Stephen Whitaker

Sam is the Sports Editor for the Pleasanton Express. He brings nearly seven years of sports media experience. He is a 2017 graduate of Angelo State University, where he played three years as the punter for the Rams.


Latest Articles:

No. 11 Charlotte’s late push secures foothold of 31-2A

The No. 11-ranked Charlotte Trojanettes used a big sixth inning to propel them to a commanding two-game lead in District 31-2A. Charlotte (17-4, 4-0) beat the Three Rivers Bulldogs 12-7 on Thursday night. The Trojanettes batted around in the bottom of the sixth to score five runs and extend their lead to six before Three Rivers added a run in... READ MORE >

Pleasanton sending 22 to area meet

The Pleasanton track teams had a solid showing at the District 27-4A meet in Cuero on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Eagles and Lady Eagles will be sending a total of 22 runners to the area meet in Wimberley on Thursday, April 15. The Lady Eagles are sending 11 total athletes, including their 400- and 800-meter relay teams. They will also... READ MORE >

Late goal sinks Eagle women’s soccer

A goal in the final 19 minutes ended the Pleasanton Eagles women’s soccer team’s playoff run. Canyon Lake’s Maddie Pipkin was able to slide a 1-on-1 shot under senior goalkeeper Sydney Merecka in the 61st minute to eventually hand Pleasanton (14-10-1) a 2-1 loss in the area round of the playoffs on Tuesday night at Alamo Heights’ Harry B. Orem... READ MORE >

Pleasanton downs Beeville in shootout

The Pleasanton Eagles women’s soccer team had to fight through 100 minutes and then some on Friday to keep their playoff streak alive. The Eagles (14-9-1) beat Beeville Jones 3-1 in a shootout after the teams maintained a scoreless draw for 80 minutes of regulation and 20 of extra time. The win sent Pleasanton through to the area round of... READ MORE >

VIDEO: Late heroics, grit power Eagles past Palacios

BEEVILLE — The Pleasanton Eagles needed late heroics and a lot of grit to get past the Palacios Sharks in the bi-district round of the Class 4A soccer playoffs. The Eagles (11-7-1) won 3-2 in extra time on Thursday after falling behind 1-0 in the first seven minutes of the game. It was the first playoff win since 2018 for... READ MORE >

Pleasanton’s first half flurry secures third place

The Pleasanton Eagles women’s soccer team scored at will on Thursday. The Eagles (12-9-3, 7-3-1) beat Somerset 5-0, scoring all five goals in the first half. Pleasanton scored their first two in the match’s first 10 minutes. It was an encouraging sign that the Eagles could be finding their form before playoffs start. “It was a little nerve-racking during warm-ups.... READ MORE >

Sauceda’s gem powers Pleasanton past Uvalde

Pleasanton sophomore Max Sauceda knew he had momentum on his side in Tuesday’s tilt with Uvalde. The right-handed pitcher helped the Eagles (13-5) throw a combined no-hitter in a win over Dilley on Saturday at the Pearsall tournament. Sauceda used that momentum to toss another gem in Pleasanton’s 2-0 win over the Coyotes in their home opener. Sauceda threw five-and-two-thirds... READ MORE >

Cruz, Trojanettes no-hit Leakey

The Charlotte Trojanettes dominated their 32-2A opener behind the pitching of sophomore Angel Cruz. The Trojanettes (12-2) won 18-0 in three innings against Leakey on Tuesday, March 9, and Cruz pitched a no-hitter. Because Leakey, a first-year varsity program, is aligned in the Class 1A side of the district, the game did not count toward either team’s district record as... READ MORE >

Eagles cruise by rival Aggies

The Pleasanton Eagles made quick work of their county rivals, the Poteet Aggies, on Monday, March 8. The Eagles (8-5) beat the Aggies (1-9) 15-1 in five innings at Poteet. Each of Pleasanton’s starting nine scored a run in the lopsided affair. It was a rebound for Pleasanton after going 1-3 at the Llano tournament over the weekend. “I knew... READ MORE >

No. 25 Santa Rosa ends Jourdanton’s magical run

The Jourdanton Indians finally met their match. The Indians (20-2) fell behind early in their 67-58 regional semifinal loss to No. 25-ranked Santa Rosa on Friday. While they were able to cut the deficit on multiple occasions, their comeback bids fell short. Instead of focusing on what could’ve been after the game, Jourdanton decided to look at what was during... READ MORE >