5A Team of the Week: Northbrook Raiders
3,233 days. That’s how long it had been since Northbrook had won a district game heading into its District 10-5A Division I opener against Sharpstown on Saturday.
Heading into the fourth quarter, it looked like that drought was set to continue. The Raiders trailed Sharpstown 26-14, but it was exactly the moment Northbrook head coach Demond Stafford had been preparing his players for.
“During my tenure at Northbrook, we have worked to develop a resilient, tough people win mindset,” Stafford said. “In the Sharpstown game, that program pillar was on full display.”
Quarterback Guillermo Macias scored on two quarterback sneaks and the defense came up with a stop late as the Raiders fought back to earn the long-awaited 29-26 victory. It snapped a 59-game losing streak in district play.
Macias was responsible for every one of Northbrook’s scores. He threw for 37 yards and a touchdown while adding 58 yards and three more scores on the ground. Flavio Zambrano paced the ground attack with 99 rushing yards, while Rafael Grijalva had Northbrook’s lone receiving touchdown.
Northbrook is now 2-1 after dropping down from 6A to 5A Division I over the offseason. And after Saturday, the Raiders believe there’s even more to come.
“It is a huge deal that reminds our program that our future is controlled by the actions and decisions of the present,” Stafford said. “We are super excited as a school and community about what our kids have accomplished.”
Next up, the Raiders will have their first district home game when they welcome in Houston Chavez on Friday.
Previous 5A Teams of the Week
Week One: Bryan Adams
Week Two: Waco
