2022 High School Academic & Athletic Awards

On Tuesday, May 17, the high school administration was pleased to honor high school students for their accomplishments in the classroom and on the field as a representation of how important it is to educate the whole person for the glory of God.

To see the scholarships that were awarded to senior students, please click here. To view a video of the ceremony, please click here.

ACADEMIC AWARDS

AP Scholars

As an AP Capstone School, CCS attempts to provide as many opportunities as possible for students to take AP classes because they are some of the best at preparing students for college classes. AP Scholars who have scored a 3 or higher on three or more AP exams:

• Alex Andrus
• Cody Andrus
• Coleman Mabry
• Matthew McClellan
• Michael Slabic
• Andrew Smith (not pictured)
• Carolyn Trent

Students who have scored a 3 or higher on four or more AP exams earn recognition as an AP Scholar with Honors Award:

• Claire Achterkirch
• Audrey Mills
• Jacob Patterson
• Mason Runge
• Andrew Williams

Students who have earned a minimum of 3.5 on all AP exams and scored 3 or more on at least five exams earning the AP Scholar with Distinction Award:

• Colin Burns
• Griffin Fisk
• Nathan Hamm
• Bella Henslee
• Aaron Holl
• Justin Kostecki
• Grace Macune
• Ana Sofia Navarro
• Jackson Owen
• Pearson Pollard
• Anthony Shatby
• Jacob Swan
• Makaylah Williams

Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award

The Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award recognizes and rewards individuals, male or female, who possess the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism in their homes, schools and communities. The student selected to receive this year’s award is the definition of a servant leader, representing CCS with enthusiasm, integrity and humility and actively seeking opportunities to serve our broader community. This student is Lynden Yough.

Cy-Fair Women’s Club Scholarship

The Cy-Fair Women’s Club (CWC) is a community-based service organization for women committed to providing support to families and non-profit organizations in the Cy-Fair area. Each year, the organization looks for students who exhibit a high-level of community service, school involvement, leadership, good character and academic accomplishments. The Cypress Christian School recipient of this scholarship is Justin Kostecki.

Bible Department Award

The Bible department award is somewhat unique in that we seek to recognize those who are not only excellent students when it comes to learning God’s Word, but who also actively seek to put these things into practice, thereby exemplifying the traits of a Christian disciple both inside and outside the classroom. We are blessed to have many good candidates, but these students have distinguished themselves from their peers this year.

While this candidate comes from a grade of many excellent options for this award, Audrey Fransen stands out for her Christian character. Whether it is helping a fellow student with understanding a difficult school concept or being patient in a group project, Audrey contains a sense of graciousness. Responsibility is a key component of who she is. Her kind smile is welcoming, and her humor never comes at the expense of others. Her sensitivity to others around her sets her apart. Audrey’s Bible knowledge is amazing, but the truly amazing part is that she goes the next step and applies it to her own life first. It’s not every day that a freshman sees the needs around her and genuinely volunteers to others that she will pray for them. Her confident faith in Jesus proves itself by the way she lives her life to be a blessing to others. Congratulations, Audrey!

Generally speaking, it can take some time for a student to get acclimated to any new school environment and to start leaving an impact, but to say that Luc Shyaka Ngabo has exceeded this timeline would be an understatement. From the first week of school to the conclusion of the last final, Luc has impressed many with his combination of integrity, kindness and work ethic. While it would be relatively easy for him to coast by in New Testament based on his prior knowledge alone, Luc has consistently put in the time and effort to continue to read, learn and practice God’s Word. This is evidenced by the way that he treats those around him, faculty and student alike. It is rare for a student to have the power to set the tone of their surrounding environment, but Luc leaves a positive impact on every conversation and class that he is part of. He is a joy to have in class and a true model of Christ-like character. Congratulations, Luc!

English Department Award

The recipient of the academic award in English is a student who consistently demonstrates a keen ability to discern and develop critical analyses of complex reading passages while simultaneously refining a writing style that is reflective and reasoned. In addition, this student excels in class discussions, often leading peers to challenge their own perspectives on both historical and current events as well as classic literature. This student dependably exhibits mastery through investigation, composition and deliberation. We have two students who are receiving our English award this year. 

