Galena Park North Shore Races Past Lake Travis
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Updated: December 15, 2019
photos: Steve Thomas
Mustangs hold off Furious Rally by Cavaliers to Return to Arlington
Saturday’s UIL Class 6A Division 1 semifinal between defending the champion Galena Park North Shore Mustangs and the Austin Lake Travis Cavaliers featured a plethora of storylines. For Lake Travis, the game offered the Cavaliers a chance to avenge last year’s 51-10 loss to the Mustangs in the same round. That loss snapped Lake Travis’s streak of three-consecutive state championship appearances. For North Shore, the game was another step toward defending their crown.
Both teams were 13-1 entering Saturday’s contest at Kelly Reeves Stadium in Round Rock, and both had lost their opening games. Lake Travis lost its opener to Arlington Martin, but head coach Hank Carter said that his team had improved in virtually every respect following that loss. North Shore, meanwhile, lost its opening game to Katy, but head coach Jon Kay said that his team had improved, especially in terms of overall preparation.
For most of the first half, the Mustangs were without star running back Zach Evans. Evans reportedly had to take the ACT Saturday morning and arrived for the game at the end of the second quarter. The Mustangs, however, did not miss a beat. Running back Roger Hagan scored the game’s opening touchdown, and quarterback Dematrius Davis threw for two touchdowns to Jermond Batiste and Charles King respectively. Davis also rushed for a third to give North Shore a 28-3 lead at halftime. Lake Travis kicker Hays McCannon scored the Cavaliers’ only first-half points on a 33-yard field goal. The Mustang defense also had two sacks and an interception in the first half.
With their backs against the wall, Lake Travis came out swinging in the second half. On the opening drive on fourth down and seventeen, quarterback Hudson Card connected with wide receiver Grayson Sandlin for 29-yard touchdown pass. The Cavaliers then recovered the onside kick but turned the ball over on downs. Following the turnover, Evans scored his first touchdown of the night on a six-yard run to extend North Shore’s lead to 35-10. Lake Travis responded with Weston Stephens’ 29-yard touchdown run.
After the Lake Travis defense forced North Shore to punt on the ensuing drive, the North Shore defense recovered receiver Kyle Eaves’ fumble at the Cavalier 38-yard line. On the first play of the North Shore drive, however, Lake Travis defensive back DJ Johnson intercepted Dematrius Davis’ pass and returned it to the North Shore 18-yard line. One play later, Card connected with
receiver Sterling Hupp on an 18-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 35-24 at the end of the third quarter.
Following the Lake Travis touchdown, Zach Evans found the end zone again on a 37-yard touchdown run which extended the North Shore lead to 42-24. Mustang defensive back Upton Stout intercepted Card’s pass on the next Lake Travis drive, and Davis extended North Shore’s lead to 49-24 with a 21-yard touchdown pass to receiver Ismael Fuller. Needing points in a hurry, the Cavaliers responded with a four-play drive which Card capped off with a 28-yard touchdown keeper.
The Cavaliers caught a huge break following the touchdown when Evans’s fumble rolled out of the end zone for a touchback. Three plays later, Weston Stephens scored his second touchdown of the night to cut the deficit to 49-38. This would be as close as the Cavaliers would get, however. After the touchdown, the Mustangs recovered the onside kick and were able to run out the clock.
With the win, North Shore improves to 14-1 overall. Next week, the Mustangs will face the Duncanville Panthers in a rematch of last year’s UIL Class 6A Division 1 Championship. The Mustangs won that game 41-36 on a last-second Hail Mary. The game will be played Saturday at 3:00pm at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Lake Travis, meanwhile, finishes the year at 13-2.
by Steve Thomas
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