Ganado quarterback, Stamford linebacker lead Texas Class 2A all-state football team
BRYAN, Texas (AP) — Ganado quarterback Bryce Ullman and Stamford linebacker Kaston Vega are the players of the year on the 73rd annual Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 2A all-state football team.
Ullman threw for 2,779 yards with 47 touchdowns and rushed for 300 yards and seven more touchdowns in leading Ganado to the Division I state championship.
Vega had 238 tackles, 35 of them for losses for Stamford, which was the Division I runner-up.
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Guards — Jessie Rodriguez, Stamford, 5-8, 260, sr.; Brayden Henderson, Refugio, 6-0, 270, sr.
Tackles — Wesley Maupin, Gruver, 6-4, 260, sr.; Zach Smith, Muenster, 6-1, 220, sr.
Center — Juan Hernandez, Weimar, 6-2, 230, sr.
Wide receivers — Jayden Edwards, Overton, 6-0, 165, sr.; Cooper Ellison, Miles, 5-11, 170, sr.
Tight end — (tie) Camden Ables, Hawley, 6-4, 220, soph.; Garrett Hess, Muenster, 6-3, 185, jr.
Quarterback — Bryce Ullman, Ganado, 5-10, 170, sr.
Running backs — Ian Vergara, Post, 5-7, 150, sr.; Jordan King, Refugio, 5-10, 215, sr.; HD Davis, Wolfe City, 6-0, 205, jr.
Fullback — Kaegan Ash, Mount Enterprise, 6-0 205, jr.
All-purpose — Coldyn Horn, Axtell, 5-8, 165, sr.
Place-kicker – Marcos Estrada, Junction, 5-8, 150, sr.
Offensive player of the year – Ullman, Ganado
Defense
Linemen — Gavin Pollard, Garrison, 6-3, 270, sr.; Victor Saenz, Ropes, 6-0, 210, jr.; Jackson Graves, Wheeler, 6-5, 225, jr.; Jared Werner, Shiner, 6-1, 205, sr.
Linebackers — Kaston Vega, Stamford, 5-11, 185, sr.; Kaden Riker, Ropes, 6-2, 185, soph.; Garrett Trevino, Collinsville, 5-10, 220, sr.; (tie) Kye Adamek, Shiner, 6-0, 185, sr.; Levi Beavers, Honey Grove, 6-0, 215, sr.
Secondary — Stephen Cowan, Gruver, 6-1, 170, sr.; Jake Simper, Shiner, 5-10, 150, jr.; Keith Crawford, Somerville, 6-0, 196, sr.; Luke Sanderson, Goldthwaite 5-9, 170, sr.
Punter — Brandon Berend, Windthorst, 6-4, 245, sr.
Utility — Logan Bures, Ganado, 5-8, 155, soph.
Kick returner — Brandon Kennedy, Elysian Fields, 5-10, 170, jr.
Defensive player of the year — Vega, Stamford
Coach of the year — Josh Ervin, Ganado
___
SECOND TEAM
Offense
Guards — Chris Turner, Three Rivers, 6-4, 330, sr.; Tyler Gilchrist, Lovelady, 5-10, 210, sr.
Tackles — Diego Cantu, Stamford, 5-10, 275, sr.; Rickie Gilmore, Grapeland, 6-5, 265, sr.
Center — Rylan Todd, Mason, 5-9, 220, sr.
Wide receivers — Carson Kahlig, Rosebud-Lott, 6-0, 185, sr.; (tie) Carter Snider, Hawkins, 6-1, 175, sr.; Caden Klement, Muenster, 6-3, 185, sr.
Tight end — Tyson Oden, Beckville, 6-2, 200, sr.
Quarterback — DJ Barnes, Shelbyville, 5-11, 185, sr.
Running backs — Elijah Hardison, Joaquin, 5-9, 175, sr.; Sutten Silerio, Mason, 5-11, 185, sr.; (tie) Walker Maupin, Gruver, 5-9, 160, sr.; Jordan Prince, Beckville, 6-0, 180, jr.
Fullback — Shiloh Peckham, Cayuga, 5-11, 205, sr.
All-purpose — De Montrel Medlock, Mart, 6-1, 226, sr.
Place-kicker — Sam De La Mata, Muenster, 6-2, 180, sr.
