Princeton’s Addyson Smith captured fifth place at 190 pounds at the Class 6A state wrestling tournament. Photo by Jerry Winfrey / C&S Media
By David Wolman
The Class of 2026 at Princeton High School has competed in two different classifications over its four seasons and helped to transition the Panthers into Class 6A when the school moved up to the state’s largest classification two years ago.
The Princeton Herald will now recognize some of the top individual performers from this year’s senior class.
Addyson Smith, wrestling
Last year, Princeton senior Addy Smith watched the Class 6A state tournament from the stands.
Smith placed fifth in her weight class at the Region II-6A tournament, but with only the top four finishers earning automatic berths to the state tournament, she was an alternate and never had the opportunity to compete at the Berry Center in Cypress.
Fast-forward to this year, and Smith not only qualified for state, but entered the state tournament as a No. 1 seed at 190 pounds after she earned first place at the regional tournament in Allen.
At the state tournament in Cypress, Smith earned fifth place and a spot on the medal stand for a top five finish. She won her first two matches but lost via a fall in the semifinals. However, she bounced back to pin Katy Jordan’s Tristyn Alo-Sullafu in the fifth-place match.
Smith finished her senior season with a 28-6 record.
Erin Marquez, wrestling
Like Smith, Marquez was a team captain for the Lady Panthers during her senior season.
Described as a hard worker and tough kid by Princeton head coach Ryan DeLaVergne, Marquez saw her hard work translate to the mat.
Although she experienced heartbreak at the state tournament where she came up short of being a state placer, Marquez piled up the wins during her high school career. As a senior, she went 42-8 and won two matches in the state tournament. She won the Eagle’s Next Tournament in Prosper and captured first place at 120 pounds at the College Station Cougar Classic.
Marquez finished her time at Princeton with a career record of 146-41 and was a three-time state qualifier.
Gabriella Trejo, cross country/girls’ soccer
Trejo was a dominant force when she first entered high school and later in her high school career adjusted well to the tough competition that resides in Class 6A.
Trejo earned two qualification for the state cross country meet – as a freshman and a sophomore – and she finished her prep career as a four-time regional qualifier. She took seventh place in the District 6-6A meet as a junior with a personal-best time of 19:14 and was eighth as a senior with a 19:30.
On the soccer field, Trejo, a midfielder, helped lead the Lady Panthers to the playoffs in each of her first two seasons. However, Princeton won just one match during her final two years, though the Lady Panthers saw significant improvement during her senior season. Princeton won its first match in two years and allowed seven fewer goals.
Trejo was named to the District 6-6A first team as a senior and the second team as a junior.
Jonathan Sanchez, boys’ soccer
The backbone of the Panthers’ defense in the last four years has been their goalkeeper, Sanchez.
Sanchez made it hard for opponents to score on him and his team-first mentality won over his teammates and coaches. As a senior, he turned in three clean sheets and had six matches in which he allowed one goal.
During his senior season, Sanchez was tabbed the district’s Co-Goalkeeper of the Year and also became the first boys’ soccer player from Princeton since 2018 to be recognized by the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches. He earned a selection on the All-Region I-6A second team. At the Panthers’ team banquet, he became the program’s first-ever three-time team MVP and first-ever Panther Award winner.
Jordan Mosley, baseball/basketball/football
Although an injury cut short his senior season in football after six games, his impact on both sides of the field fueled a breakout 2025 season for the Panthers, who went 6-4 for their first season with a winning record in 10 years.
Named the Offensive Player of the Year in District 6-6A, Mosley paced Princeton in receiving yards (937) and receiving touchdowns (12). He was later named to the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 6A All-State Football team. He also hauled an interception near the goal line late in the fourth quarter to lift Princeton to a 41-34 win over Rock Hill.
Mosley amassed 2,248 receiving yards and 26 receiving touchdowns in his three years playing varsity football for Princeton.
On the baseball field, Mosley had good range in center field. On the basketball court, Mosley provided toughness in the paint and reliable scoring. As a junior, he was named to the district’s All-Defensive Team. As a senior, he helped lead Princeton to an 8-8 district record.
Marcus Flowers, boys’ basketball/football
After being thrust into the starting lineup late in his sophomore season following an injury to the team’s starting quarterback, Braeden Ratliff, Flowers proved that he was more than ready to take the reins of Princeton’s offense.
Taking advantage of his quick feet, decisiveness and accuracy, Flowers electrified a potent aerial attack for Princeton. The Panthers averaged 36.4 points per game during his final two seasons at Princeton, including a whopping 40.4 mark last fall.
In 24 games played, Flowers threw for 6,497 yards with 61 passing touchdowns and added 445 rushing yards with 10 rushing touchdowns.
On the basketball court, Flowers provided Princeton with a three-level scorer and had a relentless motor. Flowers was named to the District 6-6A honorable mention team during his senior season.
Will Smith, track and field
Focusing on the smallest of details has led to massive improvement for Smith.
That began with eating healthier. Cereal has been replaced with chicken and rice. Stretching at home has also become a priority for Smith.
After helping Princeton to break the school record in the boys 4×400 relay during the area meet in his junior season, Smith helped lead the Panthers back to the regional meet in that event this year.
Smith was also a regional qualifier in the boys’ 800-meter run. At the area meet, he placed third in 1:56.64. At the regional meet, Smith placed 11th with a 1:57.61.
Read the full story in the July 2nd edition. Stay informed — subscribe to The Princeton Herald.
0 Comments