Stepp’s Ten Thoughts from Week 1 of the TXHSFB Season

Houston Powers Win In Emphatic Fashion
There were plenty of powerhouse matchups in the Houston area in Week 1 and none were bigger than a top 10 battle of traditional 6A programs as Galena Park North Shore headed west on I-10 to Legacy Stadium in Katy to take on Katy High. Katy typically doesn’t lose much at home, but the Mustangs, buoyed by a tough defense and a sensational performance from junior running back Zach Evans, controlled the action from the outset and earned a nice feather in the cap with a 35-21 win and erasing some of the bad memories of last year’s playoff loss. The defending Class 6A Division II State Champions Cy-Fair didn’t have any title game hangover as the Bobcats rolled past The Woodlands 27-7 to win their 16th straight game. Finally, the rumored fall of the Manvel Mavericks seems to be on hold, as Manvel opened the season up Thursday night with emphatic debut at brand new Freedom Field, dismantling Class 6A Clear Lake 42-6.

Fox Southwest Football Days in Texas Another Smashing Success
For the second straight year, Fox Sports Southwest put on Football Days in Texas with a live broadcast of two Friday night games this year to a national audience on Fox Sports 2, in additon to the regional broadcast on FSSW. Once again the opening game featured two smaller schools and like last year, the game turned a bit lopsided as Brock went down to legendary Gordon Wood Stadium and rolled past Brownwood 41-10 spoiling Brownwood alum Sammy Burnett’s return to his hometown as head coach. The nightcap turned out to be one more classic in the storied rivalry between Longview and Lufkin, as the Longview Lobos rallied for a 35-28 win over arch-rival Lufkin in front of an overflow crowd at Lobo Stadium. Lufkin put together a tremendous performance despite not having starting quarterback Kewone Thomas and star defensive lineman and Arkansas commit, Carl Williams. The Panthers, even in the loss, showed that they are without question a state title contender in Class 5A Division I, while Longview led, by junior quarterback Haynes King and WR Kamden Perry, displayed the toughness and grit that is typical of a Longview squad coached by John King.