In the last 3 seasons, there hasn’t been a more dominant team in Texas high school football than the North Shore Mustangs. The team has a 45-2 overall record during this time and has two 6A state championships in 2018 and 2019. They also won it all in 2015.
Last season, they went 14-1 but lost to Westlake in the state semifinals, 24-21. The loss snapped a 29-game win streak and Westlake went on to win the state championship the following week. Jon Kay was the District Coach of the Year.
The Mustang class of 2021 did an outstanding job over the course of their career and several key players will go on to play at big-time college programs. Dematrius Davis will play at Auburn, Jaeden Roberts is at Alabama, and Shadrach Banks stayed in state and is attending TCU. Charles King signed with Houston Baptist.
2021 Overview
For this up coming season, the Mustangs have a lot of great players returning on both sides of the ball. They have six 1st Team All-District performers back along with five 2nd Team All-District players. They also return the District Defensive Player of the Year, Denver Harris.
North Shore opens the 2021 season with a big game on the road against Shadow Creek. They will have a few tough tests in the regular season but are definitely the favorites to win their district.
Offense
The Mustangs will have a fresh start on offense with a new starting quarterback this season. Davis graduated after an amazing run the last 4 years. The team will look at a few new signal-callers with Darrell Michael Jean, a 6’1 185-pound junior, and Wedell Mitchell, another 2023 prospect. Both players got reps in the spring and will battle it out in training camp to see who the starter will be.
On the offensive line, the Mustangs lost Jaeden Roberts, a 6’5 star that signed with Alabama. Talmadge Pounds (2023) and Omarion Dudley (2023) return after both earned 2nd Team All-District honors. Chandler White (2022), Daylon “Tank” Manuel (2022), Joseph Sifuentes (2023), and Tyler Edwards (2023) will all contribute to the offensive line this season. One key newcomer that transferred in is Tadderick Mathis from Houston Heights high school. The 6-foot-3 290-pound right tackle gives the Mustangs more size and talent up front.
On the outside, Jhalyn Bailey and David Amador were impact players at wide receiver. Bailey, a 6-foot-1 185-pound senior, was a 1st Team All-District performer and has offers from Colorado and New Mexico. Amador, a 6-foot-1 185-pound junior, was 2nd Team All-District last season.
A few Mustangs that have star potential and will be difference-makers in the passing game are Joseph Richard and Kaleb Thomas. Richard is a 6-foot-4 190-pound receiver and is a sleeper in the 2022 recruiting class. Thomas is a 6-foot-4 220-pound sophomore tight end that is a future Power 5 player. Keep an eye out for Nessiah Dunham (2022) and Jaden Harris (2022). They are receivers that have been flying under the radar and will have big senior seasons.
At running back, the Mustangs will give the rock to senior Xavier Owens. Owens is a 5-foot-8 175-pound workhorse that has the speed, wiggle, and will finish runs with authority. Damon Ford and Rashaad Johnson are 2023 backs that will get touches and make plays for this Mustang offense.
Defense
The Mustang defense is led by 5-star national prospect Denver Harris. Harris is a 6-foot-1 180-pound senior defensive back that has racked up 39 scholarship offers. He will choose between Texas, Texas A&M, Alabama, and LSU.
Also in the secondary, Jacoby Davis is a 4-star corner that earned 1st Team All-District and has 9 Power 5 offers. He is one of the best in the 2023 class. Ta’Von Griffin (2022) was 1st Team All-District and Caleb Flagg (2022) was 2nd Team All-District. Jayven Anderson is a big safety at 6-foot-1 200-pounds and is a 2023 prospect that will be high on college recruiting boards when this season is over.
In the middle at linebacker, Kent Battle will return after an outstanding junior season. The 5-foot-10 200-pounder has speed that will frustrate opposing offenses and he brings an intensity to the game that is contagious. He has 1 offer from Louisiana. Dillon Dixon, a 6-foot-0 215-pound sophomore is talented and expected to play a lot.
In the trenches, North Shore has size, experience, and is loaded with high caliber prospects. Kristopher Ross is the leader in the middle and was 1st Team All-District as a junior. The 6-foot-3 250-pound senior is committed to Texas. Jacoby Brass (6’2” 230) was 1st Team and Ronald Wilson (2022) was 2nd Team All-District.
Another elite recruit is senior Tai Leonard. Leonard is a 6-foot-4 240-pound edge rusher that is athletic, strong, and gets into the backfield. He has offers from Colorado, Washington State, Purdue, SMU, Houston, and about 10 other Division 1 colleges. Jonavon Jones (6’2” 228) and Jaylon Joseph (6’3” 230) are two more defensive ends that have potential and will provide depth.
2021 Outlook
North Shore has been a national powerhouse team and have 4 state championships. Defensively, they have all the weapons they need at all 3 levels to go the distance. This team will be tough to score on and are better across the board than last year’s team that only gave up 14 points per game. Harris, Davis, Leonard, Battle, and Ross are 5 elite defensive players that can all dominate and shut down opposing offenses.
Offensively, they are thin and lack some size on the offensive line. They have a new quarterback that has big shoes to fill. Their receiving core is outstanding and has several big-play threats. The running game will be solid with Owens.
This team will make another deep run in the playoffs. They are too talented to have any kind of early exit. If they can get solid production from their new starting quarterback and can sustain drives in the big games, look for North Shore to secure their 5th state championship in school history.
