North Shore comes from behind to top Summer Creek

North Shore senior RB Kaden Brandley dives for the
end zone for a touchdown.
Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loco Photography
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved 

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 9, 2026)  The North Shore Mustangs reminded everyone why they’re the defending Class 6A Division I state champions Friday night, roaring back from a 14-point hole to edge the Summer Creek Bulldogs 28-27 in a District 17-6A district matchup at Turner Stadium.

The No. 3-ranked Mustangs improved to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in district, stretching their winning streak to 13 games while exacting a measure of revenge for last season’s 27-0 regular-season finale loss to the Bulldogs.

For much of the night, though, it looked like Summer Creek was ready to pull off the upset. The Bulldogs seized control early when defensive back Caleb White scooped up a missed field goal and raced 107 yards the other way for a touchdown. White added an interception later, and Summer Creek’s defense kept the high-powered Mustangs offense in check long enough to build a 21-7 third-quarter lead.

North Shore refused to fold. Quarterback Javoris Taylor started the rally with a pair of touchdown strikes, while the Mustang ground game finally found traction. The comeback reached its peak with just 1:20 remaining when running back punched in a 5-yard touchdown to make it 26-21. Amari Louisville then converted the two-point try, giving North Shore a 28-21 advantage.

Summer Creek wasn’t done. White returned the ensuing kickoff 64 yards, setting up Braylin Causey’s touchdown on the very next play to pull the Bulldogs within one. But North Shore’s special teams answered the call, blocking the extra-point attempt and recovering the subsequent onside kick to seal the dramatic victory.

The Bulldogs drop to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in district play.

Pasadena concludes Jason Landers volleyball tournament with win

Story and photo by Chris Price
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

AUSTIN, TEXAS (August 15, 2026) The Pasadena High School varsity volleyball team concluded the three-day Jason Landers Tournament on Saturday with two matches in the Round 3, Group 1, Bronze Bracket, contested at Austin High School.

The Lady Eagles dropped their first match of the day 13-25, 18-25 to the Texas School for the Deaf. The lost placed them in the consolation game of the bracket, where they downed Manor New Technology High School 27-25, 25-21 to finish third place in the bracket,

Overall, Pasadena placed 15th out of the 30 teams competing in the tournament. After one day of rest and recovery on Sunday and training on Monday, they will face off against Pasadena ISD rival South Houston High School to begin District 20-5A competition. The freshmen and junior varsity action will begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by the varsity match at 5:30 p.m. at Pasadena High School.

Kingwood downs Forney on PKs for state title

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

GEORGETOWN, TEXAS (April 11, 2026) The Kingwood girls soccer team brought home the UIL Class 6A Division II state title on Saturday. The Mustangs beat Forney in a thrilling match that went to penalty kicks. It was an exciting day for Houston soccer fans.

The game took place in Georgetown, Texas. Forney scored first in the opening half. Addison Smith put the ball in the net about 33 minutes into the match. Kingwood stayed strong and kept fighting.
With just 46 seconds left in regular time, Kingwood senior midfielder Tyler Weaver (shown above right, white kit) tied the score at 1-1. Her goal sent the game into overtime. Both teams played hard for two extra periods, but no one scored again.
In the end, Kingwood won the shootout 4-2. The Mustangs stayed calm and made their kicks count. Forney played a great season too, but Kingwood came out on top.Kingwood finished the year with an amazing record of 27-0-2. They went the whole season without a loss. This marks their first state championship since 1999 and the third in program history.

Klein Cain wins second straight soccer title

Photo by
Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

GEORGETOWN, TEXAS (April 11, 2026) The Klein Cain Hurricanes are champions once again.

The Hurricanes beat the Atascocita Eagles 1-0 on Saturday to claim their second straight UIL Class 6A Division I boys soccer state title. It was a tough, low-scoring game between two strong Houston-area teams.

Both teams played hard on defense the whole match. They each had 15 fouls called on them. The game stayed scoreless for a long time. Atascocita had a big chance with a penalty kick in the first half, but Klein Cain goalie Donato Farina made a great diving save to keep the score 0-0.

