RIVERS, HOLLEMAN AMAZING PERFORMANCES | And they’re the Whataburger / ETB Players of the Week!

Overton’s Rylan Holleman (right) shares a word with teammate Braxton Harper during a recent game. Holleman hit three home runs and had 12 RBI last week, and he and Kilgore’s Phenix Rivers are the Whataburger/ ETBlitz.com Players of the Week for the week of March 3-March 8. (Photo courtesy of LANCE AND ANGELA HOLLEMAN FACEBOOK)

Our Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Player of the Week awards are just that: of the WEEK, meaning the performances that were the best during the last week completed – not a career achievement award or an annual award.

But in this particular case, what Kilgore High School girls soccer standout Phenix Rivers is doing is still amazing.

Rivers, who was one of two of our very first award-winners back in January, 2024, is back after what she did in two games last week, and joining her is Overton High School baseball’s Rylan Holleman.

For their performances, Holleman and Rivers are the Whataburger / ETB Players of the Week for the week of March 3-8!

Kilgore’s Phenix Rivers (right) is shown here in action against Sabine. Phenix scored 14 goals in just two games last week, both wins by her Lady Bulldogs. Overton’s Rylan Holleman hit three home runs, a double and a single, finished with 12 RBI, and got a pitching win for the Mustangs. Rivers and Holleman are the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week for the week of March 3-8! (Photo by DENNIS JACOBS – ETBLITZ.COM)

Rivers, a senior for coach Daniel Garcia’s Lady Bulldogs, has been amazing throughout her career, and she’s approaching a huge milestone.

As the 2025 playoffs approach, Rivers is eight goals away from becoming Kilgore girls soccer’s all-time leading scorer.

That might sound like a lot of goals to score, and for many, it is.

But consider this: Phenix scored seven – as in 7 (!), as in lucky No. 7, however you want to put it – in a 13-0 Kilgore win last week at Tatum on Tuesday, and then DUPLICATED the feat on Friday against Center in a 12-0 Lady ‘Dogs win.

The girl scored 14 goals in one week!

It’s likely KHS will open the playoffs against Lufkin Hudson, and when the matchup is official, we’ll have it here on ETBlitz.com. But it’s very possible Rivers will be Kilgore girls soccer’s all-time leading scorer by the time the current season is over.

Kilgore has won 14 straight games, all in District 15-4A, and begins the University Interscholastic League 4A playoffs as the 15-4A champion.

So, Holleman isn’t just hanging out in the waiting room, or riding in the passenger’s seat. He was pretty special last week, as well.

Holleman’s week started with a grand slam home run and 4 RBI in a 10-4 win over Mount Enterprise on Monday.

We don’t know what he did between Monday and the end of the week, but “Superman” Holleman added another home run, a double, a single and 5 RBI in an 11-0 win over LaPoynor.

For good measure, he got the win on the mound, a complete game with five strikeouts and two walks.

And on Saturday, in Overton’s 6-0 win over Chapel Hill, he had ANOTHER home run, his third in the week, and 3 RBI.

So to recap: not one, or two, but three home runs last week for Holleman, a double, a single, and 12 RBI.

Hey, when we present these player of the week awards, they’re to those who deserve it; two absolutely fantastic performances by both Phenix and Rylan.

If you’d like to go back and read all of the award-winners this school year, here they are:

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And thanks to DKT Investments, local Whataburger ownership, for being a part of our players of the week honors each week.

Congratulations again to Phenix Rivers and to Rylan Holleman, the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!

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