Mustangs Marvel Along
North Shore on the way to third State Championship Game
Dec 20, 2018, 9:21 pm
North Shore matches it's best record via vype.com
Originally Appeared on VYPE
HOUSTON – Add Lake Travis to the list.
That list being the perennial power programs in Texas high school football – Katy, Cy-Fair and now Lake Travis – that North Shore has dispatched each of the last three weeks to get to the final game of the year.
Zach Evans rushed for 196 yards and four touchdowns, and Dematrius Davis passed for 231 yards and two scores, as North Shore defeated Lake Travis 51-10 in the Class 6A Division I state semifinal inside NRG Stadium on Saturday.
"It has been phenomenal programs, well-coached programs, very talented programs that are working every bit as hard as we are," North Shore coach Jon Kay said. "We knew whoever was coming out of this Region III was going to be two things – a pretty good football team and pretty beat up."
"Then, you get out of the Region III gauntlet, and you line up against somebody like Lake Travis, and then obviously whoever wins [between Allen and Duncanville]. That'll be another barn-burner [next week]."
North Shore improves to 15-0, matching the best record ever held by a Mustangs' football team, which was set in 2003.
"We're a special team, but we still haven't unlocked our full ability yet," Evans said. "That shows you what our program can do to players."
The Mustangs advance to the program's third-ever state championship game, joining the 2003 and 2015 teams. North Shore won the state championship both games.
"That's quite an accomplishment," Kay said. "I'm really proud of the program. I'm proud of the community, and it's a community that deserves this. I'm happy for our community, and hopefully we represent it well."
The story continues here
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It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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