We’re back.
And it took long enough.
We announced the boys nominees for the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Year earlier this morning, and now we’re coming back with the announcement of nominees for the Whataburger /ETB Girls Player of the Year award, both based on performances in the 2024-25 school year, and both set to be announced on Sunday at 3 p.m.
These nominees weren’t chosen, or emailed, or phoned in to ETBlitz.com by coaches. Nope. These were chosen based on statistics, a lot of them listed here; based on leadership and effectiveness as a part of a team or individual sport this past school year; a panel with an odd number of people on it, selected by ETBlitz and with sports knowledge, then independently judges these athletes based on the criteria and votes.
Again, there will be a male athlete, or player, of the school year, and a female athlete, or player, of the school year, and those winners and the top four runners-up will be announced on Sunday, right here on ETBlitz.com at 3 p.m., then subsequently announced on our socials, like Facebook and Instagram.
As was said earlier in the boys story, let’s be clear: this isn’t normal. You wouldn’t see a newspaper or another media outlet simply telling you in advance who their nominees are. They MIGHT tell you after everything was said and done who their runners-up were.
But we want to be fully honest with you guys.
Here’s the link to our earlier story, naming the boys nominees: YOU’RE GONNA DO WHAT?! | Nominees for boys Whataburger / ETB Player of the Year Award.
So here are the nominees for the girls Whataburger / ETB Player of the Year for the 2024-25 school year. Since we began in traditional alphabetical order for the boys nominees, we’ll go in reverse alphabetical order for the girls.
WHITE OAK HIGH SCHOOL
Softball, Volleyball
ADDISON McCLANAHAN, (senior): One of only two athletes in the history of ETBlitz.com to be named the Whataburger / ETB Player of the Week on FOUR occasions and in two different sports. Still working on getting her final numbers for this story.
WEST RUSK HIGH SCHOOL
Cross country, Track & Field
ADELAIDE MURPHY (senior): Reached the UIL State Cross Country Championships at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, finishing the course in 12:54.70, 66th of 100 runners in the 3A final. And in May at the UIL State Track & Field Championships at the University of Texas in Austin, she pulled double duty as the Raiders’ long-distance runner, finishing sixth in the 3,200 meter (two-mile) run in 11:43.58, and eighth in the 3A girls 1,600 (mile) run in 5:27.
Volleyball
CARLIE BUCKNER (senior): In 119 sets played, had 237 kills, 65 aces, 442 digs, and was second on the the team in serves received (490).
KEKE MURPHY (senior): In 122 sets played, had 772 digs, 78 blocks, 61 kills, 45 aces, 52 assists, led the team in serves received (607).
TROUP HIGH SCHOOL
Softball
TAYLOR GILLISPIE (senior): Batted .446 this season and had 14 home runs, 11 doubles, and 50 RBI for the Lady Tigers. She had 11 stolen bases. On the mound, Gillispie had a 1.54 ERA, and in 136 innings, she only walked 56. Troup had a 19-6 record with Gillispie pitching and she finished the season with 200 strikeouts.
TATUM HIGH SCHOOL
Basketball, Volleyball
KAMDYN SCOTT (junior): In volleyball, Scott was chosen by her coaches the District 16-3A player of the year – as a junior – had 612 kills, 367 digs, 28 assists, 74 aces, and 74 blocks. She turned right around to basketball, she averaged 18 points, eight rebounds, 4 ½ steals, 2 ½ assists and three blocks a game. Tatum won the district championship in both sports.
Volleyball
KAYSEN FOSTER (junior): A key member, along with Kamdyn Scott, of a Tatum squad coached by Leven Barker that went 40-5 last fall, and won 20 straight matches before losing to Ponder in the third round. The Lady Eagles, who spent almost the entire season ranked either third or second in the state in Class 3A in the Texas Girls Coaches Association poll, didn’t lose at home at all the entire season, and didn’t lose a district game at home OR on the road.
