Winter Sports Bring the Heat

This winter, Second Baptist School had many victories including number-one ranked teams, state championship performances, next level commitments and walk-off victories, but there was so much more to celebrate behind the scenes as our coaches executed the mission of Second Baptist School in the lives of student athletes. 

Director of Athletics Mike Walker described the positive culture pervasive in athletics. “As I stood on the sidelines and watched athletes interact with one another and their coaches, I was grateful for the culture of camaraderie that exists at SBS. Caring community is one of our core values and in athletics, we describe community as a ‘we is greater than me’ mentality. I consistently observed this theme as I watched our winter athletes give tremendous effort in practice and competition.”

Congratulations winter coaches and athletes on another incredible season of SBS athletics!

Men’s Basketball
Head coach Kevin Mouton shared, “Our 2022-2023 season exemplified hard work, growth, a team first mentality, trust and the ability to encourage one another in winning and losing. Looking back, as freshmen, this group won 3 games and as now as seniors, this group won 27 games – a special group of young men.”

Team Highlights: Varsity men’s basketball completed the season with a strong district record of 12-2 and a high-scoring season with 27 overall wins as regional finalists. The JV team was undefeated in district with a total of 22 season wins.

Women’s Basketball
The women’s basketball team blazed their way back to the TAPPS Division II final four semi-finals for the sixth year in a row, competing in the state championship and securing their fourth consecutive state runner-up title. With three unstoppable seniors, the team had an impressive record this season with their undefeated district record of 12 wins to earn the District Championship and an overall season record of 26 wins and only 4 losses. Senior Liv Walker said, “I am proud of what we were able to accomplish, not only this year, but over the past four years together. I greatly appreciate our coaches and the time and love they invested in us, consistently pushing us to be the best version of ourselves both on and off the court.”

Team Highlights: Advancing to the TAPPS state final four game for the sixth consecutive year, the Eagles dominated on the court with a 70-42 win over St. Mary’s Hall of San Antonio, eventually going on to win state runner-up in the championship game.

Men’s Soccer
Winning more games than the previous year, men's soccer continued their three-season trajectory of improvement. Defensively, goals against decreased by 50% from the previous season, showcasing the team’s positive momentum, felt by the crowd energy and strong fan base the soccer team built this season. “This year, the team set a new bar for excellence. With many memorable moments, the team exceeded expectations with seniors leaving behind a lasting legacy and strong foundation for a bright future,” said Head Coach Doug Walker.

Team Highlight: The men’s soccer team increased their district record by 20%, ending the season with a winning record record of 10 wins, 2 ties and 24 goals.

Women’s Soccer
Women’s soccer came away from their winter season with notable highlights. Senior Emily Rogers reflected, “Playing soccer at SBS was a great opportunity that allowed me to build friendships that lasted on and off the field. I only played my junior and senior years, but I wished I played all four years because of the wonderful memories we made.”

Team Highlights: At the annual Jingle Bell Classic, SBS women’s soccer dominated a close match with a penalty kick tie-breaker. At senior night, their last game of the season, Isabella Ventura ‘23 scored two goals to help the Eagles win 2-0. 

Swimming
Director of Athletics Mike Walker shared, “This season was especially successful for our men’s team, and we are proud of our experienced swimmers’ leadership and the newcomers’ progress.” Winning big at the TAPPS Division II State Swim Championship, two-time state champion Leighton Chapman ‘23 secured gold medals in the men’s 200-free and the 500-free to become the 2023 TAPPS Division II State Champion in both events. Leighton was also recognized as the Regional Swimmer of the Meet and blew away the competition with the top times in his events. Read more.

Team Highlights: At the TAPPS Division II State Championship, not only did Leighton Chapman win two gold medals, but the men’s team also came away with second place in the men’s 400-Free relay and third place overall in the meet.

Golden Girls
In the culmination of their outstanding competition season, Golden Girls not only won Overall Grand Champion at Crowd Pleasers but also earned Best in Class for lyrical, novelty and pom dances, competing against teams of all sizes from both independent and public schools. Moreover, they won the Crowd Pleaser Award for their team novelty, an award given to only four teams. Soloists Emily Ann Haynes '24, Cate Calderon '23, Kendalyn Firenza '23 and Emily Bolling '23 all scored platinum or high platinum in their individual routines. Head Coach Madelyn Whitehead “could not be prouder of this team and all they accomplished” during this highly competitive season. Read more.

Team Highlight: Lieutenant and senior Cate Calderon said one of the highlights of her four years on the team was the Crowd Pleasers competition. “As a senior, winning our second consecutive overall grand championship was the perfect way to end my last competition season.”

Middle School Sports
Our middle school teams continue to achieve in the Houston area and build strong reputations. “We all can make an impact and have a positive influence,” said Director of Middle School Athletics Jeff Schroeder. “With the combination of quality kids and coaches in middle school athletics, we experienced a successful winter season with team and individual development.”

Highlights: Two HJPC runner-up titles were achieved by SBS middle school teams this winter season: eighth grade boy’s basketball and seventh and eighth grade girl’s soccer. Swim team members also set many personal records in the HJPC meet.