GAMES
RANKINGS
THE DISTRICT OF DOOM: North Shore looks to continue dominance; Atascocita, Summer Creek, Kingwood in the hunt
Summer Creek Bulldogs
Atascocita Eagles
Kingwood Mustangs
C.E. King Panthers
Humble Wildcats
Channelview Falcons
Goose Creek Memorial Patriots
(Bold Denotes Playoffs)
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VYPE PRESEASON AWARDS
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Cardae Mack, Atascocita
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kaleb Maryland, North Shore
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Cade Haug, Kingwood
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Braylen Lane, CE King
ON THE CUSP: CE King Panthers
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The North Shore Mustangs reached the State Semifinals last season, only to fall to Austin Westlake in a lopsided matchup. With that loss came the end of an era, as head coach Willie Gaston bids farewell to one of the most decorated senior classes in recent memory. So, should the Mustangs be down in 2025? Not a chance. Quarterback Kaleb Maryland (Utah State-commit) has waited in the wings for three years and is finally getting his shot. The dynamic dual-threat playmaker is ready to carry the torch and lead the offense with explosiveness and poise. Maryland will benefit from a rebuilt but powerful offensive line, anchored by Isaac Aranda, Chase Brown, Abdus Kone, and Brandon Hebert, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound transfer from Port Arthur Memorial. With that kind of size up front, the run game should flourish, and Maryland will have time to make plays. At receiver, it's a new crew of rising stars: La’Damian Defreeze, Aubrey Johnson, Jaylen Bocard, and Dorian Barnes—all hungry to make a name for themselves. Guiding the offense is new offensive coordinator Ben Barkema, who joins the program from Deer Park. Defensively, North Shore will continue to bring the heat. In the trenches, Xavier Waters, Jaylen Fields, Zaqwaun Nunn (a Louisiana Tech commit from Clear Springs), and sophomore standout Jayden Johnson (already holding five D1 offers) form a fearsome front. Jayden Curry is poised for a breakout at defensive end. Dezmon Christian leads an inexperienced linebacker unit, while the secondary is bolstered by Tony Guillory at corner, and Juan Hernandez III, giving the defense both depth and playmaking potential. The names may change, but at North Shore, the standard remains the same: State title or bust.
Summer Creek High made a thunderous run to the State Semifinals last season, falling to eventual state champion Vandegrift—but not before establishing itself as a powerhouse under head coach Kenny Harrison. Nestled near IAH Airport, the Bulldogs’ rise has been rapid—and it’s no longer a secret: Summer Creek has arrived. With the graduation of standout QB Blake Thomas, Flower Mound transfer Noah Spinks steps in under center with high expectations. He’ll have the benefit of a seasoned offensive front, led by center Jonathan Bermudez, and a versatile backfield featuring Braylin Causey and Keshawn Jackson. At receiver, the Bulldogs are stacked. Holden Miller, Tre Brown, and Benny Easter Jr. form one of the most explosive trios in the region—capable of stretching the field and torching defenses. Defensively, it starts in the trenches with Brinley Tita, who brings power and grit up front, supported by edge rushers Amontre Harris and Van Cormier. At linebacker, Tyson Joiner and Tre Carroll fly to the football with relentless energy. And then there’s the secondary—loaded with talent and swagger. Marrell Davis and Caleb White headline a unit that can cover, hit, and change games in a flash.
The Atascocita Eagles soared to a 12-2 finish last season, with both losses coming at the hands of one familiar foe: North Shore—once in district play and again in the Regional Final. Now, with a seasoned squad and State dreams in sight, head coach Craig Stump and his team are ready to take the next step. Leading the charge is District MVP and Arizona State commit Cardae Mack, one of the most dynamic playmakers in the state. He’s back and hungry to finish the job. At quarterback, Isaiah “Rocket” Rasheed returns after a strong sophomore campaign and is expected to take a major leap in Year 3. His top target will be CJ Toney, a reliable and explosive weapon on the outside. Defensively, Atascocita brings the fire. Andre Jones and Jason Johnson (6-5, 280-pounds) provide the push in the trenches, while Rayvion Sauls—a relentless, sideline-to-sideline linebacker—will be the heart of the unit. In a loaded secondary, Hunter Sowell, Tavon Bolden, Trenton Blaylock are poised to shut down opposing aerial attacks. With star power, depth, and a chip on their shoulder, the Eagles are all in on a return to the Regional Final—and beyond.
The Kingwood Mustangs turned heads in 2024 with a 9-5 finish, making a deep run to the Regional Finals before being stopped by district rival Summer Creek. It was a breakout campaign for Coach Cale Melton and his squad—and the excitement around the program is very real. Leading the charge into 2025 is District Newcomer of the Year Landon Hinson, who returns at quarterback with poise and upside. He’ll be handing off to explosive running back Cam Richardson, who will be running behind one of the best in the business—national recruit Kennedy Brown, the anchor of a formidable offensive line. On the outside, Trysten Laughlin and Kye Wheby give Hinson reliable and athletic targets to stretch the field and make plays downfield. Defensively, Cade Haug is the tone-setter—a tackling machine at linebacker—while Brayden Ferdows will provide key support in the middle of the defense. The biggest challenge for the Mustangs? Replacing a large and talented senior class. Building depth will be critical if Kingwood wants to keep trending upward in a tough district. But with the returning talent and momentum from last year’s playoff run, Kingwood looks like a program built to last.
