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
1,500: Career points for Reagan junior Samantha Wagner, who reached the milestone during the Rattlers’ game vs. state power Argyle at the Jack Frost tournament on Dec. 4 in Georgetown. The 6-foot-1 Wagner, one of the nation’s top prospects in the Class of 2023, scored 34 points in the contest.

500: Career wins for Cornerstone coach Terry Barton, who accomplished the feat during the Warriors’ 56-33 triumph vs. Blanco on Dec. 7. Blanco previously coached at Harlan, Reagan, Coolidge and Medina Valley and led Reagan to the UIL state tournament in 2012.

2: Brandeis volleyball players named to the MaxPreps’ All-America first team. Outside hitter Jalyn Gibson and setter Carlee Pharris, both TCU signees, received the prestigious honor. It was the second All-America honor for Gibson and Pharris, who made the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America first team.
Gibson had 641 kills, 737 digs, 64 blocks and 44 aces and Pharris tallied 1,309 assists, 269 kills, 380 digs and 98 blocks as Brandeis (47-2) won the UIL Class 6A state championship in November.

Notebook
Sideline leaders: Judson ISD approved Mark Soto as head coach at Judson and Robert Irvin as head coach at Veterans Memorial during a board of trustees meeting on Thursday.

Soto comes over from Johnson, where he was 19-3 in two seasons and went 10-1 and won the District 28-6A championship this fall. Irvin, a Taft graduate who previously coached in Huntsville ISD, Katy ISD, Fort Bend ISD and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, was promoted from offensive coordinator to replace Richard Mendoza, who stepped down to become principal at Judson High School. Mendoza led the Patriots to a 28-18 record and playoff berths in each of their first four seasons.

Soto was a linebacker on the Rockets’ 1988 state championship team (won by forfeit), 1990 state finalist squad and 1989 state semifinalist club. Judson was 43-4 in Soto’s three varsity seasons. He was defensive coordinator on the Rockets’ 2007 state finalist team and linebackers coach on their 2005 state finalist squad.

A 1991 Judson graduate, Soto inherits a Judson team that finished 4-6 this past fall — the Rockets’ first losing season since 1976 — and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Soto, who previously coached at San Marcos, Poteet, Seguin, Corpus Christi Calallen, Holmes and Laredo United, will be Judson’s fifth head coach in 11 seasons.

State’s best: Brandeis senior outside hitter Jalyn Gibson was named the Texas Girls Coaches Association’s Class 6A-5A volleyball athlete of the year. Brandeis coach Maddie Williams was tabbed as the organization’s 6A-5A coach of the year. The Broncos finished 47-2 and defeated Keller in five sets to capture the UIL Class 6A state championship in November.

Another gold: Judson senior Keely Williams helped Team USA win the WBSC Under-18 world championship in Peru. The U.S. edged Chinese Taipei 1-0 to finish 8-0 at the event.
It was the second gold medal on the international stage this month for Williams, a Texas A&M signee. Team USA claimed the top spot at Junior Pan Am Games in Colombia.

Area commitments/signings
Ian Box, Seguin football: Lamar
James Dawn, New Braunfels football: Sam Houston
Hunter Hoelscher, Saint Mary’s Hall soccer: New York University
Ivan Hoyt, Cornerstone football: Dartmouth
Caleb King, S.A. Veterans Memorial football: Houston Baptist
Deandre Marshall, Central Catholic football: UTSA
Luis Miranda, Taft football: St. Thomas (Minn.)
Dareion Murphy, Floresville football: Princeton
Treylin Payne, Judson football: Houston
Ben Rios, Central Catholic football: UTSA
Vivianna Solis, Warren volleyball: Our Lady of the Lake
Richard Torres, Southside football: Nebraska

terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1