And the winners are …
Only 16,North Shore signal-caller already has a 23-1 record and state title under his belt
Don’t let one legendary play define North Shore sophomore Dematrius Davis’ 2018 season. It’s hard. The game-winning touchdown pass to AJ Carter as time expired against Duncanville in the Class 6A Division I state championship game is as legendary as it gets.
But a North Shoe program that always has had a great defense and always had great running backs was elevated by Davis’ play under center.
He completed 71.6 percent of his passes for 3,350 yards and 49 touchdowns with just two interceptions. His five touchdown passes against Duncanville tied a state record.
At 16, Davis already owns a 23-1 record as a starting quarterback, including this year’s 16-0 mark. And the All-Greater Houston Offensive Player of the Year will be around for two more years.
“What I saw was a guy who’s got a football IQ that’s well above his years,” North Shore coach Jon Kay said. “I think the biggest thing with him is just his poise and his leadership. Our team had a lot of respect for that. They kind of followed his lead.”
Q: What have people been saying to you since “the play?”
A:
“People have been telling me to just keep working, keep building. I hadn’t really gotten much attention from college coaches. I’ve been getting a lot of attention from other people, like scouts and reporters.” Q: What was going through your mind once you saw AJ Carter catch the winning touchdown?
A: “My mind was like ‘Did he really just catch this?’ I was so excited.”
Q: How would you evaluate your individual improvement from as a freshman to this year as a sophomore?
A:
“Last year, I couldn’t really make a lot of throws, so last offseason I worked on my mechanics a lot. Getting the ball out quicker, getting faster and stronger. It just paid off this season.”
Q: What was it like to start as a freshman and then one year later lead the team to a state title?
A:
“My freshman year, I didn’t even think I would play. They moved me up. We were three quarterbacks deep. I didn’t think I would play. They put me out there. My first varsity game was on my birthday, too.”
Q: So is it safe to say a state title this soon in your career is somewhat of a shock?
A:
“My freshman year? No. But around spring of (2018)? I was thinking we could really do this and go 16-0.”
Q: What was the moment during the regular that gave you further proof that North Shore could win it all this year and why?
A:
Oh, West Brook. After that game, I knew we could do it. It was a great team. It was the best opponent we’d seen. Other than Katy, that was the best opponent we saw. Everything was clicking. We just demolished them all four quarters and that’s how I knew.”
Q: What was the three-week stretch in the postseason like when you defeated Katy, Cy-Fair and Lake Travis?
A:
“Every week in the playoffs, we just focused on going 1-0. We weren’t thinking about the week after. That just made us even better when we just worried about one team.
Q: You received an offer from Baylor as an eighth grader, so recruiting started very early for you. What was that moment like for you?
A:
“I was very surprised. My mom woke me up and she had told me. I was crazy. I couldn’t even believe it.”
Q: And what is the latest update on your recruitment?
A:
“I’m expecting a few this offseason. I have some coaches following me on social media.”
Q: You only threw two interceptions this season. What do you attribute that to?
A:
“That’s what I really hate (throwing interceptions). I just try to make it easy for the receivers to catch it. Throw it away from DBs. I don’t throw 50/50 (balls). I throw it to where only the receiver can catch it.”
Q: What contributed to the chemistry between you and receivers like Shadrach Banks and Chance Pillar?
A:
“In the spring and the summer, we would go to the ninth-grade campus, run routes and we did 7-on-7, too. I knew their speeds. I knew when they get to the top of their routes, all of that. It showed on the field.”
Q: What was it like facing that hard-hitting Duncanville team?
A:
“That was a nice defense. That was one of the best we’d seen all year. They remind me of Westfield, the way they played.”
Q: Simply put, what does this season mean to you?
A:
“It’s just something that any kid wants to have. A lot of people want to go to state, a lot of people want to win state. I was one of those kids that always wanted to win.”