It is round 3 of The Texas High School Football playoffs! On Friday, November 24th, 2023, we have not one, not two, but three playoff games at The NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. I will be breaking down all three games taking place at NRG.
1st game 10 am: C.E King Panthers (9-3) vs Hightower Hurricanes (11-1)
These two teams have similar play styles. Both have dynamic quarterbacks who love to run the ball and can make great passes in any situation. However, Hightower has better offensive weapons with running back #6 Jeremy Payne and wide receiver #4 Zion Kearney, two highly-ranked athletes and the backbone of Hightower’s offense. C.E. King has reliable weapons as well. Wide receiver #0 Vincent Jones is a quick and fast runner, having the most reception yards, and tight end #4 Makai Emerenini has a good amount of receptions for a tight end and has eight touchdowns. I believe this will be a great game, but if I had to pick a winner, I believe Hightower will continue to Round 4.
2nd Game 2 pm: Cy-Fair Bobcats (11-1) vs North Shore Mustangs (12-0)
The Cy-Fair Bobcats have surprised everyone by taking out The Katy Tigers in Round 2, but they have their work cut out for them against The North Shore Mustangs. North Shore has been the top dog for a while. They’re top-notch on both offense and defense. Their main contributor on offense is quarterback #9 Kaleb Bailey and wide receiver #2 Christopher Barnes they have great synergy together, with Kaleb always able to find Chris even in traffic. On defense, North Shore has one of the best juniors in the nation, cornerback #6 Devin Sanchez he has an aggressive play style he matches the opposing wide receiver’s speed and rarely lets any passes come through. Cy-Fair has a great quarterback in #3 Trey Owens. He is a textbook passer with a cannon of an arm. Cy-Fair shocked everyone by beating Katy. Could they do it again by beating North Shore? I highly doubt it, but I’m excited to see the results on Friday.
3rd Game 6 pm: Lamar Texans (12-0) vs Atascocita Eagles (10-2)
The Lamar Texans have been on a mission this season, currently undefeated, and The Atascocita Eagles have been dominating all season, consistently in the top 3 in the city all season. Lamar has a great running back in #4 Justin Howard, rushing for almost 1,000 yards and 23 total touchdowns. Atascocita has some of the best offensive playmakers in the state. Wide receivers #2 Jelani Watkins, #5 Kyran Lee, and #12 Cameron Glenn, and running back #6 Tory Blaylock and #14 Cardae Mack are all outstanding athletes. Quarterback #1 Zion Brown does a great job leading all these playmakers, distributing the ball to them, and even rushing it in himself. Honestly, this will be the best game at NRG. I’m not sure who will come out victorious, but either way, it’ll be a game to remember.
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