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October 02, 2023

With blowouts galore, big matchups loom for top football teams.

Plus: See nominees for our Athlete of the Week polls.  ͏  ͏  ͏
High School Sports Insider

October 2, 2023


Last week was filled with blowouts. But big matchups are looming for the top Houston-area football teams.

When it comes to high school football, the difference between good and great can be an immense gap.

We saw plenty of that this week as nearly 60 percent of all the Class 6A, 5A and 4A games involving Houston-area teams were essentially blowouts with the bar for that distinction being set with a three-touchdown margin. More than 35 percent of the contests were decided by 30-plus points, and 24 percent were decided by 40-plus points.

North Shore showed why it's ranked No. 2 in the state with a 38-point victory against a previously unbeaten C.E. King team. Ridge Point claimed a 28-point win against a previously unbeaten George Ranch squad. State-ranked teams Summer Creek, Atascocita, Lamar, Willis, Tomball Memorial, Fulshear and Fort Bend Marshall each won by at least three touchdowns.

With only five weeks remaining in the regular season, we'll see some big matchups for the cream of the crop. North Shore, Atascocita and Summer Creek all need to play each other in District 21-6A action. Willis and The Woodlands seem to be on a collision course for the District 13-6A title. Tomball Memorial takes on defending District 15-6A co-champion Klein Collins this week. Fulshear has a challenging matchup against Magnolia West looming this month.

So, buckle up. We should be treated to an exciting five week-stretch as the playoffs draw closer and closer.

Three weekend takeaways

Is D.J. Lagway human? It seems to be a legitimate question these days. The five-star Willis quarterback is putting up numbers that are not of this world. Lagway logged another eye-popping stat line — albeit against a winless Cleveland team — during a 75-14 victory Friday night. He passed for 338 yards and eight touchdowns, bringing his season total to 31 through six games. The Florida commit has the Wildkats off to a 6-0 start, and he was an easy selection for our top performers list this week.

King of the Hill: Katy has a knack for churning out talented running backs. But when the Tigers' all-time leading rusher Seth Davis graduated last year, there were questions about who would carry that banner in 2023. Senior Romel Jordan initially answered the call and performed admirably until he was injured in Week 4. In the two games since, sophomore Tremayne Hill has been excellent. He's piled up 345 yards and three touchdowns in victories over Morton Ranch and Jordan.

Record-setting performance: Ridge Point quarterback Austin Carlisle showed flashes of the player he could become when he took over as the Panthers' starter as a sophomore. The junior signal-caller has taken things up a notch this season. Carlisle tossed a program-record six touchdown passes and completed 74 percent of his passes for 350 yards during a blowout victory against a previously unbeaten George Ranch team. Ridge Point has won four straight games in district play.

Note to coaches: Submit scores and stats on game nights by emailing hssports@houstonchronicle.com.

Follow all our coverage at houstonchronicle.com/highschoolsports.

Photo of Jon Poorman

Jon Poorman, High School Sports Editor

jpoorman@houstonchronicle.com


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Athlete of the Week

This week's batch of nominees features a quarterback who had a perfect game, a volleyball player who posted a career-best performance, cross country runners who thrived against the state's top competition and water polo standouts who helped their teams capture key victories. Check out the nominees and vote for your favorite. Voting closes at midnight Wednesday, and the winners will be recognized in Thursday's newsletter.

VOTE for Girls Athlete of the Week

VOTE for Boys Athlete of the Week


Shout out

Former Lamar standout D'Shawn Jamison is making the most of his NFL opportunity.

During the Carolina Panthers' 21-13 loss against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the undrafted free agent cornerback out of Texas contributed with key blocks as teammate Sam Franklin returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown.

Jamison, who also made a tackle and broke up a pass, sprinted up the sideline and cleared the way for Franklin with a devastating block on Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. He then landed a shot on receiver K.J. Osborn as Franklin crossed the goal line. While his team ultimately lost the game, Jamison earned a lot of praise on social media for his hustle on the play.

Watch the full play here. Jamison is No. 29, but you'll easily be able to spot him.


Stat of the day

167: The total combined yardage on six touchdowns scored by Stratford quarterback Aaron DeLeon. The senior signal-caller threw four touchdown passes and rushed for two scores as the Spartans ran roughshod over Cypress Creek on Saturday. DeLeon has passed for 1,388 yards and 18 touchdowns against six interceptions through five games this season.

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