One of the Arkansas new 2022 football signees will be going for a state title Saturday afternoon at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Duncanville linebacker and future Razorback Jordan Crook (6-0, 225) will lead his Panthers (13-1) against Houston North Shore (14-1) in a 3 p.m. game for the Texas University Interscholastic League Class 6A Division I title.
It will be the third time in four years that the two teams will meet for the state title with the Mustangs winning 41-36 in 2018 on a Hail Mary pass and 31-17 in 2019.
“They are a great football team and it will be a big challenge for us,” Duncanville head coach Reggie Samples said. “But we will look to do what we have been doing, which is playing very good football since after that first game. Jordan has been one of the main reasons that we have a chance to win the title.”
Samples, 76-17 in his seventh season with the Panthers and 307-87-2 overall, is looking to lead his team to a 14th consecutive win after losing its season opener to No. 1 Mater Dei 45-3.
“To be honest I think we were smelling ourselves too much and thought we were much better than we were,” Samples said. “We got our butts kicked and humbled. It couldn’t have come at a better time. We went back to work and the kids got hungry again and just having their heads handed to them.”
Crook, who has 98 tackles, 10.5 stops for lost yardage, 4.5 sacks, 3 interceptions (with two returned for touchdowns) this season, was one of the leaders of that turnaround effort according to Samples, who is looking for his first state title.
“Jordan is a great football player and can do everything on the field that you need him to do,” Samples said. “He has had a great overall year as both a player and a leader on our football team.”
Duncanville advanced to the championship game with a 35-9 win over Southlake Carroll while North Shore downed Lake Travis 49-21 last week.
The Duncanville defense allowed just 11.1 points per game this season along with Crook and edge rusher Omari Arbor (6-4, 240), who will announce his decision on Jan. 2 at the Under Armor All-America Game and choose between Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida and Clemson and sign in February.
Crook follows in the footsteps of great Duncanville linebackers such as current Alabama linebacker Kendrick Blackshire.
“He has kept going what a lot of people have called LBU (Linebacker University) here because we have had so many great ones come through,” Samples said. “He will be ready to play there at Arkansas right away, especially since he is going to be an early enrollee and be there in January.”
There have been some point to his stature, but Samples said they is looking at the wrong thing.
“Some point to his height, but I don’t see that as a hindrance for him in any way,” Samples said. “He just makes plays, has a knack for the ball, arrives with an intent and is a great tackler. He has no weaknesses, puts in all the work and they are just going to love him at Arkansas.”
Crook was committed to Oklahoma State before flipping to Arkansas on July 31.
“He was one of five players we had sign on Wednesday although we have several others who will later after they have a better idea of what they want to do,” Samples said.
North Shore, averaging 50.1 points offensively, will be trying to win its fifth state title while Duncanville, who puts 41.9 points per game on the scoreboard, is looking for its second crown in school history.
Both have over 4,500 students with Duncanville’s school being 11 miles from AT&T Stadium and North Shore coming from 267 miles away.
North Shore’ offense is led by freshman quarterback Kaleb Bailey, who was brought up to the varsity when his ninth grade season ended and rushed for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns and passed for 122 and two more scores in last week’s win.
The defense has Texas defensive tackle commit Kristopher Ross (6-3, 280) and cornerback Denver Harris (6-1, 180), who has a final four of Texas A&M, Texas, LSU and Alabama. He has signed with one of those four schools, but not announced which one yet.
“I love the competition,” North Shore’s head coach, Jon Kay told Click2Houston.com. “I think they’re a phenomenal football team and extremely well coached. They play incredibly hard. I hope they’d say the same thing about us, and to put this brand of football on a stage like this to me is pretty special.”