Year in Sports 2024

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

At least for 2024, the smalls had it.

A Mini Pitch for soccer enthusiast was built in Lockhart, and although the Lockhart Lions (2-8) struggled in their first season at Class 5A Division I, the Mighty Mite Lions (ages 5-6) capped off a perfect season by winning the area’s CFPO (Christian Federation of Police Officers) Super Bowl in San Marcos.

However, the sports story of the2024 year for the Lockhart Post-Register came from Texas’ UIL’s second-smallest league as Class A Division 1 Prairie Lea Indians, holders of Texas’ longest playoff drought of 80 years, ended that streak with not only a 6-Man Football playoff berth, but also the District 16 championship.

Here are some of the chronological highlights from the Post-Register’s Year in Sports:

February

1 — Texas’ UIL (University Scholastic League) moves Prairie Lea High School to 6-Man football’s Division 1, and the Indians will now play in the four-team District 16 with the likes of Benavides, Knippa, and Runge.

10 — Kent Black and 4:12 Kids were the big winners of football season, wrapping up with Super Bowl XVIII. Black won The Original Black’s BBQ Pickin’ Panel with a 178-92 record, and his pre-selected charity of 4:12 Kids wins the $500 from the LPR. 

13 – Lockhart’s Alejandro Cruz completed the hat trick last, and every goal was needed as the Soccer Lions edged Hays High of Buda, 3-2.

March

2 – Lockhart’s track and field boys win the Lockhart Lion Relays in an 18-team field, while the Lady Lions win in a 13-team field.

6 — Lockhart High School junior Rakaia Walker, after averaging 21.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last season, was named to the Class 5A District 25 First Team. She also averaged 3.6 steals, 1.8 assists, and 1 block per game for the Lions.

Three Lady Lions also made the District 25 Honorable Mention — senior Alyssa Martinez, senior Victoria Morales, and freshman Peyton Johnson.

9 — Lockhart High School power lifters Leah Ovalle (242-plus) and Joseph Guzman (123) qualified for state meet in Abilene, after placing second and fourth, respectively, at the Regional Meet.

22 — Lockhart wins a narrow, 1-0, victory against the Glenn Grizzlies in high school baseball, shutting them down thanks to a one-hitter by pitcher Gage Deutsch.

22 — Collin Hart’s Lockhart boys’ basketball team had four Lions named to the Class 5A District 25 Honorable Mention squad — freshman Johnny Ford, sophomores Jay Villalobos and DJ Anthony, and junior Dareon Loggins.

27 — The annual Kiwanis Stampede scholarship fundraiser for the Lockhart Cinco de Mayo 5K and 10K enjoyed a banner year by breaking previous established highs in participants. There were more than 400 runners registered, with 350 crossing the finish line, which was 45 more than the 2023 total. This year’s race generated $13,500 toward scholarships.

Alejandro Cruz, of Dale, was the overall 10K winner in 37:54.62, followed by Lockhart’s Ethan Herrera and Daniel Hill. Jenny Saad, of Lockhart, was the women’s 10K winner in 48:16.13.

Ivan Gonzales, of Lockhart) was the overall 5K winner in 17:29.822, followed by Johnny Castanon, of Lockhart, in 18:39.81. The women’s 5K winner was Caroline Brooks, of Austin, in 18:54.91.

April

20 — The Region IV-1A Regional Track Meet was held in Seguin. Prairie Lea had 6 individuals qualify. Freshman Kendall Nielsen set the new school record in the prelims of the girls’ 300-meter hurdles with a time of 51.65 seconds. The previous record of 52.04 seconds was held by one of her coaches this year, Lindsey Demetriou.

