FROM WAY DOWNTOWN: Belton sophomore Trap Johnson takes a 3-point shot over Austin Northeast Early College defender Manny Jaimes during the first half of the host Tigers' 78-46 victory against the Raiders on Wednesday night at Tiger Gym. Johnson made three 3-pointers and scored 15 of his 17 points before halftime for Belton (14-2), and senior TJ Johnson (44), his older brother, also made three 3s and scored a game-high 20 points. (Photo by Greg Wille, TempleBeltonSports.com) B

LET IT FLY: Academy senior point guard Darion Franklin takes a 3-point shot over Lake Belton junior Devin Gossett during the host Bumblebees' 90-79 win against the Broncos in Friday night's Academy Basketball Tournament game at The Hive. Franklin made four 3-pointers and scored a game-best 27 points for Class 3A No. 11-ranked Academy (8-5), which got 18 points each from senior guards Quintrell Lockett and Trae Rambeau and 17 points from junior guard Cole Shackelford. The Bees

BITTERSWEET FEELING: The Temple Wildcats will welcome back team captains Naeten Mitchell (4), Mikal Harrison-Pilot (7) and Taurean York (5) as seniors for the 2022 season, but they must say goodbye to senior captains Tommy Torres (90) and Samari Howard (8). The Air Force-committed Howard was voted District 12-6A's Offensive MVP after rushing for 1,728 yards and scoring 22 total touchdowns, and he became Temple's all-time leader in TDs (57) and points (360). York, a three-year

SENIOR SUCCESS: Blake Bundy produced a strong all-around senior season for Academy, helping lead the 11-2 Bumblebees to the Class 3A Division I Region III semifinals. Bundy made 105 tackles and three interceptions as a safety, caught 13 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns at receiver and kicked nine field goals and 44 extra points to finish with 89 total points. He also averaged 40.2 yards on 24 punts for head coach Chris Lancaster's team as Academy played 13 games in a s

VALIANT PERFORMANCE: A week after he tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee in Academy's area-round playoff win against Winnie East Chambers, senior Blake Bundy made eight tackles while playing the entire game on defense at safety and kicked two extra points in the Bumblebees' 37-34 loss to Diboll in a Class 3A Division I Region III semifinal at College Station High School. Competing in the third round of the playoffs for the first time in program history, Academy (11-2)

REWARDING EXCELLENCE: Temple senior running back Samari Howard was voted Offensive Most Valuable Player of District 12-6A, one year after he shared the league's overall MVP award. The Air Force commitment rushed for 1,728 yards and 20 touchdowns and scored 22 total TDs to help head coach Scott Stewart's Wildcats (9-3) go 7-0 in 12-6A for the second straight season. Howard became Temple's all-time leader in touchdowns (57) and points scored (360). (File photo by Mike Lefner, T

ALWAYS ON THE RUN: Academy wide receiver Scout Brazeal, shown making a 70-yard touchdown reception during the Bumblebees' bi-district playoff loss to Hallettsville in 2020, has produced a stellar junior season with 66 catches for 1,271 yards and 15 TDs along with 89 tackles and three interceptions as a safety. After close playoff victories over Yoakum and Winnie East Chambers, coach Chris Lancaster's 11-1 Academy team carries a seven-game win streak into its Class 3A Division

SENIOR SURGE: After playing his junior season at Wichita Falls City View, wide receiver Devan Williams returned to Temple for his senior year and led the Wildcats (9-3) with 37 catches for 777 yards and 11 touchdowns as they went undefeated in District 12-6A. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown in Temple's 28-14 bi-district playoff win over Waxahachie and caught a 7-yard TD pass from Mikal Harrison-Pilot in the Wildcats' 45-33 area-round loss to Rockwall-Heath last Friday i

PHYSICAL BATTLE: Temple junior linebacker Taurean York tries to tackle Rockwall-Heath senior running back Zach Evans during a Class 6A Division II area-round playoff game Friday night at Burleson ISD Stadium. Evans carried 38 times for 207 yards and scored two touchdowns as the fifth-ranked Hawks (11-1) recorded a 45-33 victory that stopped a nine-game winning streak for the District 12-6A champion Wildcats (9-3). Rockwall-Heath, guided by former Temple head coach Mike Spradl

IN HOT PURSUIT: Temple junior linebacker Taurean York (5) chases Waxahachie junior quarterback Roderick Hartsfield Jr. during the Wildcats' 28-14 victory in last Friday's Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game at Wildcat Stadium. District 12-6A champion Temple (9-2) clashes with 10-6A champ and fifth-ranked Rockwall-Heath (10-1) in an area-round battle at 7:30 Friday night at Burleson ISD Stadium. It's a rematch of the Hawks' 56-28 second-round win last December in Wac

GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME: In his first full season as a varsity starter, Temple junior strong safety Zion Moore has contributed 47 tackles and two interceptions as a versatile, productive member of the Wildcats' defense. Moore and Temple shut out Waxahachie in the fourth quarter last Friday at Wildcat Stadium to prevail 28-14 in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game. Coach Scott Stewart's District 12-6A champion Wildcats (9-2) battle fifth-ranked 10-6A champ Rock

KEY COMPONENT: Academy junior wide receiver/safety Scout Brazeal, shown after his team's 32-28 home win over Cameron Yoe on Oct. 8, has excelled on both sides of the ball while helping the Bumblebees (10-1) move into a Class 3A Division I area-round playoff game against Winnie East Chambers (8-3) at 7:30 tonight at Tomball ISD Stadium. Brazeal has made 59 receptions for 1,143 yards and 13 touchdowns, including a 9-yard TD catch from Kasey Mraz in overtime to give Academy a 28

NEXT-LEVEL GUYS: Temple College's baseball program on Wednesday celebrated its six players who signed with NCAA Division I programs last week: second baseman Travis Chestnut (left) with Texas A&M, outfielder Joseph Redfield and shortstop Zane Spinn with Sam Houston State, outfielder/designated hitter Clark Henry with Texas-San Antonio, right-handed pitcher Davis Pratt with Purdue and lefty pitcher Hudson Luce with Texas Tech. Other than newcomer Luce, all the players are soph

OFF TO THE RACES: Temple junior wide receiver/quarterback Mikal Harrison-Pilot sprints for a long gain against Waxahachie as senior tight end KeAndre Smith (left) and other teammates block during the Wildcats' 28-14 home win over the Indians in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game last Friday at Wildcat Stadium. Harrison-Pilot has scored 14 touchdowns (eight rushing, six receiving) this season for Temple (9-2), which battles fifth-ranked Rockwall-Heath (10-1) in an

RELENTLESS PURSUIT: Temple junior defensive end Jaylon Jackson tackles Waxahachie junior quarterback Roderick Hartsfield Jr. as junior linebacker Taurean York closes in during the Wildcats' 28-14 victory in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game Friday night at Wildcat Stadium. The game was tied 14-14 entering the fourth quarter before senior Samari Howard scored two touchdown runs to help Temple (9-2) earn its ninth straight win. Coach Scott Stewart's Wildcats advan

BIG TEST FOR BELTON: Seniors Bryan "Itty" Henry (left) and Wriley Madden lead the Belton Tigers (6-4) into their Class 6A Division I bi-district playoff game against fourth-ranked Duncanville (8-1) at 7:30 tonight at Duncanville's Panther Stadium. It's the first postseason game since 2018 for Belton, which placed third in District 12-6A in coach Brett Sniffin's second season. (File photo by Greg Wille, TempleBeltonSports.com) By GREG WILLE TempleBeltonSports.com gwille2@hot.r

ALWAYS ATTACKING: Temple defenders such as senior end Eric Shorter (13) and junior linebacker Taurean York will contend with a talented, versatile Waxahachie offense when coach Scott Stewart's District 12-6A champion Wildcats host coach Shane Tolleson's Indians (6-4) in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game at 7:30 Friday night at Wildcat Stadium. Winner of eight straight games, Temple has allowed 48 total points in its last four contests. Temple beat Waxahachie 38-

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Despite having only one returning starter, Temple's offensive line of junior right tackle Jeremiah Mungia (left), junior right guard Agustin Silva, senior center Jose Faz, sophomore left guard Endrei Sauls and senior left tackle Colby Rice has paved the way for the Wildcats to produce 440 yards and 55 points per game during their eight-game winning streak. District 12-6A champion Temple (8-2) hosts the Waxahachie Indians (6-4) in a Class 6A Division II

RISE AND SHINE: Temple junior receiver Mikal Harrison-Pilot jumps above Copperas Cove defender Jaylen Donnell to make a 30-yard touchdown catch from sophomore quarterback Reese Rumfield during the Wildcats' 77-12 win last Friday at Wildcat Stadium. Harrison-Pilot scored three touchdowns against Cove and has 13 TDs overall this season for District 12-6A champion Temple (8-2), which hosts Waxahachie (6-4) in a Class 6A Division II bi-disteict playoff game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at

IN THE HISTORY BOOKS: Temple senior running back Samari Howard reacts as he scores on a 3-yard rush against Copperas Cove in the second quarter Friday night for his 53rd career touchdown, breaking the Wildcats program record of 52 TDs that Lache Seastrunk set from 2007-09. On the first of his four first-half touchdown runs in Temple's 77-12 victory, Howard broke out of a tie with Seastrunk for the most points in Wildcats history at 312. Howard now has 336 points in his three-