Late in the game, Klein Cain finally broke through. Senior midfielder Noah Ballard (No. 23, shown above) stepped up and kicked a free kick from 26 yards out. The ball flew into the net with just under six minutes left. That goal was all the Hurricanes needed.

Atascocita pushed hard to tie the game, but Klein Cain’s defense held strong. Farina and his teammates made key stops to protect the lead.

Klein Cain finished the season 19-3-5. This win makes them the second Houston-area boys team to repeat as state champions in recent years.

DeSoto downs C.E. King 55-27 to capture UIL 6A title

Submitted Photo

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (December 20, 2025) In the UIL Class 6A Division II state championship game on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, the DeSoto Eagles beat the C.E. King Panthers 55-27 to win the state title.

DeSoto started strong and played great on both offense and defense. Right from the first quarter, the Eagles took control of the game. SaRod Baker scored the first touchdown on a short run. He added another long touchdown later, helping DeSoto build a big early lead.

DeSoto’s Legend Howell was the star on offense. He threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns. Ethan Feaster caught many passes and scored two touchdowns himself.

The Eagles also made big plays on defense. Damarion Ross intercepted a pass and ran it back 94 yards for a touchdown. That score helped put DeSoto even farther ahead before halftime.

Even though C.E. King scored some touchdowns in the second half, DeSoto stayed in control and never let the lead slip. King had a great season, and just getting to the state title game was a big accomplishment for the Panthers.

North Shore wins tough defensive game, downs Duncanville 10-7 for 6A-1 title

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (December 20, 2025) North Shore High School won a hard-fought game over Duncanville 10-7 to become UIL Class 6A Division 1 state champions. The game was played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in front of 39,436 fans.

The first half was a defensive battle. Neither team could score and the game stayed 0-0 at halftime. North Shore finally broke the tie early in the second half. Quarterback Kaleb Maryland threw a long 44-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Bocard (shown right). That made it 7-0.

Later in the fourth quarter, Daniel Cruz kicked a 27-yard field goal to make it 10-0. Duncanville did not give up. With about six minutes left, Trenton Yancey threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Zach Turner. That cut the lead to 10-7 and brought Duncanville close.

Duncanville moved the ball late in the game, but North Shore’s defense made the big stop when it mattered. With less than a minute left, North Shore stopped Duncanville on fourth down to seal the win.

This was the sixth time North Shore and Duncanville met in the state title game since 2018. North Shore now leads the rivalry with four wins in those six matchups.

South Oak Cliff tops Richmond Randle for UIL 5A Division II state title

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (December 20, 2025)  The South Oak Cliff Bears won the UIL Class 5A Division II state football championship, beating the Richmond Randle Lions 35-19 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday. South Oak Cliff finished the season 15-1 and brought home its third state title in school history.

From the start, the Bears played strong offense and defense. South Oak Cliff’s defense made life tough for Randle’s offense all game. Randle did not score an offensive touchdown until late in the fourth quarter. Their star running back, Landen Williams-Callis, finished with 121 rushing yards and one touchdown. He also scored on a 100-yard kickoff return in the first quarter.

The big star for South Oak Cliff was Mikail Trotter. Trotter ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns, and all of his scoring runs were longer than 30 yards. He helped the Bears get ahead early and kept them in control.

Quarterback Jayden Williams was sharp, completing 12 of 13 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. That efficient play made it hard for Randle’s defense to slow down South Oak Cliff’s offense.

Even though Randle fought hard, South Oak Cliff’s strong play all day made the difference. Randle showed effort and talent, but the Bears made the plays needed to win a state championship

North Shore downs Dickinson 46-29

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS  (December 6, 2025) The North Shore Mustangs knocked off the Dickinson Gators 46–29 in the quarterfinals of the UIL Class 6A Division I playoffs on Friday night at TDECU Stadium.

From the start, North Shore’s offense showed they had too much firepower. Quarterback Kaleb Maryland threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Jaylen Bocard (shown above) early in the first quarter to put the Mustangs up 7–0.

In the second quarter, North Shore kept rolling. Maryland hit wide-out Aubery Johnson on a 53-yard strike and later ran in a 26-yard touchdown himself, stretching the lead. Dickinson responded right before halftime when senior quarterback Lorenzo Aguirre found Ja’Marion Payne in the end zone; bringing the score to 20–10 at the break.

