On February 29th, the high school golf team took a giant LEAP forward and won the TAPPS 4A Preview Golf Tournament. This tournament was the first tournament of the year for the Vikings. It also happens to be the same course that the State Tournament will be played on in early May. This will certainly give our team confidence as they hope to become the first golf team in Viking history to qualify for the State Tournament. The Vikings brought 4 of their Varsity boys golfers and had 3 of the top 4 finishers in the tournament. Senior, Ross B, won the tournament while shooting 81. Newcomer to Village, and Junior, Daniel P, took 2nd place in a playoff after shooting 84. Senior, Fraser K, who also competed in the playoff, shot 84 as well. The team was capped off with the contribution of Junior, Peter W, who clinched the Viking victory after he turned in his final scorecard.

The day also featured one of our Varsity girl golfers, Mariana O, who qualified for State last year as a sophomore. Mariana had a great opening round of her season, and finished in 2nd place overall! Great job!

The Vikings are back in action this Monday, as they travel to Quail Valley Golf Course to compete in the St. Thomas Episcopal Golf Tournament. Good luck and Go Vikings!

Our very own high school cross country coach, Scott Mastro, was recently named a Houston Chapter winner for Positive Coaching Alliance’s Double-Goal Coach Award. PCA annually honors youth and high school sports coaches throughout the United States, who embody the ideals of the Double-Goal Coach® who strive to win, while also pursuing the even more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports.This award speaks volumes to the job that Coach Mastro did this year with his high school team. Not only did they experience a tremendous amount of success, but he was also able to resonate a consistent and purposeful message with his runners that had a positive impact that extends far beyond the sports arena. Congratulations to Coach Mastro for his commitment to our school, positive impact he has on our athletes, and a successful year.

February 23rd was a special day for Viking Athletics. We have experienced a tremendous amount of success before, but yesterday was historic as our girls and boys basketball programs advanced further in the TAPPS State Tournament than ever before, and our boys soccer program made their second straight TAPPS State Championship game. Here are yesterday’s events in greater detail:

The Village School’s Varsity boys soccer team competed in the TAPPS 4A State semifinal on Tuesday, February 23rd. The team traveled to Abilene, Texas to take on Lydia Patterson Institute from El Paso. The conditions were tough, with light rain, temperatures in the low 40’s, and gusts of wind that exceeded 20 mph. From the beginning of the game, it was evident that both teams were closely matched. The Vikings had a few opportunities in the first half, but it was Lydia Patterson who controlled most of the possession. With the wind at our face, the conditions made it difficult to stretch the field and open up the game. We buckled down on defense and went into halftime tied, 0-0. With the wind at our back in the second half, the Vikings were able to create more flow, and with that, came more opportunity. We were beginning to dominate possession, while displaying incredible teamwork, organization, and brilliant skill on the ball. With 30 minutes remaining in the game, that opportunity came when Toni F made a beautiful pass to Cailen S, who buried a goal into the back of the net! The Vikings were now on top, 1-0. For the next 20 minutes, both teams battled back and forth, but it was Lydia Patterson who would score the equalizer with only 11 minutes remaining in the game. With the score tied at 1, a late goal would almost certainly determine the game. With that being said, both teams were conservative in the final stage of regulation as neither team wanted to create an opportunity for their opponent to capitalize on. At the end of regulation, the game was still tied, 1-1.

As per TAPPS rules, the game was now headed for two, ten minute overtime periods. With the golden goal rule in effect, the team that scores first would win the game. If no team scores in those two overtime periods, the game would be decided by penalty kicks. After 20 minutes of extra time and the score still tied, the game was headed to penalty kicks. In a penalty shootout, the kicker is all by himself, with one kick, from 12 yards away, with only the goalkeeper there to defend. Teams alternate kicks in a best of 5 format. The Vikings were the first team to kick. Senior, Ross B, stepped up and buried one into the back of the net. The score was now 2-1 Vikings. Lydia Patterson’s first kicker sailed his shot over the crossbar. Still 2-1 Vikings. Next to kick for the Vikings, was leading goal scorer, Cailen S. Cailen stepped up, the keeper dove right and got a hand on the ball, but the placement was good enough to find the net. 3-1 Vikings. Lydia Patterson’s second kicker found the net. 3-2 Vikings. Next up for our boys was Senior Captain, Michael W, who made a solid kick on goal, but the Lydia Patterson keeper made a spectacular save. Still 3-2 Vikings. After another score, Lydia Patterson tied it up, 3-3. Next up for the Vikings was Toni F, who scored the goal earlier in the game for the Vikings. Toni stepped up, and netted his attempt to put the Vikings in front, 4-3. The pressure was now on Lydia Patterson to answer. After a solid strike from their kicker, Viking goaltender, Wassim G, made a great diving save, keeping the Vikings in front, 4-3. Next to kick for the Vikings was Fraser K. With the game on the line, Fraser buried the game winning goal to secure the Vikings victory, 5-3! It was a dramatic win, and one that secured our Varsity boys soccer team a second straight birth in the TAPPS 4A State Championship game. Great job to all of our players and coaches for your ability to persevere through the pressure of the situation, conditions, and successfully manage the emotions of the game. The Varsity boys will travel to San Antonio to compete for the State Championship on Friday, February 26th, at 3:00pm. Good luck and Go Vikings!

