Let's backtrack just a little to last seasons R3-4A semifinal game at Campbell Center. Manvel was making it's first Final 4 appearance against state ranked Huntsville featuring Texas signee Ronisha Major. The odds were that this game would be a blowout and only a stepping stone for the championship game between Huntsville and Ozen however no one seemed to tell Jade Castille who put on one of the best offensive shows in Campbell Regional 4A history. Manvel actually led for most of the game in their 63-55 loss however a late game injury to Castille took some of the steam from the team. Though banged up, Jade continued to hit shots from just about every imaginable angle to finish the game with 30 points as she limped off the court, well she was limping the last 8 minutes of the game
Those injuries multiplied throughout the summer however Castille continued fighting through them because that's just her character, she loves to play the game and she gives it her all every time she's on the floor. Fast forward to the school season when the pain was just too much to take any longer and she finally had to rest and heal properly which will be a good thing for the Mavericks once the playoffs begin. This season Manvel added Brianna Turner who is either the top or among the top three players in the country depending on who you ask for the 2014 class along with Jordan Hosey, who I don't need to ask anyone else because I know she is one of the top 2015 players in the country. That duo has been a force this season knocking off several 5A teams along the way including last seasons R3 representative Elsik.
The two games that they have lost have been to Dekaney, the top team in the area and Irving MacArthur, last seasons state champion in 5A. Castille played sparingly in those two losses however her offense would have helped take some of the heat off of the "Dynamic Duo". Numbers can be deceiving, Castille is averaging almost 10 points per game despite playing only a few minutes in most of the games early in the season. How much was her offense missed? Well she leads the team in three pointers despite the injuries and limited playing time on her way back and Friday night, she showed she was back on track scoring 16 points and with her near 100%, Manvel may just get out of here. BTW, she is still unsigned!!!!!