In the second half, North Shore turned up the pressure again. They scored two touchdowns in the third quarter; one by Maryland on the ground and another on a pass to receiver La’Damian Defreeze — widening their lead to 34–10. Dickinson tried to rally after recovering a fumble, with Washington hauling in a touchdown catch.

In the fourth quarter, North Shore added a field goal and another rushing score to make it 44–23. Dickinson scored once more before time expired, but the Mustangs sealed the win when a blocked extra point was returned for two points.

With the win, North Shore advances to the regional semifinals where they will face the Lake Travis Cavaliers on Saturday, December 13 at Aldine's Thorne Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.

La Porte Bulldogs roll past Pasadena Eagles, 63-14

Photo and story by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

LA PORTE,TEXAS (November 7, 2025)  On Friday night, the La Porte Bulldogs downed the Pasadena Eagles at home, putting up a dominant score of 63-14.

Right from the start, La Porte came out strong. The Bulldogs had control of the game with big plays on offense and solid teamwork on defense. Pasadena, struggling this season, just couldn’t keep pace. La Porte’s record now improves to 9-1 on the year.

One of La Porte’s stars, Joshua Wells, threw for 138 yards and four touchdowns, a career high. Receiver Peyton Smith added 115 yards and two scores. The Bulldogs made the most of their chances and did not let Pasadena back in. The Eagles finish their season at 1-9. 

The Bulldogs will find out their opponent in the first round of the playoffs this weekend.

North Shore overwhelms Atascocita

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 24, 2025) Friday night, on their home field, the North Shore Mustangs rolled past the Atascocita Eagles with a 47-28 win. 

North Shore came out strong and never looked back. After Atascocita struck first with a 45-yard touchdown run by Cardae Mack, Atascocita led 7-0. But North Shore answered fast with a 61-yard touchdown pass from Kaleb Maryland to Jaylen Bocard, tying the game at 7.

In the second quarter, North Shore’s offense and defense really took over. They added three more touchdowns and Atascocita struggled to keep up. At halftime, the score was 27-7 in favor of North Shore

In the third quarter, Atascocita tried to claw back. Mack again connected, this time a 66- and 79-yard pass for touchdowns,  to pull Atascocita closer. But North Shore answered with a big 75-yard pass from Maryland to Bocard and kept its lead.

In the fourth quarter, North Shore sealed the deal with a rushing touchdown by Kaden Brandley to go up 47-21. Atascocita added one last score to make it 47-28, but it was too late.

North Shore improves to 7-1 on the season and remains perfect at home, while Atascocita falls to 4-4. 

Pasadena holds home-court edge over Crosby in Tuesday matchup

Story and photo by Chris Price
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (October 14, 2025) Tonight at 6:30 p.m., the Pasadena Eagles will host the Crosby Cougars in an important District 18-5A volleyball match. Pasadena comes in with a strong 20–9 record, while Crosby sits at 12–21.

Pasadena has been dominant at home, going 8–4 on their court, and their district play is rocking at 6–2.  Crosby, meanwhile, is 4–5 in district matches and 3–6 in away games.

In their last meeting on September 19, Pasadena defeated Crosby in straight sets: 25-23, 25-19, 25-20. That win gives Pasadena some confidence tonight. But Crosby isn’t a team to count out; they will try to show big improvement.

When you look at the stats, it’s close but leans Pasadena. For kills, Crosby has 838 and Pasadena 871. On serving aces, Crosby has 169, while Pasadena has 197, Pasadena holds a slight edge  In digs, Crosby has 1,659, just ahead of Pasadena’s 1,619

Pasadena will want to use their home crowd and solid serving to pressure Crosby. Crosby must be sharp with passing and staying consistent in rallies if they have hope.

The fans should get a competitive match. I expect Pasadena to pull ahead, but Crosby might make them sweat late.

C.E. King tops Summer Creek 42-28

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 9, 2025)  The C.E. King Panthers broke their losing streak against Summer Creek in a big way Thursday night, earning a 42-28 win over the Bulldogs. The victory marked King’s fourth straight win and improved their record to 5-1 on the season.

