, he was in the thick of fierce competition, not the least of which were some of his own teammates!  As usual, he rose to the occasion and threw his personal best, unbelievably finishing as the District Champion!  Keep in mind, he had never thrown discus prior to “trying it out” as a senior! He ended up throwing far enough at the south regional meet to earn a spot at the state track meet where he captured fourth place in the TAPPS 4A state meet, earning points to help his team win their second straight state title. He is a young man with a great mind, great perseverance, true diligence and incredible character. He is a gifted high-achiever and we cannot wait to see how God uses him in the next stage of life, where he will be playing football at the prestigious MIT next fall! We are honored to recognize Griffin Fisk as this year’s Valiant Warrior.

Engineering Helps Drumline Solve a Problem

The drumline had a need and the engineering class came up with a solution. What a blessing it is to see the body of Christ using their skills and lessons learned at work within our CCS classes and community.

In the pictures you will see students from the Principles of Engineering class building a structure for the drumline to store their drum harnesses. The class was able to see first-hand the design process used and come to life. “This product started out on paper with YOUR drawings and brainstorming! And now it is here and built and ready for our customer! How awesome is that?” – Mrs. Yaw

Lady Warriors Headed to Final Four

The Lady Warriors softball team is headed back to the TAPPS 4A Division III Final Four for the second straight year thanks to a 13-1 win over Bay Area Christian in the regionals. CCS was led by two freshmen, Megan Smith and Kennedy Schwartz, who each went 3-for-3 at the plate. Anna Fernandez, another freshman and junior Maura Stricklin delivered two hits each to help power the Warriors’ 15-hit batting barrage.

Lucy Davis pitched a complete game, giving up just two hits on the day. Only one Bronco runner advanced past second base as the Warriors defense backed up Davis with outstanding play in the field. Shortstop Sarah Olenick made the play of the day, diving to stop a hard grounder up the middle and slinging the ball to first just in time for the final out of the game, bringing the CCS faithful to their feet in celebration. CCS is now 25-4.

• CCS vs. Holy Cross of San Antonio (defending 4A State Champions)
• Friday, May 20, 1 p.m.
• Allan Saxe Field, University of Texas at Arlington, 1400 Maverick, Arlington, TX 76013

Click here for more details including tickets, facility map, game program and livestream link through TAPPS TV.

Back-to-Back State Champions – Girls & Boys Track & Field Teams!

The girls and the boys track & field teams competed at the TAPPS State Meet last weekend at Midway High School in Waco, TX. It was a great two days of competition with field events on Friday and running events on Saturday. Last year, the Warriors were able to come away with two State Championships, and this year, the teams repeated, making the Warriors back-to-back State Champions as the girls and the boys teams competed incredibly well with several personal and season bests. The girls team had nine personal records and the boys team had eight personal records achieved at the State Meet.

Friday’s Field Event Results:

Shot Put – Girls:

• Mariana Van Dyk – State Champion
• Skylar Davis – sixth place 

Shotput Boys:

• Andrew Owen – fourth place

Discus – Girls:

• Mariana Van Dyk – State Runner-up

Discus – Boys:

• Griffin Fisk – fourth place
• Jacob Rauch – fifth place

High Jump – Girls:

• Abbie Hirth – State Champion

High Jump – Boys:

• Matthew McClellan – fourth place

Pole Vault – Boys:

• Adler Smith – sixth place

Long Jump – Girls:

• Abbie Hirth – State Runner-Up
• Bella Henslee – third place

Long Jump – Boys:

• Jalen Young – State Runner-Up

Triple Jump – Girls:

• Nicole Santos – State Runner-Up
• Bella Henslee – fifth place

Triple Jump – Boys:

• Max Landrum – third place

Saturday’s Running Event Results:

100 M. Dash – Girls:

• Riley Fox – third place
• Abbie Hirth – fourth place

100 M. Dash – Boys:

• Jackson Owen – State Champion with a new 4A State Record
• Jackson Braun – fifth place

200 m. Dash – Boys:

• Jackson Owen – State Champion

400 M. Dash – Boys:

• Jalen Young – State Runner-Up
• Will Hotchkiss – fourth place

100 M. Hurdles – Girls:

• Olivia O’Bannon – State Runner-Up

300 M. Hurdles – Girls:

• Olivia O’Bannon – sixth place

300 M. Hurdle – Boys:

• Max Landrum – third place

4×100 Relay – Girls:

• Riley Fox, Sophia Swanton, Evie Greenberg, Abbie Hirth – State Champions

4×100 Relay – Boys:

• Michael Slabic, Jackson Owen, Alex Andrus, Jackson Braun – State Champions

4×200 Relay – Girls:

• Riley Fox, Sophia Swanton, Evie Greenberg, Abbie Hirth – State Champions

4×200 Relay – Boys:

• Michael Slabic, Colin Burns, Alex Andrus, Jackson Braun – State Champions

4×400 Relay – Boys:

• Will Hotchkiss, Coleman Mabry, Jalen Young, Price Schultea – State Champions

The coaching staff is so proud of each of the athletes who came ready to compete!

Way to go, Warriors!

Baseball District Champs!

