Simonds’ squad lays down marker
Runner-up finish at prestigious Adidas tourney sets winning tone early
Clear Creek coach Scott Simonds said before the season this might be his best team. The Wildcats showed last week that Simonds probably knows what he is talking about.
Clear Creek cruised all the way to the championship match of the 88-team Adidas Texas Volleyball Invitational in Pearland. The Wildcats lost to Coppell in a three-game final.
The Adidas TVI is widley regarded as the toughest high school tournament in the nation because the field is comprised of nearly all of the best teams in Texas.
Senior Mariah Pardo was named the tournament’s Outstanding Setter. Middle blocker Hannah Froeschl and libero Olivia Rigby earned alltournament honors. Clear Springs outside hitter Kylie Jedlicka also was named to the all-tournament team after leading the Chargers to a sixth-place finish.
Clear Creek (8-1) dominated most of its first seven matches. The Wildcats swept No. 3 Southlake Carroll, No. 6 Amarillo, No. 10 Plano West and No. 22 Fort Bend Austin. Carroll and Amarillo did not reach 20 points in either game.
The Wildcats appeared to be headed to the tournament title after winning the first game against Coppell and storming to a 15-10 lead in game two. Coppell responded with a 9-0 run to even the match.
To nobody’s surprise, other teams in Clear Creek ISD showed well, too.
They lost to Highland Park in pool play but got into the 32-team gold bracket by smashing Justin Northwest, 25-7, 25-14. Once there, Clear Springs swept district rival Clear Falls in the first round. The Chargers followed that with a win over San Antonio Johnson before falling to Coppell in the quarterfinals.
They rebounded to defeat Lewisville Hebron in the consolation bracket.
Two-time reigning regional champion Clear Falls finished in the top 30. The Lady Knights split four matches after falling to Clear Springs in the opening round of the gold bracket. One of those victories came against Clear Lake and the other against No. 14-seeded Argyle.
Football scrimmages this week
Next week is the first of the regular season for high school football teams. A handful of local teams are getting in one final tune-up with a scrimmage on Friday. Here is a list:
Kingwood at Clear Creek, 10 a.m. Friday
Clear Falls vs. Clements, 6 p.m. At Mercer Stadium
Clear Springs at Pearland, 7 p.m. At Presner Stadium
Clear Lake at Angleton, 7:30 p.m. Friday