King jumped out early and kept the pressure on, building a 42-21 lead by the end of the third quarter. Summer Creek tried to rally in the 4th quarter, but couldn’t close the gap.

Running back Dionne Sims led the Panthers’ offense with a huge performance on the ground, rushing for 168 yards and a touchdown while averaging nearly nine yards per carry. Quarterback Timothy Potts also had a strong night, completing more than 80 percent of his passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

For Summer Creek, it was their first loss of the season after opening 5-0. Quarterback Noah Spinks threw for 386 yards and two touchdowns, while wide receiver Benny Easter Jr. caught 17 passes for 176 yards and one touchdown. Braylin Causey also added two TDs for the Bulldogs.

The win keeps King rolling, as the Panthers have averaged an impressive 60 points per game during their four-game streak. They will look to keep that momentum going when they face Humble at home on October 17.

Summer Creek will try to bounce back when they host Goose Creek Memorial the next day. 

North Shore crushes Kingwood 71–7 in big district win

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 3, 2025) On Friday night, North Shore hosted Kingwood and dealt a heavy blow: the Mustangs won 71–7 in what turned into a lopsided district contest. 

North Shore started fast. In the first quarter, they scored two long passing touchdowns, including a 61-yard strike to Jaylen Bocard (No. 5 shown above right), to take an early lead. They added another touchdown and extra point before the period ended. 

In the second quarter, North Shore kept piling it on. Aubery Johnson hauled in a 43-yard pass for six points. They also got a pick-6 interception return.  Two-point conversions helped them stretch the lead even more. At halftime, North Shore led 35–0.

After the break, North Shore’s offense did not slow down. In the third quarter, they hit Kingwood with another big passing touchdown, followed by a ground score, plus a successful two-point pass. That gave them a comfortable margin going into the final quarter. 

In the fourth quarter, more points came. One highlight was a special teams play: a snap went over the punter's head, and North Shore turned that into a score. They added a 31-yard rushing touchdown, and capped it with a 35-yard rushing score by Isai Navarro.  Kingwood did avoid a shutout late, when Xzavier Montes ran in a touchdown.

This win brings North Shore’s record to 4–1 overall and 2–0 in district play. Kingwood falls to 3–2 and 1–1 in district with the loss. 

C.E. King downs Atascocita 70-55

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (September 26, 2025) On Friday night, the C.E. King Panthers downed the Atascocita Eagles in a dazzling shootout, 70-55, at Sheldon ISD Stadium. 

The game was fast, wild, and full of big plays. In the end, King’s offense was just too much for Atascocita to contain. King scored in all four quarters: 14 in the first, 21 in the second, 14 in the third, and 21 in the final quarter. Atascocita answered with points of its own; 14, 14, 13, and 14 across the quarters. 

One star of the night for the Panthers was Dionne Sims, who rushed for 435 yards on 32 carries, with an average of 13.6 yards per carry.  He also scored five rushing touchdowns.  Another key King player, Timothy Potts, completing nine of 13 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 49 yards on the ground. 

Even though King won, Atascocita kept fighting in the final minutes. Their quarterback Cardae Mack threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Arriaga, then connected again for a two-point conversion to close the gap, but it wasn’t enough. 

King’s defense also made plays. They recorded five sacks and forced a turnover. In total, King piled up 674 yards of offense, 582 rushing, 92 passing, while Atascocita couldn’t match the pace.

Deer Park wins 37-36 in thrilling battle over Barbers Hill

Photo by Robert H Kelly, Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

By Chris Price
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

MONT BELVIEU, TEXAS (September 18, 2025)  In a game full of twists and big plays, Deer Park escaped with a 37-36 victory over Barbers Hill on Friday night in Mt. Belvieu. It was a wild matchup that went back and forth until the very end. 

Both teams came out ready to play. Barbers Hill and Deer Park traded blows, with neither side able to pull away early. As the first half ended, the game was still very much up for grabs. s. They made several key plays that helped them take a lead. Barbers Hill kept fighting, though, matching every big moment with their own big plays.

The fourth quarter was intense. Barbers Hill had a chance to win it, but Deer Park made a crucial play late that swung the game in their favor. The final score was 37-36 as the clock ran out. Barbers Hill nearly pulled off the comeback, but they came up just short. 

