The ACC will be represented in the College Football Playoff, just maybe not by the usual suspects.

This move from a Group of Five conference to the Power Four is working out better than all right for SMU.

Kevin Jennings passed and rushed for career highs, Isaiah Nwokobia intercepted an end-zone pass with 2:23 left to seal it, and SMU overcame blowing a double-digit lead to beat No. 22 Louisville 34-27.

Kevin Jennings threw a touchdown pass and accounted for 266 yards from scrimmage in his first career start, Collin Rogers kicked four second-half field goals and No. 25 SMU beat No. 17 Tulane 26-14 on Saturday in the American Athletic Conference championship game.

In recent memory, the Mustangs have established themselves as a brand on the court, and given that both the men’s and women’s basketball programs are the reigning champs entering the 2023 season, it’s not hard to see how.

3 key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

TCU coach Sonny Dykes is a little salty when it comes to his school's rivalry with SMU.

Dillon Gabriel threw four touchdown passes, Tawee Walker ran for a career-high 117 yards and No. 18 Oklahoma clawed out a 28-11 win over SMU.

Given the tenacity Wheeler has displayed on the court in just two years of high school, the soon-to-be junior has already begun to bring in offers to play college ball -- most recently from Washington and Oral Roberts.

It is officially recruiting season, and some of the most well-established collegiate programs are staking their claim for the best that Texas has to offer.

When it comes to their respective reputations on the diamond, both Houston Christian Softball and Baseball tend to uphold the gold standard.

Kingwood Youth lacrosse has had a great season this year and with the end of the season tournament approaching this weekend the Mustangs look to end on a high note. VYPE was on hand April 15th to capture the highlights from their last game and more!!

ALDINE HIGH BASEBALL HAS BECOME A FIERCE COMPETITOR IN THE HOUSTON AREA DURING HEAD COACH JOHNNY TOUPS’ SEVEN-YEAR TENURE.

The Mustangs intend to ride back to the State Title game this season. Only, this time they won’t plan on leaving empty-handed. Friendswood has garnered two-consecutive district titles (would have, likely, been three if not for COVID) and it doesn’t appear that trend will stop this spring.

INSIDE PITCH: VYPE Baseball Rankings, No. 13 Kingwood Mustangs

INSIDE PITCH: VYPE Baseball Rankings, No. 17 Cy Ranch Mustangs

MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH EXCELLENCE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF COACH BUDD BOOTH.

The No. 1 team in the Southwest Preparatory Conference, Houston Christian Basketball has capped off an incredible winter season with an SPC 4A Championship -- making a total of three for the program.

The journey to Arlington is old hat for the North Shore Mustangs and as the holidays soon arrive so too will the Mustangs at AT&T Stadium on Saturday night.

North Shore is on the cusp of returning to the UIL 6A State Championship for the fourth time in the last six years. The team that stands in their path is another state power, Austin Westlake, who they are set to face off against in the State Semifinals at Rice Stadium this Saturday.

It’s Week 2 of the UIL High School Football postseason when the matchups get more competitive and the stakes are higher.

Ryan Coe kicked a school-record five field goals, including a season-long 52-yarder, and No. 21 Cincinnati held on for a 29-27 win over SMU.

THIS SEASON IS BIG-TIME FOR ALDINE’S JOSHUA JOHNSON.

District 10-5A, Division I, will be one of the more competitive and intense districts in Class 5A. Pick your poison: Manvel, which has outright won or shared the District Championship nine of the last 12 years; Foster, which has averaged nine wins over the last eight seasons; Magnolia West, which has made the playoffs 11 of the last 12 seasons.

BASKETBALL

Congratulations to Friendswood's Olivia Schmidt for cooperating so much that idn'tj k

Fabian White Jr. had 21 points and nine rebounds and Josh Carlton added 19 points and eight rebounds to lead No. 14 Houston to a 75-61 win over SMU.

Kendric Davis scored 22 points and Marcus Weathers added 20 as SMU rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to stun No. 6 Houston 85-83 on Wednesday night.

