Months filled with hard work, heart and hustle culminated recently with the crowning of Killeen ISD middle school fall sports district champions.
Cross country reached its season finale in October when about 200 runners descended upon Long Branch Park for four races that showcased stamina and resolve.
Seventh-grade races
Patterson’s Mahamadou Tembley outlasted a field of 42 runners to claim the boys gold while Smith’s Jordyn Tanks scurried to first in front of 62 others for the girls title.
The b
oys team title chase was won by Rancier, which placed four runners in the top 10, including Juan Cantu, who was second.
Janelle Mitchell (sixth) and Je’Maria Banks (ninth) placed in the top 10 to help the Patterson girls take home the team championship.
Eighth-grade races
Audie Murphy’s Jordan Rogers bested the competition for first in the boys eighth-grade race and JDA’s Autumn Waller did the same in the girls excursion. There were a combined 105 runners in the eighth-grade field.
Rog
ers was followed across the line by teammate Landon Reynolds, and the Falcons claimed the boys championship.
Patterson had all five scoring runners –– Trinity Fry (third), Kalei Cunha (fourth), Bri’Ana Ash (seventh), Mariah Scott (eighth) and Katelynn Esson (ninth) –– cross with top 10 times and earned the girls team championship.
Volleyball
Volleyball teams had their chance Oct. 31 to show off what three months of practice and competitive matches can produce.
The seventh-grade district title boiled down to JDA and Union Grove, two squads that went a combined 11-1 during the regular season. In the finale, the Lady Roadrunners triumphed to take home the championship plaque.
In the eighth-grade championship match, Liberty Hill went against Nolan –– two teams that were undefeated in the regular season –– and the Lady Lions outlasted the Lady Mustangs for the ultimate prize.
Football
In front of a lively, encouraging crowd inside Leo Buckley Stadium on Nov. 3, Patterson flexed its collective muscle and swept the seventh- and eighth-grade KISD middle school football district championships.
The Cavaliers used a punishing rushing attack to get past JDA, 39-19, in the seventh-grade title clash.
And, in a rematch of a 6-6 deadlock between Patterson and Smith during the regular season, the Cavaliers survived the best the Leopards had to offer in a down-to-the-wire 6-0 victory. Patterson scored with about 2 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter then dug deep for a defensive stand to close out the win.
Visit Killeen ISD's Flicker page here for more photos of the football championship games.
Here are all of the KISD Middle School Championship Series final scores.
District title games
Seventh-grade championship: Patterson 39, JDA 19
Eighth-grade championship: Patterson 6, Smith 0
Third-place games
Seventh grade: Smith 8, Live Oak Ridge 6
Eighth grade: Nolan 46, JDA 20
Fifth-place games
Seventh grade: Nolan 6, Rancier 6
Eighth grade: Live Oak Ridge 19, Union Grove 12
Seventh-place games
Seventh grade: Liberty Hill 14, Audie Murphy 12
Eighth grade: Rancier 47, Audie Murphy 27
Ninth-place game
Seventh grade: Manor 28, Union Grove 26