North Shore capped off a perfect season in 2018 by beating Duncanville 41-36 in dramatic fashion to secure the Texas 6A Division 1 State Championship. A 45-yard hail mary touchdown catch as time expired could give the Mustangs the nod for the greatest finish to a Texas high school football game ever. Two undefeated heavyweights slugging it out with the state championship on the line in front of 42,000 fans at AT&T Stadium, and a completed hail mary determines the outcome. A miraculous way to end the perfect 16-0 season for the Mustangs and a heartbreaking loss for Duncanville.
The Mustangs beat Katy twice, knocked off defending 2017 state champs Cypress Fairbanks, and they gave Lake Travis their worst loss in school history. They are definitely in the conversation as one of the best Texas high school football teams of all time.
The state championship victory helped North Shore earn the #2 overall ranking in the final USAToday Top 25 National Poll. Head coach Jon Kay earned District Coach of the Year honors and also won the 6A State Championship back in 2015 in his second season.
The Mustangs will always cherish the 2018 season, but that chapter is over and the 2019 season is right around the corner. The reality is the Mustangs lost a lot of great players that will be difficult to replace. Dorian Hewitt (USC), Keeyon Stewart (TCU), Tony Bradford (Texas Tech), Damarcus Thomas (McNeese State), Jordan Revels (Texas State), 7 other players that made All-District, and you can’t forget AJ Carter (Utah State) who caught the hail mary to win the state championship.
Offense
The four main reasons North Shore will be a contender and the favorites to repeat in 2019 are because of Dematrius Davis (6’0 195, QB), Zachary Evans (6’1 207, RB), Shadrach Banks (6’0 200, WR), and Damieon George (6’7 348, OT). All of them return after an outstanding season last year and they all are hungry to defend their title. These 4 players have received a combined 120+ and counting Division 1 scholarship offers.
Dematrius was 19-of-28 for 333 passing yards and 5 touchdowns in the state finals, including the hail mary pass on the last play of the game. He finished the 2018 season throwing for 3,350 yards, 43 touchdown passes and completed 71.6% of his passes. The 2nd Team All-State quarterback is a special talent and difference-maker in the 2021 recruiting class.
Zachary Evans by some media outlets is the #1 overall player in the nation and arguably the best since Adrian Peterson and Leonard Fournette. He rushed for 1,785 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior. His two year total is 3,246 rushing yards and 56 touchdowns. He is the total package. Opponents know they have to stop him and they still haven’t been able to over the last couple of years. John Gentry (5’11 180, RB) is another offensive weapon that earned 2nd Team All-District honors and gives the Mustangs a nice 1-2 punch in the running game.
Shadrach Banks stepped up huge in the state championship game with 9 catches for 179 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. The 2021 junior sensation received an Oklahoma offer two hours after the state finals game and has blown up since on a national level. He will be Davis’ go-to target in the passing game.
Damieon George is a massive offensive tackle that is the anchor up front for the Mustangs. The 2020 prospect towers over opposing defenders and has all the tools that Power 5 colleges want in a recruit. He will protect Davis and open up big holes for Evans, and will also be asked to lead a young offensive line group that has to replace four other starters.
Zorhan Rideaux (5’10 170, WR), Caleb Rawls (5’11 175, ATH), Colton Price (6’7 215, TE), and Edzavier DeBlaw (6’3 315, OG) are all talented players that will contribute on offense.
Defense
North Shore’s defense had 4 shutouts and only allowed 12 points per game last season. The defense will be led by Corey Flagg (6’0 215) at linebacker and a talented secondary that has a lot of depth. Flagg earned 3rd Team All-State honors last season and is ready to take on more responsibility.
Upton Stout (5’9 170) was a 1st Team All-District defensive back as a junior. Joseph Wilson (6’1 180) will be a senior and earned 2nd Team All-District. Perry Wells (5’8 160) will be a great addition at cornerback. He transferred in from St. Pius X. Jaiden Scott (6’0 172) and Jhalyn Bailey (6’0 180) are two 2022 safeties that have loads of talent. The secondary has a nice mixture of veterans and young talent.
The defensive line is the one area on the team that will be inexperienced and needs some younger players to contribute early. Lucas Barnes (6’0 205) is a junior that will likely start at defensive end.
Rivalry Game
The Mustangs will have a bullseye on their back all season and will get everyone’s A-game. The team that wants revenge more than anyone is their Week 1 opponent, Katy Tigers. North Shore beat them twice last year; in Week 1 and again in the playoffs. Outside of Duncanville, Katy challenged the Mustangs the most. The Tigers is the last team to beat North Shore in the 2017 playoffs. North Shore also beat Katy 20-17 in the 2016 playoffs to advance to the 6A semifinals. These teams have developed a heated rivalry and we expect the same on August 30 when they square off again to open the 2019 season.
2019 Outlook
North Shore will definitely have obstacles to overcome throughout the season and will be inexperienced on the offensive and defensive lines. The Mustangs do have a fearsome foursome that are unique talents that don’t come around too often. A clutch dual-threat quarterback, the #1 running back in the nation, a 6’7 348-pound right tackle, and maybe the top receiver in the 2021 class, all of them craving the big game and wanting to repeat. Can anyone dethrone these champions?