May

4 — The 14th annual scholarship fundraiser at the Lockhart Cinco de Mayo 5K and 10K enjoyed a banner year by breaking previous established highs in participants. There were more than 400 runners registered, with 350 crossing the finish line, which was 45 more than last year’s total. This year’s race generated at least $17,000, $13,500 of which will go toward scholarships. The 10K overall winner was Alejandro Cruz, of Dale, in 54.62. The 10K women’s winner was Jenny Saad, of Lockhart, in 48:16.13. The 5K overall winner was Ivan Gonzales, of Lockhart, in 17:29.82. Caroline Brooks won the Cinco de Mayo overall for women in the 5K.

August

30 – The Hippensteel Cross Country Open took place at Lockhart City Park with the most participants ever, more than double the runners from 2023.  Due to the event’s popularity and growth, the Hippensteel Open is split into a morning high school session and an afternoon junior high session. Lockhart’s Ethan Herrera took 2nd Place in the Hippensteel Invitational Varsity Boys Division.

September

21 — The Lockhart Boys Cross Country team traveled to the Gonzales Invitational. The meet was held at the JB Wells County Park. Lockhart, the defending champions, easily defended its title.

28 — The Lockhart Lady Lions’ Cross Country squad traveled to Shiner and came home with two titles and one individual title. LHS won in the team standings for both the 5A-6A 5k Division and the JV Division, as well as having the overall individual winner with sophomore Addison Harrod.
In the 5A-6A Varsity division, Harrod took home top honors and placed 1st overall over the 3.1-mile course with a time of 22:09. It was Harrod’s second victory in two weeks.

October

4 — It only took a half of football for Prairie Lea to establish a new winning streak for a program that began in 1938 (there was no football played at PLHS from 1960-2002). The Indians disposed of The Winston School of San Antonio at Indian Feld, 52-0. Since 6-man football rules state a game where one team is leading by 45 or more by halftime, the game is stopped, Prairie Lea only needed two quarters to accomplish the feat.

11 — Prairie Lea’s Cross Country team finishes as district runners-up. Gabriel Garcia places third (19:07) at the meet. The Indians’ junior high squad wins the district title. 

30 – Lockhart Junior High’s Maroon 8th graders (A Team) avenged an earlier loss at La Vernia to claim the district championship, 28-24, also at La Vernia.

November

1 — For the first time since 1944, Prairie Lea qualifies for the state playoffs, ending Texas’ longest high school postseason drought of 80 seasons. The Indians easily handle Runge at Indian Field, 52-7, to move to 2-0 in district play. 

2 — Lockhart sophomore Ethan Herrera competed at the UIL State Class AAAAA Meet in Round Rock at the Old Settler’s Park. Herrera finished 43rd out of 151 competitors with a time of 16 minutes and 28 seconds for the 3.1-mile (5,000 meters) course.

8 — Lockhart finishes 2-8 in high school football after moving up in class to 5A-D1.

8 – Prairie Lea wins the district by beating Knippa, 51-6, at RockCrusher Field. The Indians received the District 16 Championship trophy after the game. 

14 — Prairie Lea’s first venture into the Texas state playoffs in a record 80 years didn’t end as Head Coach Steven Brown would have hoped, losing to Medina, 48-0, in a first-round 6-Man playoff game at San Marcos Academy’s Neeley Stadium.

16 — The Mighty Mite league Lions (black squad, ages 5-6) of Lockhart finished undefeated in the regular season, then handle previously unbeaten San Marcos Cowboys, 41-12, in the Super Bowl at Rattler Stadium Also, the Lockhart Pee Wee Lions dominated the CFPO Bowl on Nov. 16, crushing Stockdale 30-0 at Rattler Stadium in San Marcos.

18 — Lockhart senior Rakaia Walker signs a track scholarship with Rice University of Houston. 

December

3 — The Lockhart Lions’ boys go undefeated at the Schmeckenfest Showdown in La Grange.
3 — Peyton Johnson scores 20 points and Mia Lewis 16 – all in the second half – as Lockhart rallies from a 10-point deficit after three quarters to beat Crockett of Austin, 55-52, Dec. 3 at the Lions Den.

12 – Lockhart’s Gage Deutsch signs a baseball letter-of-intent with Point University in West Point, Georgia.