The atmosphere was electric under the lights of Freedom Field on Friday night, with the North Shore Mustangs taking on the Shadow Creek Sharks in Week 1 of the 2021 Texas high school football season.
The Sharks came into Friday night with hopes of getting revenge after falling 38-21 to the Mustangs on the opening week of last season.
Junior quarterback Duke Butler hoped to get his side off on the right foot in his first start but struggled early.
Butler threw three interceptions in the first half alone, with his first one being the most costly as North Shore’s junior Jayven Anderson picked him off and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown in the 1st quarter, giving North Shore the 7-0 lead.
The Mustang’s defense continued to cause problems for the Sharks, as they held them to just one score in the first half. North Shore added two scores in the 2nd quarter and went into the half leading 21-7.
The second half led to more offensive problems and missed opportunities for Shadow Creek. A high snap early in the 3rd quarter gave the Sharks a great chance to cut the lead to a single score, but couldn’t punch it in and had to settle for a field goal.
Later in the quarter, Butler threw his 4th interception to junior Jacoby Davis, a 48 yard pick-6 giving North Shore a 27-10 lead. The Mustang’s defense continued to make plays and dominate on that side of the ball, with senior defensive lineman Jacoby Brass having 3 sacks and a fumble recovery.
Ultimately the Sharks made too many mistakes on offense to keep up with the high-caliber talent of the Mustangs. North Shore would close out the game strong, with senior running back Damon Ford icing the game on a short touchdown carry giving the Mustangs the 33-10 victory.
North Shore looks to keep the momentum going as they take on Klein Collins next week.
