By David Taylor
Managing Editor
After what seems like a never-ending seven-month layoff from football, Galena Park will turn on the lights early on Thursday night to kick off one of the first games in the state with the Yellow Jackets hosting Porter. With a friendlier schedule without state champion Port Neches-Groves in the district, there’s hope in the Jacket locker room for another run to the playoffs, their first since 2021. The last meeting between the two was in 2019 and it was a lopsided win for the Spartans. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Friday night is the clash of titans when 6A Division 1 state runner-up North Shore faces 5A Division 2 state runner-up Dallas South Oak Cliff. The Mustangs enter the game ranked No. 3 in the state behind Desoto and Duncanville and 10th in the MaxPreps national poll. Dallas South Oak Cliff holds the No. 2 in 5A Division 2, edged out by Port Neches-Groves. The Mustangs will be led by Senior QB Kaleb Bailey and Corner Devin Sanchez on defense. Don’t let the difference between divisions fool anyone. Both teams are coached well and will put on a show for fans looking for an early, quality match.
Another battle to keep an eye on from area teams is the Battle of Highway 90 between bitter rivals Dayton and Crosby. The Broncos host the Cougars in what could end up as a donnybrook. To sweeten the rivalry, the new head coach at Dayton is former Cougar Head Coach Jerry Prieto who took the Cougars to the state finals. In 2020, en route to their state title appearance, the Cougars blanked the Broncos, 24-0.
In another top match, watch the battle between C. E. King and Spring Westfield. The Panthers have made trips to the state playoffs, with each year getting deeper. It will be a tough assignment for the Panthers since Spring Westfield has played Duncanville in the Regional Finals the last two years in a row.
Here’s the rest of the schedule for the first week:
Thursday, August 29
Aldine Eisenhower at Beaumont Westbrook, 7 p.m., Beaumont ISD Stadium in Beaumont
Fort Bend Kempner at Aldine, 7 p.m., W. W. Thorne Stadium in Houston
Porter at Galena Park, 7 p.m., Galena Park ISD Stadium in Houston
South Houston at Baytown Lee, 7 p.m., Stallworth Stadium in Baytown
Friday, August 30
Aldine Davis at Wilis, 7 p.m., Berton A. Yates Stadium in Willis
Channelview at Pasadena Memorial, 7 p.m., Veterans Memorial Stadium in Pasadena
Crosby at Dayton, 7 p.m., Bronco Stadium in Dayton
Dallas South Oak Cliff at North Shore, 7 p.m., Galena Park ISD Stadium in Houston
Goose Creek Memorial at Baytown Sterling, 7 p.m., Stallworth Stadium
La Marque at Huffman Hargrave, 7:30 p.m., Falcon Stadium in Huffman
Morton Ranch at Aldine Nimitz, 7 p.m., W. W. Thorne Stadium in Houston
New Caney at Barbers Hill, 7 p.m., Eagle Stadium in Mont Belvieu
Spring Westfield at C. E. King, 7 p.m., Sheldon ISD Panther Stadium in Houston
Saturday, August 31
Cypress Ridge at Aldine MacArthur, 6 p.m., W. W. Thorne Stadium in Houston
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