The semester is almost over, meaning fall sports are pretty much done and now is the time to congratulate some people for having great seasons.
TCU Athletics Fall MVP: Junior defensive end Jerry Hughes.
Hughes has already been named the Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year after finishing the regular season with a nation-leading, MWC-record 14 sacks. Hughes also recorded six forced fumbles, 18.5 tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions and one pick returned for a touchdown. You could basically write a song to replace “The 12 Days of Christmas” based on Hughes’ season.
Because of these stellar numbers, Hughes is now ranked No. 13 on Scouts Inc.’s Top 32 NFL prospects on ESPN’s NFL Draft page. We have to wait and see if he will seize the opportunity he has to go to the draft now or play another season for the Frogs.
TCU Athletics Fall Best Newcomer: Freshman forward Jordan Calhoun.
Calhoun set a new school record for goals scored in a season with 15. She also had two assists in her freshman campaign. Those 17 points put her on top of the MWC in points, points per game, goals, goals per game and game-winning goals. Of Calhoun’s 15 goals, six of them were game-winners and three were game-tiers. Calhoun was named the MWC freshman of the year and named a finalist for the Soccer News Net Player of the Year Award.
TCU Athletics Fall Best Coach: Dan Abdalla, Soccer
While football coach Gary Patterson might be getting the most publicity, Abdalla led the Lady Frogs to a 14-4-2 record, best in school history. The team finished third in the MWC during the regular season and won its first round game in the conference tournament. The team was also on the bubble to get into the NCAA Tournament but fell just short of qualifying. The team will be losing just two seniors and will have plenty to build on for years to come.
TCU Athletics Fall Best Team: Football
The football team finished the regular season 10-2 and have now won 40 games over the last four seasons, tying a school record. The team is also two missed field goals away from a BCS berth and one of 18 teams remaining in the hunt for one of those coveted bowls. While the Frogs are likely to be going to the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, this was still a successful season and because of that, the team’s recruiting class will be the best in school history and next year’s team could be a favorite to win the MWC and get to that BCS bowl.
Overall, this has been a great semester in TCU athletics. Thanks to all of you players, coaches and administrators for making it possible.
Billy Wessels is a senior news-editorial major from Waxahachie.
