Texas
Texas State 7v7 Tournament: UT commit had coaches buzzing on final day
The Texas 7-on-7 State Tournament concluded Saturday with champions being crowned in each division. Four and five-star athletes gathered from around the Lone Star State, repping their schools and facing rivals for the last time before the 2025 season begins in August.
No Central Texas team outright won their pool, but there were still thrilling moments and strong play regardless. For instance, Weiss quarterback Jaxon Schad and wide receiver Tre Moore had a few highlight-reel moments, including a spectacular one-handed snag by Moore in the end zone. Weiss finished 1-2 overall, losing to Plano and Longview but defeating Hightower.
Lake Travis made the championship bracket before falling to eventual Division I champions the Woodlands. They had both senior Luke McBride and freshman Jason Carter taking snaps under center as the quarterback competition of the summer continues.
Here are some more takeaways from the competition.
Texas football commit had coaches buzzing
With Willis facing off against South Oak Cliff in the Division I semifinal, they leaned on their best player, four-star Texas commit Jermaine Bishop Jr. The athlete made play after play, and though the Wildkats lost 30-27, multiple coaches walked by Dave Campbell Texas Football reporter Matt Stepp, with one thing to say about Bishop.
“Yeah, he’s different.”
Bishop showed off spectacular route-running and hands as a wide receiver, along with sticky coverage and recovery as a defensive back. As a junior, he recorded 1,565 yards receiving, 18 touchdowns, six pass breakups and three interceptions. His goal is to continue that two-way excellence even as he advances to the next level.
Is Anderson a potential breakout team?
Anderson made waves in the tournament despite finishing with a record of 2-3. The Trojans were aided by two spring transfers from LBJ, three-star Texas defensive back commit Yaheim “Miami” Riley, and three-star running back Caleb Crenshaw.
Anderson went toe-to-toe with South Oak Cliff in pool play, losing 26-20 and dropping another close game to Shadow Creek 21-20. They advanced in consolation past Eastwood before losing to Tyler in the second round.
Crenshaw ran for 1,342 yards and 20 touchdowns on 9.1 yards per rush in his junior year, and will test himself against 6A competition as a senior. He showed off versatility in seven-on-seven plays, making the game-winning snag against Eastwood. Anderson recorded a 7-4 record last season with a 5-3 district record, but the summer provided a glimpse of a new and improved team that could easily surpass that mark.
Dripping Springs impresses against eventual champions
Dripping Springs had the best results of any Austin team. They stormed through the championship bracket, earning wins over Tompkins, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North and Lake Highlands before losing to the eventual champion Woodlands, 33-28 in the Division I semifinals. In their final game, quarterback Mateo Perez, three-star wide receiver Cooper Reid and Merrik Bloomgren led a furious rally from an early deficit, forcing the Pine Cones to come up with a game-winning touchdown.
Reid, an Arizona State commit, uses his 6-foot-3 frame to box out defenders and snatches the ball out of the air with strong hands. Perez backed up quarterback Maddox Maher last season and will take on the starting role as a senior with 366 yards and four passing touchdowns to his name.
Saturday started out a bit warm and sticky outside in North Texas, but there will be plenty of sunshine in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 80s. Most of the area will stay dry today, but there is a chance for an isolated storm that could reach severe criteria late tonight for counties to the northwest of the metroplex.
Make sure you have an indoor plan for Mother’s Day celebrations tomorrow! Sunday morning will start warm, muggy, and dry for most with the exception of an isolated storm possible along the Red River.
A First Alert Weather Day is in place on Sunday due to a front that will swing across North Texas in the late afternoon through the evening. All modes of severe weather will be likely, but the main threat includes a significant risk of hail up to 2 inches in diameter and winds up to category 1 hurricane strength.
Once the front moves through, cooler temperatures will settle into the forecast on Monday. However, the cool down won’t last long. A warming trend returns and temperatures climb into the 90’s once again at the end of the next week. Stay tuned!
Just days before Mother’s Day, a North Texas father is grieving the sudden loss of his wife and unborn son after she died unexpectedly, only days before her due date. Avi Carey said he is still in shock over the death of his wife, Tiffany, whom he described as his “rock” and “soulmate.”
“Tiffany’s smile, her radiance, her presence … she didn’t meet a stranger,” Carey said.
Nearly two decades together
The couple had been together for nearly two decades, raising two children, Kingston and Kasyn, and preparing to welcome their third child, a baby boy they planned to name Kylo.
Carey said Tiffany began complaining of a severe headache just days before she was due to give birth. He recalled her sitting on the couch, dozing off multiple times – something he said was unusual.
A short time later, Carey found her unresponsive.
“I saw her face … her lips were blue. And I already knew,” he said with tears in his eyes.
A celebration turned to heartbreak
Tiffany Carey and her unborn son died May 2, leaving behind a grieving husband and two children. The loss came less than a week after the family had celebrated a baby shower.
“We went from celebrating the baby shower to planning a funeral in less than five days,” Carey said.
A crisis affecting Black mothers
Health officials say cases like this highlight a broader crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy‑related causes, and most of those deaths – around 80% – are considered preventable.
Carey said he is still searching for answers and now lives with questions about whether warning signs were missed.
“I would say educate yourself. Take everything seriously,” he said. “That should have been a red flag … the headache.”
Honoring Tiffany’s legacy
Now, surrounded by baby supplies meant for a child who never arrived, Carey said he is focused on honoring Tiffany’s memory and raising their children with the values she lived by.
“She always said, ‘You’ve got to lead with love,’” he said. “She did that in everything.”
-
World7 minutes agoTucker Carlson on ‘SNL’ Critiques the Met Gala and Slams the ‘Michael’ Movie for Ignoring ‘The Part When He Was a White Man’
-
News13 minutes agoHow Is Pope Leo Shaping the U.S. Church? Bishops.
-
Politics19 minutes agoAfter Virginia Redistricting Map Is Tossed, Democrats Search Desperately for a Response
-
Business25 minutes agoSales Are Up. Celebrities Are In. Is Gap Officially Back?
-
Science31 minutes agoWhat Is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
-
Health37 minutes agoA 17¢ Supplement Is Changing Lives for Women Over 50—Here’s How
-
Culture49 minutes agoXia De-hong, 94, Dies; Persecuted in China, She Starred in Daughter’s Memoir
-
Lifestyle55 minutes agoA Monument to Chocolate Is Wrapped in Layers of Mexican History