Defense
Linemen — Brysen Maxwell-Steele, Marlin, 6-1, 310, jr.; Case Beeson, Stamford, 6-1, 210, sr.; Cody Mahan, Honey Grove, 6-3, 230, sr.; Jackson Bates, Hamilton, 5-11, 180, sr.
Linebackers — Tank Scott, Bremond, 5-6, 160, jr.; Eddy Carrizales, Bremond, 5-9, 180, jr.; Landon Hicks, Ganado, 5-11, 155, jr.; Bobby Rogers, Tom Bean, 6-1, 215, sr.
Secondary — Garrett Ashurst, Wheeler, 5-10, 165, jr.; Branson Simental, Ropes, 5-8, 155, soph.; Tate Bass, Joaquin, 5-10, 165, sr.; Nate Harlow, Electra, 5-8, 162, sr.
Punter — Cole Bruister, Timpson, 6-1, 150, sr.
Utility — Maziq Gunnell, Kerens, 5-10, 187, sr.
Kick returner — Maverick Bayer, Muenster, 5-7, 165, soph.
___
THIRD TEAM
Offense
Guards — Cason Serna, Tioga, 6-2, 225, sr.; and (tie) Jose Gonzalez, Shelbyville 5-6, 225, jr. and Jon Conley, Sudan, 5-11, 285, sr.
Tackles — Nick Adams, Hamilton, 6-2, 275, sr.; Jarrell Wright, Centerville, 6-1, 265, jr.
Center — Tatum Banker, Honey Grove, 5-11, 245, sr.
Wide receivers — Tim Bond, Alto, 5-10, 155, sr.; (tie) Chad Davidson, Collinsville, 5-8, 140, jr.; Johnny Dorpinghaus, Tioga, 5-8, 175, sr.
Tight end — Caleb Strickland, Wellington, 5-10, 210, sr.
Quarterback — Casen Carney, Muenster, 5-9, 165, jr.
Running backs — Cortavies Whitaker, Lovelady, 5-11, 185 sr.; Kernyd Faciane, Wink, 5-8, 185, soph.; Julius Atherton, Wheeler, 5-11, 215, sr.
Fullback — Nate Espy, Waskom, 6-0, 195, jr.
All-purpose — Michael Daniels, Ozona, 5-9, 150, sr.
Place-kicker — Isiah Smith, Collinsville, 5-10, 140, jr.
Defense
Linemen — Miguel Rincon, Wellington, 5-10, 185, sr.; Asher Price, Honey Grove, 6-4, 215, sr.; Cadynn Villarreal, Mart, 6-0, 250, sr.; (tie) Zander Pruitt, Bremond, 5-10, 225, jr.; Aden Standley, Corrigan-Camden, 6-0, 220, sr.
Linebackers — Simon Johnson, Muenster, 5-9, 160, jr.; Clancy Osbourn, Mason, 6-1, 205, jr.; Zander Wills, Refugio, 6-0, 190, jr.; (tie) James Contreras, Three Rivers, 6-0, 210, jr.; Mason Banker, Honey Grove, 5-7, 160, jr.
Secondary — Xavier Carranza, Three Rivers, 5-11, 170, sr.; Aiden Harris, Beckville, 5-10 160, sr.; Caiden Crook, Panhandle, 6-2, 170, sr.; Keyandre Jefferson, Post, 5-9, 150, sr.
Punter — Brady McCullough, Lovelady, 5-9, 155, jr.
Utility — Dereion Mitchell, Hearne, 6-5, 210, sr.