Lynden Yough is a senior who graciously, selflessly, consistently excels in her English classes. As a sophomore, Mrs. Lambert sat amazed at the maturity and depth with which Lynden completed each assignment. She did not simply read a novel; she devoured it and gleaned universal truth from each chapter. As a natural leader, she tenderly facilitated Socratic Seminars, encouraging and challenging her classmates in their own participation. As she grew in AP Language and Composition last year, she fought to seek meaning in every piece of nonfiction she was assigned and revised her practice essays until they were pure perfection. As a senior in AP Literature, Lynden’s academic ability was continually evidenced in her nuanced interpretations of poetry and prose; moreover, it was her genuine empathy for others that naturally elevated her literary analysis. Finally, she correctly answered 3,483 Membean vocabulary questions…759 questions ahead of any other student. We celebrate her thoughtfulness, her commitment to sharing Jesus with everyone she meets and will miss her dearly as she steps into her future at Texas A&M University. 

Sophomore Keaton Barbisch receives our ELA award this year because he is simply a genius. When a student so young is blessed with such remarkable academic gifts, arrogance often rears its ugly face, but never with Keaton. He is humble in receiving constructive criticism, eager to improve his essays and insightful as he reads challenging pieces of literature. He questions everything in such a pleasant way as if he invites the opportunity to learn something new and grow from it. Another natural leader, Keaton embraces humor, truth, faith and obedience in all areas of his life, and we celebrate his excellence tonight. We know that as he continues as an upperclassman in the coming two years, we will continue to see incredible growth and value in him as a writer, reader and leader on our campus.

Foreign Language Department Award

The Spanish award is given to one upperclassman and one underclassman student who demonstrate a desire to become not only proficient in the language but endeavor to be completely bilingual. The motivation to learn about culture: the people, their practices and the products of Spanish speaking communities throughout the world is evident. These students have a willingness to take risks and learn from failure, understanding that the objective is communication with others rather than perfect grammatical accuracy or perfect test scores. 

The first award goes to a young lady in AP Spanish IV. From the first day that she entered Mrs. Galbreath’s class freshman year, she has excelled in both written and spoken Spanish. Among the topics that have been studied this year are world challenges, advances and pitfalls in science and technology and the role of family within the community. This student often comes to class with questions regarding those topics based on what she has read and researched while completing her monthly authentic resource assignment. Her questions have kept Mrs. Galbreath on her toes and challenged her to learn more. She is a true example of Colossians 3:17, dedicated to doing everything to the best of her ability to glorify Christ. This is evident through her humble approach to learning and thirst for knowledge as well as her willingness to encourage and help her peers She has taken on the challenge of speaking Spanish whenever possible to others here in our community as well others as she travels to Spanish-speaking countries. Mrs. Galbreath is proud to present the upperclassman award to Miss Gillian Storey.

The second award is being given to a sophomore in Spanish III Honors. He always gives his best effort, and it has been rewarding to see his confidence in the language grow from the beginning of freshman year to now. Mrs. Galbreath admires his relentless pursuit of becoming orally proficient in the language. He always speaks to her in Spanish regardless of when she sees him on campus. If the class is covering a new grammar concept which is presented in English the first time, he will still respond and ask questions in Spanish only. As the class learned how to share the gospel with others using the POR FE outline, he was doubling up by learning a different outline at church in preparation for a mission trip this summer.  Although he strives for excellence, perfection is not his goal or motivation. His goal is to communicate with others in Spanish and ultimately to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. This year’s underclassman award goes to Will Simcik.

History Department Award

The social studies award is awarded to students who have excelled throughout the year in the field of social studies. The two individuals are receiving this award because they have demonstrated a complex understanding of the historical development that is necessary to explain the relevant and insightful connections within and across periods. Congratulations, Dillon Wolff and Ethan Edwards.

Math Department Award

The recipient of the academic award in mathematics is a student who demonstrates an interest in the application of the concepts and not just the process, consistently participating in class discussions via asking relevant questions to clarify understanding and supplementing explanations with additional contexts in which the concepts can be applied. The student demonstrates an ability to move from the affective domain of learning to the cognitive domain evidenced by the student’s comprehensive justifications on assessments and willingness to assist peers in their pursuit of understanding, cognizant that, “to teach is to learn twice” and therefore seeking opportunities to impart knowledge if only to reinforce one’s own learning.

Macy Murray has a true heart of a Warrior. She always has a smile for Mrs. Escamilla when she comes to class, and she can rely on her to work diligently with her partners. Macy is very well organized and takes the time to work through challenging questions. She is also proactive when it comes to planning for upcoming absences or taking the time to reach out via email when she doesn’t understand a homework problem. She is kind and courteous, and Mrs. Escamilla has been truly blessed to get to know her.

