Mallory Bankhead honored with plaque on wall

 May 8, 2025

By Clay Whittington

Belton Journal

The Lady Tigers have a long, rich history, and Mallory Bankhead is now officially cemented in it.

Since the turn of the century, Belton has established itself as one of the area’s premier programs, earning 19 district championships since 1999, including each of the last seven.

Along the way, numerous players have contributed to the success, and Bankhead will assume her spot as one of the most integral on May 17, when she is inducted into the Belton High School Athletic Wall of Honor.

For two seasons, the goalkeeper served as the Lady Tigers’ defensive anchor, recording 35 shutouts in 50 starts and allowing a combined 24 goals before transitioning to Abilene for her senior year.

While the statistics are impressive, they only tell part of Bankhead’s contributions.

Thanks in part to her unwavering performance in the net, Belton collected two of its league titles and made its first appearance in the regional final since 2001.

In 2023, as a junior, she was instrumental in the Lady Tigers’ historic run.

Prior to being eliminated by Georgetown in a shootout, falling 7-6 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 contest, Belton defeated College Station 2-0, Austin McCallum 6-0, College Station A&M Consolidated 3-0 and Port Neches Groves 2-1 as a Class 5A squad.

Along with spots on the all-district and allregion first teams, Bankhead was placed on the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches All-State Second Team for her efforts.

One year earlier, the Lady Tigers advanced to the third round of the Class 6A playoffs.

In addition to her performance in the net, Bankhead was also a standout volleyball player, landing on the all-district list as a middle hitter during her time at Belton, where she ranked in the top five percent of her class academically.

After graduating from Abilene, Bankhead embarked on her collegiate career at Dallas Baptist University — a nationally acclaimed NCAA Division II team.

Now, she returns home to join an acclaimed list of predecessors on the Wall of Honor.

A total of seven girls soccer players have received the accolade since 1999, including Abby Cargile and Katelyn Chrisman, who were inducted in 2022.

Along with Bankhead, Tigers football standout John Roach and Belton basketball alumni T.J. Johnson and Trap Johnson will be honored.

The Wall of Honor was created in 2001 as a way to immortalize former athletes and teams responsible for leaving an undeniable mark on the athletic program.

Originally, 71 alumni with ties as far back as to the school’s opening in 1909 were inducted, and over the years, the list has continued to grow.