Convenience Big Store: No Houston squads won a state football title for the first time in 6 years.

END OF YEAR SALE: 6 MONTHS FOR 99¢!
Start 2023 as a digital subscriber. Subscribe Today.

Houston area goes without a state football title for the first time since 2016.

After three failed attempts on the biggest stage in Texas, Duncanville finally broke through.

The Panthers claimed the Class 6A Division I state championship with a 28-21 victory against North Shore, which had beaten Duncanville in three previous matchups (2018, 2019, 2021).

North Shore (15-1) was seeking its sixth title, but the Mustangs came up just short. Quarterback David Amador was stopped just inches short on a fourth-and-4 run with 1:04 remaining and the Duncanville defense stood tall at their own 15-yard line and put the game on ice.

"I couldn't be prouder of them," North Shore coach Jon Kay said of his players. "Just so happy that they understand, again, if you're going to get in the ring, you've got to be prepared for something like this. I think the one thing I love about our kids more than anything — they don't fear failure. They've got the courage to get in there and mix it up. You can't say that about everybody."

Three weekend takeaways

No titles for Houston: For the first time since 2016, the Houston area finished without a state football title. The Mustangs (15-1) were the only local squad to reach Arlington after Katy was eliminated by Vandegrift in the semifinals. Since the last time the area was shut out, Cy-Fair (2017), North Shore (2018, 2019, 2021), Shadow Creek (2019), Katy (2020) and Paetow (2021) have all reached the mountaintop.

Looking to the future: While North Shore came up short this time around, there is plenty of optimism for the future. Several key players will be returning next season, including sophomore quarterback Kaleb Bailey, who was injured in the fifth game of the 2022 campaign and never returned. He led the Mustangs to a state title as a freshman and is already receiving Division I offers.

Thanks to our readers: Saturday's state championship game officially put a bow on our high school football coverage for the year. I would like to thank all of our readers for following along as we aimed to bring you the sharpest, most in-depth and wide-ranging coverage of the Houston area. I would also like to thank our staff writers — Rob Tate, Dennis Silva, Marcus Gutierrez, Jack Marrion, Ted Dunnam and Al Montaño — for all of their hard work over the past several months. We are excited to bring you even more coverage of high school athletics in 2023.

Follow all our coverage at houstonchronicle.com/highschoolsports.

Jon Poorman
High School Sports Editor
jpoorman@hcnonline.com

Athletes of the Week

Vote for our high school Athletes of the Week. This week's nominees include some of the top football and basketball performances from across the Houston area. We'll share the winners in Thursday's newsletter.

Vote in the girls poll here.

Vote in the boys poll here.

Hoops highlights

Atascocita falls in big matchup: Atascocita coach David Martinez has a young team — one that doesn't have a ton of varsity experience. It was noticeable when No. 3 state-ranked Beaumont United defeated the No. 21 Eagles 58-46 in the District 21-6A opener for both teams Friday night.

Taylor remains perfect in district: Katy Taylor trailed for much of Friday's close district clash at Mayde Creek. But the Mustangs' final lead came on their final shot, as Reece Hymowitz's jumper with 10 seconds left proved to be the game-winner in a 52-51 victory.

Boys basketball top performers | Boys basketball power rankings

Girls basketball top performers | Girls basketball power rankings

More state football

Aledo wins record 11th title: Aledo (14-2) claimed its record 11th UIL state title Saturday afternoon with a resounding 52-14 victory against College Station in the Class 5A Division I championship game. The triumph also marked the eighth state title for Aledo coach Tim Buchanan.

DeSoto claims first crown since 2016: DeSoto pulled away from Austin Vandegrift in the second half and earned a 42-17 victory over the Vipers in the Class 6A Division II championship game. DeSoto (14-2) claimed its first state crown in 2016, but this one was the first under Claude Mathis, who has coached the program in two stints from 2008 to 2014 and 2019 to present.

Carthage coach makes history: Carthage coach Scott Surratt is now breathing rarified air. Surratt tied Gordon Wood and Jerry Burkhart for the most state championship wins for a coach in UIL history, picking up No. 9 on Friday afternoon with a 42-0 victory over Wimberly in the 4A Division II title game.

China Spring defends title, stuns Boerne: Thomas Barr's 20-yard field goal as time expired lifted China Spring to a 24-21 victory as the Cougars (15-1) rallied from a three-touchdown deficit.

Shout out

Former Magnolia West star John Matocha was announced Friday as the winner of the Harlon Hill Award, handed out annually to the NCAA Division II college football player of the year. Matocha guided the Colorado School of Mines to the national championship game Saturday, which the Orediggers lost against Ferris State. He finished his senior campaign with 4,778 passing yards and 52 touchdowns.

Stat of the day

Stafford High School graduate Jalen Pitre currently leads the Houston Texans in tackles (117) and interceptions (3) in his rookie season. He recorded 13 tackles, including eight solo stops, during a 30-24 overtime loss against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon. Read Brian T. Smith's column on Pitre, who he says represents hope for the struggling franchise.