Expectations are at an all-time high at Sharpstown under coach Gary Gutierrez, whose squad is coming off a record-setting 8-3 season. Fresh off the school’s first playoff berth since 1984, the Apollos are among the favorites in District 21-4A, but they’re probably a slight underdog against Westside in tonight’s opener.
Getting a win over a Class 5A school won’t be easy for Sharpstown, although the Apollos do have the edge in experience. Westside, entering its second season under coach Mark Byrd, returns only a handful of starters on both sides of the ball, but the Wolves were still picked in the upper half of District 20-5A and are expected to qualify for the Class 5A playoffs.
ABOUT THE GAME
• Matchup: Sharpstown Apollos (0-0, 0-0) vs. Westside Wolves (0-0, 0-0)
• When: 7 p.m., tonight
• Where : Delmar Stadium
• What’s at stake: Sharpstown wants to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke. A victory over a quality opponent will give the Apollos plenty of momentum as they gear up for looming District 21-4A battles against foes like Yates, Davis and Westbury.
Westside is out to prove that it can pick up the slack after graduating all-everything former star quarterback Michael Goodnight.
• Sharpstown players to watch: QB Sam Carter, WR Darius Jones, WR William Peck, WR Joseph Davis, LB Stephen Maeweather, CB Lekendrick Williams
• Westside players to watch: DE Eric Dago, FS Keith Davis, SS Chris Redman, WR Kevin Brooks, RB Frank Williams.
TEAM HIGHLIGHTS
• Sharpstown: Few teams in Houston can match Sharpstown’s offense, led by the incomparable Carter. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder threw for more than 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran for 800 yards and seven scores last season.
Carter has one of the area’s premier receiving corps, led by Jones, Peck, Davis and newcomer Marcus Williams.
If defenses pay too much attention to stopping the passing game, the Apollos can counter with running back Cory Colbert, another threat.
• Westside: It’s not like Westside is starting over, but they are missing several key players off last year’s 6-5 team.
Otis Seals must replace all-everything quarterback Mike Goodnight. Once Seals settles down, he’ll find plenty of weapons in Brooks and Williams, one of last season’s biggest surprises.
The pressure is on the defense to slow down Sharpstown’s explosive offensive attack.
