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.

Kilgore downs La Vernia in rainy matchup to advance to state finals

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

NEW CANEY, TEXAS (December 13, 2024) Kilgore High School came out on top with a commanding 38-13 victory over La Vernia in a rainy showdown on Friday night. Despite slippery conditions, Kilgore's offense and defense worked together for an impressive win.

The first quarter started slow, with both teams feeling out the wet field. However, Kilgore quickly found their groove. A fumble recovery on La Vernia’s 8-yard line set up Eddie Jimenez’s 22-yard field goal, putting Kilgore up 3-0. Minutes later, Keion Sanders ran in a 29-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 10-0 by the end of the quarter.

Kilgore’s dominance continued in the second quarter. Quarterback Kayson Brooks connected with Miles Applegate for a 30-yard touchdown pass, making it 17-0. La Vernia finally answered just before halftime with a 1-yard rushing touchdown, narrowing the score to 17-7.

In the second half, Kilgore didn’t let up. Isaiah Watters scored twice on the ground, while Brooks delivered another deep touchdown pass, this time to Devin Tinney for 65 yards. Kilgore’s defense stayed tough, with sacks by Applegate and Dré Sanders and a late-game interception by Jakalen Sheffield.

La Vernia added another rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, but their two-point conversion attempt failed. Kilgore capped off their night with Watters’ second touchdown and Jimenez’s flawless kicking performance, going 5-for-5 on extra points.

North Shore dominates Westfield with a 47-3 victory

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (September 13, 2024) In a lopsided game on Friday night, North Shore cruised to a commanding 47-3 victory over Spring Westfield. The Mustangs of North Shore were in control for most of the game, showing off their strong defense and explosive offense.

The game started slow with both teams struggling to find their rhythm on offense. North Shore's quarterback, Kaleb Bailey, completed a long pass early to Deion Deblanc, but the drive eventually stalled, and they had to punt. Westfield’s defense did its part too, forcing punts and keeping the score at 0-0 for most of the first quarter.

But with around four minutes left, North Shore’s special teams sparked the game. Quanell Farrakhan took a punt return 85 yards for a touchdown, putting North Shore on the board first. Jonathan Soto kicked the extra point, making it 7-0.

The second quarter is when North Shore began to take over. Chris Thomas scored on a 1-yard rushing touchdown early, pushing the lead to 14-0. Westfield managed to respond with a 25-yard field goal from Davon Smith, but it would be their only points of the game.

Before the half, North Shore’s D’Andre Hardeman broke free for a 32-yard rushing touchdown. After another successful extra point, the score was 21-3. A last-second 20-yard field goal by Jonathan Soto gave North Shore a comfortable 24-3 lead heading into halftime.

Westfield came out of the half hoping to turn things around, but North Shore's defense stayed tough. Kylan Darville had multiple sacks, and Westfield was forced to punt early in the third quarter.

North Shore continued to dominate on offense. Kaleb Bailey connected with Quanell XJr again, this time for a 34-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 31-3. Then, the Mustangs' defense added two more points with a safety, making it 33-3.

Shortly after, Avan Brown ran in an 11-yard touchdown, pushing the lead to 40-3.

Westfield had some bright moments in the final quarter but couldn’t find the end zone. North Shore sealed the game with one last touchdown by Terence Blackshure, who scored from the 1-yard line to make it 47-3.

Despite Westfield’s efforts, they turned the ball over on downs late in the game, and North Shore ran out the clock to finish the dominant win.

North Shore’s defense was the star of the game, constantly pressuring Westfield and forcing them to punt on almost every drive. Their offense, led by Kaleb Bailey, made big plays when needed, and their special teams were a difference-maker.

With the win, North Shore improves to 3-0, while Westfield will look to bounce back next week.

Pasadena falls in close match to Splendora to kickoff district action

Submitted Photo, Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

By Chris Price

Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (September 13, 2024) The Pasadena Lady Eagles and the Splendora Wildcats kicked off their UIL district schedule with a matchup at Pasadena High School's Bob Barfield Gymnasium. The game feature to two top ranked teams, according to MaxPreps.com, from District 18-5A.