Pasadena wins Division 2 Gold Bracket of Longhorn Labor Day Classic

By Chris Price
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (August 30, 2025) The Pasadena High School varsity volleyball team blasted through the Longhorn Labor Day Classic wining all six of their matches in route to the team championship of the Division 2 Gold Bracket.

Starting on Thursday, August 28, the Lady Eagles played three matches, winning each one by the score of 2-0. In their first contest, they downed Channelview by the scores of 25-11, 25-19. They followed that with a 26-9, 25-14 win over Klein Forest. They closed out their Thursday games by downing Angleton 25-15, 25-22.

After a one day break, the tournament resumed on Saturday, August 30 with three more matches at Pasadena High School. In the 9 a.m. game, they downed Galveston Ball 2-0 (25-23, 25-9), following up with another 2-0 win (25-12, 25-17) over Cypress Lakes.

In their final match of the tournament, the Lady Eagles were paired against Ft. Bend Crawford, who also came into the final game with a 5-0 record in their previous five matches in the tournament. After the match, which saw both trade the lead numerous time, Pasadena clinched the tournament title with a 2-0 win (25-19, 26-19). The Lady Eagles, after going 6-0 in the tournament pushed their season record to 14-5.

Pasadena was led by senior Caryma Molina, which leads the team in aces (40), junior Kirstin Kelly, who has 19 blocks for the season, and sophomore Alehtse Vela, who has posted 47 kills in 2025.

La Porte downs Deer Park 35-31 in first game in their new football stadium

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography, Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

LA PORTE, TEXAS (August 29, 2025) Deer Park jumped out to an early lead, but could not overcome the La Porte 21-point second quarter, as the Bulldogs downed their long-time rival by the score of 35-31 in front of a sellout crowd at La Porte Bulldog Stadium.

The $56-million stadium, which was completed this past spring, gave the Bulldogs their first win in their new home and their first win of the 2025 season.

Deer Park scored first at the 8:29 mark of the first quarter with a 71-yard pass to sophomore John Arthur French, scoring the first touchdown of the 2025 season for the Deer. They increased their lead with 3:45 left in the quarter when junior running back Trace Yates scampered in for the TD. Just prior to the end of the first quarter, senior Jose Garcia Mutate booted a 46-yard field to put the score at 17-0 after 12 minutes of play.

La Porte responded at the 11:45 mark in the second quarter with a 20-yard run by sophomore running back Sean Simon for the Bulldogs first score of the game. With the kicking conversion, La Porte cut the Deer lead to 10 points (7-17). Three and one-half minutes later (8:16-2nd quarter), Simon added a second TD for the Bulldogs with a 64-yard run. After the extra point, La Porte only trailed the Deer by three points (14-17). The Bulldogs kept their offensive push when senior Ashton Ruffin caught a Aiden Saenz pass for another TD for La Porte with 5:50 remaining the the first half. That score, along with the kicking conversion, allowed the Bulldogs to take the lead 21-17.

To not be fazed by the second quarter offensive juggernaut of the Bulldogs, the Deer responded 88 seconds into the third quarter, with an 84-yard pass run to enable Deer Park to regain the lead 24-21 at the half. 

La Porte scored a rushing TD early in the third quarter to give the Bulldogs a 28-24 lead. Deer Park regained the lead with seconds to go in the quarter, giving them a 31-28 lead with 12 minutes remaining in the game.

The Bulldogs punched in a rushing touchdown with less than four minutes remaining in the game to take back the lead 35-31. After kicking off to the Deer, they (Deer Park) matched down the field trying to take back the lead. In their final push with a first-and-ten from the Bulldog 10-yard line, the Deer received a 10-yard penalty for offensive holding, pushing them back to the La Porte 20-yard line. Four unsuccessful attempts to score enabled the Bulldogs to regain possession; allowing them to kneel and end the game with the win.

This year's contest was the 65th edition of the La Porte vs. Deer Park rivalry, dating back to 1946. The Deer has won the pass four years (2021-2024), with the Bulldogs win tonight kept La Porte with a slight edge in the overall history of the game.