Round 3 of the Texas High School Football playoffs is here! On Friday, November 24, 2023, there was a three-game playoff special at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. The second game featured the Cy-Fair Bobcats against the North Shore Mustangs.
Cy-Fair kicked off to North Shore, who started off strong with #2 Christopher Barnes receiving the kickoff and returning it for a touchdown. Cy-Fair’s first time with possession saw them driving down the field with quarterback Trey Owens leading the charge. They reached the red zone and faced a crucial 4th down. Trey attempted to rush it in himself, but North Shore’s defense stopped him short, resulting in a turnover.
North Shore had a solid starting drive, but Cy-Fair’s defense, with the assistance of defensive tackle #8 Landon Rink and cornerback #22 Peyton Hyams, was stiff. However, on 3rd & long, quarterback #9 Kaleb Bailey found an opening and rushed to the endzone for a 58-yard rushing touchdown. Struggling on offense, Cy-Fair had to punt it back to North Shore, and in two plays, Kaleb threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver #8 Cameron Smith. The first quarter ended with North Shore leading 21-0.
In the second quarter, Cy-Fair had possession. Thirty seconds into the quarter, facing a 4th & 15, Trey made a beautiful arching pass to #4 Owen Carter for a 28-yard touchdown pass, finally getting on the board. Back with possession, North Shore advanced thanks to the efforts of running back #28 D’andre Hardeman’s big run and wide receiver #4 Terrence Guillory’s long reception. They reached the red zone, and Kaleb then threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to D’andre, furthering their lead.
The momentum was still on North Shore’s side as their defense effortlessly stopped Cy-Fair’s offense to regain the ball. North Shore’s offense was unstoppable as Kaleb threw another touchdown pass to Cameron. Cy-Fair hung on, moving the ball down the field close enough for a field goal to decrease the gap. At halftime, the score was 35-9.
North Shore kicked off to Cy-Fair in the third quarter. Cy-Fair struggled on offense, and North Shore’s defense turned over the ball, putting the Mustangs back on offense. With one minute left in the quarter, Kaleb threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver #3 Deion Deblanc. After this, the score remained unchanged except for a field goal made by North Shore in the fourth quarter. The final score was 45-9, with North Shore moving on to round 4.
Although the score gap was large, Cy-Fair had standout athletes in quarterback Trey Owens, wide receiver Owen Carter, and defensive lineman Landon Rink. Next week in round 4, the North Shore Mustangs will have a rematch against the Atascocita Eagles.
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