TOMBALL, Texas — The Tomball Cougars are the UIL 6A state champions for the first time since 2013.
It's still soaking in for catcher Cade Arrimbide.
"I can't describe it," he said. "You remember it happening, you remember the way it felt, but you just can't describe it."
The success didn't come as a surprise for head coach Doug Rush, who has been with the program for 13 years.
"I knew we had the talent to -- this group of guys are such great kids and they're such high-character kids," Rush said.
The team, which won 30 games in a row to end the season, had a mix of everything.
"Our team chemistry," Arrimbide said.
Two young arms helped carry the load. Class of 2026 pitchers C.J. Sampson and Karson Reeder were a dominant force, going a combined 27-1 on the season. Reeder and Sampson also combined to strike out 217 batters in 187.2 innings.
"This team is unbelievable -- nobody fights. We all just get along," Reeder said.
The batterymate to all the arm talent -- Arrimbide -- is an LSU commit who, on top of a championship season, received the highest honor in high school sports -- the Gatorade Texas Baseball Player of the Year.
"It's almost like a payout for all the hard work I've put in. None of this would have been possible if it wasn't for my coaches, my teammates, everybody," Arrimbide said.
Tomball brought the hardware back to the Houston area and turned the Texas baseball landscape into Cougar Country.