When it comes to high school sports spectacles across the country, Texas might stand alone.
As the UIL football state championships get underway this week, we get yet another reminder of how special high school athletics can be and what an achievement it is to reach this stage.
When the playoffs began, 704 teams across all six classifications were ready to compete.
There are now just 24 remaining, and only 12 will be crowned state champions.
Three of those teams are from the Houston area, and all three have amazing stories.
North Shore is who we expected to be here. The Mustangs (15-0) have been the most dominant Houston-area program in recent years and will compete in their fifth state title game in six years.
Summer Creek isn't a Cinderella by any means. The Bulldogs are making their first state appearance, but they've proven to be one of the top teams in Texas with their performances all season.
Bellville is playing in its fist state title game since 1977. The town of Bellville has a population of just over 4,000, and they might all be in Arlington on Friday afternoon to cheer on their beloved Brahmas.
We've got plenty of state preview content coming this week, so stay tuned, and get ready for the action.
Three weekend takeaways
H-Town vs. Big D: The loaded Saturday schedule for the UIL state football championships reads like a poster for a major pay-per-view boxing card. At the top of the marquee is the battle for the undisputed heavyweight belt. North Shore vs. Duncanville V. Enough said. The co-main event isn't too shabby either as Summer Creek takes on No. 5 nationally-ranked DeSoto. It's Houston vs. Dallas, y'all.
Can't stop the Creek: Summer Creek will become the first Humble ISD program to play for a football state championship this week when it takes the field against defending champion DeSoto. The Bulldogs have been building up to this moment since coach Kenny Harrison took over the program in 2018. Now, they have arrived on the biggest stage and have a chance to bring home some hardware.
Mr. Texas Football? North Shore quarterback Kaleb Bailey is one of 10 finalists for the prestigious Mr. Texas Football Player of the Year award, handed out by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Bailey, a junior, will play a key role for the Mustangs against Duncanville on Saturday. He was named the state title game offensive MVP as a freshman in 2021 when North Shore defeated the Panthers.
No comments:
Post a Comment