Convenience Big Store: Ayla McDowell a big-time star for surging Cypress Springs girls

January 15, 2024

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Ayla McDowell has the Cypress Springs girls on the brink of another special season.

Ayla McDowell has been the catalyst for the No. 7 state-ranked Cypress Springs girls.

The highly-touted junior is an exceptional all-around player, but she's also been the consummate teammate, says Panthers coach Taneisha Rogers.

McDowell has a list of goals she wants to accomplish. While she's already checked off several of those items, there are many still remaining. She's hoping to lead Cy Springs on another deep playoff run, and the team is showing a lot of promise with a 20-2 record and an 18-game winning streak.

Find out what makes the Panthers star tick in our feature by Al Montaño.

More basketball news

Clements remains perfect: The No. 9 state-ranked Clements boys kept their flawless record intact Saturday, even without one of their top scorers. The Rangers did not have the services of sophomore Aziz Olajuwon — the son of Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon — who has been a breakout star for the team. But they were still able to secure a district victory against Elkins to improve to 22-0.

Houston Christian prevails: The Houston Christian boys are going to get everyone's best shot this season after winning the Southwest Preparatory Conference championship last season. That was certainly the case Friday night as a talented St. John's team pushed the Mustangs to the brink. Ultimately, star point guard Montana Wheeler and company were too much as they rallied for the road victory.

Goodwin a good addition: Cypress Ranch has sights set on winning the District 16-6A title this season, and the team took a big step in that direction Saturday with a 49-45 victory over state-ranked Cypress Falls. The Mustangs, now 5-0 in league play, recently got one of their best players back on the court. Sophomore guard Josh Goodwin has returned after dealing with a wrist injury earlier this season.

Note to coaches: Submit scores and stats on game nights by emailing hssports@houstonchronicle.com.

Follow all our coverage at houstonchronicle.com/highschoolsports.

Rob Tate, Deputy High School Sports Coordinator

rtate@houstonchronicle.com

Athlete of the Week

While the cold weather outside is frightful, things are heating up in basketball gyms and on soccer fields across the Houston area. There were plenty of standout performances to chose from this week. Check out the nominees and vote for your favorites. Voting runs through midnight Wednesday, and the winners will be recognized in the Thursday newsletter.

VOTE for Girls Athlete of the Week

VOTE for Boys Athlete of the Week

Shout out

H-Town represents on NFL All-Pro team

The NFL All-Pro teams were announced last week, and a couple of former Houston-area stars made the cut. Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, a Foster alum, was one vote shy of being a unanimous first-team selection. Lamb finished the season with 135 catches for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who starred at The Woodlands, was also named for the first team. He collected 122 tackles, six sacks, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions.

Stat of the day

34.4: The average margin of victory for the Shadow Creek boys basketball team in District 23-6A game this season. The No. 14 state-ranked Sharks are 21-2 overall and 5-0 in league play entering this week after rolling to a 70-49 road victory against Dawson last Friday night. Junior guard Michael Collins has been leading the charge, averaging more than 20 points per game.