Chicken Express and Dave Campbell’s Texas Football are partnering to honor the heroes in your community. Male and female student-athletes that lead by example on the field of play and in the classroom can be honored as Chicken Express Community Heroes and receive scholarship money to continue their education beyond high school.

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Mineral Wells’ Reagan Carter 

When the Carter family moved from the metroplex to Mineral Wells about seven years ago, Reagan Carter’s father didn’t want her to miss out on the opportunity to continue to play select soccer at the highest level. 

To ensure Reagan was able to maintain the same routine on the soccer field, her father made the two-hour drive to and from DFW for select practice and goalie training – sometimes as many as four to five times a week. 

“Not only has that made me the player that I am today,” Carter said. “But it also allowed me to build an amazing relationship with my dad, who is also my biggest fan.”

Carter has given her biggest fan, and all of Mineral Wells, a lot to cheer for over the years. The Lady Rams went four rounds deep in the playoffs in 2017, when Carter was a first-team all-state goalkeeper. In 2018, Mineral Wells won two playoff games and Carter was named the district goalkeeper MVP and was an honorable mention all-state selection. 

Carter was again the district goalie MVP in 2019 as the Lady Rams recorded a playoff win for the fifth consecutive year. Carter also starred on the tennis court and advanced to regionals on a girls doubles team last season. 

Now, Carter – who has 43 career shutouts and 593 saves in three high school seasons – plans to graduate a semester early in December before playing soccer and studying biology at Eastern New Mexico University. 

“I am looking forward to all the new opportunities that college will bring,” Carter said. “Because I will start in January, I will have the opportunity to spring train with my team and get to know the system and expectations of the coaching staff. I am excited about getting to play at the next level and with new players who are as motivated as I am.” 

Carter’s dedication off the field has resulted in her completing 21 dual credit college hours, and she is involved in National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Interact Club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. 

Carter has passed her talent on the soccer field on to younger members of the community, offering goalie training for youth soccer players in the local rec league. She helped organize a fundraiser and raised more than $3,000 for a former Mineral Wells coach who was diagnosed with brain cancer, and also volunteers with the Meals on Wheels program. 

“Younger students in the community look up to high school athletes,” Carter said. “One of my favorite pictures is me with two under-10 goalies that I train after we won one of our playoff games. When I deliver Meals on Wheels, some of the people recognize me from pictures that are in the newspaper after games. 

“It’s a good opportunity for me to be a positive reflection of the students in our school – MWISD is a big part of the community and anytime I can do something to bring positivity to the school, I definitely want to.”

Wylie East’s Dylan Deere

When Wylie East senior Dylan Deere was a middle school athlete, he said the only reason he saw the field was because he knew the playbook like the back of his hand. 

But after progressing over the years and continuously improving his skillset, Deere was able to carve out a role for himself as a senior. He caught 16 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns, solidifying himself as the Raiders’ fourth leading receiver. 

In addition to making an impact catching the ball, Deere stood out as a senior leader on a predominately young team under first-year head coach Mike Dormady. Deere earned a handful of leadership and character awards within the program and was an academic all-state honorable mention in the fall. 

“It was tough going 1-9 in my last year of playing football,” Deere said. “But we had a very young team this year, and my goal throughout the season was to instill a leadership mentality into all of them so that I could leave Wylie East with a bright future for its team.”

Off the field, Deere contributed in the community as a leader within his church’s youth group, where he helped the organization grow tremendously over the last few years. Deere has embarked on several mission trips, including one to Chicago in 2016 that involved serving at a school for underprivileged kids. 

“I enjoy helping out in the community because it makes me happy when I can improve somebody else’s life, whether it’s a big improvement or a small one,” Deere said. “I’ve always believed that if you take the time to just help one person, it will start a chain reaction throughout the community.”

After graduating from Wylie East in May, Deere plans to attend Texas Tech to study business. Deere wants to stay involved in the athletic world and hopes to pursue a career in sports marketing.