Newcastle athletes honored at end-of-year banquet

The 2023-2024 school year has reached an end and students are free for the summer. But before that happened, Newcastle ISD honored its student-athletes at a sports banquet this past week.

Athletes and their families gathered to relive the year’s sports seasons, with all the highs and lows. Coaches presented awards and honors, attendees enjoyed a meal together and there was even a silent auction to help raise money for the school and its athletic programs. Overall, Newcastle’s teams had a great amount of success and the body of student-athletes is a big reason why.

The Bobcats and Ladycats earned regular season district championships, bi-district championships, postseason honors, a few state tournament appearances and the first basketball state championship in school history. It was a winning year and the student-athletes were honored for it as such.

Senior Ladycats

• Lilly Parsons – Basketball: Honorable Mention All-District
• Tori Lee Duffield – Basketball: Honorable Mention All-District; Volleyball: District Honorable Mention
• Mya Cabrera – Basketball: First Team All-District, Academic All-District, TSMCA First Team All-Region, TSMCA First Team All-State, TSMCA All-Star, TSMCA Academic All-State, TABC All-Region, TABC All-State, TABC All-Star, TGCA All-State, TGCA Academic All-State, THSCA Academic All-State; Volleyball: District MVP, Academic All-District, FCA All-Star, Oil Bowl All-Star; Newcastle Girls Teammate Award
• Destiny Newland – District Offensive MVP
• Lenaya Gonzalez – District Honorable Mention, Academic All-District; Cross Country: Regional Qualifier; Track and Field: Area Qualifier

Senior Bobcats

• Jaren Beaver – Football: First Team All-District Lineman, Second Team All-District Fullback, Second Team All-Region Noseguard; Basketball
• Julian Jimenez – Football: Honorable Mention All-District
• Dylan Johnson – Football: Second Team All-District Defensive Utility Player
• Ty Strawbridge – Football: First Team All-District Tight End, First Team All-District Kicker, First Team All-District Defensive Lineman, First Team All-Region Tight End, Second Team All-Region Kicker, First Team All-State Tight End; Basketball: First Team All-District, Academic All-District, TSMCA Second Team All-Region, TABC All-Region, Region 3 Honorable Mention, FCA All-Star; Golf: State Qualifier; Track and Field: State Qualifier; Newcastle Boys Most Outstanding Athlete Award
• Kenny Jones – Football: Second Team All-District Cornerback; Track and Field: Area Qualifier
• Isaac King – Bass Fishing: State Qualifier; Football: District Offensive MVP, District Defensive MVP, First Team All-Region Spread Back, First Team All-State Spread Back; Basketball: District Defensive MVP, Academic All-District, TSMCA First Team All-Region, TABC First Team All-Region, TSMCA All-Star, FCA All-Star; Track and Field: State Qualifier; Newcastle Boys Teammate Award
• Lucas Riley – Bass Fishing: Regional Qualifier
• Ryder Scheller – Bass Fishing: State Qualifier

Junior Ladycats

• Evie May – Basketball
• Mattie Dollar – Basketball: District MVP, Academic All-District, All-State Tournament Team MVP, TSMCA First Team All-Region, TSMCA All-State MVP, TSMCA Academic All-State, TABC All-Region, TABC All-State, TABC 1A Player of the Year, TGCA All-State, TGCA All-Star, Greater Texas Ford Dealers 1A Female Player of the Month of January, THSCA Super Elite Team MVP; Cross Country: State Qualifier, TGCA All-State; Tennis: Regional Champion, State Qualifier; Track and Field: Regional Qualifier; Newcastle Girls Most Outstanding Athlete Award
• Ashleigh Taylor – Cheerleading

Junior Bobcats

• Buckley Whitaker – Football
• Ben Burk – Football: All-District Honorable Mention; Basketball: Second Team All-District, Academic All-District; Golf; Track and Field: Regional Qualifier
• Gaidan Turner – Football: Second Team All-Region Tight End, Second Team All-Region Defensive Utility Back; Track and Field: Regional Qualifier
• Lucas Owen – First Team All-District Center, First Team All-Region Center, Second Team All-State Center; Track and Field: Area Qualifier
• Morgan Plunket – Bass Fishing: Regional Qualifier

Sophomore Ladycats

• Emma Hawkins – Basketball: Second Team All-District; Volleyball: First Team All-District; Golf; Track and Field: Regional Qualifier; Newcastle Girls Most Improved Athlete Award
• Sophie Terrell – Basketball: Second Team All-District; Volleyball: First Team All-District
• Flor Carranza – Volleyball: Co-Defensive Player of the Year; Tennis
• Aubree Clayton – Volleyball: First Team All-District, Academic All-District; Track and Field: State Qualifier
• Jayla Crossland – Cheerleading

Sophomore Bobcats

• London Martinez – Football: First Team All-District Offensive Utility Back, Second Team All-District Safety; Basketball: Second Team All-District; Golf; Track and Field: Regional Qualifier; Newcastle Boys Most Improved Athlete Award
• Tristan Clemons – Football: First Team All-District Running back, Second Team All-District Defensive Lineman, Second Team All-Region Offensive Utility Back; Basketball: Honorable Mention All-District
• Leighton Gowens – Football; Track and Field
• Jayden Hemby – Football; Basketball: Honorable Mention All-District
• Texas Hammond – Football; Golf; Track and Field
• Jason Moreno – Football; Golf; Track and Field
• John Armstrong – Bass Fishing: Regional Qualifier; Golf

Freshman Ladycats

• Rae’Lyn Bennett – Basketball: Honorable Mention All-District; Tennis; Cross Country: Regional Qualifier; Track and Field: Area Qualifier
• Kinzee Forbus – Basketball: Honorable Mention All-District, Academic All-District; Volleyball: District Honorable Mention
• Kenzie King – Basketball: First Team All-District, Academic All-District; Volleyball: Second Team All-District; Track and Field: Regional Qualifier
• Camren Mallory – Basketball: District Newcomer of the Year, Academic All-District, All-State Tournament Team, TSMCA Second Team All-Region, TABC All-Region, TGCA All-State; Volleyball: Second Team All-District, Academic All-District; Track and Field: Regional Qualifier
• Kourtney Whitfield – Cheerleading; Golf; Track and Field
• Bailey Youngblood – Golf, Track and Field
• Kamalani Duffield – Cheerleading; Track and Field

Freshman Bobcats

• Keyton Newland – Football: First Team All-District Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-District Cornerback, First Team All-Region Cornerback, Second Team All-State Cornerback; Basketball: Academic All-District, First Team All-District
• Rylan Hinojosa – Bass Fishing: Solo; Football: Second Team All-District Special Teams; Basketball; Golf; Track and Field
• Jacob Omundi – Football; Basketball: Second Team All-District; Track and Field: Area Qualifier
• Logan Owen – Football; Track and Field
• Asher Rodriguez – Bass Fishing: Regional Qualifier; Football
• Trey Burk – Football; Basketball: Academic All-District; Track and Field
• Rogelio Pacheco – Football
• Cooper Clayton – Football; Basketball: Academic All-District; Track and Field