SportzBuzz - January 2026

For the first time since 2011, the Memorial Mustangs football team captured its district championship. The Mustangs won the title with an undefeated 7-0 record in district play while ultimately posting a lofty 10-2 overall record.

“I think it was a tremendous season for both our kids and coaching staff,” said Mustangs first-year head coach Brooks Haack. “You could see early on the fruits of their labor by playing a close game to a great Pearland team and then defeating outstanding football programs in Cy Falls and Cy Ranch.”

In winning 10 games, including a first-round playoff game, the Mustangs were led by junior quarterback Grant Sperandio, who threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns. “Grant had an unbelievable season especially when you consider this was his first season as a full-time quarterback. He’s actually committed to play college baseball for the Texas Longhorns,” said Haack.

Sperandio’s favorite target was junior wide receiver Myles Goebel, who had over 700 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, while the Mustangs featured a dynamic duo at running back in senior Kade Gulledge and junior Conrad Bennett. Both Gulledge and Bennett rushed for over 1,000 yards while accounting for 43 rushing touchdowns between the two of them.  

“Kade transferred from Houston Christian and, once he caught his groove in playing Class 6A football, he caught fire and played out of his mind,” said Haack. “Conrad was our big bruiser running back, but he still had some of our longest runs of the season.”

In just his first season as head coach, the 31-year-old Haack was named a finalist for the Greater Houston Coach of the Year Award. “It’s just a testament to our kids and coaches for the way they played and prepared all season.” 

STATE FINALIST Standout senior quarterback Canon Toon battled back from a fractured ankle to help the Second Baptist Eagles to the TAPPS Division II State Final for the second consecutive season.

For the second straight year, the Second Baptist Eagles advanced to the TAPPS Division II State Championship final, albeit a berth to the state title game hardly seemed imaginable after a 1-6 start to the season. “There was no magic solution to our turnaround,” said Eagles head coach Beck Brydon. “Our kids just started executing better and our coaches also did a better job of putting our players in a position to succeed. It all just came together at the right time.”

During its improbable playoff run, the Eagles defeated an 11-0 The Woodlands Christian Academy Team that had soundly defeated Second Baptist 42-10 just two weeks earlier in the regular season finale. “They were an absolutely loaded and extremely talented team that had beat us soundly earlier, but we went out there and outplayed them that night in the 34-27 victory,” said Brydon.

Remarkably, the game also marked the return to the lineup of senior quarterback Canon Toon, who appeared to have been lost for the season after fracturing his right ankle just three weeks earlier. “When Canon fractured the ankle that night, our doctors believed he’d be out for the year, but Canon is one of the toughest and most competitive kids I’ve ever coached. He wasn’t about to allow the injury to keep him off the field. Canon was absolutely critical to our playoff run.”

With Toon on the field, the Eagles then proceeded to avenge a district loss to Lutheran South Academy in a 41-38 state semifinal victory before falling to defending state champion Fort Worth All Saints’ Episcopal in the state championship final. 

“We have kids who want to play and want to win and are the best version of a team,” added Brydon. “It’s an anti-ego and anti-me mentality and the end of the year was a perfect example of what that looks like.”

LINEMAN OF THE YEAR St. Thomas Eagles senior Obinna Umeh received the Lineman of the Year award at the Touchdown Club of Houston Private High School Awards Dinner. Umeh will play college football next season for Duke University. (Photo: Photo Courtesy: Touchdown Club of Houston)

In the wake of a sensational senior season, St. Thomas Eagle and Duke University commit Obinna Umeh received the Greater Houston Private School Lineman of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Houston. “Obinna has been a key part of our football program for four years,” said Eagles head coach Raymond Davis. “He’s our District MVP and an All-State Player and he also carries a 4.0 GPA and is Academic All-State.”

In addition, St. Thomas kicker Michael Taylor II won the Special Teams Player of the Year award. “Michael has a booming leg and he’s committed to play collegiate football for UTEP,” said Davis. Meantime, other Player of the Year finalists from St. Thomas included linebackers Jacob Quinlan and Liam McCarthy, wide receiver Nate Tidwell, and all-purpose athlete Javaughn Waldron. Davis, who led the Eagles to an undefeated district championship, was a finalist for the Coach of the Year Award.

Editor’s note: Todd Freed is the host and executive producer of H-Town High School Sports, which airs Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on CW39 and Monday-Thursday on AT&T SportsNet SW. To submit high school sports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email [email protected].