Lucy Davis – Though it was eighth period, the end of the day, this student always walked into Mrs. Escamilla’s classroom with a smile – a smile that not only made her excited about the math lesson, but also strengthened and encouraged the class to finish the day strong! Her work was thorough – maybe too thorough as she would often send Remind messages to Mrs. Escamilla to check the posted answer key because she got a different answer and had checked her work multiple times. She was usually right, but she was also humble. Math may not have been where she felt her strengths lay, but she had an unmatched work ethic and utilized the gift of diligence God had given her and was determined to succeed.

Science Department Award

• Demonstrates persistence and diligence in the science classroom
• Consistently turns in all assignments with excellence
• Demonstrates an active interest in applied science
• Demonstrates leadership in the science classroom
• Initiates individual science projects or demonstrates interest in going beyond the regular classroom activities and assignments

Gillian Storey has earned the recognition and respect of all of her science teachers over the past few years for several reasons. Each day, she comes into class with a gentle and quiet spirt, always ready and willing to learn and apply difficult concepts. She  pursues every task, whether mundane or monumental, with consistent excellence. She is kind and encouraging to all of her peers, helpful without being patronizing. She excels without being prideful. She shares her success in class generously with others. She consistently puts others before herself and makes it look easy. It is evident to all of her teachers that God has blessed her with strong intellect, but even more so with a strong spirit that shines through regardless of the situation. When Mrs. Longridge thinks of a Bible verse that describes her, she thinks of Matthew 5:5 – Blessed are the MEEK, for they shall inherit the earth. Many misunderstand the meaning of meekness in our culture, but historically, Roman war-horses were described as being “meek”. Meekness is NOT weakness; it is substantial strength that is harnessed under firm self-control. Mrs. Longridge knows the Lord has great things in store for Gillian because He has blessed her with a meek and gentle spirit. Mrs. Longridge thanks her for her excellent work this year, and says congratulations.

Camille Zemke (not pictured) has consistently exhibited an unwavering pursuit of knowledge and the ability to apply this knowledge to problem solving in the science classroom. Mrs. Longridge knows Camille has spent many hours studying and her hard work did not go unnoticed. She took special care to go above and beyond the usual assignments, challenging herself to go the extra mile to ensure understanding. She is a model student, an example of what we hope all students can achieve, both in her academic performance in the classroom and in her willingness to help others. Mrs. Longridge had the distinct privilege of having Camille this year as a chemistry student and she can recount the numerous times that she exceeded her expectations and was always willing to help a fellow student with a difficult problem or explain a concept in simpler terms. Her prayer for Camille is that she will continue to grow in knowledge and wisdom. The verse that comes to mind is Proverbs 18:15 – The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. She has proven herself to be wise in always wanting to learn and in listening closely to gain knowledge. On behalf of the science faculty at CCS, thank you to Camille for her excellent work this year, and congratulations!

Fine Arts Department Award

The recipient of the academic award in fine arts is a student who demonstrates a passion for the arts and not just the end-product, but consistently participates in class projects, performance opportunities and leads like a warrior. The student demonstrates an ability to move from the role of a student to the role of a teacher or director for their peers. Students awarded the fine arts academic award showcase what it means to be a leader inside and outside of class whether it be in the classification of art, music or theatre arts. This year we are awarding three outstanding students with this honor. 

The first is Kiley Kreitz. Kiley has been part of the choir and theatre arts programs for the last five years and has always been a champion of the arts and has helped to organize every theatre arts performance for the last two years. Kiley serves as the secretary for the International Thespian Society on campus and although she is a junior, she has the drive, creativity and passion for the arts that rivals that of many adults. Cleverly disguised as a student in the drama program, she has shown what it means to lead courageously and guide her fellow students in their walk as actors, technicians and believers in Christ. 

Second, we honor Justin Kostecki. Justin has been a part of the Visual Arts program for the past six years and the Drumline for the past four years. Justin is extremely gifted in the visual arts, especially when it comes to his photography and creative ideas. He is always challenging himself to the next level for whatever he is creating. His work has received awards at the state, local and national levels in art competitions. He has always been an inspiration to Mrs. Brubaker as well as his classmates and is always willing to help and serve. In National Art Honor Society, he has always held a leadership position and has a heart for service and has led and created many service projects with his passion to help and serve others. 