Back at home, the girls and boys Varsity basketball teams were gearing up for their TAPPS 4A State Tournament Sweet 16 match-ups. The stage was set earlier in the day, as the high school pep rally set the mood perfectly. Our Viking student body was pumped for the events of the evening, and the Moore Gym was rocking! The girls were first to play, as they faced the same opponent as our boys soccer team, Lydia Patterson from El Paso. Lydia Patterson jumped out to an early lead, but both teams were making plays and the momentum shifted back and forth. The Vikings would trail at the end of the first quarter, 14-13. The second quarter was more of the same. The tempo was quick. The girls looked to create pressure and speed the game up, but Lydia Patterson handled it well, and took a 26-24 lead into halftime. After making halftime adjustments, the Vikings stormed out in the 3rd quarter with a 9-0 run to take the lead. Lydia Patterson weathered the storm, but our defense was starting to buckle down and make life difficult. The Vikings kept getting stops on the defensive end and transitioned nicely on offense. We controlled the quarter, and took the lead heading into the 4th, 38-33. After playing a number of tough games throughout the season, our girls were very comfortable with the magnitude of the moment. The formula remained the same for our Lady Vikings as the girls maintained their energy on defense and locked in on their playmakers. The offense was led by Starlyn F, who played a tremendous floor game, hit shots, and created opportunities down low for post player, Elisa F. Elisa was the game’s high scorer and leading rebounder, with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Junior guard, Amber P, made some clutch free throws down the stretch, going 7 for 8 at the line, which would keep the Vikings in front. Senior Captain, Elien E, also hit a few big shots and played excellent defensive on the other team’s best perimeter player. The youngest starter on the Lady Vikings, Liz M, was her typical efficient, high-energy self. Liz was the second leading rebounder on the team and showed an incredible amount of toughness. The Lady Vikings would go on to win the game, 54-43, securing their spot in the Elite 8 of the TAPPS State Tournament! The girls will now play on Saturday, February 27th, against Victoria St. Joseph’s. Location and time are TBD.

It was now time for the boys Varsity basketball team to take center stage in the Moore Gym. The boys were set to face San Antonio Christian. From the opening possession, the Vikings forcefully dictated the tempo by playing with extremely high energy. The Vikings defense was stifling. They created turnovers, secured rebounds, and transitioned quickly into offense. The boys took a 21-8 lead after the first quarter. The second quarter saw no drop off. The Vikings made life even more difficult for San Antonio Christian and limited them to only 6 points in the second quarter, which opened up a 31-14 halftime lead. The offense was led by the shooting of Draylyn D, nifty play around the basket from Antonio M, and an incredible floor game from point guard, Chandler G. The catalyst on defense was underclassmen, Ben A, who was relentless in creating pressure and causing turnovers. The Vikings opened up a 40 point lead in the 4th, and everyone played and contributed. After each sub entered the game, the energy and focus on defense remained high. The Vikings would go on to win 74-42, securing their spot in the Elite 8 of the TAPPS State Tournament. The boys will now play on Saturday, February 27th, against San Antonio Holy Cross. Location and time are TBD.

Good luck to these teams as they continue to make our school proud. Thank you for your willingness to make the necessary sacrifice to pursue excellence, commit to each other, and honorably represent our school. Go Vikings!

In just our second year in TAPPS 4A, the Varsity girls and boys basketball programs had a remarkable improvement from year one. Last year, the girls program finished 6th in district with a 2-5 record and failed to qualify for the State Tournament. A year later, the girls finished with a 5-2 district record and finished 2nd at the District Tournament. In doing so, the girls became the first girls team in Village School history to qualify for the TAPPS 4A State Tournament. The boys team finished 3-5 in district last year, but made a great run in the District Tournament and finish 4th, qualifying them for the State Tournament. In year two, the boys finished 7-1 in district, and compounded that success by making a run to the District Tournament championship game.

On Saturday, February 13th, both of these programs battled perennial powerhouse, Westbury Christian. After both teams lost to them earlier in the year by 25+ points, Saturday’s contests were going to be no easy task. Belief was half the battle. It was clear from the onset of both games that our Vikings were here to compete. They believed they could take down the mighty Goliath, and were determined to give Westbury Christian our best shot. The girls game was close the entire way, as both teams were exchanging blows early, making plays, and leaving it all on the line. The girls were within 10 in the 4th quarter, but fell a little short. This game was a monumental improvement from their first meeting, and reason to give the entire program optimism and determination heading into the State Tournament. The boys jumped out to an early lead over Westbury Christian, who are the reigning TAPPS 4A State Champions, and were ahead into the 3rd quarter. Westbury rallied in the 4th to secure another district title, but our boys gave them a scare. This match will certainly motivate our young Viking team and fuel them as they try to make a deep run at the State Tournament.

Congratulations to both of these teams for the heart and determination they showed all season, which was rewarded by an opportunity to compete for a district championship in our 2nd season in TAPPS. The growth and improvement both teams have showed has been remarkable and will certainly expedite the growth process and have our Vikings believing they are for real.

Both teams will host a State Tournament game on Tuesday, February 23rd! Come out and support our teams!

As part of their service learning project, the girls basketball and girls soccer teams engaged in a long term commitment with Barbara Bush Elementary. Our goal was to help provide their kindergarten ELL students with personal reading assistance. The teachers provided us with the material we would use for the daily activity, which included books, worksheets, and flashcards. After going once per week for two months, the results of our service project were positive, as we observed growth and development in the reading, writing, and communication skills of the students we were helping. It was also amazing to see how graciously our students interacted with the students of Barbara Bush. Our Viking athletes showed a high level of character, professionalism, and warmth.

Please enjoy this video that captures the spirit of the service project:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8C2UWGBbAE&feature=youtu.be