The evenly-matched contest when to the maximum five sets, with Splendora coming out on top over Pasadena by the score of 3-2. The Wildcats took the first set, 25-23. The Lady Eagles bounced back in set two, by the score of 25-17 but dropped set three, 22-25. 

Set four saw Pasadena rebound 25-22, to even the match at 2-2. In the final set, Splendora edged out the Lady Eagles 15-11 to secure the win.

Pasadena pushed their season record to 15-7 and 0-1 in district play. Next up for Pasadena is a Tuesday, September  17 meeting against Kingwood Park (7-17, 0-0 district) on the road with a varsity start at 6:30 p.m. 

North Shore rallies to secure a thrilling victory over Atascocita

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (December 2, 2023) In a heart-pounding showdown at Veterans Memorial Stadium, the North Shore Mustangs staged a remarkable comeback to overcome an eight-point halftime deficit and defeated the Atascocita Eagles 34-28 in the UIL Region III-6A Division I final Saturday afternoon. The win marked North Shore's eighth consecutive triumph over Atascocita and extended their overall series lead to 9-2 since 2016.

The game began with a spectacular 61-yard kickoff by North Shore's, Khamani Hudson, pinning Atascocita on its own 2-yard line. However, Atascocita swiftly turned the tables as senior quarterback Zion Brown connected with Jelani Watkins for an electrifying 98-yard touchdown pass, setting the tone for a competitive matchup. Atascocita extended its lead to 14-0 after Cardae Mack's 26-yard TD run late in the first quarter.

Despite facing adversity, North Shore found their rhythm in the second half. Kaleb Bailey, North Shore's quarterback, orchestrated a comeback, connecting with Christopher Barnes for a 55-yard TD pass, narrowing Atascocita's lead to 14-13 early in the third quarter.

North Shore's special teams then came up big, blocking Atascocita's punt and allowing Dezmon Christian to scoop up the ball for a 24-yard touchdown, giving the Mustangs their first lead at 20-14. Hudson continued to shine, this time intercepting a pass and setting up Bailey for a 2-yard TD run, extending North Shore's lead to 27-14.

Bailey's connection with Barnes for a 65-yard TD pass further solidified North Shore's dominance, securing a 34-14 lead with just over seven minutes left in the game. Atascocita, refusing to go down without a fight, staged a late rally as Brown found Cameron Glenn for two touchdown passes, but time ultimately ran out for the Eagles.

Star performances were aplenty, with Barnes securing seven receptions for an impressive 203 yards and two touchdowns for North Shore. On the opposing side, Glenn showcased his skills with seven receptions for 83 yards and two TDs for Atascocita. Christian's momentum-changing play, the 24-yard scoop-and-score in the third quarter, was a crucial highlight for North Shore.

Seven Lakes downs Dobie 6-0, Advances to UIL State 6A Tournament

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

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By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved 

DEER PARK, TEXAS (April 8, 2023) A goal with 15 minutes remaining in the first half gave Katy Seven Lakes a 1-0 lead going into halftime, which led to a 6-0 downing of Pasadena Dobie at Abshier Stadium in Deer Park,

The No. 1 ranked Spartans (26-1-1) took control of the game early and kept the No. 3 ranked Longhorns on their toes; trying to fins a way around the stingy Seven Lakes defense. The first score of the game, which occurred at the 24:38 mark of the first half, found Daniel Jerenwa in the right place at the right time. The junior defender drilled the ball from the top right of the box, past Dobie goalkeeper Geo Arango to give the Spartans the early lead.

Seven Lakes came back in the second half and scored two additional goals to ensure the trip to the state semifinals. With 27 minutes remaining  Noa Stasic scored a fourth for the Spartans in the 61st minute  and two minutes later Diego Flamecno curled a shot past the keeper and into the corner of the net to increase the Spartans lead to five. Then with just a minute left in the game, Sebastian Ranz volleyed in a goal off a cross as the celebrations began early for the Spartans.

