Klein Cain High School honored for athletic, academic excellence in Texas

Klein Cain High School in Texas earned an impressive honor

Everything is bigger in Texas. That makes the honor Klein Cain High School received more impressive. Klein was honored Tuesday as the school with the best record for academic and athletic excellence.

The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame were proud to honor Klein Cain.

“The NFF commends Klein Cain High School for their exceptional accomplishments,” NFF President and CEO Steve Hatchell said. “The dedication of the players, coaches, administrators, and their families is truly commendable. By fostering the same competitive spirit in the classroom as on the field, we aim to better prepare high school football players for lifelong success.”

The NFF release cited some impressive statistics:

Led by Head Coach James Clancy and Athletics Director Darby Young, the 2023 Hurricanes team boasted an impressive 3.874 GPA. Among its 65 roster players, the team had 47 Academic All-District Selections, 12 Academic All-State Selections, and one Academic All-State Elite Team Selection.

  1. . The team went 8-4 last season, claiming their fourth consecutive bi-district championship, with the senior class finishing the year with the most wins as a class in program history.

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Four-star running back, Klein Cain product trending towards Texas

Texas is inching closer to landing four-star running back Jaydon Blue out of Houston, Texas.

Four-star running back Jaydon Blue is now likely to commit to the University of Texas. Continue reading “Four-star running back, Klein Cain product trending towards Texas”

Four-star running back, Klein Cain product trending towards Texas

Texas is inching closer to landing four-star running back Jaydon Blue out of Houston, Texas.

Four-star running back Jaydon Blue is now likely to commit to the University of Texas. Continue reading “Four-star running back, Klein Cain product trending towards Texas”

Georgia football offers scholarship to Jaydon Blue

Georgia football has offered 4-star RB Jaydon Blue.

Wednesday, 2022 4-star RB Jaydon Blue took to Twitter to announce a scholarship offer from the University of Georgia.

Blue (5-foot-9, 192 pounds) plays football and runs track for Klein Cain High School in Houston, Texas. Blue ran a 10.97 100 in the Spring of 2019 and has a verified 40 of 4.6 and a shuttle time of 4.3.

247Sports has Blue rated as the No. 7 RB and the 80th best prospect overall in the 2022 recruiting class.

247Sports wrote:

“Adequate size with above average build. Flashes great initial burst and acceleration. Hits the hole hard and gets downhill in a hurry.”

Blue is one of the top running backs of 2022 and recently has received offers from programs like Auburn, LSU, Ohio State, Alabama and now Georgia.

 

How faith, strength and Whataburger helped Texas football player battle leukemia and return to field

Jacob Munoz battled leukemia twice and received a bone marrow transplant from his 11-year-old brother. He’s back on the football field as Klein Cain prepares for its first-ever playoff game.

Some athletes’ favorite high school sports memories are of hoisting a trophy, winning a big game or making a crucial play.

Jacob Munoz’s is simply getting back on the field and playing the game he loves.

As a seventh-grader in January 2015, Munoz was diagnosed with pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. He was thought to be in remission two years later, but it returned, costing him his junior football season and very nearly his life.

After 11 rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant from his younger brother, Munoz started working back to normalcy.

This season, he returned to the playing field and suited up for the team that left his locker untouched throughout the process for his eventual return.

“It felt amazing just being back with my teammates, getting back on the field one last time,” Munoz said.

Now, after a 6-4 regular season, Klein Cain High School (Houston, Texas) is set to play the first playoff game in school history.

It appeared as if a comeback might not be possible for Munoz.

The Munoz family (Photo: Whataburger)

At least, that’s what his mother thought. After all the chemotherapy, doctors warned Yvette Munoz that Jacob might have a heart failure. Before undergoing tests that would determine whether he would be cleared to play, the two were shopping when he came across a pair of cleats he liked. It was heartbreaking for a mother who thought he’d never get to play in them.

“He saw some cleats he wanted for football, and I just started crying, thinking ‘Oh my God, he’s going to be let down again,’” Yvette remembers.

But Munoz was confident he’d be fine.

“He was like, ‘No, I’m going to get back on that field. My heart is fine.’ He believed it,” Yvette said. “And sure enough, when we went the following week, they did every test possible, and they said his heart was fine and they gave him the green light to play football.”

That was his same attitude as he went through chemotherapy. Munoz was determined to be in need of a bone marrow transplant in December 2017, but he wouldn’t be able to receive one unless he was cancer-free. Through 10 rounds of chemotherapy, the cancer persisted. Doctors said there was only one more attempt available before resorting to more drastic measures.

“He didn’t let it shake him. He’s just like, ‘No, I just need a little bit more. I just need a little more chemo. I just need a little bit more,’” Yvette said. “Every biopsy, they would come back and tell me that the cancer was still there. I would cry. And he would say, ‘It’s OK mom, I only need a little bit more. It’s OK. Next time. Next time. Next time.’”

Finally, next time came. Munoz told her he just needed one more. After the 11th cycle of chemo, he was cleared for the bone marrow transplant.

Jacob and Christian Munoz (Photo: Whataburger)

His brother, Christian, who was 11 at the time, had the only matching bone marrow available for transplant. He didn’t hesitate.

Despite their five-year age gap, the brothers are close. Younger siblings often try to emulate older brothers or sisters, and Christian was no exception. They play the same video games. They both play football. The ordeal only deepened their bond.

“He’s my best friend,” Jacob said. “I love that kid to death.”

In March 2018, Christian donated the bone marrow that helped save his brother’s life.

“He knew completely what was going to happen. He said that he wanted to save his brother’s life, because he was the only match,” Yvette said. “Whenever he had some (pain), he would cry, and he would say, ‘It’s OK, because I’m doing it for Jacob.’”

With the cancer behind him, Munoz began to work back toward his normal life. After spending time in a wheelchair, Munoz needed to regain strength in his body and re-learn how to run.

He said faith in God helped him progress through leukemia and the recovery process.

“Instead of thinking, like, ‘Why me?’ I was thinking ‘What’s in store for me? What’s the plan?” Munoz said.

His goal of returning to the football field remained. Leukemia had already taken his eighth grade season, and the recovery and training would take away his junior season as well.

But it’s not as if he had every truly been away. Munoz’s locker remained untouched. Teammates would Skype him for some team meetings, including one for a jersey vote. And when they’d visit him in the hospital, they’d bring his favorite meal: a Whataburger patty melt.

Jacob Munoz prepares for a football game (Photo: Whataburger)

Whataburger even became aware of his story through Dave Campbell’s Texas Football “Unsung Hero” profile and gave him a $5,000 college scholarship. Munoz plans to attend the University of Houston to study law or physical therapy. He believes his battle and recovery, which included a period in a wheelchair, can help him connect and be a better therapist.

“While I was coming back, trying to get back into shape, I saw what a lot of people go through,” Munoz said. “Mentally, physically, trying to come back from injuries, I feel like I have a connection.”

 Said Yvette, “(It’s) given him a new perspective on life. He doesn’t sweat the small stuff.”

On Oct. 18, Munoz made his return. He played in the 63-27 win over Klein Forest (Houston, Texas), and had two tackles, according to MaxPreps.

Klein Cain’s regular season has come to an end and the playoffs are set to begin Friday against Westfield (Houston, Texas). Win or lose, Munoz will be on the field.

And after all he went through, simply being there is what matters.