SABINE HIGH SCHOOL
Basketball, Track & Field
SARAH ROBERTS (sophomore): In basketball, Roberts was named co-newcomer of the year as a part of the All-District 16-3A team. And she finished fourth in the girls 3A 400 meter run at the UIL state track meet, in 56.58 seconds.
Soccer
ANALIYAH FIERROS midfielder, forward (senior): Was named the District 15-4A offensive player of the year. She was chosen and played in the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches (TASCO) All-Star Game in San Antonio. Fierros scored 29 goals in the 2025 season, and 25 of them in district play.
OVERTON HIGH SCHOOL
Softball
KELSEY VAUGHT (sophomore): In her second season as a varsity player, Vaught threw 113 1/3 innings for the Mustangs’ softball team. She faced 544 batters, and only allowed 48 walks. She had an ERA of 3.77, and had 143 strikeouts, passing the 400 career strikeout mark. And she was named pitcher of the year as part of the 19-2A all-district team.
KILGORE HIGH SCHOOL
Soccer
PHENIX RIVERS (senior): Named the overall most valuable player in District 15-4A’s all-district team. Had 39 goals and 14 assists and finished with 117 career goals.
Volleyball
MALEAH THURMOND (senior): Was a four-year varsity starter. Was first-team all-district this season, for first-year head coach Mika Hubbard.
Cross country
RUBY ALMANZA (senior): Went to the UIL state cross country meet in every single season of her high school career, all four years. Finished 22nd overall in her senior season, her final run in the girls Class 4A state run, in a time of 12 minutes, 5.7 seconds at Old Settlers Park.
HENDERSON HIGH SCHOOL
Cross Country
GISELLE ALEJANDRO (senior): In November, represented Henderson cross country at the UIL State Cross Country Championships at Old Settlers Park at Round Rock, and finished No. 10 in the girls 4A run, a time of 11 minutes, 43.1 seconds.
(Note: Still working on getting numbers for all three of the following Henderson standouts)
Softball: CHLOE ELLIS (senior): Named pitcher of the year on the 16-4A all-district team. Went past the career 500-strikeout mark this year, as well.
Softball, Volleyball: ADDI STANDLEY (senior): A key member of the Lady Lions’ volleyball and softball programs and a multi-time winner of the Whataburger / ETB Player of the Week award.
Volleyball: KATE CHARLO (senior): An honorable-mention on the Blue Bell / Texas Sports Writers Association All-State Team, the state’s REAL all-state volleyball team.
GLADEWATER HIGH SCHOOL
Track & field, basketball
PAYTIN THOMPSON (sophomore): “Pay-Pay” was gold – literally – in both basketball and track, being named co-offensive player of the year as a part of the District 16-3A all-district basketball team by the coaches, along with Troup’s Qhenja Jordan, and then did her own thing at the UIL State Track & Field Championships. Thompson, alongside teammates Adyson Evans, Ki’zyah Miles and Peyton Hunter, won gold at the state meet in the 400 meter relay in 47.66 seconds. And Thompson on her own finished third, a bronze medal, in the girls 3A 200 meter dash in the time of 24.09 seconds.
GILMER HIGH SCHOOL
Softball
ALEXIS KEMP (senior): The most valuable player in District 16-4A. She had an ERA of 1.61, walked only 35 and had 185 strikeouts in 144 2/3 innings. She had a .273 batting average that included a home run, a triple, five doubles, and 19 RBI. She also had eight stolen bases innings in helping the Lady Buckeyes to the district championship and a 23-6-2 record.
ARP HIGH SCHOOL
Softball, basketball
MADDIE BIRDSONG (senior): In softball, Maddie – over 29 games for the Lady Tigers – batted .423, with 33 hits in 78 at-bats, including six home runs, 10 doubles, and a triple. She had 37 RBI and scored 41 runs, and had 13 stolen bases. In basketball, she was named an all-district second team selection.
