Westlake has been waiting all season to get another shot at North Shore in state semifinals

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Last season, Galena Park North Shore ended the nation’s longest active winning streak in high school football after beating Westlake in the 6A Division I semifinals at Rice Stadium in Houston.

This season, the teams meet again at 3 p.m. Saturday at The Pfield with a spot in the state championship game on the line, and the Chaparrals have been thinking about this one for a while now.

“This one has been in the back of our minds for a year now,” Chaps head coach Tony Salazar said. “A year ago, we didn’t get the results we wanted and the kids have used it as motivation. Our biggest senior class led us to this moment and we’ve got a top-notch coaching staff. I couldn’t be more proud of everybody that helped get us here.”

The game will be broadcast on KBVO.

The Mustangs have as dynamic of a passing attack as the Chaps have seen all season, led by junior quarterback Kaleb Bailey. He’s thrown for more than 500 yards in the past two playoff games, torching Cy-Fair for 305 yards and hitting district rival Humble Atascocita for 241. He has multiple weapons on the outside including senior Christopher Barnes and junior Cameron Smith. Barnes caught both of Bailey’s touchdowns against Atascocita, hauling in six passes for 176 yards along the way. Against Cy-Fair, Smith caught 10 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns.

On the defensive side of the ball is perhaps where the Mustangs have their best player, junior cornerback Devin Sanchez. He’s a 5-star recruit and the best cornerback in the country for the 2025 class according to 247Sports and has Power 5 offers from all the major programs, including Texas. He’s set to make his verbal commitment during the All-American Bowl broadcast Jan. 6 on NBC.

The talent North Shore has is undeniable, but the Chaps think they can play with anybody in Texas and they’re ready for the challenge coming off a 21-14 win over Lake Travis in the Region IV final.

“It was good to have some adversity so we could bounce back, stay together as a team and know what to do,” Chaps defensive back Payton Luther said. “We’ve definitely been ready to get back at them (North Shore) since last year and get some revenge. I’m ready to play, ready to get to Saturday.”