The Cory Laxen-era begins at C.E. King with excitement and high expectations. Laxen, a four-time state champion during his time at North Shore, now takes the reins of a Panthers program he’s already deeply familiar with as a former assistant. And while it’s the start of a new chapter, the mission remains the same: build a contender—and fast. There’s plenty of young talent to work with. The quarterback battle between Jeffery Randall and Timothy Potts will be one to watch this fall, while the backfield is already loaded with Stephen F. Austin commit Dionne Sims and Antwon Sanders, both capable of breaking off big plays. Then there's sophomore phenom Dillon Mitchell, whose jaw-dropping track speed has quickly made him one of the most exciting athletes in the area. Up front, the offensive line will be powered by Oswald Jacquet III and Xavier Goode, giving the Panthers stability in the trenches. Out wide, the weapons are dangerous—Braylon Lane (a national recruit), Le’Jerric Clark, and Caleb Martin all have the ability to stretch defenses and make plays. Defensively, Dominick Toulon will bring pressure in the trenches, while the linebacker group features James Jordan and Calvin Carter, a nationally ranked Dekaney move-in with sideline-to-sideline range. In the secondary, Enoch Bell will be the enforcer on the back end. It’s a youth movement at C.E. King—but with talent like this, the Panthers could be back in the postseason mix sooner than expected.
In one of the toughest districts in Texas, Humble, Channelview, and Goose Creek Memorial are grinding to make noise and build momentum. At Humble High, head coach Robert Murphy looks to build on a 5-5 campaign (2-5 in district) with a defense-first mindset. The Wildcats return a solid core on that side of the ball and will aim to turn close games into wins in 2025. Over in Channelview, head coach Averion Hurts leans on a pair of proven playmakers: running back Jaydien Johnson and wide receiver Davion Vanderbilt, who both had big seasons in 2024 and bring firepower to the Falcons’ offensive attack. Meanwhile, Goose Creek Memorial welcomes Jay’Mond Cleveland as its new head coach. The Baytown native and former Lee High School star returns home, energized and ready to spark a turnaround. Cleveland inherits a hungry team, eager to get into the win column and rewrite the narrative.
Some of the stars of 2023-24 Deer Park Football
Deer Park sits atop DISTRICT 22-6A preseason rankings
Deer Park Deer
Channelview Falcons
Dobie Longhorns
South Houston Trojans
Pasadena Memorial Mavs
Sam Rayburn Texans
Pasadena Eagles
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Most Valuable Player
Kam Webb, South Houston
Offensive Player of the Year
Cameron Matthews, Dobie
Defensive Player of the Year
Luke Webb, Deer Park
Breakout Player of the Year
Lorenzo Delgado, Pasadena Memorial
On the Cusp
Pasadena Memorial Mavericks
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Channelview Falcons
Lorin Cook (VYPE)
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The Deer Park Deer registered a nine-win season in 2022, which was their best year record-wise since 2011. The Deer are riding a four-year playoff streak entering 2023. The defensive unit will be anchored by Oklahoma State-commit Luke Webb, who was the District 22-6A Defensive MVP in 2022. First-team, all-district picks King Phillips (WR), Clayton McBride (TE), Caleb Dilley (DL), Landon Sanders (CB), Ethan Chavez (CB) and Francisco Sanchez (P) are all set to return for coach Austin Flynn’s crew.
Channelview is currently in its best run of success, making the playoffs three-straight years for the first time in program history and registering eight wins in 2022. The eight victories are the most for the Falcons since 1993. A big reason was District 22-6A MVP Darius Clark-James at quarterback. Unfortunately, he has transferred to CE King for his senior year. Averion Hurts, who was the District 22-6A Coach of the Year in 2022, will need to find a new signal-caller quickly. Other key returners for the Falcons in 2023 include Aden Boutte (OL), Traveon Jackson (RB), David Watson (WR), Alex Hodges (OL), Caleb Atafua (DL), Devin Tanner (DL), Oscar Manzanares (ILB) and Jose Morales (K).
Five-straight years, Dobie has been in the playoffs, including making it 2022 in Demond Stafford’s first year at the helm. The Longhorns will ride running back Cameron Matthews once again in 2023 after he was an unanimous first-team, all-district back. Matthews led the team with 1,037 yards and 13 scores for Dobie. He also had 425 yards receiving and three scores. First-team, all-district OL Evan Jordan and first-team outside linebacker Derrick Kelley (76 tackles) and safety CJ Richardson (3 INTs) are all set to return for the Horns. Other key returners include Franky Aleman (OL), Roderick Drumgo (DL) and Dempsey Spears (ILB). Spears is the leading returning tackler with 81 from 2022.
South Houston has made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2016-2017. If the Trojans make it three-straight in 2023, it will be the first time in program history they have ever done that. Kam Webb, the reigning District 22-6A Offensive Player of the Year, is back for coach Patrick Longstreet. He was also a first-team basketball player for the Trojans. Other key returners include Jacob Sheppard (WR), Evyn Ponce (DL) and Josh Larry (CB).
Pasadena Memorial barely missed the playoffs last year, going 5-5 overall. Now, the Mavericks will try and get back into the dance for the first time since 2020. District 22-6A Newcomer of the Year Lorenzo Delgado will be the lead workhorse for the Mavs at running back. First-teamers Ethan Munoz (WR), Ricardo Cordova (OL) and Arian Lerma (S) are back. Other key returners include Jaylon Bell (RB), Ri’chard Crawford (DL) and Carlos Amaya (K). Sam Rayburn and Pasadena finished at the bottom of the district standings with one district win between the two. Key returners for the Texans include Abel Gonzales at cornerback and Jermaine Calvin at safety. Both were second-team, all-district selections. Second-team, all-district specialist Jonathan Ticas will be back for Pasadena at punter.