Kick returner — Kasen Wiles, Windthorst, 5-9, 155, sr.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
What teams are in College World Series at Omaha? Schedule, NCAA men's baseball teams, dates
The College World Series tournament bracket is almost set for Charles Schwab Field Omaha, with one NCAA men's Division I baseball game remaining to finalize the 8 competing teams. Here's a look at the College World Series bracket with Duke-Murray State left to play, tournament dates, teams and how the College World Series works: What teams are going to Omaha for the 2025 College World Series? When is Duke vs. Murray State Durham Super Regional game for berth into 2025 College World Series? Game 3 of the Duke vs. Murray State Super Regional championship will take place at 7 p.m. ET, June 9, 2025. What is the 2025 College World Series bracket in Omaha for NCAA men's baseball? The 2025 College World Series bracket pairings are listed below. A schedule of game times for each matchup has yet to be determined: 2025 College World Series first-round pairings Bracket 1 Advertisement Bracket 2 What is the 2025 College World Series schedule in Omaha for NCAA men's baseball? The College World Series begins at noon ET, Friday, June 13, 2025. Visit for a complete schedule of times and games. Most games will be televised on ESPN. Game 2 of the College World Series championship will air on ABC. How does the 2025 College World Series work? The 8 super regional winners meet for the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., and are split into two double-elimination brackets with four teams each, according to The winners of the two College World Series double-elimination brackets meet in a best-of-three championship series to decide the College World Series champion. Who are the NCAA men's baseball national Top 16 seeds? Here are the top 16 seeds of the NCAA men's baseball tournament. Records are from the time of selection: Advertisement Vanderbilt (42-16) Texas (42-12) Arkansas (43-13) Auburn (38-18) North Carolina (42-12) LSU (43-14) Georgia (42-15) Oregon St. (41-12-1) Florida St. (38-14) Ole Miss (40-19) Clemson (44-16) Oregon (42-14) Coastal Carolina (48-11) Tennessee (43-16) UCLA (42-16) Southern Miss. (44-14) How to get tickets for the Men's College World Series 2025 College World Series tickets For 2025 College World Series ticket information, visit Chris Sims is a digital producer at IndyStar. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: College World Series 2025 baseball bracket: Schedule, NCAA men's teams
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
NCAA will pay its current and former athletes in an agreement that will transform college sports
The business of college sports was upended after a federal judge approved a settlement between the NCAA and former college athletes on June 6, 2025. After a lengthy litigation process, the NCAA has agreed to provide US$2.8 billion in back pay to former and current college athletes, while allowing schools to directly pay athletes for the first time. Joshua Lens, whose scholarship centers on the intersection of sports, business and the law, tells the story of this settlement and explains its significance within the rapidly changing world of college sports. What will change for players and schools with this settlement? The terms of the settlement included the following changes: The NCAA and conferences will distribute approximately $2.8 billion in media rights revenue back pay to thousands of athletes who competed since 2016. Universities will have the ability to enter name, image and likeness, or NIL, agreements with student-athletes. So schools can now, for example, pay them to appear in ads for the school or for public appearances. Each university that opts in to the settlement can disburse up to $20.5 million to student-athletes in the 2025-26 academic year, a number that will likely rise in future academic years. Athletes' NIL agreements with certain individuals and entities will be subject to an evaluation that will determine whether the NIL compensation exceeds an acceptable range based on a perceived fair market value, which could result in the athlete having to restructure or forego the deal. The NCAA's maximum sport program scholarship limits will be replaced with maximum team roster size limits for universities that choose to be part of the settlement. Why did the NCAA agree to settle with, rather than fight, the plaintiffs? In 2020, roughly 14,000 current and former college athletes filed a class action lawsuit, House v. NCAA, seeking damages for past restrictions on their ability to earn money. For decades, college athletics' primary governing body, the NCAA, permitted universities whose athletics programs compete in Division I to provide their athletes with scholarships that would help cover their educational expenses, such as tuition, room and board, fees and books. By focusing only on educational expenses, the NCAA was able to reinforce the notion that collegiate athletes are amateurs who may not receive pay for participating in athletics, despite making money for their schools. A year later, in 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in a separate case, Alston v. NCAA, that the NCAA violated antitrust laws by limiting the amount of education-related benefits, such as laptops, books and musical instruments, that universities could provide to their athletes. The ruling challenged the NCAA's amateurism model while opening the door for future lawsuits tied to athlete compensation. It also burnished the plaintiffs' case in House v. NCAA, compelling college athletics' governing body to take part in settlement talks. What were some of the key changes that took place in college sports after the Supreme Court's decision in Alston v. NCAA? Following Alston, the NCAA permitted universities to dole out several thousand dollars in what's called 'education benefits pay' to student-athletes. This