Our final recipient of the fine arts academic award is Audrey Mills. She not only serves as the Yearbook Editor-in-Chief, but also is willing to help and teach others when working on an assignment or parts of the yearbook. Audrey has served in yearbook all four years of high school and has helped the school achieve top honors in the TAPPS State academics meet this spring. Audrey takes time out of her schedule to mentor students in the yearbook program and ensures the success of everything that she does through her tenacity, creativity and faithfulness in her talents. 

Principal’s Leadership Award

As a school, one of the character qualities that we see as being vital for our students to learn and participate while at CCS is that of leadership. As adults, we have all encountered different types of leadership that have been either, good, bad or indifferent. Those who are good at leading were not created overnight but have taken practice and learning to craft their leadership style. This year as Dr. Berens has walked the halls, and watched these high school students live out leadership opportunities, one student has truly stood out amongst his peers. This student has led in every avenue that is available to him. This student has led in the classroom, finishing in the top five of the class taking as many AP classes as possible. He has led on the athletic field, whether it be with a bloody nose in the state championship game or by throwing one of the his best discus throws at state. He led one of the most successful drives at CCS, bringing in over 20,000 diapers for a great cause. He is the president of the NHS and an officer of the Houston Chapter of the Young Men Service League. He has been a student pep rally leader and can be found in the stands of most every sport that he is not actively participating in cheering on his peers.  He leads in his family as he already is working to help his younger brother achieve his college dreams. He is thankful to his parents, which can be rare in high school students. Most of all, this young man has led in his faith. He shows his love of Jesus by being himself and raising up those around him. Dr. Berens looks forward to seeing what he will lead in the future and is thankful he got to be a part of his path. The winner of this year’s principal award is Griffin Fisk.

Barnabas Servant Leadership Award

Barnabas in the Bible was a gracious personality, characterized by his generous disposition. This award goes to the student that has made the greatest impact through her service to others during her high school career. She has accumulated over 500 hours of community service and is always seen as willing to help with a smile on her face. We are thankful for the impact she has made on the Cypress Christian School community. This year’s award goes to Mallory Overton.

Military Appointment – West Point

Congratulation to Grace Macune, who has received an appointment to and will attend the United States Military Academy at West Point where she will also play on the Women’s Rugby Team. 

TAPPS & OTHER AWARDS RECOGNITION

ART

• Art Team: State Champions
• Communication Design: Tyson Anding – State Champion
• Senior Portfolio: Lynden Yough – State Champion
• Computer Rendered Art: Ana Clements – State Runner-Up
• 2-D Mixed Media: Katelyn Hong – State Runner-Up
• Seek & Sketch Color: Emily Matthews – State Runner-Up
• Senior Portfolio: Abigail Sanders – State Runner-Up
• On-Site Drawing: Abigail Sanders – State Runner-Up
• Communication Design: An Tran – State Runner-Up
• Printmaking: An Tran – State Runner-Up
• Fall Photography Contest – Student Life: David Wahmhoff – First place
• Fall Photography Contest – Waterscapes: David Wahmhoff – First place
• Fall Photography Contest – Informal Portraits: David Wahmhoff – First place
• Rodeo Art Competition: Abigail Sanders – “The Bull and the Pig” – Gold Medal Winner & Highest Auction Amount, $45,000 Scholarship

ACADEMICS

• Academic Team – State Runner-Up
• Math: Ben Hensley – State Champion
• Yearbook: Audrey Mills – State Runner-Up
• Yearbook: Cayden Tate – State Runner-Up
• Spelling: Verena Shatby – State Runner-Up

THEATER & SPEECH

• TAPPS One Act Play – Actor: McKenzie Davenport – All-State
• TAPPS One Act Play – Actor: Jackson Murrill – All-State
• Solo Acting: Jackson Murrill – State Champion
• Oratory: Kiley Kreitz – State Runner-Up
• Duet Acting: McKenzie Davenport & Jackson Murrill – State Runners-Up

ATHLETIC AWARDS:

Academic All-State

Academic excellence is a core value of the CCS mission statement. This award provides the opportunity to recognize individual students who are true to this core value while competing well in the area of athletics. The Academic All-State Award is given to athletes who not only have been recognized for their contributions on the field but have also shown themselves to be dedicated students in the classroom. To qualify, students must be juniors or seniors, have qualified for a state tournament in lifetime sports or have been voted first or second-team all-district, while having an academic average of 90% or better.