For all the reasons behind the Memorial girls basketball team’s substantial success this season, coach Jyusef Larry said it’s junior point guard Riley McCloskey who is the straw of the Mustangs’ drink.

ROUND ROCK - For the third time in four seasons, North Shore is heading to AT&T Stadium.

North Shore does it the old fashioned way... they earn it?

Sonny Dykes has been hired as TCU's coach after he spent the past four seasons at SMU.

Desmond Ridder threw three touchdown passes, ran for another score and even caught a TD pass to help No. 3 Cincinnati roll past SMU 48-14 on Saturday.

HOUSTON - Simply put. Budd Booth has built a dynasty at Memorial High School on the tennis hardtops.

HOUSTON - VYPE traveled out to Aldine High School to spend some time with the Mustangs as their winter sports are getting ready to get started in a few weeks!

HOUSTON - Tennis is that unique UIL sport that really is played all year long.

Tanner Mordecai threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 24 SMU rallied from a 14-point second-quarter deficit to beat Navy 31-24.

SMU coach Sonny Dykes has reiterated his respect for TCU while apologizing for any attempt by his players to plant a flag at midfield after a brief scuffle broke out following the Mustangs’ 42-34 victory at the home of the Horned Frogs.

Tanner Mordecai added to his nation-leading total in touchdown passes with four more and SMU overcame his three interceptions in a 42-34 victory over TCU in the 100th meeting of the Dallas-Fort Worth rivals.

Welcome to the start of the 2021-2022 school year and another season of H-Town High School Sports with Todd Freed!

Welcome to the start of the 2021-2022 school year and another season of H-Town High School Sports with Todd Freed!

Memorial volleyball coach Kaddie Platt has no time for reflecting on last year's 23-6 season and undefeated district championship. This year's Mustangs are a new team. There is a long way to go before any thought of a title repeat can be entertained.

The Mustangs graduate 11 seniors from a Regional Quarterfinalist squad, including two of their top three attackers and their top setter, but plenty of talent remains.

HOUSTON – There has been a lot of shakeup in the girls soccer playoffs this season.

The Mustangs might be the hottest team in town! Cruising to a 19-0 start, Friendswood has really left their mark on Houston High School Baseball in 2021. Their undefeated run earns them the Team of the Week spot.

The Mustangs are pinned in a tough District 19-5A with College Station and A&M Consolidated, but Mag West is up for the challenge. Coach Justin Faltysek last led his team to the Regional Finals – making school history in 2019. Senior pitcher JP Ellwanger needs a big season to make the Mustangs true contenders. The infield is tight with Mason Swidersky (Angelina) at second base, Trey Leggett at shortstop, and Mitchell Moore at third. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE 2021 VYPE BASEBALL/SOFTBALL MAGAZINEAdCLICK HERE TO PURCHASE 2021 VYPE BASEBALL/SOFTBALL PHOTOSCLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL DIGITAL MAGAZINE

It was a battle for the first place spot in District 7-6A boys soccer until Monday evening when J.J. Pearce defeated Dallas Jesuit 3-1 to harness sole claim to first. With an 80% win percentage and an overall record of 15-3-2, the Mustangs have fought all season to maintain their spot atop the standings. Including a shortened season last year, the Mustangs have finished first in district in the last three seasons and have no signs of dropping this season on their way to a fourth first-place district finish. Pearce has only two games left in the regular season. The Mustangs are 10-1-1 in district play and more poised than ever to, once again, finish on top.