The game was definitely the best test of Seven Lakes' ability this season, Dobie came into the game with a 24-0-4 record; averaging four goals per game.

No. 1 North Shore downs No.12 Atascocita in District 21-6A matchup

Photo by
Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

HUMBLE, TEXAS (November 27, 2020) The North Shore Mustangs jumped out to a 28-0 lead after 12 minutes of play, and increased their lead to 49-7 at the half in route to a 63-14 dismantling of the Atascocita Eagles at Turner Stadium on Friday evening. The No. 1 Mustangs were never challenged by the thirteen ranked Eagles; posting 718 yards of total offense while holding their District 21-6A rival to 174 total yards.

North Shore, who is ranked the number two team in the country, saw five players put points on the scoreboard, with senior quarterback Dematrius Davis (shown right) scoring three rushing touchdowns and kicking one extra point. Senior wide receiver Shadrach Banks scored also scored three rushing TDs, with junior wide receiver Jhalyn

Photo by
Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

Bailey scoring two on passes from Davis. Junior kicker Carlos Dominguez split the uprights eight times for extra points. Junior Ta'von Griffin (shown left) as a pick six at the 1:02 mark of the first quarter; returning the ball 30 yards for the score.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seemed not to slow down the Mustangs one bit as they clinched the District 21-6A title with a perfect 10-0 record. They will have a one week bye before entering the 6A playoffs as the odds on-favorite to repeat as state champions.

Atascocita first score came with 9:25 remaining in the second quarter when senior running back Quincy Thompson punched the ball into the end zone from one-yard out for the touchdown. Their second touchdown came at the 7:38 mark in the third quarter on a 40-yard pass from junior quarterback Gavin Sessions to junior wide receiver Keith Wheeler. sophomore kick Ian Ratliff added the extra points on both touchdowns.

No. 9 Atascocita downs No. 19 Katy Tompkins, 42-24 in UIL football playoff action.

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 30, 2019) In a battle of 11-1 teams, the No. 9 Atascocita Eagles defeated the No. 10 Katy Tompkins Falcons by the score of 42-24 at NRG Stadium on Saturday. The win set up a UIL Region 3 final, pitting the Eagles against the No 3 North Shore Mustangs.

Atascocita got on the scoreboard first, at the 6:41 mark of the first quarter, with a Brice Matthews to Keith Wheeler four-yard pass to complete a 15-play, 70-yard drive. On the following drive, Tompkins marched the ball 60 yards in 13 plays, but could only manage a 32-yard field goal by Hunter Huckaby. The first quarter ended with the Eagles leading the Falcons 7-3.

With 6:19 remaining in the first half, Matthews again connected with Wheeler with a 14-yard pass to give the Eagles a 14-3 lead. They followed that TD up four minutes later when T.J. Thomas carried the ball the final five yards for Atascocita's third touchdown of the game. After the Eagles intercepted a Tompkins pass in the final minutes of the first half, Matthews carried the ball into the end zone to post a 28-3 with 2:27 to go in the half. However, the Eagles were not done as Matthews again connected, this time with Landen King for another six points. With the extra point, the Eagles head to the locker room after 24 minutes of play with a 35-3 lead.

Tompkins finally found some offense when they came onto the field for the third quarter. After driving down the field, Jalen Milroe found Marquis Shoulders open and flicked him a three-yard pass for the score at the 6:35 mark of the quarter Huckaby added the kicking conversion to cut Atascocita's lead to 35-10.