The varsity baseball team finished their regular season as district champions! In the first week, CCS defeated the Northland Cougars with scores of 8-4 and 13-1. After that, the Warriors defeated Legacy Prep with senior pitcher Andrew Williams on the mound. Backed by some great defense, Andrew pitched a complete seven-inning game shutting down Prep with a score of 5-0. The Warriors defeated Prep in a second game with senior pitcher Pearson Pollard throwing a complete game shut-out with only 80 pitches. The score of 19-0 was topped off with Jackson Braun going deep with a grand slam to secure an early end to the evening. The team continued successfully through the season while battling injuries in key positions, but they are now ready to begin the playoff journey.

Their season record earned them a bye in the first round of playoffs, but you can come watch them face off against San Antonio Holy Cross at home for the TAPPS Area title this Tuesday. Come cheer on the Warriors and enjoy some fresh grilled burgers and hot dogs.

Area Playoffs

• CCS vs San Antonio Holy Cross
• May 10 at 5 p.m.
• CCS Will Rhodes Memorial Stadium

Senior Night Photos:

Girls and Boys Golf Teams Headed to State!

Both the boys and girls golf teams qualified for the TAPPS 4A State Golf Championships this past week at Regionals! The girls team was the Regional Runner-Up and the boys team took fourth. They head to Waco for a two-day tournament to determine state champions. We are so proud of the work that the athletes have put in this season and are excited to see how they do at State. Go, Warriors!

TAPPS 4A State Information

Monday & Tuesday, May 9 & 10

Cottonwood Creek Golf Course, 5200 Bagby Ave., Waco, TX 76711

Stock Market Game Winners

Eighth-grade students participated in the SIFMA Foundation Stock Market Game. Teams begin the simulation with an imaginary investment of $100,000 to trade on the NYSE and NASDAQ. Students follow current events and global news impacting the financial markets and place trades online in real-time. One CCS team placed first in the Houston region with a portfolio totaling over $129,000 after just eight weeks of trading. They were awarded prizes from the SIFMA Foundation. We are so proud of their accomplishment!

First Place Team

• Allie Boujaoude
• Lilah Johnson
• Corinne Keim
• Peyton Whitmarsh

Girls & Boys Track & Field Teams are Regional Champions!

Both the girls and boys track & field teams had a great day competing in Waco at the old Baylor stadium for the TAPPS 4A South Regional meet. Listed below are our accomplishments:

Girls Team:

• Regional Champions
• Discus: Mariana Van Dyk – Regional Champion, Skylar Davis – sixth place
• High Jump: Abbie Hirth – Regional Champion
• Long Jump: Abbie Hirth – Regional Champion, Bella Henslee – Regional Runner-Up
• Pole Vault: Sophia Swanton – fifth place
• Shot Put: Mariana Van Dyk – Regional Runner-Up, Skyla Davis – fourth place
• Triple Jump: Nicole Santos – Regional Runner-Up, Bella Henslee – third place
• 4×100 Relay: Riley Fox, Sophia Swanton, Evie Greenberg, Abbie Hirth – Regional Champions
• 100 M. Hurdles: Olivia O’Bannon – Regional Runner-Up
• 100 M. Dash – Abbie Hirth – third place, Riley Fox – fourth place
• 4×200 Relay: Riley Fox, Sophia Swanton, Evie Greenberg, Abbie Hirth – Regional Champions
• 300 M. Hurdles: Olivia O’Bannon – third place
• 4×400 Relay: Mallory Overton, Kynsie Ramirez, Megan Cater, Sophia Swanton – fifth place

Boys Team:

• Regional Champions
• Discus: Jacob Rauch – Regional Runner-Up, Griffin Fisk – fourth place
• High Jump: Matthew McClellan – Regional Champion
• Long Jump: Jalen Young – Regional Runner-Up
• Pole Vault: Adler Smith – fourth place, Erich Sachtleben – fifth place
• Shot Put: Andrew Owen – fourth place
• Triple Jump: Max Landrum – third place, Matthew McClellan – fourth place
• 4×100 Relay: Michael Slabic, Jackson Owen, Alex Andrus, Jackson Braun – Regional Champions
• 100 M. Dash: Jackson Owen – Regional Champion, Jackson Braun – fourth place
• 4×200 Relay: Michael Slabic, Colin Burns, Alex Andrus, Jackson Braun – Regional Champions
• 400 M. Dash: Jalen Young – Regional Runner-Up, Will Hotchkiss – third place
• 300 M. Hurdles: Max Landrum – third place
• 200 M. Dash: Jackson Owen – Regional Champion, Colin Burns – sixth place
• 4×400 Relay: Will Hotchkiss, Coleman Mabry, Jalen Young, Price Schultea – Regional Champions

The top four in each event advance to the State Track & Field meet on Friday, May 6 & Saturday, May 7 in Waco, TX. Visit TAPPS Track & Field for more information. Schedules, ticketing information and more will be posted closer to the meet date.

Golf District Champion & District Runners-Up

Grayson Petru, a freshman at Cypress Christian, competed in the TAPPS 4A district tournament at River Point Golf Club in Richmond, TX on April 19. He finished the round with a 71 and won the tourney by 3 strokes. Grayson has competed in five tournaments for the Warriors this season and finished in first or second place each time.

The CCS boys and girls golf teams received district runner-up awards at the TAPPS 4A district tournament last week. Three girls (Lindsey Brashier, Makena Pham, Claire Johnson) and three boys (Grayson Petru, Taylor Hotchkiss, Johnathan Cater) qualify as individuals for the regional round. Great job, Warriors, and good luck at regionals next week!