In Week 2 of the regular season, North Crowley coach Ray Gates made headlines.
The Panthers, expected to be massive underdogs coming into the contest, stunned powerhouse DeSoto in one of the biggest Texas high school football upsets this year. They excelled in one of the four non-district challenges on their schedule. North Crowley, motivated by the Buster Douglas underdog victory over Mike Tyson in 1990, went on to triumph 57-51 against the Eagles.
With the Texas high school football playoffs imminent, the Panthers reign under coach Gates is undeniable. At the conclusion of his third year as HC, North Crowley has never lost in the regular season. Now, after destroying Mansfield 59-11 (game recap below), coach Gates has brought a third consecutive district title to a squad that never won one before his tenure.
Back in 2021, Crowley Independent School District brought on coach Gates, filling the vacancy at North Crowley after Courtney Allen left for a coaching gig in Mesquite. At the time, the team had never gone undefeated, nor had they claimed an outright district championship. Three years later, coach Gates has elevated the Panthers’ current roster; 25 players have received offers to play college football.
Many will wonder if the regular season success can translate into the playoffs. Last year, the Panthers made the state semifinal, losing to back-to-back champ Duncanville. If their schedule results this season are any indication, North Crowley has a serious shot: through the first eight games leading to the Mansfield contest, the team has beat their opponents by an average of 40.7 points.
Still, they’ll have to potentially rematch Duncanville in the postseason–a team that may be better than they were last year.
North Crowley will have a good chance, with a 2026 class ranking in the upper echelons of the state. Their roster is highlighted by senior quarterback Chris Jimerson Jr., senior receiver Quentin Gibson, senior running back Daniel Bray, and junior offensive tackle John Turtine III.
The Panthers will look to cement their third straight undefeated season when they finish their district tilt against Crowley on Friday.
Once the postseason starts, expectations will be high for a team looking for their first state title.
North Crowley vs Mansfield Game Recap:
North Crowley dominated Mansfield in a commanding 59-11 victory, powered by standout performances from quarterback Chris Jimerson Jr. The UNT commit not only excelled through the air, completing 14 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns, but also contributed significantly on the ground, rushing for 80 yards and scoring two touchdowns. His efforts helped North Crowley surpass 50 points for the sixth straight game, amassing an impressive 683 total yards.
The Panthers’ defense held strong, only allowing one touchdown. Mansfield’s Braxton Van Cleave managed a fourth-down, 29-yard touchdown pass to Zion Robinson, marking only the third touchdown North Crowley has given up in district play. However, North Crowley quickly retaliated, scoring 21 points in six plays to cement their dominant lead. The team’s speed was evident early, as they jumped to a 14-0 lead within the first four minutes.
With this win, North Crowley secured the top seed in the Division I playoff bracket and extended their unbeaten streak to 30 regular-season games. They’ll face district rival Crowley on Thursday for the district title.
North Crowley vs Mansfield Stats
| STATS | MANSFIELD | NORTH CROWLEY |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Downs | 12 | 24 |
| Total Yards | 223 | 683 |
| Passing | 67 | 324 |
| Completion Attempts | 3-14 | 17-28 |
| Yards Per Pass | 4.79 | 11.57 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 0 |
| Rushing | 156 | 359 |
| Rushing Attempts | 38 | 27 |
| Yards Per Rush | 4.11 | 13.3 |
| Penalties | 5-30 | 11-97 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
Mansfield: Passing
| PLAYER | COMP | ATT | PCT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mykah Lankford | 1 | 4 | 25 | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| Braxton Van Cleave | 2 | 10 | 20 | 33 | 1 | 0 |
North Crowley: Passing
| PLAYER | COMP | ATT | PCT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Jimerson Jr. | 14 | 24 | 58.33 | 297 | 2 | 0 |
| Chris Alexander Jr. | 3 | 4 | 75 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
Mansfield: Rushing
| PLAYER | ATT | YARDS | YDS/ATT | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayden Vasquez | 11 | 46 | 4.18 | 0 |
| Kah’Vanti Bell-Phillips | 6 | 40 | 6.67 | 0 |
| Braxton Van Cleave | 4 | 37 | 9.25 | 0 |
| Teddy Clark | 11 | 20 | 1.82 | 0 |
| Justice Marfo | 3 | 10 | 3.33 | 0 |
| Anthony Porter | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Jacobe Hayes | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Mykah Lankford | 1 | -5 | -5 | 0 |
North Crowley: Rushing
| PLAYER | ATT | YARDS | YDS/ATT | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Bray | 3 | 89 | 29.67 | 2 |
| Chris Jimerson Jr. | 5 | 80 | 16 | 2 |
| Cornelius Warren | 6 | 78 | 13 | 0 |
| Kiante Ingram | 4 | 71 | 17.75 | 2 |
| Demarcus Harris Jr. | 6 | 29 | 4.83 | 0 |
| Quentin Gibson | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Chris Alexander Jr. | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Malachi Releford | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Mansfield: Receiving
| PLAYER | REC | YDS | YDS/REC | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zion Robinson | 2 | 63 | 31.5 | 1 |
| Jacobe Hayes | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
North Crowley: Receiving
| PLAYER | REC | YDS | YDS/REC | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quentin Gibson | 6 | 125 | 20.83 | 1 |
| Malachi Releford | 2 | 69 | 34.5 | 0 |
| Kevin Moore | 3 | 40 | 13.33 | 0 |
| Cornelius Warren | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 0 |
| Jayden Shaw | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 0 |
| Daniel Bray | 1 | 25 | 25 | 0 |
| Jeramie Cooper | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
