Mustangs’ defense leads way
IOWA COLONY — North Shore’s offense, forced into a tough rebuild now that elite quarterback Dematrius Davis and receiver Shadrach Banks are suiting up at Auburn and TCU, respectively, needed a little help to get going.
Another staunch Mustangs’ defensive unit was happy to lend a hand.
Defensive back Jayven Anderson supplied their first points of the season on a 58-yard interception return for a touchdown — one of two pick-sixes by North Shore — jumpstarting a 33-10 win over Shadow Creek on Friday at Freedom Field.
“We expected it,” North Shore coach Jon Kay said of his defense’s stellar, five-takeaway performance. “But anytime you play a team like Shadow Creek, you never know what you’re going to go through. So we obviously had some growing pains offensively, but we were also playing a darn good defense in Shadow Creek.
“So we know the type of competition we’re lining up against, and we take that into consideration in our evaluations.”
North Shore (1-0), despite graduating Davis, Banks and most of its offensive line, still entered the season at No. 2 in the Houston area Class 6A media poll after falling to Austin Westlake in the state semis last year to end their bid for three consecutive state championships. Shadow Creek (0-1) opened at No. 9.
The Mustangs cruised to a 3821 win last year at home against Shadow Creek.
This one didn’t go as smoothly, at least offensively.
“This is probably one of the toughest (rebuilding) jobs we’ve had, but at the end of the day, we’ve got kids out here competing, and they’re pushing each other, and you can never replicate game experience,” Kay said.
North Shore and Shadow Creek traded punts their first four possessions. After Anderson’s pick-six put the Mustangs on the board, they punted a third consecutive time, then committed their first turnover on a fumble by Xavier Owens — one of the few returning players on offense. But the Sharks gave it right back on a big play by North Shore’s defense — a strip sack by Kris Ross and fumble recovery by Jacoby Brass.
That big play was enough to finally fire up the team’s new playmakers.
Fullback Rashaad Johnson came in for a 38-yard run to Shadow Creek’s 15, and then QB Wyndell Mitchell — the second QB in for North Shore after starter Darrel Jean — found WR Jhalyn Bailey all alone in the middle of the end zone on the next play for a 14-0 advantage with 8:53 remaining in the second quarter.
Shadow Creek answered with quick-strike score, picking up 89 yards on four plays and reaching paydirt on QB Duke Butler’s 43yard pass to WR Lawrence Armstrong. But North Shore pushed its lead back to two scores at halftime, with Johnson’s one-yard run with 16 seconds left securing a 21-7 advantage.
And that long TD throw by Butler’s was one of his few highlights in a difficult debut.
The 6-1 junior, who is the son of Shadow Creek coach Brad Butler, was intercepted four times, including three in the first half. Anderson, and DBs Caleb Flagg and Ta’Von Griffin supplied those picks, and then Jacoby Davis returned his 45 yards for a score and 27-10 lead with 4:48 to go in the third quarter.
North Shore held the Sharks to only 112 yards and five first downs, while generating 251 yards and 15 first downs on offense.
“These kids have been playing hard since spring ball, and our offense has gone against that defense every single day,” Kay said. “And so just to see those kids out there flying around and having fun doing it was great. We played a lot of kids tonight on both sides of the ball, I think we’ve got great depth, and we just need to keep improving.”
North Shore finished with five takeaways. They needed every one.
In addition to sporadic offense, the Mustangs struggled on special teams, with two extrapoint attempts blocked, a partially blocked punt on their opening series, and a high snap on another punt that set Shadow Creek up at their 14-yard line. But the Sharks settled for a 37-yard Matt Allison field goal after that play.
Butler finished 8-of-23 passing, with 98 yards, one TD and four INTs.
“Their defense had a whole lot to do with (our issues),” Coach Butler said.
“I don’t know that we’ll see another defensive unit with that kind of skill, and that scheme, the rest of the year, so it was a real test for us, for the first ballgame, with a bunch of young guys who hadn’t taken a varsity snap.”