Statement wins were a big theme across the Houston area in Week 9, and with the playoffs right around the corner, the stakes will only continue to rise. Here is a look at some of the notable takeaways and top performers from another exciting week of action.
C.E. King takes down North Shore
C.E. King made a big statement Friday by knocking off No. 2 state-ranked North Shore in a dominant 42-21 road victory against the defending state champions at Galena Park ISD Stadium. It marked the first program win for the Panthers (7-1, 5-0) against North Shore, which has now lost at least one district game in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2014-15. The Mustangs (7-1, 4-1) had their 57-game district winning streak snapped against Summer Creek last season and had won 61 of their past 62 district games before C.E. King beat them.
Friday's result likely won't have any impact on the playoff picture for either team since North Shore will be headed to the Division I bracket and C.E. King will go Division II. But it does give the Panthers a chance to claim the program's first outright district championship since 1995, according to Pigskin Prep. C.E. King finished last season in a three-way tie for first place with North Shore and Summer Creek before making a run to the state title game.
One of the keys to success for the Panthers this season has been the play of senior quarterback Khylan Davis, who transferred from Hightower after earning district MVP honors as a junior. The three-star UTSA commit has been lights-out for C.E. King, accounting for 25 touchdowns (18 passing seven rushing) with just one interception. He had his best performance of the season against North Shore with 238 total yards and five total touchdowns. Davis completed 17-of-28 passes (60.7%) for 146 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 92 yards and three scores.
One significant factor during C.E. King's playoff run from a year ago was the high level of play the team received from then-senior quarterback Timothy Potts Jr., who was a first-team All-Greater Houston selection. The Panthers certainly have a chance to make some serious postseason noise once again, now with Davis leading the charge.
Klein Oak throws wrench into district
Klein Oak added more drama to the race for the playoffs in District 15-6A with its 42-41 overtime victory against Tomball on Friday. The Panthers (4-4, 4-2), who started the season 1-4, have now won three consecutive games to pull even with Magnolia (4-4, 4-2), Klein Collins (5-3, 4-2) and Tomball (6-2, 4-2) for second place in the district standings with only two games remaining for each team. Klein Oak has made the playoffs just once since 2022, but the Panthers are surging at the right time. That was evident against Tomball as they put up 458 yards of offense, including 344 on the ground. Junior four-star Texas commit Micah Rhodes led the way for Klein Oak, rushing for 239 yards and four touchdowns on 34 carries. It marked his third 200-plus-yard game of the season.
Rhodes gave the Panthers a 41-35 lead in overtime with his final touchdown. Tomball answered with a short touchdown run from Ian Thomas and went for the two-point conversion and the win. But two-way standout Antonio Dural, who rushed for 52 yards on offense, broke up a pass in the end zone to preserve the Panthers' win. Linebacker Zack Ruysenaars helped lead the defensive efforts with 20 tackles, including 14 solo stops.
Elsewhere in the district, Klein (8-1, 6-1) is now alone in first place, despite taking its first loss in Week 8 against Tomball. The Bearkats have secured eight wins for the first time since 2010, the first season under longtime coach Shane Hallmark. But the most significant development is that with Tomball losing, Klein has secured at least a share of the district title for the first time since 1995, according to Pigskin Prep. With just one game remaining, the worst the Bearkats can do is finish with two district losses, which all of the second-place teams already have. Klein took care of business with a 60-7 victory against Magnolia West on Friday, thanks in part to three touchdown passes from senior quarterback Carter Lattelle and a dominant defensive performance. The Bearkats finish the regular season with a matchup against Klein Collins before taking their bye week before the playoffs begin.
Angleton remains perfect with exciting finish
Angleton passed its toughest test of the season so far with a 28-21 home victory against a previously unbeaten and state-ranked Friendswood team on Friday. The Wildcats (8-0, 6-0) and Mustangs (8-1, 5-1) were tied at 21-21 late in the fourth quarter before Jake Brittain - the son of Angleton head coach Jason Brittain - took a pass from Trey Garnder and raced 51 yards to the end zone for the go-ahead score with just 59 seconds remaining, according to the Galveston Daily News. The thrilling finish leaves the Wildcats as one of two teams still unbeaten in District 11-5A Division I. The other is Randle (8-0, 6-0), which Angleton will host Friday in another high-profile matchup.
Angleton has won at least eight games in four of the past five seasons under Brittain, including three straight. The Wildcats rushed for 252 yards against Friendswood, including 104 and a touchdown from Jayden Moore and 81 and a touchdown from Duke commit Kasen Jammer, who also had three tackles on defense. Brittain finished as Angleton's leading receiver with three catches for 73 yards and added six tackles with two for loss on defense. The Wildcats held Friendswood to a season-low point total. The Mustangs were averaging 53.4 points per game behind the superb play of senior quarterback Josh Brister and had scored at least 30 against every other opponent.
