Texas Tech commit Patrick Mahomes was simply stellar in all three sports he played in Texas. The son of a former Major Leaguer is our choice as the 2013-14 Male Athlete of the Year.
Photos by MaxPreps photographers / Graphic by Social Recluse Graphx
Athletic Director Richard Peacock has seen many outstanding all-around high school athletes around Eastern Texas the last four decades.
But none surpass
Patrick Mahomes. None.
It's partial ammunition why the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Texas Tech-bound standout has been selected the 2013-14 MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year.
Mahomes was a dominant force from the pitchingmound for Whitehouse.
Photo by Oladipo Awowale
The recent graduate is a natural baseball phenom. His father Pat pitched 12 seasons in the Major Leagues and Patrick grew up around Major League parks. He was even given batting tips and infield instruction from Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez while dad was a member of the Yankees.
As a right-handed pitcher with a 93 mph fastball, plus infielder and outfielder, Mahomes was the most instinctive, smart and talented player Whitehouse coach Derrick Jenkins ever coached. He hit better than .450 his senior year and was a force on the mound for the 23-8 Wildcats. He was a 37th-round pick of the Detroit Tigers.
He showed off all his skills March 11 when he threw a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts in a 2-1 win over Mount Pleasant, outpitching Michael Kopech, the No. 33 pick overall in the 2014 MLB Draft. Later that day he went 3-for-4 with a home run and knocked in three runs during a 10-3 win over Princeton.
"He can do pretty much anything he wants to do on the baseball field," Jenkins said. "He's started at every position but catcher for us."
But that's only Mahomes' starting point.
He might have had a better season playing football, accounting for more than 5,500 yards and 65 touchdowns as the quarterback for 12-1 Wildcats. He was named the 4A Texas State Player of the Year by the Associated Press. His success in football likely scared off MLB franchises, otherwise he would have been a much higher pick.
Mahomes earned State Player of the Year honors inTexas' 4A class, certainly confirmation of his abilities.
Photo by Kyle Dantzler
"I really think he's just scratching the surface (at quarterback) with the time he played different sports throughout the year," Texas Tech football coach Kliff Kingsbury told Sports Illustrated. "When he really focuses on football the majority of the time I think you're really going to see him take off in that position."
In basketball, he led Whitehouse to a 28-7 record by averaging more than 19 points and eight rebounds per game. When the stakes rose, he had playoff scoring games of 37 and 49 points.
"If he focused on it, there's no doubt he could be a Division I basketball player," Peacock said.
Beyond his vast athletic prowess, Peacock said what sets Mahomes apart is his persona.
"In 38 years in the business, I've seen a lot of great athletes," Peacock said. "But he's as good as I've ever seen. What he's accomplished is amazing, but honestly more amazing might be what a great young man he is. … It's hard to separate what's more impressive, his athletic ability or character."
Jenkins put it this way: "He's a once-in-a-lifetime talent (to coach). He's a once-in-a-lifetime kid."
That said, he had plenty of competition for the award. They included:
* Monte Harrison (Lee's Summit West, Mo.): A University of Nebraska football and baseball recruit who had 60 catches for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns as a receiver his senior year. He also rushed for 12 touchdowns in 32 carries. His team went 13-1.
As a third baseman and outfielder, the 6-3, 200-pounder hit .433 with 45 runs, 35 RBIs and 26 stolen bases. The Milwaukee Brewers took him with the No. 50 pick in the MLB Draft. In basketball he averaged 17 points and nine rebounds for the 27-4 Titans. The three teams he played for his senior season went a combined 69-9 with a state Class 5 title in football.
* Kyler Murray (Allen, Texas): The
MaxPreps National Football Player of the Year completed 207 of 325 passes for 3,669 yards and 46 touchdowns for the 16-0 Eagles, who captured the 5A-I state title and finished No. 2 in the country. Only a junior, he also rushed for 1,274 yards and 19 scores.
The 5-11, 175-pound second baseman hit .432 with eight home runs, 31 RBIs and 21 stolen bases, according to the Dallas Morning News, and is considered a possible first-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. He's committed to Texas A&M, so he may be seeing a lot of Mahomes.
* Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif.): The
MaxPreps National Basketball Player of the Year averaged 25 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game, leading the Monarchs to a fourth-straight state title and a MaxPreps Xcellent 25 mythical national crown with a 35-0 record.
At 6-6 and 225 pounds some have wondered how the Arizona signee would fare on the football field. His teams went 135-7 in four seasons.
* Mike Gesicki Southern Regional (Manahawkin, N.J.): Ranked the No. 1 tight end in the country by
247Sports, the Penn State-bound standout had 33 catches for 530 yards and four scores. He averaged 20.3 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game on the basketball court, and the 6-6, 245-pound middle blocker is one of the state's top volleyball players. He had 172 kills and 55 blocks leading Southern Regional to a 25-1 record and state title. He finished with 841 kills for his career.
Past MaxPreps Male Athletes of the Year2012-13 — Derrick Henry, Yulee, Ga.: football
2011-12 — Anthony Alford, Petal (Miss): football, baseball
2010-11 — Kasen Williams, Skyline (Sammamish, Wash): football, basketball, track and field
2009-10 — Dorial Green-Beckham, Hillcrest (Springfield, Mo.): football, basketball, track and field
2008-09 — Garrett Gilbert, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas): football
2007-08 — Terrelle Pryor, Jeannette (Pa.): football, basketball