could include cash bonuses for maintaining a certain GPA or simply satisfying NCAA academic eligibility requirements. But contrary to popular belief, the Supreme Court's Alston decision didn't let college athletes be paid via NIL deals. The NCAA continued to maintain that this would violate its principles of amateurism. However, many states, beginning with California, introduced or passed laws that required universities within their borders to allow their athletes to accept NIL compensation. With over a dozen states looking to pass similar laws, the NCAA folded on June 30, 2021, changing its policy so athletes could accept NIL compensation for the first time. Will colleges and universities be able to weather all of these financial commitments? The settlement will result in a windfall for certain current and former collegiate athletes, with some expected to receive several hundred thousands of dollars. Universities and their athletics departments, on the other hand, will have to reallocate resources or cut spending. Some will cut back on travel expenses for some sports, others have paused facility renovations, while other athletic departments may resort to cutting sports whose revenue does not exceed their expenses. As Texas A&M University athletic director Trev Alberts has explained, however, that college sports does not have a revenue problem – it has a spending problem. Even in the well-resourced Southeastern Conference, for example, many universities' athletics expenses exceed its revenue. Do you see any future conflicts on the horizon? Many observers hope the settlement brings stability to the industry. But there's always a chance that the settlement will be appealed. More potential challenges could involve Title IX, the federal gender equity statute that prohibits discrimination based on sex in schools. What if, for example, a university subject to the statute distributes the vast majority of revenue to male athletes? Such a scenario could violate Title IX. On the other hand, a university that more equitably distributes revenue among male and female athletes could face legal backlash from football athletes who argue that they should be entitled to more revenue, since their games earn the big bucks. And as I pointed out in a recent law review article, an athlete or university may challenge the new enforcement process that will attempt to limit athletes' NIL compensation within an acceptable range that is based on a fair market valuation. The NCAA and the conferences named in the lawsuit have hired the accountancy firm Deloitte to determine whether athletes' compensation from NIL deals fall within an acceptable range based on a fair market valuation, looking to other collegiate and professional athletes to set a benchmark range. If athletes and universities have struck deals that are too generous, both could be penalized, according to the terms of the settlement. Finally, the settlement does not address – let alone solve – issues facing international student-athletes who want to earn money via NIL. Most international student-athletes' visas, and the laws regulating them, heavily limit their ability to accept compensation for work, including NIL pay. Some lawmakers have tried to address this issue in the past, but it hasn't been a priority for the NCAA, as it has lobbied Congress for a federal NIL law. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Joshua Lens, University of Iowa Read more: Caitlin Clark's historic scoring record shines a spotlight on the history of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women The man responsible for making March Madness the moneymaking bonanza it is today Nick Saban's 'epic era' of coaching is over, but the exploitation of players in big-time college football is not Joshua Lens owns The Compliance Group, which provides NCAA compliance consulting services for universities and conferences.
CNN
9 hours ago
- CNN
Sports betting is legal and growing more popular. Harassment of athletes by angry gamblers is rising too
Gabby Thomas being harassed at last weekend's Grand Slam Track meet was shocking – except, actually, it wasn't, given how often it seems to be happening. Thomas, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, said she was verbally abused at the meet, reporting on X that a 'grown man followed me around the track as I took pictures and signed autographs for fans (mostly children) shouting personal insults.' Thomas' statement was in reply to another post on X – which has since been deleted – showing a video of a person heckling Thomas while she was on the starting line, shouting, 'You're a choke artist; you're going down, Gabby.' The social media user bragged about how his actions had benefitted his bet, writing: 'I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win,' alongside a screenshot of two multi-leg bets on the FanDuel sportsbook platform. FanDuel said it had banned the person responsible for the abuse from its platform, explaining it 'condemns in the strongest terms abusive behavior directed towards athletes.' 'Threatening or harassing athletes is unacceptable and has no place in sports. This customer is no longer able to wager with FanDuel,' the statement shared with CNN Sports added. It was in 2018 that the US Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal law, which had prohibited most states from allowing sports betting. Gambling on sports is now legal in 39 states, which experts warn has opened the floodgates for a torrent of abuse towards professional and collegiate leagues from bettors who blame them for their financial losses. In March, the NCAA launched a campaign aimed at tackling what it described as 'the alarming prevalence of abuse and harassment student-athletes face from angry fans who lost a bet.' According to an analysis of abusive messages sent via social media to college athletes, coaches and officials during the Division I championships, 12% – some 740 messages – were