Early in the fourth quarter, with 11:32 remaining in the game, the Eagles added seven more points on a TJ Thomas four-yard run and a Sean Nesemeier kicking conversion. the junior kicked also converted the previous five extra points to add to Atascocita' total. Thirty-seven seconds later, Tompkins added seven points to their total on a Jalen Milroe to Marquis Shoulders 77-yard pass and another Huckaby extra point. After Atascocita fumbles on their own seven-yard-line, the Eagles pull a halfback pass oout of the playbook. Gabe Atkin hits Milroe with a seven-yard pass for the TD. Huckaby added the extra point to put the score at 42-24 with 10:48 to play. After a great deal of give-and-take for the reamined of the game, Alascocita pulled out the win and are headed to a Region 3 match-up against the No. 5 North Shore Mustangs on Saturday, December 7, 2019 with a 2 p.m. kickoff at Sheldon ISD Stadium in Houston.

Deer Park falls to No. 5 North Shore 49-7

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS  (October 11, 2019) The No. 5 North Shore Mustangs continued its streamrolling of opponents in their 49-7 win over the Deer Park Deer on Friday evening at Abshire Stadium in Deer Park. The Mustangs raised their season record to 5-1 while the Deer dropped to 3-3 in Week 7 action.

The Mustags have outscored their opponents 140-66  through six games, and have already assured themselves of a playoff berth. The Deer, who have four games to play in District 21-6A action, must face C.E. King (Oct 18), Sterling (Oct 25), No. 2 West Brook (Nov 1), and Beaumont United (Nov 7). On the other hand, North Shore rounds out their final four regular season games facing No. 8 Beaumont Westbrook (Oct 24) and Channelview (Nov 8) on the road, and hosting Sterling (Oct 18) and Beaumont United (Nov 1).

In other UIL District 21-6A action, Westbrook downed Channelview 40-30, La Porte best Sterling 24-21, and Beaumont United lost to C.E. King 30-13.

North Shore blasts Lake Travis 51-10 to advance to state title game

Photo by
Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 15, 2018) With the 51-10 domination of the Lake Travis Cavaliers at Houston's NRG Stadium on Saturday, the North Shore Mustangs punched their ticket to the UIL Class 6A, Division 1 football championship game next Saturday (December 22) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The No. 1 Mustangs will face the No. 4 Duncanville Panthers, who downed No. 2 Allen by the score of 44-35 on Saturday. 

In a related game, Beaumont West Brook defeated Westlake 35-30 to advance to the Class 6A, Division 2 championship. The Bruins will play the winner of the Longview vs. Tascosa game. One interesting fact is that North Shore and West Brook are members of UIL District 21-6A, with the Mustangs talking the district title and the Bruins finishing in second place. North Shore goes into their title game with a 15-0 record, while West Brook posts a 13-2 record. The two Bruin loses came at the hands of North Shore (55-7 on October 26) and Strake Jesuit (55-40 on September 7). Duncanville brings a 15-0 record to the match up against North Shore. 2018 will make Duncanville's second appearace in the title game, having won the championship in 1998. The Mustangs have previously won two state titles in two appearances (2003, 2015) and made 24 playoff appearances.

District 22-6A softball players named to TSWA All-State Team

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

DEER PARK-PASADENA, TEXAS (July 2, 2017) Ten players from three District 22-6A schools were named to the Texas Sports Writers Association (TSWA) All-State Softball Team for 2017. Voting was conducted by TSWA members based on nominations from coaches and media members from around the state. Deer Park High School had six players named to the elite squad, with Pasadena Memorial High School placing three on the team, while Pasadena's J. Frank Dobie High School had one.

Of the ten players from District 22-6A, the Deer had one player on the first-team roster, two on both the second- and third-teams, and one player named honorable mention. Pasadena Memorial's three selections and Dobie's single selection were named honorable mention. Listed below are the 22-6A selections.

Deer Park High School
McKayla Chamberlain-outfielder, first team
Maddie Nelson-pitcher, second team
Sara Vanderford-second base, secong team
Erin Edmoundson-pitcher, third team
Maleah Olvera-outfielder, third team
Ash Wade-catcher, honorable mention

Pasadena Memorial High School
Hannah Garcia, pitcher, honorable mention
Victoria Garivey, third base, honorable mention
Savana Mata, DP/utility, honorable mention

Pasadena Dobie High School
Yvonne Whaley, outfielder, honorable mention