KFDM COOP Posted October 29, 2008 Report Posted October 29, 2008 No shortage of talent for Mustangs By Nick Cioci The Baytown Sun Published October 30, 2008 - Updated 33 minutes ago North Shore’s football team is known for its great players and great teams and this year is no different for the Mustangs in that department. Senior quarterback Alex Tillman leads the Mustang offense that is averaging 368 yards and 37 points per game as it comes to town for tonight’s 7 p.m. game against Lee. In a 6-0 start this season, Tillman (5’9â€) has passed for 850 yards and nine touchdowns. “You have to select someone who is capable to manage a team,†North Shore coach David Aymond said. “In a game situation that takes priority. Secondly, they have to have some physical ability and finally they have to be able to emotionally handle the team.†Aymond feels Tillman has all of those characteristics. “He (Tillman) is a competitor as well as hard-nosed and tough,†Aymond said. “He had to wait his turn to get a start but he is very intelligent and throws and runs the football very well. “Also, he wasn’t thrown into the breach when he was so young, so he was able to develop at his own rate and saw how the other quarterbacks were trained.†The leading receiver for the Mustangs is DeAndrew White (6’0â€), who has 19 catches for 497 yards and six touchdowns. “He (White) is only a junior but has some athleticism,†Aymond said. “He can run and jump but to go along with that he has great leaping ability. “At times he needs to run his routes a little sharper but he realizes not every ball thrown will be a good one. He uses his ability to cut or leap and get those balls.†To go along with Tillman and White, running back Deaundre Jones (5’7â€) is another reason North Shore’s offense seems so unstoppable. Jones has 58 carries for 403 yards and two touchdowns for the Mustangs. “Jones has a good burst from a standstill,†Aymond said. ‘He can also accelerate quickly and decrease his speed or cut at full speed if needed. He has great balance and uses his short height to his advantage to gain leverage on tacklers.†Rounding out the biggest threats on offense for the Mustangs is tight end Barrett Matthews (6’2â€). The University of Texas commit has five catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns so far this year for the Mustangs. “He is probably the most intense player we have,†Aymond said. “He is naturally self-motivated and has a lot of pride. “Sometimes he needs to settle down and relax and let a play happen but he is a great competitor and has that hard-nosed football mentality.†The biggest threat for the Mustangs on defense is defensive tackle Thad Randle (6’2â€). “Randle has great hands and that helps him a lot with his technique,†Aymond said. “Along with that, he is strong and has good legs that give him great leverage in fighting pass blockers. “His great hands help him combat what he feels the offensive linemen is doing.†Aymond feels all his players have to show him they can earn playing time and a spot on the team. “All the kids we have are competitors,†he said. “Our slogan here is ‘earning the right to win’ and they all go out there every day and show us that.â€
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