After 16 varsity seasons, star close to elusive Texas title

Johnson City (Texas) Lyndon B. Johnson High baseball star Kris McDonald has tried just about everything to win a state title in some sport during his high school career. Now, he's finally closing in on one.

"We're pretty confident; we think that we have a pretty good chance at going all the way," McDonald told the Austin American-Stateman of the Johnson High baseball team, which will compete in the Texas Class A state semifinals on Wednesday. "We're just trying to stay focused and have fun and keep playing our best."

Across four years, McDonald has competed in a total of 16 varsity sports seasons, four each of football, basketball, baseball and track and field. In all those exploits, McDonald has excelled -- he was an honorable mention Class A All-State football wide receiver and reached the state track and field tournament in May.

Yet, according to the American-Statesman, that appearance in the state meet earned McDonald only a fourth place finish in the 110-meter hurdles and sixth place line crossing in the 300 hurdles, leaving just a final baseball playoff run as an opportunity to finish with a state crown.

Now, McDonald -- who flashes his speed while executing a picture perfect drag bunt at the 2:05 point of the video above -- is just two wins away from an elusive state title, one which would be the first crown earned at Johnson High in any sport since 1947.

That baseball success has come in large part due to McDonald's heroics. A speedy leadoff hitter, McDonald has batted .411 with an impressive on base percentage of .496. He has also stolen 19 bases while leading the Eagles to the state round of the baseball playoffs for the first time since 1980.

"He's just a super athlete," Johnson City baseball coach Randy Rutherford told the American-Statesman. "That's all I can say about him. He's incredible."

Now, McDonald gets to fight to get on base for a maximum of two more games before heading into a collegiate future that, surprisingly, will not include intercollegiate sports. The American-Statesman reported that McDonald will attend the University of North Texas to major in pre-med studies, passing over a football scholarship from Mary Hardin Baylor and track interest from a handful of small schools. Given the perseverance that McDonald has shown in school athletics, Prep Rally would be surprised if he wasn't seeing patients some 15 years from now.

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