From the hardwood to the gridiron and beyond, taking a look back and ahead at the San Antonio-area high school sports landscape:

By the numbers
45: Consecutive District 26-3A wins for the Marion baseball team. The Bulldogs accomplished the feat with Friday’s 10-0 decision vs. Randolph. The Bulldogs (17-4-1) haven’t lost in league play since a 3-0 setback vs. Comfort on April 26, 2019.

10: Years that have passed since New Braunfels Canyon last missed qualifying for the UIL softball playoffs. The Cougarettes, a state finalist a year ago, lost to Seguin 11-10 on Tuesday in a game that decided District 26-5A’s final postseason berth.
In 2014, Canyon finished in fifth place in district play. The next season, with the influx of a freshman class that included Brooke Vestal, Sydney Owens, Rylee Hopper, Hailey Hester, Brooke Nalley and Bailey Zibelin, the Cougarettes began a dominant nine-year run in which they recorded a 247-52-1 overall record (102-12 in district), advanced to two UIL state finals, one state semifinal, three regional finals and two regional quarterfinals. They were a state tournament contender in 2020 before the season was halted after only two district games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smithson Valley captured the District 26-5A crown this season. Veterans Memorial, Kerrville Tivy and Seguin secured the other playoff spots.

6: San Antonio-area soccer players named to the UIL Class 4A all-tournament team. Boerne’s Brett Hettie, Hudson Vickery and Ben Niedecken made the boys squad. Boerne’s Anna Darling, Kailey Stringfellow and Kinsley Sawyer were selected for the girls team.
The Boerne boys lost to San Elizario and the girls fell to Celina in the state final, both by identical 1-0 scores.

Notebook
New leader: Megan Liverett has been named as O’Connor’s new volleyball coach. She replaced Yami Garcia, who is retiring. Liverett comes over after seven seasons at MacArthur, where she led the Brahmas to 112 wins and playoff berths in 2022 and 2023, including their first postseason win since 2010.

A former standout at NCAA Division III power Trinity, Liverett previously was an assistant coach on Churchill’s 2013 UIL Class 6A state finalist and 2014 state semifinalist squads. She also was an assistant on the Chargers’ 2012 state semifinalist and 2013 and 2014 Region IV-6A finalist soccer teams.

O’Connor reached the Region IV-6A tournament last fall in its final season under Garcia, who built the program from scratch in 1998. Garcia amassed an 842-270 record in 26 seasons and led the Panthers to the UIL state tournament in 2017 and 2018, the regional final in 2001, 2009 and 2015 and the regional semifinals in 2020, 2021 and 2023.

Area signings/commitments
Kelli Cielencki, Marion cross country/track: Southwestern Assemblies of God University

Jovani Contreras, Jefferson soccer: Our Lady of the Lake

Caden Crofts, Reagan baseball: Utah State Eastern

Danilo Figueiredo, Central Catholic soccer: Our Lady of the Lake

William Ikemba, TMI soccer: Lafayette College (Pennsylvania)

Carlos Luna, Harlan soccer: Our Lady of the Lake

Tatum Mason, Brandeis volleyball: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Matt Mireles, Jefferson soccer: Our Lady of the Lake

Josalynn Saldana, Marshall volleyball: Our Lady of the Lake

terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1