Academic All-State Athletes – Boys

• Cody Andrus – Football, Soccer
• Grayson Beckman – Football, Baseball
• Jackson Braun – Football, Track, Baseball
• Jared Erby – Football
• Griffin Fisk – Football, Track & Field
• Max Landrum – Football, Soccer, Track & Field
• Matthew McClellan – Football, Track & Field
• Jacob Moran – Football
• Jackson Murrill – Football
• Jackson Owen – Football, Track & Field
• Ryan Randall – Football
• Michael Slabic – Football, Track & Field
• Jacob Swan – Football, Baseball
• Alex Andrus – Soccer, Track & Field
• Colin Burns – Soccer, Track & Field
• Parker Coates – Soccer
• Kevin Dubon – Soccer
• Price Schlutea – Basketball, Track & Field
• Nile Austin – Basketball
• Will Hotchkiss – Basketball, Track & Field
• Michael Lavigne – Basketball
• Matthew LeForce – Basketball
• Jalen Young – Basketball, Track & Field
• Coleman Mabry – Track & Field
• Taylor Hotchkiss – Golf
• Zach Thibodaux – Baseball
• Dion Thompson – Baseball
• Pearson Pollard – Baseball
• Andrew Williams – Baseball
• Cole Wisenbaker – Baseball

Academic All-State Athletes – Girls

• Faith Cullison – Volleyball, Soccer
• Bella Henslee – Volleyball, Track & Field
• Bethany Janz – Volleyball
• Chloe Roberson – Volleyball, Softball
• Camryn Whitmarsh – Volleyball
• Abbie Hirth – Cheer, Track & Field
• Ashlyn Jackson – Cheer
• Claire Achterkirch – Cheer
• Addison Petru – Cheer
• Remi Greenberg – Soccer
• Gillian Storey – Soccer
• Grace Macune – Basketball
• Stacey Muthoka – Basketball
• Cayden Tate – Basketball
• Lynden Yough – Basketball
• Riley Fox – Track
• Olivia O’Bannon – Track & Field
• Megan Cater – Golf
• Lucy Davis – Softball
• Makaylah Williams – Softball

All-State Athletes

The highest TAPPS award that an individual athlete can earn is to be named to the All-State Team. These athletes were first voted to the All-District First Team by their own District coaches. From there, they are voted on by coaches from across the state to be named to the TAPPS All-State Team. This is a very big honor that is earned by very few athletes…so they also sign a special sport-related item, kept in the CCS trophy case to permanently display this accomplishment. 

All-State Athletes – Boys 

Football

• Cody Andrus – First Team Offense
• Grayson Beckman – First Team Defense
• Grayson Beckman – Honorable Mention Offense
• Jackson Braun – Second Team Defense
• Jared Erby – Second Team Defense
• Griffin Fisk – First Team Defense
• Zeke Hogan – First Team Offense
• Max Landrum – First Team Offense
• Jackson Owen – First Team Defense
• Jackson Owen – First Team Offense
• Jacob Moran – First Team Offense
• Jackson Murrill – First Team Defense
• Jacob Rauch – First Team Defense
• Michael Slabic – Honorable Mention Defense

Basketball

• Nile Austin – First Team
• Jonathan Quarles – Honorable Mention
• Price Schultea – Honorable Mention

Soccer

• Colin Burns – First Team Offense
• Kevin Dubon – Second Team Midfield
• Max Landrum – First Team Defense

Track & Field

• Alex Andrus – First Team
• Jackson Braun – First Team
• Colin Burns – First Team
• Will Hotchkiss – First Team
• Max Landrum – Honorable Mention
• Coleman Mabry – First Team
• Jackson Owen – First Team
• Price Schultea – First Team
• Michael Slabic – First Team
• Jalen Young – First Team

Golf

• Grayson Petru – First Team 

All-State Athletes – Girls

Volleyball

• Bella Henslee – Second Team

Cheer

• Claire Achterkirch
• Abbie Hirth
• Ashlyn Jackson
• Addison Petru

Basketball

• Sarah Olenick – Honorable Mention
• Lynden Yough – Second Team

Soccer

• Faith Cullison – First Team Defense
• Remi Greenberg – Honorable Mention Offense
• Anna Smith – Honorable Mention Midfield
• Madeline Talkington – First Team Midfield

Track & Field

• Riley Fox – First Team
• Evie Greenberg – First Team
• Bella Henslee – Honorable Mention
• Abbie Hirth – First Team
• Olivia O’Bannon – Second Team
• Nicole Santos – Second Team
• Sophia Swanton – First Team
• Mariana Van Dyke – First Team

