Texas High School Football Coaches Panel - Houston
With all the cancellations around high school sports this spring, one of the things that also was cancelled was spring football.
For many programs, like North Shore, that is a right of passage of the East Side of Houston. For many its time to start answering roster questions for the next season and working on fundamentals when they have the time to do it in the spring.
A few weeks ago, VYPE Media gathered some of the top football coaches in Houston - Jon Kay (North Shore), Craig Stump (Atascocita), John Snelson (Dickinson), Shaun McDowell (Foster) and Cedric Hardeman (Conroe) - to discuss some of the big questions surrounding their programs and more as we push through this pandemic.
Still On Schedule: North Shore still slated to play De La Salle in the opening week, for now
HOUSTON - When the news broke that back-to-back Class 6A Division I State Champion North Shore would play California-power De La Salle in the opening week of the 2020 season, people got excited.
It was Texas vs California. It was two National Powers going head-to-head, which would be televised on the ESPN network.
The mega-showdown of programs that have won a combined 10 state championships - 6 for De La Salle and 4 for North Shore - would be a part of a double-header at Galena Park ISD Stadium to also include defending Class 5A Division I State Champion Shadow Creek against Pennsylvania-power St. Joseph's on Saturday, August 29.
As of now, North Shore coach Jon Kay confirmed to VYPE that the showdown between his team and De La Salle "is still on".
"We are watching what's happening in California pretty closely," Kay said via text.
In California, Los Angeles County will most likely extend their stay-at-home orders for the next three months, according to the Los Angeles Times. De La Salle is located in Constra Costa County, where, according to the county's April 29 update, their shelter-in-place order has been extended until the end of May.
De La Salle plays under the rules of the California Interscholastic League, which cancelled its spring sports season on April 3 - two weeks prior to Texas' governing body, the University Interscholastic League, did.
Having a team travel from California to Houston for a game in August does bring up some concerns as things stand now, Kay said but they are hoping as more time passes the picture will become clearer of when and if they can play that opening game.
"That certainly wouldn't be a good situation as things stand now but hopefully we will get some more concrete data as they summer progresses," Kay said. "We are in contact with ESPN and all four teams involved in the double header."
If De La Salle and St. Joseph's don't travel to Houston for the games, VYPE has confirmed that North Shore would face Shadow Creek at Galena Park ISD Stadium. As part of their original agreement, North Shore is set to travel to Freedom Field to face Shadow Creek in 2021.