related to sports betting, according to the NCAA. Instances of such messages included one user who threatened a college athlete with the message, 'Yo no big deal but if you don't get 22 points and 12 boards everyone you know and love will Be dead,' according to the analysis, which was produced with Signify Group. Meanwhile, over 540 abusive betting-related messages – including death threats – were leveled at men's and women's basketball student-athletes and game officials during March Madness, a preliminary set of data trends found. Clint Hangebrauck, managing director of enterprise risk management at the NCAA told CNN: 'I think athletes are under attack right now, frankly, on social media and in person, and a lot of the people slinging the biggest bullets are sports bettors.' Hangebrauck, who has worked at the NCAA for 15 years, said that there has been a surge of athletes receiving abuse since the federal ban on sports betting was struck down, adding that in certain states – including Ohio and North Carolina – a barrage of abuse towards student athletes was 'almost immediate.' The NCAA is now seeking a ban on proposition bets, colloquially known as prop bets, on college athletes, calling the phenomenon 'a mental health nightmare.' Prop bets are made on outcomes not associated with the final score and are often based on individual performances. 'You could even perform well, and you're receiving all this negative feedback from betters because you didn't hit specific betting lines,' Hangebrauck added, noting that about half of the states that do allow gambling in the US have banned prop bets on student athletes. Jason Lopez, assistant professor in the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin told CNN Sports: 'The way that the newly legalized sports betting universe works is that it's very common to make prop bets where, even though it's a team sport, you can actually bet on the performance of individual players.' 'It turns what could be a team game into an individual performance, too. And so it's easy to then focus whatever anger you have on the bet at individual players,' Lopez, whose research focuses on sports media and betting, explained. The issue of bettors harassing athletes is widespread across sporting disciplines, with tennis and NBA players reporting instances of abuse. For a few professional athletes, it's an opportunity to punch back. In reply to a social media user who gave him grief about his seeming nonchalance over a bad performance in a game, NBA superstar Kevin Durant posted on X in November 2024, 'Stop blaming me for losing money because you have a gambling problem.' Great dub suns, and for my parlayers, better luck next time lol For others, however, social media comments made cross any acceptable line. In the past few weeks, MLB players Lance McCullers Jr. and Liam Hendriks have both reported that their families have been on the receiving end of death threats. Houston Astros pitcher McCullers Jr. revealed he received threats from a man who took to social media and threatened to find his kids and 'murder them.' The Houston Police Department later traced these threats to an intoxicated sports bettor from overseas who had lost money betting on the Astros' May 10 game against the Cincinnati Reds, per Reuters. Boston Red Sox pitcher Hendriks reported similar abuse, telling that 'with the rise of sports gambling, it's gotten a lot worse.' 'Threats against my life and my wife's life are horrible and cruel,' Hendriks wrote in a post on his Instagram Stories, according to 'You need help. Comments telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile. Maybe you should take a step back and re-evaluate your life's purpose before hiding behind a screen attacking players and their families. He added: 'Whether it be Venmo requests, whether it be people telling you in their comments, 'Hey, you blew my parlay. Go f*ck yourself,' kind of stuff. And then it's, 'Go hang yourself. You should kill yourself. I wish you died from cancer.' 'That one kind of hit a little too close to home for me with everything I've gone through,' Hendriks, who in 2023 announced he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, added. Joe Maloney, senior vice president of strategic communications for the American Gaming Association, told CNN Sports in a statement: 'The outcome of a bet is never an invitation to harass or threaten athletes, coaches, or officials. Abuse of any kind has no place in sports.' 'The legal, regulated industry offers the transparency and accountability needed to identify bad actors and collaborate with leagues, regulators, and law enforcement to deter misconduct and enforce consequences. Unlike illegal and unregulated market apps or bookies, legal operators work every day to uphold the integrity of competition and ensure a responsible wagering environment,' Maloney added. Lopez pointed out that, while sports betting has only recently been legalized and commercialized across the United States, most sports have been associated with wagering since their beginnings, albeit in a more underground capacity up until recently. 'There's just a basic fact about (sports) companies and organizations that run these games for entertainment which is that gambling helps increase interest – it drives interest. So they like all the betting that's happening around them; it builds interest in their sport. 'Their athletes being abused, especially if they're collegiate athletes, could harm their entertainment product. So they have to take very public stances about this in order to try to mitigate the idea that you know this entertainment product is putting people at risk,' he added. Hangebrauck added to CNN: 'I think there's a responsible way to engage in sports betting, and a lot of fans and people do so. Ninety-six percent of people overall generally lose in sports betting in the long run, so just be responsible about how you react to that – own it yourself.'