Two years ago, Cypress Ranch was on the precipice of playing in the program's first-ever Regional Final. With six returners back, Cypress Ranch has a great chance to get back there and beyond. Camryn Carmouche (Stanford) is the leader, who plays third and finished last year with 13 RBIs and zero strikeouts at the plate. Molly Yoo (Nicholls State) will command the circle after going 5-2-1 last year with 41 strikeouts in 32 innings tossed. Keys to success this year include playing "solid defense", getting "key hits" and "young players stepping up into new roles"AdCLICK HERE TO PURCHASE 2021 VYPE BASEBALL/SOFTBALL MAGAZINECLICK HERE TO PURCHASE 2021 VYPE BASEBALL/SOFTBALL PHOTOSCLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL DIGITAL MAGAZINE

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, right, passes the ball over Charlotte Hornets center Bismack Biyombo, second from right, as Hornets forward P.J. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Charlotte Hornets are getting set to welcome fans for home games. The Hornets’ reopening plan has been approved by state and county authorities and allows the team to host fans at 15% capacity, approximately 3,000 per game. “We are excited about the opportunity to welcome more fans to our outdoor venues,” the university said in a written statement. AdTuesday night’s game will be the first game with fans in attendance at PPG Paints Arena since last March.

North Shore has been a perennial playoff team and that may even be an understatement, to be honest. The Mustangs have made the playoffs for 20 consecutive years, which is crazy. Last season, North Shore went 15-0-5 overall and returned four starters from last year's squad. Hamilton Estrada is another name to remember this year as he has interest already from the University of St. Thomas and Concordia. The Mustangs currently are 6-1-2 overall, 3-0 in district play, according to their MaxPreps, and ranked No.

HOUSTON - North Shore continues to check off the boxes. North Shore with the win improves to 14-0 overall and advances to its third-straight state semifinal game. Photos by Zac ByrdDematrius Davis finished 6 of 9 for 156 yards and three touchdowns against Ridge Point. North Shore leads Ridge Point 35-7 with 11:20 to go in the third quarter. Over the past three seasons, North Shore has amassed an overall record of 45-1 and has won 16-straight playoff games dating back to 2018.

It set the tone for the entire game, which Westfield took 42-24 to advance to the third round of the 6A-I playoffs. Klein Cain, though, was able to answer. Klein Cain intercepted the very next pass by Williams, but the Mustangs defense forced a punt to start the 2nd quarter. Still, Klein Cain has one of the most explosive offenses in Houston for a reason. Coming off its first ever playoff win last week, Klein Cain was poised to get revenge.

The Kingwood volleyball team lost their final match 3-0 to Clear Springs on November 24, bringing an end to their season. Jordan Rambo, Katelyn Tillis, Temi Areola, and Sydney Hicks were named first team, all-district. Kaitlyn Morgan and Hannah Smith were named to the second team, and Emily Coronado and Emma Montes were chosen as honorable mentions. The 2020 Kingwood volleyball team had seven graduating seniors. Though the 2020 season did not end ideally, the Kingwood Mustang volleyball team looks forward to improving and coming back better next season.

Jyusef Larry enters year 11 leading Memorial, and the Mustangs should be a crew to contend with in 2021. Last year, a young Memorial team finished 22-11 overall but got knocked out in the first round. The freshman duo of Riley McCloskey and Abigail Tomaski made first-team, all-district after averaging 13.3 points and 9.2 points per game, respectively. McCloskey also had 2.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game, while Tomaski averaged 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. The other first-team, all-district pick was Morgan Matheny, who averaged 8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game last year.

Tulsa celebrates after linebacker Zaven Collins (23) made a winning interception against SMU during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Tulsa, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. 25 Tulsa is ranked in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time in 10 years and No. 9 Indiana is set to play the first regular-season, top-10 matchup in program history. Indiana played in its only top-10 matchup in school history after that 1967 season, facing No. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

17 SMU a 37-34 victory over Tulane on Friday night. Crossley intercepted Tulane freshman Michael Pratt’s pass to put the Mustangs (5-0, 3-0 American Athletic) in position to win with the field goal. “It’s good to get a hard-fought win,” SMU coach Sonny Dykes said. But, we were able to win.”SMU is 5-0 for the second straight season, a feat it last accomplished in 1983. He entered the game second nationally in passing yards.

North Shore has become a power in the City of Houston and the State of Texas. The Mustangs would be built up into the power they have become today. North Shore has won back-to-back state titles and three in the last five seasons. The Mustangs seek their third-straight title in 2020 and fifth overall as a program. This docuseries dives into how North Shore became who they are today.