Summer Creek’s three seniors in 2024 Bayou Bowl

For the past 20 years, the Bayou Bowl has been one of Texas’s premier All-Star football games. On June 8, at Barbers Hill Stadium, the game featured three Summer Creek standout seniors: wide receiver Caleb Welch, offensive lineman Kekulani Va’enuku, and running back J’Qwalin Harvey.

“Games like these are very important for seniors who are still searching to get film or those just going out and playing their last high school game,” said Summer Creek head football coach Kenny Harrison.

Last season, Summer Creek finished second in 6A Region III District 21. They appeared in the 6A Division 2 state championship game but fell short against DeSoto High School.

“This game is very important, especially for these young men. After our last game in the state championship, we came up short, but for our seniors to get this opportunity to showcase their skills one last time was huge,” said Harrison.

Welch and Va’enuku will both be playing at Benedictine College next season.

“I chose Benedictine College because they showed me a lot of interest and made me feel welcomed while presenting me a good opportunity to play at the next level,” said Welch.

“The coaching staff was extremely helpful and caring. Coach Merfeld was easily accessible and easy to communicate with,” said Va’enuku. “I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints and wish to go on a 2-year mission trip. I talked to the coaches, and they’ve approved me to go on my mission trip and still come back to join the team afterward.”

While Welch and Va’enuku have decided where they will play next season, Harvey decided to use the Bayou Bowl All-Star game as an opportunity to showcase his skills and gather more on-field footage.

“I’ll be attending Blinn College but I won’t be playing football. I’m playing in the Bayour Bowl so I can get more film to continue my journey of showing colleges I have what it takes to play on the next level,” said Harvey.

This past season, Welch, a 6A Region III District 21 first-team all-district award winner, had 52 receptions, 720 yards, and 7 Touchdowns. He hoped to show the coaches that he has what it takes to be successful at the next level.

“I wanted to show the doubters they missed out on a valuable player. I feel during the recruiting process I was overlooked, but I just needed to push myself harder,” said Welch.

“At Summer Creek we had a motto, ‘Rain, hail, sleet, or snow, the Bulldogs gotta go.’ We put a big emphasis on ‘no matter the conditions,’ we’re putting in that work,” said Va’enuku.

Summer Creek’s 3 seniors being selected to play in the Bayou Bowl speaks to the development, hard work and positive cohesion of their program. As these athletes move forward, the Bayou Bowl stands as a pivotal moment in their transition to the next level of their football careers.