The win sets up a fifth meeting in six years between
Duncanville (Texas) and North Shore for the Class 6A state championship and a grudge match of the previous two seasons. North Shore won in 2018, 2019 and 2021 before Duncanville took the state crown last year.
North Shore and Westlake both came into the game with perfect 14-0 records Friday night. The Chaparrals struck first when sophomore quarterback
Rees Wise scored his 11th rushing touchdown of the year on a 9-yard score to put Westlake up 7-0 with 1:39 left in the first quarter.
Midway through the second quarter, North Shore junior quarterback
Kaleb Bailey took the snap under center, spun to the outside and dove into the endzone on fourth down and one to tie up the game 7-7.
Junior quarterback Kaleb Bailey reaches across the goal line to even the score at 7-7 mid-way through the second quarter. (Photo: Paul Knight)
The North Shore defense came up big and forced a punt to get the ball back before the half. With 2:35 left in the second period, North Shore junior running back
D’Andre Hardeman Jr. scored his 21st touchdown run of the season to put the Mustangs up 14-7.
Hardeman Jr.'s dad also played for the Mustangs. D'Andre Hardeman Sr. was a high school All-American who went on to rush for 30 touchdowns at Texas A&M between 1995-98.
It took just one second half play for Westlake to tie the score, as senior running back
Jack Kayser scored on a 45-yard touchdown run. Committed to Army, the score was Kayser's 20th of the season and 70th of his career.
On the ensuing North Shore drive, Bailey avoided a sack on fourth down from the Westlake 25 and calmly passed to junior wide receiver
Cameron Smith for the first down.
That conversion led to a 21-yard field goal by junior
Jonathan Soto to put first-year head coach Willie Gaston's squad up 17-14 with 6:14 to play in the third quarter.
Gaston played at North Shore before playing for the University of Houston and the Baltimore Ravens. After his playing career, he became an assistant coach at North Shore in 2008. In 2015 he was named the offensive coordinator and he helped lead the Mustangs to a 2018 national championship and state championships in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2021.
Westlake drove into North Shore territory on its next possession before senior
Jarvon Coles intercepted a fourth down pass to give the Mustangs the ball back with three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Senior linebacker Jarvon Coles races down the sideline after intercepting his second pass of the game as teammate Devin Sanchez celebrates from the ground. (Photo: Paul Knight)
Westlake started the fourth quarter with the ball at midfield and down 17-14. North Shore subsequently got into the backfield on two straight plays. First Coles and junior
Kylan Darville combined for a sack on second down. On third and long, senior
Cortney David Brooks Jr. got a sack of his own to force a punt.
Westlake got the ball back inside its own 20, and again David Brooks came up big with his second sack of the afternoon. The North Shore defense dominated all afternoon and with 1:49 left in the game, Coles picked off his second pass of the game.
After using their timeouts, Westlake got the ball back with 10 seconds remaining before throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown by junior
Charles Ross to send the Mustangs to AT&T Stadium on Dec. 16 for a chance at the state title.
North Shore junior running back D’Andre Hardeman Jr. helped lead the Mustangs back to the Texas state championship after defeating Westlake (Austin) in the Class 6A Division 1 semifinals on Saturday. (Photo: Paul Knight)
Junior quarterback Kaleb Bailey has the opportunity to compete for the state title this season after missing last year's title game due to injury. (Photo: Paul Knight)
Three-star senior wide receiver Christopher Barnes takes North Shore down to the one yard line before quarterback Kaleb Bailey punched in the touchdown. (Photo: Paul Knight)
