Klein pride -- and sole possession of first place in District 13-5A -- will be on the line when Klein visits Klein Collins in a battle of 6-0 teams on Friday night.
Coach Shane Hallmark’s Bearkats have rolled behind the explosive running of senior Keyshawn Hill, who enters the contest with 819 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging seven yards per carry. WR Chris Loving (18 catches, 288 yards, two scores) has been the the downfield threat, but will be challenged by a Tigers secondary led by junior DB Ryan Santos.
RB Marquise Cardinal is coming off a 204-yard, two-TD effort in last week’s 42-0 romp over Tomball, including a 94-yard scoring jaunt. Klein Collins’ defense was the standout in the win, holding the Cougars to just 66 total yards and one first down. Junior RB Shane Rhodes is a dual threat, rushing for 279 yards and four touchdowns while also leading the team with 21 receptions and four scores.
*Control of District 17-4A will be at stake when 6-0 Brenham takes on 6-0 Montgomery in what should be a hard-hitting battle pitting two of the region’s top defenses. Coach Glenn West’s Cubs have allowed just 22 points this season and have tossed shutouts in two of the last three games. Junior DL Malcolm Brown and senior LB Desmon Mathis and senior DB Rodney Hubert have anchored the unit, which has allowed just under 150 yards per outing.
The Cubs have limited their last three foes to just 24 points as LB Paul Nieuwoudt and linemen Tyler Anderson and Jesse Hooper spearhead coach John Bolfing’s unit. In the end, the game could come down to the QB play of Brenham’s Ty Schlottmann and Montgomery’s Tyler Bolfing, both of whom have completed over 60 percent of their attempts.
*North Shore continues its gauntlet through 21-5A as the 5-1 Mustangs take on 5-1 Beaumont West Brook in what could be a high-scoring affair. Keenon Gibson’s season-high 208 passing yards was enough to get North Shore past Port Arthur Memorial and may need a similar effort to get past a Bruins squad that opened district play with a 50-13 romp over Baytown Sterling. QB Bruce Reyes has completed a stunning 76 percent of his passes and teams with RBs Percy Johnson and Dylan Harvey, who have combined for 15 rushing touchdowns.
*Surprising Clear Creek takes its 5-1 record to Pearland, where the 6-0 Oilers await in a contest featuring two strong candidates for Houston Area Offensive Player of the Year. Wildcats RB C.J. McElroy has ripped off 13 touchdowns while rushing for 746 yards, while Pearland’s Dustin Garrison has 1,180 yards and 15 scores to go along with 11 catches and three touchdowns. The game also pits Coach of the Year candidates in Creek’s Darrell Warden and Pearland’s Tony Heath.
*Texas City seeks an unprecedented fourth straight over rival La Marque as attempt to rebound from losses. Coach Tim Finn has taken the kid gloves off freshmen twins Armanti and D’Onte Foreman, as the two have played big roles in the Stingarees’ 4-2 start. Both could have big night against a Cougars defense that has allowed 990 yards in their last two games, including 544 in a 55-41 loss to Friendswood last week. LM coach Darrell Jordan will need a heavy dose of junior RB Tim Wright, whose 1,316 yards ranks him among the top runners in the state.