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Matt Powell (VYPE)<\/p>\n\u201cWe\u2019re already back to practicing really hard and reinforcing the team-bonding aspect so that we\u2019ll continue to be prepared for the big moments,\u201d Quentel said. \u201cIt\u2019s just been about getting back into the same formula that brought us there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kingwood\u2019s title run last spring validated that formula. After falling in the State Semifinals in 2024, the Mustangs returned with purpose, finishing 34-4-1 and conquering the UIL 6A Division II bracket. A 4-1 victory over Forney in Austin delivered the program\u2019s first-ever UIL crown, with Quentel earning State Tournament MVP honors. Individually, she also captured District 23-6A Pitcher of the Year after going 18-3, and she hit just under .500 at the plate, underscoring her value as a two-way contributor.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n
CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER THE 2026 BASEBALL\/SOFTBALL PREVIEW MAGAZINE<\/a>CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PHOTOS FROM THE 2026 CITYWIDE MEDIA DAY<\/a><\/p>\n …<\/p>\n Introduced to softball at age four through the Kingwood Girls Softball Association, Quentel has since grown into one of the high school program\u2019s most dependable and poised players.<\/p>\n With a handful of contributors from last year\u2019s lineup now graduated \u2014 including Team USA WBSC U-18 World Champion Addyson Sheppard (Stanford), 23-6A MVP Mia Gagliardi (Virginia Tech), and standout second baseman Leilani Garcia (Houston) \u2014 skeptics might be quick to question the ballclub. <\/p>\n But the cool, calm, and collected Quentel, along with her teammates, appears ready to put any perceived setbacks to rest.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019re stressing too much about that,\u201d Quentel said. \u201cWe\u2019re piecing things together and understanding how each player fits into the program and our lineup. This team is young but exceptionally talented. As long as we play together and play as one, I see no reason for us to worry.\u201d<\/p>\n Her approach to softball extends beyond talent and mechanics. <\/p>\n \u201cThe most challenging aspect of the sport is getting past the mental blocks that come with it,\u201d Quentel said. \u201cBut I think failing is what makes the experience more rewarding. Once you finally see the work pay off, it\u2019s a feeling you can\u2019t replicate. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve learned that giving up or quitting is simply never an option.\u201d<\/p>\n The perspective that drives her play was evident in November, when the Lady Mustangs received their state championship rings during halftime of the football team\u2019s regular-season finale.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s definitely a lot to like about the ring \u2014 I\u2019m actually kind of obsessed with it,\u201d she laughed. \u201cBut what I appreciate most is the Buc-ee\u2019s logo imprinted on the inside. We made it a point to stop there after each playoff round, and it eventually became a tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n Calm under pressure, Quentel drives the Mustangs toward a repeat, intent on proving last year\u2019s hardware was fully deserved.<\/p>\n …<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER THE 2026 BASEBALL\/SOFTBALL PREVIEW MAGAZINE<\/a>CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PHOTOS FROM THE 2026 CITYWIDE MEDIA DAY<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWe\u2019re already back to practicing really hard and reinforcing the team-bonding aspect so that we\u2019ll continue to be…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":160963,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[66006,66007,66008,66009,66010,56,58,63427,57,66011,66012,66013,66014,66015,66016,66017,66018,66019,66020,66021,66022,60778,66023,66024,63448],"class_list":["post-160962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-atascocita-softball","tag-barbers-hill-softball","tag-clear-springs-softball","tag-conroe-softball","tag-foster-softball","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-high-school-sports","tag-houston-news","tag-katy-jordan-softball","tag-katy-softball","tag-kempner-softball","tag-kingwood-softball","tag-lake-creek-softball","tag-langham-creek-softball","tag-liberty-softball","tag-lsa-softball","tag-magnolia-softball","tag-oak-ridge-softball","tag-pearland-softball","tag-ridge-point-softball","tag-texas-high-school-softball","tag-twca-softball","tag-txhssb","tag-vype-houston-high-school-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770867390_547_img.jpg\")
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