Golf

• Claire Johnson – First Team
• Makena Pham – First Team
•  

Multi-Sport Athlete Award

• Alex Andrus – Football, Soccer, Track & Field
• Cody Andrus – Football, Soccer, Track & Field
• Faith Cullison – Soccer, Track & Field
• Jackson Braun – Football, Baseball
• Kevin Dubon – Football, Soccer
• Will Hotchkiss – Football, Basketball, Track & Field
• Grace Macune – Cross Country, Basketball, Track & Field
• Griffin Fisk – Football, Track & Field
• Grayson Beckman – Football, Baseball
• Jack Ellisor – Football & Basketball
• Abbie Hirth – Cheer, Track & Field
• Coleman Mabry – Football, Track & Field
• Audrey Mills – Cross Country, Track & Field
• Mallory Overton – Cross Country, Track & Field
• Jackson Owen – Football, Track & Field
• Ryan Randall – Football, Track & Field
• Michael Slabic – Football, Track & Field
• Andrew Smith – Football, Track & Field
• Jacob Swan – Football, Baseball
• Camryn Whitmarsh – Volleyball, Swimming
• Parker Wright – Football, Baseball
• Jalen Young – Basketball, Track & Field
• Makaylah Williams – Volleyball, Softball

Valiant Warrior

The Valiant Warrior Award is given to the senior male and female student who exhibit excellence in athletics, leadership, determination, sportsmanship, Christian character, academic achievement and integrity while participating on athletics teams at Cypress Christian School.

The Valiant Warrior Award is a long-standing tradition where Cypress Christian School honors a student whose high school career has shown a high level of success in multiple sports, dedication in the classroom and an exemplary attitude. This award is earned by a student who is a strong representative of what it means to honor God, their family and represent the entire CCS family with a level of excellence that makes the entire Warrior Nation proud! The Valiant Warrior Award is the highest award given by CCS athletics.

The young lady selected has been a student at Cypress Christian School since Kindergarten. She has participated in many activities over the years and once in high school, she continued to excel in soccer for two years, and cheerleading and track and field for four years. “Once a competitor, always a competitor” rings true for this young lady because she always competes at her best and never backs down from a challenge. As a result, she served as a tremendous leader for her teams, setting a high example and encouraging those around her. She has enjoyed serving others, while also being the best at her sports. She has been through the highs and lows of her sports, and even though she had to learn lessons the hard way, that is when God speaks the most to us. She has risen from defeat and continued to press on to give God her best. She has been a source of strength with her relay teams over the years, someone they knew they could depend on and she never backed down from a battle. Give her someone to run against, and “it’s on!” She will beat you and yes, she did. Two years in a row, she anchored the 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams and two years in a row, they earned the title of state champions. Her teammates did their part and handed the baton to her in first place, and she never let anyone who challenged her pass her. She is most known for her incredible high jump skills, and next year, she will be a member of the Texas A&M University Track & Field team. We cannot wait to see her battle there! She ran relays, the 100 m. dash, high jumped and long jumped for CCS and she was a star in each event, a state champion in three of those events! We are honored to recognize Abbie Hirth as this year’s Valiant Warrior.

The young man selected for this year’s Valiant Warrior embodies every description of this award and has been involved in many activities along the way. In high school, he played four years of football, two years of basketball and participated in track. In football, as a junior and senior, he was voted both First-Team All-District and First-Team All-State. He served as a team captain for his junior and senior seasons, and in his senior year, he was named the Cypress Christian School Defensive MVP. At the conclusion of his senior season, he was also voted the District’s Defensive Player of the Year by the coaches in the district. Athletically, academically, and in leadership, he excels, and it is apparent other students gravitate toward him. One coach described him saying, “his attitude and effort are THE examples of what coaches dream about from their players. He is a true difference-maker in anything he is involved with, on and off the field. As a senior, having never participated in track as a thrower, he approached the coaches about “trying discus.”  He started slowly while learning the techniques. By the time he got to the district track meet, he was in the thick of fierce competition, not the least of which were some of his own teammates!  As usual, he rose to the occasion and threw his personal best, unbelievably finishing as the District Champion!  Keep in mind, he had never thrown discus prior to “trying it out” as a senior! He ended up throwing far enough at the south regional meet to earn a spot at the state track meet where he captured fourth place in the TAPPS 4A state meet, earning points to help his team win their second straight state title. He is a young man with a great mind, great perseverance, true diligence and incredible character. He is a gifted high-achiever and we cannot wait to see how God uses him in the next stage of life, where he will be playing football at the prestigious MIT next fall! We are honored to recognize Griffin Fisk as this year’s Valiant Warrior.