Williams-Callis continues torrid pace
As we take a look into our weekly Landen Williams-Callis installment, Randle's five-star Texas commit continued the torrid pace that is vaulting his name higher in the Texas high school football record book. Williams-Callis rushed for 257 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries during the Lions' 51-3 district win over Katy Freeman on Friday. He now has 9,489 career rushing yards and remains seventh on the state's all-time list. He needs 73 yards to pass Seagraves' Cory Kyle (9,561) and 380 yards to pass McAllen Memorial's Trevor Speights (9,868). His touchdown total, already a Houston-area record, now sits at 164, which is just 11 short of former Mount Enterprise star Kaegan Ash for second all-time. Aledo's Johnathan Gray holds the state record at 205. Williams-Callis, who also completed 3-of-3 passes for 52 yards and touchdown during the victory against Freeman, is averaging 249.4 rushing yards per game this season. He's rushed for 1,995 yards and 30 touchdowns at 13.2 yards per attempt.
Top performers
Jordan Simmons, ATH, Yates: Simmons was unstoppable during the Lions' 77-0 district win over Scarborough on Thursday. He finished the game with just eight touches but managed to pile up 231 yards and six touchdowns for Yates, which has won five consecutive games and scored 70-plus points in three straight.
Chad Nelson, ATH, Mayde Creek: Nelson was the catalyst for the Rams' offense during the team's 40-26 district win over Morton Ranch on Thursday. The senior Tulsa commit rushed for 237 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, averaging 11.9 yards per attempt. Mayde Creek rushed for 346 yards to earn its second consecutive victory.
Kaegan Morton, WR, Barbers Hill: Morton contributed as both a receiver and rusher during the Eagles' 73-30 district win over Clear Lake on Thursday. The senior UTSA commit had five catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two carries for 51 yards and another score, bringing his all-purpose yards total to 143.
Sean Riegler, QB, Cy-Fair: Riegler helped the Bobcats bounce back from last week's loss by putting up 401 yards of total offense and six touchdowns during a 48-34 district win over Jersey Village. The senior completed 23-of-33 passes (69.7%) for 358 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 43 yards and two scores on 11 carries.
Brayden Tuiasosopo, QB, Manvel: Tuiasosopo put on a dominant performance as the Mavericks rolled to a 68-21 district win over Brazoswood on Thursday. The senior Army commit rushed for 150 yards and five touchdowns on 16 carries, averaging 9.4 yards per attempt. He also passed for 228 yards and another touchdown.
Duke Stephens, RB, College Park: Stephens led the way for the Cavaliers' offense during a 48-24 district win over Grand Oaks on Thursday. The senior rushed for 240 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries, averaging 10 yards per attempt with a long run of 57 yards. It marked the second-highest single-game rushing total of his career.
Vladimir Garcia, RB, El Campo: Garcia powered the Ricebirds' rushing attack during a 45-14 district win over Royal on Friday. The senior rushed for 268 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries, averaging 14.1 yards per attempt, with a long run of 83 yards. He has rushed for 1,339 yards and 19 touchdowns this season.
Brody Bartee, QB, Ridge Point: Bartee returned to the lineup after missing three games and picked apart Bush's defense during the Panthers' 52-6 district victory Friday. The senior Florida Atlantic commit completed 15-of-21 passes (71.4%) for 278 yards and five touchdowns to help Ridge Point remain unbeaten at 8-0.
Beau Finley, ATH, Sealy: Finley spearheaded a rushing attack that piled up 496 yards during the Tigers' 48-7 district victory against Navasota on Friday. The senior rushed for 238 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt as Sealy earned its second consecutive win and improved to 6-3.
J.P. Vaclavik, QB, Tompkins: Vaclavik delivered another efficient performance during the Falcons' 56-7 district victory against Seven Lakes on Friday. The senior completed 13-of 18 passes (72.2%) for 308 yards and four touchdowns as Tompkins earned its fifth consecutive win and improved to 5-1 in District 22-6A action.
Josh Warren, RB, Montgomery: Warren led the charge for the Bears during a 40-2 district victory against West Fork on Friday. The senior rushed for 182 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries, good for an average of 11.3 yards per attempt. His efforts helped Montgomery improve to 8-0 and secure three straight seasons of at least eight wins.
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There’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Houston high school football: Week 9 takeaways and top performers.