In a season in which North Shore (Houston, Texas) had yet to score fewer than 30 points in a game, the No. 7 Mustangs needed all the defense they could muster to take down No. 15 Westlake (Austin, Texas) in the UIL 6A D1 semifinals.
Behind a superb defensive effort, North Shore beat Westlake 23-14 to secure its fifth appearance in the Texas championship game in the last six years.
The score of a football game often does not tell the story of the game. A glance at it doesn’t depict the battle deep into the fourth quarter. It doesn’t properly explain the importance of two late interceptions by the Mustangs. It doesn’t show how close Westlake came to winning despite completing only three passes in the game.
North Shore took a 17-14 lead in the third quarter when quarterback Kaleb Bailey created the chance to complete a fourth-and-six conversion. He maneuvered around tacklers to complete an eight-yard pass that kept the drive alive and put kicker Jonathan Soto in position to nail a 26-yard field goal.
That lead stood well into the fourth quarter after Westlake had two turnovers on downs, the second of which delivered the ball to North Shore at the Chaparrals’ 39-yard line with about five minutes to play. Despite that, Westlake’s defense held strong, preventing the Mustangs’ fourth-down conversion with about three minutes left that likely would have iced the game if successful.
Westlake had three minutes to recharge an offense that struggled to move the ball against the stout Mustangs’ defense. The Chaparrals averaged only 2.7 yards per play, according to the Houston Chronicle, and sophomore quarterback Rees Wise completed only three of 18 pass attempts for 29 yards and was sacked four times.
The Chaparrals once again could advance, and Wise was intercepted. North Shore returned the ball to around 10-yard line.
Interception by the Mustangs with 1:49 left in game@Westlake_Nation @NSNationFB #txhsfb #TXHSFBplayoffs #UILState pic.twitter.com/WtXXSx9Hwz
— Taylor Arenz (@taylorarenz) December 9, 2023
The Mustangs, seeing a steeper priority in running out the clock than attempting to force a touchdown or field goal, turned the ball over on downs deep in the Westlake red zone with about 10 seconds to play. The Chaparrals had not shown the offensive ability to drive the ball about 95 yards in 10 seconds, and North Shore trusted it would remain that way.
It did. A screen pass from Wise was tipped and caught by North Shore junior linebacker Charles Ross inside the end zone as time expired, securing the final points of the game:
The Last play!
@NSNationFB #txhsfb #TXHSFBplayoffs #UILState pic.twitter.com/h23vk2zwaB— Taylor Arenz (@taylorarenz) December 10, 2023
Westlake finishes its season with a 14-1 record, falling just shy of advancing to the championship.
North Shore, meanwhile, will take on its well-known foe in Duncanville in a postseason matchup that has practically become tradition, with the two teams splitting the games over the last two years.
