Sharks’ 49-point surge secures another shot at title
If Shadow Creek was the state’s biggest surprise in 2018, the Sharks are only further cementing their status as a major power with each win in 2019.
They dispatched Manor, 59-14 in the Class 5A Division I Region III championship game Saturday at the Alamodome.
The two-year-old varsity program is now 29-1 overall and one win away from a second consecutive Class 5A Division I state championship game berth.
The Sharks (14-0) meet San Antonio Wagner at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at Alamo Stadium. It’s a rematch from last year’s 5A Division I state semifinal at NRG Stadium.
Shadow Creek rode five total touchdowns from quarterback Kyron Drones, among other big plays, toward the win. Jaylen Lane’s 55-yard interception return for a touchdown seconds before halftime gave Shadow Creek a 31-14 lead and created long enough distance between Manor and the upset bid.
And Manor (8-6) certainly had its eye on the upset early with a 14-10 lead midway through the second quarter. Shadow Creek finished the day with 49 unanswered points.
Shadow Creek fell to Highland Park in 2018’s state title game as the lone blemish on a whirlwind of a season. The Sharks were a game off of becoming the third school to win a football state championship in its University Interscholastic League varsity debut. Beaumont West Brook (1982) and Lubbock Estacado (1968) achieved the feat.
Shadow Creek has a chance to open its first two seasons with state championship game berths. Wagner (13-1), however, is in the way of Shadow Creek’s return to AT&T Stadium.
Shadow Creek had to dig a win out in last year’s state semifinal meeting. Wagner’s triple option gave the Sharks fits early and Shadow Creek trailed 17-7 midway through the third quarter before winning 41-24.
Common in non-district scheduling, this trip to Alamo Stadium was owed back as a return date with the teams’ meeting at NRG Stadium in 2018.